With the start of Ramadan imminent, fashion houses around the globe are eager to connect with clients in the Middle East through Ramadan capsule collections and campaigns. With a month of social engagements, iftars and suhoors with friends and family, many will be looking to buy new clothes either for themselves or as gifts.
With a nod to how significant the region is to fashion, brands are now actively trying to reach out and foster relationships built on authenticity. The fashion-savvy Gulf consumer, known for a sharp eye for quality and intent, is quick to sniff out insincerity, meaning that global names are having to raise their game.
Now collectively waking up to the importance of using well-known regional names to carry their message across, it is a boon for putting regional names on a global stage.
Elyanna for Coach
Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna has been signed by US company Coach to be the face of its 2025 Ramadan campaign. Shot against a sunset sky, the singer – who recently supported Coldplay during their blockbuster series of Abu Dhabi shows – looks dreamy while staying true to her rebellious spirit.
Husein Alireza, Sarah Taibah and more for Loewe
For its first Ramadan campaign, the Spanish luxury house of Loewe has opted for not one, but a host of regional stars. To show off its new Silver Capsule Collection, the people chosen represent the whole Gulf, including names such as Emirati film director Sarah Al Hashimi, Omani artist Mays Almoosawi and Bahraini artist Salman Al Najem. Representing Kuwait, there is the sound curator Cascou and contemporary artist Najd Al Taher, while for the Saudi Arabia it is filmmaker Sarah Taibah and Olympic rower Husein Alireza who take centre stage.
Marwa Alhashmi for Ferragamo
Also creating its first Ramadan campaign is Italian heritage name Ferragamo, that looks to Emirati endurance horse rider Marwa Alhashmi for its campaign. Also a content creator, Al Hashmi is shot within the Unesco-nominated site of Mleiha in Sharjah, in a series of shots that shows off the beauty of the landscape.
Mohammed Alahbabi and Natasha Aris for Farfetch
The high-end shopping platform Farfetch has also opted for more than one person, by inviting not one, but two regional names for its Ramadan campaign. The Lebanese model and influencer Natasha Aris joins Emirati influencer Mohammed Alahbabi in images for the online portal, appearing backdropped against traditional architecture.
Ikram Abdi for Jimmy Choo
The British shoe name has looked further afield for the star of its Ramadan campaign, opting for model Ikram Abdi, who will be familiar to many in this part of the world. Born in Sweden but raised in the UK, this Sudanese-British model now stars in images shot on location in Dubai, by celebrated UAE-based photographer Francesco Scotti.
The Internet
Hive Mind
four stars
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
