Arab stars and Hollywood celebrities walked the red carpet for the annual Joy Awards, one of the region's biggest entertainment events, at Riyadh's Kingdom Arena on Saturday.
Hollywood A-listers Matthew McConaughey, Amanda Seyfried, Anthony Hopkins, Morgan Freeman, Cuba Gooding Jr and Martin Lawrence joined football star Thierry Henry and a host of regional celebrities, from veteran Egyptian actress Yousra to Saudi actress Mila Alzahrani on the red carpet.
The event also featured top-notch performers on the night, including pop star Christina Aguilera, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, Canadian crooner Michael Buble – fresh off his Abu Dhabi show last week – Lebanese singer Wael Kfoury and Saudi superstar Mohammed Abdu.
Now in its fifth year, Joy Awards honours talents across film, TV, sports and even social media. It is organised by Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and broadcast live on MBC channels and streaming platform Shahid.
Aguilera was accompanied on the red carpet or, more accurately, lavender carpet, by her fiance, Matthew Rutler. Wearing a white shirt paired with shimmering maxi skirt, the singer accessorised her look with dark sunglasses.
Opening the show with her rousing 20O2 hit The Voice Within, Aguilera later changed to a striking red gown by Elie Saab, followed by an all-black leather ensemble for her biggest hit Genie in a Bottle.
As if channeling her Red Riding Hood character from 2011, Seyfried walked the red carpet in a dreamy red ruffled dress by Valentino, accentuated by a black bow on the waist.
Meanwhile, McConaughey was accompanied by his wife, model Camila Alves, who chose a striking one shoulder yellow dress with gold sequins by Oscar de la Renta.
The Arab world was also glamorously represented by stars from the Gulf as well as the wider Middle East, with Lebanese designers dominating the red carpet.
Saudi actress Mila Alzahrani chose a dramatic gown by Lebanese designer Sara Mrad. The corseted sapphire dress featured a voluminous sleeve while the midi skirt is adorned by organza feathers and a bouquet of embroidered flowers. The look is finished off with a pleated puffy train.
Lebanese couturier Zuhair Murad, who was honoured at the event, also dressed a number of regional stars on the night, including Lebanese singer and actress Cyrine Abdelnour, Egyptian actress Enjy Kiwan, Moroccan actress Miryam Labiad and Lebanese actress Aimee Sayah.
Egyptian actress Nelly Karim chose a stunning red gown by Lebanese designer Tony Ward while Syrian singer Assala Nasri chose a creation by Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran.
If you go
- The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
- The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
- The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.
'Laal Kaptaan'
Director: Navdeep Singh
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
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The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
Company%20Profile
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
HAJJAN
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
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