The inaugural Riyadh Fashion Week kicked off on Friday with 16 shows highlighting the best of Saudi Arabian design. Here are some names – emerging and established – to know.
Mohammed Ashi
The opening show was, fittingly, by Mohammed Ashi, the couturier who earlier this year became the first ever Saudi designer invited to join the prestigious Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode in Paris. Known for his intense sophistication and glamour, Ashi called his latest show 8PM, and it was inspired by the beauty of the desert by night.
Here he delivered evening wear that echoed the rolling curves of dunes, in colours of sand at sunset – russet red and rich gold – mixed with the pale cream of moonlight. An off-the-shoulder dress arrived in deep oxblood satin, its fabric sculpted into complex sleeves, while elsewhere tendrils of cream wool were left as loose fringing, framing the face on a longline dress given volume through the hips, or on a beaded, sleeveless jacket worn open over wide-legged trousers.
Ashi is rightfully taking his place on the global stage, for his adept skill at mixing strict tailoring with voluptuous femininity. For this fashion week debut, Ashi delivered an elegant, feminine collection, best captured in a pared-back, almost severe square-necked column dress in cream, and softened with great explosions of organza ruffles as sleeves.
Yousef Akbar
Jeddah designer Yousef Akbar delivered some serious attitude with a parade of sleek black dresses, beautifully carved around the body. Single sleeved or with a train falling from the waist, these were elegant, grown-up and deeply sensual.
Things shifted tack elsewhere in the show with a series of looks filled with volume. There was a mille-feuille dress of candyfloss-pink organza – a mini at the front before falling away to a dramatic train- and a black, off-the-shoulder puff ball with a train in gleaming taffeta. Rich, sultry, and unashamedly dressy, this show was about letting Akbar's keen cutting skills shine through.
Honayda
Honayda sent out a show inspired by Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Saudi woman to go to space, with looks paying homage to celestial bodies, with details including beaded stars, half-moon jewellery and even a skirt shaped like a planet.
Centred around the sort of occasionwear the Middle East excels at, it was a breezy parade of evening looks in tones of sky blue interspersed with starlike glitter. To top it all, designer Honayda Serafi called on Halima Aden to walk her runway. Aden wore a fitted dress and flamboyant hooded cape finished with star-shaped rings.
After making waves as the first hijab-wearing model to walk major runways, Aden retired from the industry in November 2020 citing disillusionment. She returned to the runway once more in May 2023, but said she would pick and choose her projects carefully going forward.
Abadia
Abadia delivered a signature mix of minimalist cuts paired with touches of traditional handicraft. A full, floor-length skirt in cream arrived with a drop waist and a panel of traditional Sadu weaving wrapped instead around the hips. Worn with a relaxed white shirt, it captured the nonchalant storytelling of the brand, fusing modern shapes with touches of heritage.
Other pieces included simple, straight-cut tunic dresses, in purposely crumpled fabric, and tops and skirts with curved panels. Restrained in its use of Sadu weaving allowed the collection to feel contemporary, while the pared-back silhouettes will speak to any woman looking for style with comfort.
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 285bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: TBA
On sale: Q2, 2020
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
Saturday 15 January: v Canada
Thursday 20 January: v England
Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The UAE squad for the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
The jiu-jitsu men’s team: Faisal Al Ketbi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Yahia Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Obaid Al Nuaimi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Mansoori, Saeed Al Mazroui, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Qubaisi, Salem Al Suwaidi, Khalfan Belhol, Saood Al Hammadi.
Women’s team: Mouza Al Shamsi, Wadeema Al Yafei, Reem Al Hashmi, Mahra Al Hanaei, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Hessa Thani, Salwa Al Ali.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
THE BIG MATCH
Arsenal v Manchester City,
Sunday, Emirates Stadium, 6.30pm
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Wednesday and the pair embraced but he failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
UAE squad
Rohan Mustafa (captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
More on Quran memorisation:
