DUBAI // Precious stones, precious metals ... when is it all too much for your little precious? Never, according to parents who are spending tens of thousands of dirhams to doll up their babies.
Items available include an 18-carat gold and diamond dummy, or pacifier, priced at Dh18,000 (US$4,900); cheaper versions with Swarovski crystals costing between Dh2,500 and Dh6,500; Dh15,000 gift hampers; and personalised bibs spelling out a baby's name in crystals for Dh1,150.
Sofia Mohebi is barely eight months old but wears Swarovski crystal-encrusted babygros with the logo "VIB - Very Important Baby", gold and diamond jewellery, pink tutus made from yards of frothy tulle and gem-studded hairclips. Her lavish outfits come with equally extravagant price tags.
"Obviously it is more for the parent than the child. The child has no clue what is going on but these outfits look so nice," says Sofia's mother, Rasha, a 26-year-old housewife.
"It is very exciting for a parent to ... buy pretty things to make their babies look nice and have them dressed up for photographs to keep forever.
"The outfits are not for everyday wear and are mainly for parties and special occasions. Sofia had the pink tutu on at her grandfather's birthday, a baby shower and another baby's birthday. She got lots of compliments at the time.
"When there are no parties she wears the VIB babygro - that is for casual wear and trips to the supermarket, but even then people ask where I got it. Sofia outgrows her clothes so quickly that I want her to get as much wear out of them as she can.
"I, myself, like to wear clothes with crystals, although in a more controlled way. I might have some on my shoes or on the collar, but not as many as Sofia. I think it is completely harmless to dress babies up like this, though."
Rasha buys her daughter's lavish outfits from Baby Bling, in Jumeirah's Village Mall. The business was founded by UAE-born Camelia Mohebi, Sofia's aunt, who thought there was a market for customised baby outfits in the Emirates.
Miss Mohebi, 29, who has yet to become a mother but has 12 nieces and nephews, says: "I just love babies. I have been surrounded by babies from a young age as I have such a big family.
"Part of Emirati culture is to give gold as baby gifts and there was not much out there before I set up, aside from jewellery chains who do the odd baby trinket.
"I have sold five of the Dh18,000 dummies in the last year and 15 silver ones, so there is obviously a market.
"People in the Middle East, especially Arabs, love opulence and bling. It has been part of our culture for centuries - and babies are the ultimate fashion accessories. You only have to look at Angelina Jolie to realise that."
The idea for the business was sparked by a trend to decorate maternity wards with balloons and ribbons, and to give extravagant presents after the birth.
Miss Mohebi, a visual communications graduate who used to work in marketing for Citigroup private bank dealing with wealthy investors, was also inspired by baby couture in Europe and the US.
In the US, the website babyblingcouture.com has proved hugely popular with parents wanting to dress their children like celebrity toddlers such as the actress Jolie's brood of six, and Suri Cruise, who is always dressed in Armani like her mother, the actress Katie Holmes.
Most of Miss Mohebi's customers are GCC nationals, particularly Emiratis, while Indians are also big fans. One paid to fly her to Saudi Arabia and bought Dh90,000 worth of products.
"I did some research and found there was nothing like it here," Miss Mohebi says. "In a way I was already dealing in bling, as I was organising parties for people with high net worth in my previous job."
She set up a special Facebook page 18 months ago to gauge interest in the idea and was inundated with inquiries. She opened the company, which also decorates maternity suites, a year ago after receiving an interest-free loan from al Tomooh, a government scheme to help Emiratis set up small businesses.
"Once the text goes out to say a baby is born, you can expect up to 200 people visiting over three days, so you want the room to look nice," says Miss Mohebi, adding that competition is fierce to give the most original or exclusive gift to the new mother.
"After 40 days there is a mubarakiya, or celebration, ... and there is definitely a competition to have the best one."
Khawla al Serkel, a 28-year-old business development manager for Sharjah Ladies Club, says she dresses her 10-month-old daughter Maha in Juicy Couture and Armani and has purchased several items from Miss Mohebi's store.
"I can never pass by without buying something," says Ms al Serkel. "I think the stuff is cute.
"It has become a way of life to dress newborns in brands. It shows a certain standard. However, Maha was given a gold pacifier as a gift and I will not let her use it every day - that is too much."
Not everyone is a fan of baby bling, however.
"Dressing babies and toddlers in extravagant outfits is intended to communicate to the world just how special and different your child is. Instant financial and social status is communicated to the outside world by parents who believe this matters," says Marissa Woods, an image consultant from Image Factor in Dubai.
"Each and every child is special, but having a baby in everything from mink blankets to Swarovski-encrusted sunglasses in the current financial climate, when even P Diddy has announced 'less bling', has got to be an outdated trend."
Miss Mohebi acknowledges that to her products "there is an element of showing off, just like every- thing else in life".
"But children are the greatest joy after marriage and people spend most of their money on their children", she says.
"If you can afford to do it, why not?"
tyaqoob@thenational.ae
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
Roger Federer's record at Wimbledon
Roger Federer's record at Wimbledon
1999 - 1st round
2000 - 1st round
2001 - Quarter-finalist
2002 - 1st round
2003 - Winner
2004 - Winner
2005 - Winner
2006 - Winner
2007 - Winner
2008 - Finalist
2009 - Winner
2010 - Quarter-finalist
2011 - Quarter-finalist
2012 - Winner
2013 - 2nd round
2014 - Finalist
2015 - Finalist
2016 - Semi-finalist
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
The low down
Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films
Director: Namrata Singh Gujral
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
T10 Cricket League
Sharjah Cricket Stadium
December 14- 17
6pm, Opening ceremony, followed by:
Bengal Tigers v Kerala Kings
Maratha Arabians v Pakhtoons
Tickets available online at q-tickets.com/t10
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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
THE CARD
2pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
2.30pm: Handicap Dh 76,000 (D) 1,400m
3pm: Handicap Dh 64,000 (D) 1,200m
3.30pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh 100,000 (D) 1,000m
4pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (D) 1,000m
4.30pm: Handicap 64,000 (D) 1,950m
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8
Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Price: from Dh850,000
On sale: now
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2a)
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STAGE%201%20RESULTS
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Scotland v Ireland:
Scotland (15-1): Stuart Hogg; Tommy Seymour, Huw Jones, Sam Johnson, Sean Maitland; Finn Russell, Greig Laidlaw (capt); Josh Strauss, James Ritchie, Ryan Wilson; Jonny Gray, Grant Gilchrist; Simon Berghan, Stuart McInally, Allan Dell
Replacements: Fraser Brown, Jamie Bhatti, D'arcy Rae, Ben Toolis, Rob Harley, Ali Price, Pete Horne, Blair Kinghorn
Coach: Gregor Townsend (SCO)
Ireland (15-1): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack Conan, Sean O'Brien, Peter O'Mahony; James Ryan, Quinn Roux; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ultan Dillane, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Joey Carbery, Jordan Larmour
Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL)
The bio
Academics: Phd in strategic management in University of Wales
Number one caps: His best-seller caps are in shades of grey, blue, black and yellow
Reading: Is immersed in books on colours to understand more about the usage of different shades
Sport: Started playing polo two years ago. Helps him relax, plus he enjoys the speed and focus
Cars: Loves exotic cars and currently drives a Bentley Bentayga
Holiday: Favourite travel destinations are London and St Tropez
The Lowdown
Us
Director: Jordan Peele
Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseqph, Evan Alex and Elisabeth Moss
Rating: 4/5
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The%20Specs%20
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
