The concept of “handmade” has sent consumers seeking luxury items on far-reaching emotional journeys for centuries. Once revered as masterful art forms, many handmade techniques used in the production of fashion and jewellery were gradually eclipsed by machine counterparts throughout the 20th century, as brands churned out their products at warp speed, choosing cost efficiency and a standardised approach to design over a personalised one.
Even Italy, a nation renowned for the prestigious “made in Italy” label, has experienced a decline in skilled artisans as younger generations have gravitated towards careers in offices, software and technology, rather than manual labour.
However, in recent years, the global appreciation of traditional craftsmanship has had something of a revival, with many fashion and jewellery houses revisiting centuries-old methods to enhance their modern designs while acknowledging the emotional value embedded in handmade creations.
This year’s Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda collection is a testament to this, paying homage to traditional Italian craftsmanship. The designers celebrated embroideries and hand-sewn designs hailing from the southern region of Puglia, where the brand hosted the collection’s show-stopping runway presentation in July, underscoring a commitment to heritage and artistry.
Similarly, Dior’s creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri’s autumn collection pays homage to the time-honoured techniques of India and the crafts that reflect the nation’s rich cultural legacy, even partnering with a local atelier in Mumbai.
As everything becomes so fast and artificial, we need to preserve traditional crafts, which reveal their beauty slowly throughout time
Fatma Mostafa,
Egyptian jewellery designer
This passion and appreciation for the handmade also resonates in the Middle East; craftsmanship is booming as brands and organisations champion traditional handicrafts. The Middle East has been central, literally, to the global textiles trade for centuries, as a crossroads between the East and the West.
It was a pivotal point on the Silk Road trade routes, with textiles being transported back and forth between Europe and Asia. As a result, combining cross-global influences with the region’s own cultural traditions made the Middle East a melting pot for brands and artisans, embracing heritage and history in everything they do.
In Saudi Arabia, the establishment of the Fashion Commission by the Ministry of Culture signals a commitment to nurturing the kingdom’s clothing industry while safeguarding its storied heritage of craftsmanship. Burak Cakmak, chief executive of the commission, emphasises its mission, saying: “The Fashion Commission was set up to build a forward-looking fashion industry in Saudi Arabia that amplifies local talent and champions the local value chain and local craftsmanship.”
By spotlighting some of the country’s established and upcoming designers, the commission is helping to share their designs with the world.
Designers from the Saudi 100 Brands programme preserve the kingdom’s rich fashion heritage
Burak Cakmak,
chief executive, Fashion Commission by the Ministry of Culture, Saudi Arabia
Saudi fashion has a long history of talented craftsmen and women, says Cakmak, with many artisans perfecting skills and sustainable design traditions that have been handed down over generations, from weaving to beading and traditional jewellery design.
Last year, the commission set up the Saudi 100 Brands platform, choosing 100 designers from the kingdom whose works were showcased around the world. The travelling exhibition has been renewed for a second year with a new pool of talent, which also offers mentorship to the designers and increases brand awareness internationally.
“Designers from the Saudi 100 Brands programme often blend the traditional and the contemporary, preserving the kingdom’s rich fashion heritage and sharing our vision to develop a circular and sustainable industry that allows local brands to share their identity with the rest of the world,” Cakmak adds.
In the UAE, the Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council extends this commitment to traditional Emirati crafts. Since it began, the organisation has provided support to Emirati women, rekindling the passions of their female ancestors in particular, encouraging them to practise traditional weaving techniques such as talli and safeefah.
By forging partnerships with local institutions, participating in international showcases and collaborating with global brands, Irthi not only aims to elevate the status of these crafts, but also nurture a sense of pride and purpose among Emirati artisans. Moreover, the council’s mentorship programmes encourage younger generations to get involved, fostering a deeper connection to their heritage and the legacy of craftsmanship.
Designers across the region regularly take inspiration from their cultural heritage. For example, Egyptian designer Fatma Mostafa, winner of the jewellery category at Fashion Trust Arabia’s 2022 awards, creates unique jewellery pieces based on her home country’s ancient history and diverse landscapes. Her designs are now stocked globally on British online retailer Matches Fashion.
Mostafa blends modern jewellery techniques with traditional crafts inspired by her heritage. “In the Middle East, crafts have always been the foundation for design, especially jewellery, as they are an essential part of our culture and every place has its own unique jewellery,” she says.
“I found myself naturally combining handicrafts that I’m skilled at and love, such as embroidery and jewellery-making when I started my brand, to make distinctive and artisan pieces to express myself. As everything becomes so fast and artificial, we need to preserve the traditional crafts, which reveal themselves and their beauty slowly throughout time. They are also a source of income for many communities that still practise them.”
These crafts represent the roots of fashion and jewellery thousands of years before trends or seasons took over. “A craftsman’s skill has been a part of all industries since the beginning, especially in the fashion industry,” she adds.
“In all ancient civilisations you can find examples, so preserving it is crucial to maintaining beauty that cannot be found in something made quickly, and keeping us connected to our roots.”
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Usain Bolt's World Championships record
2007 Osaka
200m Silver
4x100m relay Silver
2009 Berlin
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2011 Daegu
100m Disqualified in final for false start
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2013 Moscow
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2015 Beijing
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
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KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN MARITIME DISPUTE
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
SPECS
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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The biog
Age: 19
Profession: medical student at UAE university
Favourite book: The Ocean at The End of The Lane by Neil Gaiman
Role model: Parents, followed by Fazza (Shiekh Hamdan bin Mohammed)
Favourite poet: Edger Allen Poe
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Notable cricketers and political careers
- India: Kirti Azad, Navjot Sidhu and Gautam Gambhir (rumoured)
- Pakistan: Imran Khan and Shahid Afridi (rumoured)
- Sri Lanka: Arjuna Ranatunga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan (rumoured)
- Bangladesh (Mashrafe Mortaza)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The view from The National
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
more from Janine di Giovanni
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
The%20specs
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MATCH DETAILS
Juventus 2 (Bonucci 36, Ronaldo 90 6)
Genoa 1 (Kouame 40)
The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
Profile
Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari
Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital
Sector of operation: Transport
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
The specs: McLaren 600LT
Price, base: Dh914,000
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 600hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 620Nm @ 5,500rpm
Fuel economy 12.2.L / 100km
NEW ARRIVALS
Benjamin Mendy (Monaco) - £51.75m (Dh247.94m)
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur) - £45.9m
Bernardo Silva (Monaco) - £45m
Ederson Moraes (Benfica) - £36m
Danilo (Real Madrid) - £27m
Douglas Luiz (Vasco de Gama) - £10.8m
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
PSG's line up
GK: Alphonse Areola (youth academy)
Defence - RB: Dani Alves (free transfer); CB: Marquinhos (€31.4 million); CB: Thiago Silva (€42m); LB: Layvin Kurzawa (€23m)
Midfield - Angel di Maria (€47m); Adrien Rabiot (youth academy); Marco Verratti (€12m)
Forwards - Neymar (€222m); Edinson Cavani (€63m); Kylian Mbappe (initial: loan; to buy: €180m)
Total cost: €440.4m (€620.4m if Mbappe makes permanent move)
Mental%20health%20support%20in%20the%20UAE
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
