American pop star Halsey can be seen sporting a pristine ivory dress with lacy sleeves in the poster of her first feature film If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, a haunting thriller that explores themes of pregnancy and childbirth. The Moire dress was part of the debut collection of Saudi Arabian designer Noura Sulaiman, who couldn’t be more excited, not least because she originally created the dress for her own baby’s reception.
“This dress has always been an extremely special piece for me, because it represented that moment when I could share my baby’s arrival with the world,” says Sulaiman. “To have it worn by Halsey, at a time she was pregnant, for her first-ever feature film that explores the theme of childbirth, is a real privilege.”
Crafted from ivory moire fabric, the feminine dress has a clean A-line silhouette, an off-shoulder neckline and cascading Russian tulle sleeves.
It was selected by celebrity stylist and America’s Next Top Model judge Law Roach, also known as the “image architect”, who counts among his famous clients the likes of Ariana Grande, Anne Hathaway, Celine Dion, Tiffany Haddish and Zendaya. If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power also features an outfit by fashion heavyweight Vivienne Westwood.
Sulaiman says: “It is an honour to have a piece from my debut collection selected by Law Roach for this opportunity, and to be able to represent Saudi fashion on a global scale.
If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power is an hour-long film experience, set to the music of Halsey's eponymous album. The singer plays Lila, the fiery pregnant queen revolting against an abusive king and distrustful matriarch.
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
What is the Supreme Petroleum Council?
The Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council was established in 1988 and is the highest governing body in Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas industry. The council formulates, oversees and executes the emirate’s petroleum-related policies. It also approves the allocation of capital spending across state-owned Adnoc’s upstream, downstream and midstream operations and functions as the company’s board of directors. The SPC’s mandate is also required for auctioning oil and gas concessions in Abu Dhabi and for awarding blocks to international oil companies. The council is chaired by Sheikh Khalifa, the President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi while Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is the vice chairman.
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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