An Elie Saab gown worn by Emma Stone on the 2015 Oscars red carpet and the sequinned outfit donned by Geri Halliwell in the video for the Spice Girls hit Wannabe are among the star lots at the upcoming To Beirut With Love auction.
Running from Monday, December 7 to Tuesday, December 15, the auction is organised by Sotheby’s, in partnership with Creatives for Lebanon and Art for Beirut, two non-profit organisations established by the Lebanese diaspora in the wake of the August 4 blast.
Proceeds from the auction will be shared among five charities: Nusaned, Beit El Baraka and Baytna Baytak, which focus on offering shelter to displaced families and rehabilitating residential homes and local business; Al Fanar, which provides support for social entrepreneurs and small businesses; and House of Christmas, which is dedicated to preserving and protecting Lebanon’s heritage.
“Lebanon is home to an artistic community whose contributions to the cultural landscape cannot be overstated," says Edward Gibbs, Sotheby’s chairman for the Middle East.
Lebanon is home to an artistic community whose contributions to the cultural landscape cannot be overstated
"The explosion in the Port of Beirut this summer sent shockwaves through the city and the world, impacting every sector of society in Lebanon with countless tales of loss, damage and displacement. Sotheby’s has come together with our partners to host the auction To Beirut with Love, to provide much-needed relief and funds to aid the healing process."
From Giambattista Valli to Ralph & Russo, and Azzedine Alaia to Prada, the auction is a treasure trove of archive pieces by the world’s most influential fashion houses.
Lebanon’s designers are also well represented. Leading the march is the custom-made long-sleeve beaded chartreuse Elie Saab gown worn by Stone to attend the 2015 Oscars. Embroidered with guipure and sequins, and featuring an open back and a thigh-high slit, the dress is estimated to fetch £20,000-£30,000 ($26,500-$39,800).
Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran's matador-inspired costume for Madonna is also on the auction block, as are dresses worn by Middle Eastern stars, including a silk haute couture gown designed by Egyptian actress Sherihan to wear in her Thousand and One Nights Fawazeer show in 1987, which has been signed by the star for the auction and is estimated to sell for £18,000-£25,000.
Also among the lots if a sky-blue embellished dress from the collection of beloved Lebanese singer Majida El Roumi, which is predicted to fetch £8,000-£10,000. There is also Mick Jagger’s jacket from his 2017 European tour and a guitar signed by Pete Townshend on offer.
Those looking to round off their perfect outfit, meanwhile, may want to avail of the opportunity to create a custom-made pair of Christian Louboutin shoes.
A number of covetable jewellery pieces will also appear in the auction, including a woven yellow gold My Dior cuff with an estimate of £30,000-£50,000. Designed by Victoire de Castellane, artistic director of Dior Joaillerie, the bracelet is a riot of colourful gemstones, from diamonds and sapphires to spinels, amethysts, aquamarines and tourmalines.
Damien Hirst's gold Pill bracelet with diamond skull (estimate: £8,000-£12,000), created in a limited edition of 50 in 2013, as well as the artist's For the Love of God, a sculpture consisting of an 18th-century human skull encrusted with 8,601 flawless diamonds, are also set to attract attention.
And in another example of fashion and art intertwining, supermodel Naomi Campbell has donated one of her favourite portraits to the auction, shot by photographers Rocco Lapasta and Charles DeCaro, which is estimated to raise £3,000-£5,000.
Other artists represented with works in the sale include filmmakers Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige and photographer Fouad Elkoury, alongside French product designer Herve Van der Straeten.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Squad: Majed Naser, Abdulaziz Sanqour, Walid Abbas, Khamis Esmail, Habib Fardan, Mohammed Marzouq (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalid Essa, Muhanad Salem, Mohammed Ahmed, Ismail Ahmed, Ahmed Barman, Amer Abdulrahman, Omar Abdulrahman (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif, Fares Juma, Mohammed Fawzi, Khalfan Mubarak, Mohammed Jamal, Ahmed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Ahmed Rashid, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Wahda), Tariq Ahmed, Mahmoud Khamis, Khalifa Mubarak, Jassim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Yousef Saeed (Sharjah), Suhail Al Nubi (Baniyas)
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Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
Long Shot
Director: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogan
Four stars
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
Turning%20waste%20into%20fuel
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The years Ramadan fell in May
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees
Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL
Al Nasr 2
(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)
Shabab Al Ahli 1
(Jaber 13)
Spare
Profile
Company name: Spare
Started: March 2018
Co-founders: Dalal Alrayes and Saurabh Shah
Based: UAE
Sector: FinTech
Investment: Own savings. Going for first round of fund-raising in March 2019
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
