Thousands of onlookers who lined the streets of Brunei capital Bandar Seri Begawan to catch a glimpse of newlyweds Prince Abdul Mateen and Anisha Rosnah were not disappointed on Sunday as the couple dazzled the crowds, smiling and waving from the back of an open-top Rolls-Royce.
Royal bride Rosnah, who wore a white gown decorated with a silver diamond motif, stood out with her parure of diamond earrings and a statement diamond necklace. She also carried a small bouquet crafted in precious metal with gem embellishment and finished her look with a tiara over her white veil.
The tiara, by Singapore jeweller Flower Diamond, was a loan from Prince Mateen's sister Princess Azemah, who married their cousin, Prince Bahar ibni Jefri Bolkiah, in January last year.
“We appreciate the privilege of being part of your special day and sharing in the joyous celebration. It’s truly an honour for us to design and craft the royal tiara worn on this meaningful and commemorative occasion,” the brand posted on Instagram.
Originally commissioned for Princess Azemah's wedding, the tiara comprises a whopping 838 diamonds in various cuts totalling 132 carats.
The tiara was designed to be light and modern, as per Princess Azemah's request.
The process took eight months to complete, which included "sourcing diamonds of different sizes that consistently matched in shape and quality," Flower Diamond said.
For Rosnah's big day, the tiara was adjusted to perfectly fit her.
Founded in 1996 by Belinda Chua, Flower Diamond says it specialises in “fine and timeless jewellery that every woman deserves”. Besides a range of collections, from rings to earrings and necklaces, the brand also creates bespoke jewellery.
Celebrations for Prince Mateen and Rosnah's 10-day wedding began on January 7 and have included a number of elaborate traditional and religious ceremonies, some of them centuries old.
The bersanding or wedding reception was on Sunday, where the couple were officially recognised as husband and wife. It was held at Balai Singgahsana Indera Buana, the royal throne hall of Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, the Sultan and Prime Minister of Brunei and Prince Mateen's father.
There were reportedly 5,000 guests in attendance, including senior members of the Brunei royal family, as well as a number of international royals and dignitaries. Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his wife Louise Araneta-Marcos, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife Ho Ching, as well as Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain attended the reception.
The reception was followed by a procession through the streets of Bandar Seri Begawan.
On Monday, a lavish banquet was held at Balai Persantapan in Istana Nurul Iman where guests were treated to a lavish spread, as well as musical performances.
The final event on Tuesday will be a more subdued one, where prayers will be offered to give thanks as well as to wish the newlyweds a happy life.
While sixth in line to the throne, Prince Mateen has gained prominence in recent years accompanying his father on diplomatic engagements. He's also known for his movie-star good looks and has more than 2.6 million followers on Instagram.
Prince Mateen and Rosnah, the granddaughter of one of the sultan's advisers, have known each other since they were children.
The five pillars of Islam
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes.
Where to stay
The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.
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The five pillars of Islam
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
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Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
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Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
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Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
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• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
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