She has been in the public eye since 1998, and in the last 23 years, Nancy Ajram, 38, has become one of the most famous faces in the Arab world.
Known as the Queen of Arab Pop, the Lebanese singer, who is performing this weekend at Expo 2020 Dubai, is famous for her big vocals, catchy pop hits and mellow tunes. But she is also famed for bringing a dose of glamour with her everywhere she goes.
In the early days of her career, it wasn't unusual to see the Salamat singer pair jeans with a colourful top on stage, however eye-catching gowns have been a reliable default look during her time in the public eye.
Travelling across the Middle East, Ajram makes regular appearances in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan, as well as delighting home crowds in Lebanon. On stage, she turns to slinky gowns, with lashings of velvet, sequinned, satin and beaded texture. She is always turned out to perfection, with a big blow-dry and flawless make-up.
Off-duty, she teams jeans with crisp shirts and big sunglasses.
Aware that she has grown up in the public eye, Ajram told Vogue Arabia in a 2019 interview: “I sought [a] change in appearance because I can no longer reflect the image of the cute girl.
“Yet I am also convinced that no matter what I do, my audience will always see me as someone with a baby face. Perhaps this has something to do with my smile. That’s what those who have been following me for the past two decades tell me. But I also like to appear as a woman whose clothes and body do not hinder her from expressing her feelings and choices.”
Scroll through the gallery above to see more images of Nancy Ajram over the years.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
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Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
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World Sevens Series standing after Dubai
1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Fiji
5. Australia
6. Samoa
7. Kenya
8. Scotland
9. France
10. Spain
11. Argentina
12. Canada
13. Wales
14. Uganda
15. United States
16. Russia
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
