The Weeknd donates $2 million for humanitarian aid in Gaza
Updated 02 May 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: Canadian singer The Weeknd has pledged to donate another $2 million to help feed families in Gaza, the United Nations’s World Food Programme reported.
The donation comes from the star’s XO Humanitarian Fund, which helps combat global hunger.
“This support will provide over 1,500 metric tons of fortified wheat flour, which can make over 18 million loaves of bread that can help feed more than 157,000 Palestinians for one month,” said WFP.
In December, the multi-platinum global recording artist, whose given name is Abel Tesfaye, donated $2.5 million to WFP from the fund, which he established in partnership with World Food Program USA. That equated to 4 million emergency meals, funding 820 tons of food parcels that could feed more than 173,000 Palestinians for two weeks.
Tesfaye, who was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador in October 2021, is an active supporter of WFP’s global hunger-relief mission. He, his partners and his fans have raised $6.5 million to date for the XO fund.
In total he has directed $4.5 million toward operations in Gaza and has sent $2 million to support WFP’s emergency food assistance for women and children in Ethiopia.
Cartier exhibition brings regional celebrities to Dubai
Updated 24 sec ago
Arab News
DUBAI: French luxury label Cartier this week hosted its “A Journey of Wonders” high jewelry exhibition in Dubai, drawing a star-studded lineup of regional celebrities.
Among the attendees were Egyptian Montenegrin actress Tara Emad, Tunisian actor Dhafer L’Abidine, TV presenter Raya Abirached and entrepreneur and host Anas Bukhash. Each guest showcased Cartier’s signature pieces.
Emad wore pieces from the Trinity Collection, featuring a mix of pink, yellow and white gold. Her ensemble included Trinity earrings with black lacquer and diamonds, a matching Trinity necklace and bracelet, and a Trinity ring incorporating the same materials.
The actress, who recently debuted a new short haircut on Instagram to her three million followers, paired her jewelry with a tailored black pantsuit by Lebanese designer Elie Saab. The ensemble featured a structured blazer with sharp lapels and intricate gold stitching along the edges and pockets.
Abirached wore a black Magda Butrym midi-length dress. (Supplied)
Abirached wore a black Magda Butrym midi-length dress featuring a strapless, structured bodice and an asymmetrical draped detail at the waist. She accessorized with Cartier’s Grain de Café collection, known for its intricate detailing. Her jewelry included Grain de Café earrings, a necklace and a ring, all crafted in yellow and white gold and set with diamonds. She completed the look with black open-toe heels adorned with floral embellishments.
Meanwhile, L’Abidine, who sported a black suit, chose a refined selection of classic Cartier designs, wearing a Santos de Cartier watch in steel paired with a Love bracelet in white gold.
L’Abidine sported a black suit. (Supplied)
Bukhash, on the other hand, opted for a mix of the brand’s signature pieces, including a Santos Dumont watch in yellow gold, a Juste un Clou bracelet in white gold, and a Love ring in white gold.
Bukhash opted for a mix of the brand’s signature pieces. (Supplied)
These stars, who also serve as ambassadors for the brand, have previously collaborated with Cartier and attended its events.
In 2023, Emad, L’Abidine and Bukhash walked in the brand’s runway show in Dubai.
That same year, in April, Emad starred in a Cartier campaign alongside L’Abidine, Tunisian-Egyptian actress Hend Sabri and Egyptian actor Ahmed Malek.
Review: Hulu’s ‘Muslim Matchmaker’ has heart, but not enough spark
Updated 11 February 2025
Shaistha Khan
TORONTO: “Muslim Matchmaker” premiered on Hulu this week. The series is directed and produced by Smriti Mundhra (of Netflix’s “Indian Matchmaking” fame).
But this time around it’s not Sima Aunty and her outrageous comments, but rather two older sister types – Hoda Abrahim and Yasmin Elhady – who are helping eight Muslim Americans find love.
The premise of their matchmaking business is the “Rules of Three: Three dates, three months, and three hundred questions.” In an era of dating apps and superficial swipes, the duo urges couples to approach their search for love with intention. They emphasize the importance of giving the relationship time and space to grow while asking the right questions.
The eight-episode show provides a fresh perspective on Muslim Americans as they navigate both their Muslim and cultural identities in the West. It offers captivating discussions on topics like cultural expectations when dating an older woman, the appropriate timeline to “date,” and finding a partner with an equal “halal-to-haram ratio.” These discussions are sure to resonate with many. And perhaps, offer a glimpse into a Muslim world that’s rarely seen in mainstream Western media.
The show comes with good intentions. For one, it acknowledges dating app fatigue. It offers a refreshing take with matchmakers who approach singles’ choices without judgment or sacrilegious remarks about “wanting too much” (looking at you, Sima Aunty).
But that’s also probably the biggest failing of the show. Dating shows thrive on drama – and there’s none here.
Tension doesn't surface until episode four. A Bengali-American woman is older than the man she’s dating, and cultural norms deem this unacceptable. We’re left on a cliffhanger, wondering how the Bengali-American man will disclose the relationship to his family.
Saudi creative Sarah Taibah stars in Loewe’s Ramadan campaign
Taibah shared behind-the-scenes photographs from the campaign shoot on Instagram, jokingly captioning the post “GCCCCC. The Gulf Cooperation Council Countries’ Cutest Creatives Crew, brought together by @loewe”
Updated 10 February 2025
Arab News
DUBAI: Spanish luxury fashion house Loewe has unveiled a Ramadan campaign directed by Lebanese Sudanese auteur Dana Boulos and starring Saudi actress and filmmaker Sarah Taibah and Saudi Olympic rower Husein Alireza.
The cast is rounded out by Omani artist Mays Almoosawi, Kuwaiti visual artist Najd Al-Taher, Emirati film director Sarah Al-Hashimi, Kuwaiti DJ Cascou and Bahraini contemporary artist Salman Al-Najem.
Taibah shared behind-the-scenes photographs from the campaign shoot on Instagram, jokingly captioning the post “GCCCCC. The Gulf Cooperation Council Countries’ Cutest Creatives Crew, brought together by @loewe.”
The campaign promotes the brand’s Silver Capsule Collection, its first-ever release for Ramadan by designer JW Anderson. With the concept, creative direction, casting and production by Between Us Boys Studio, and post-production handled by DAHOUL Studio, the clip focuses on a clock ticking down until iftar, the meal that breaks a Muslim’s fast during Ramadan.
The Silver Capsule Collection released at select stores the Middle East and at Harrods in London, on Sunday.
The collection sees the brand’s signature bags get a Ramadan makeover; the Puzzle bag appears in vetiver crocodile, while the Flamenco clutch and Squeeze bag are offered in metallic textures with intricate beading. The ready-to-wear selection boasts silky belted pajamas, soft nappa leather sets, and day-to-night silk dresses.
Los Angeles-based Boulos, who directed the campaign, has worked on short films, music videos, and fashion commercials for the likes of Mercedes Benz, Glossier, and Farfetch.
For her part, Taibah shot to fame for her show “Jameel Jeddan,” the first Saudi show starring, written, and created by a Saudi woman.
The plot of the 2022 release was anything but typical. Strong-headed Jameel wakes up from a five-year coma and is forced to finish her last year in high school and rejoin a society she no longer associates with. As a coping mechanism, she begins to experience glitches in the form of an animated alternative reality.
Taibah is currently working on off-beat Saudi romcom “A Matter of Life and Death,” which she wrote. The film is being directed by Anas Batahaf and will star Taibah and Yaqoub Al-Farhan.
Saudi-backed film ‘Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo’ gets US festival debut
Updated 10 February 2025
Arab News
DUBAI: Backed by Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Fund, Egyptian filmmaker Khaled Mansour’s “Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo” had its US premiere at the 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
With screenings on Feb. 9, 11, and 14 at the US festival, the film travelled to the country after screenings at the Venice Film Festival and Jeddah’s Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) in 2024.
The first Egyptian film to screen at September’s Venice Film Festival in 12 years, “Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo” tells the story of protagonist Hassan as he searches for a safe haven for his best friend, his beloved dog Rambo, after the canine is threatened by their landlord.
“The story of ‘Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo’ focuses on my generation and, through Hassan’s journey, we went deep into our thoughts, beliefs, fears, and sense of belonging. This project took about eight years to make because I intended to present unique and genuine cinema,” Mansour told Arab News at December’s RSIFF.
The auteur, who has also directed three short films and a mini-series titled “Rawaa Reads” (2023), continued: “It is my first feature-length narrative film, and this film is not (just) about a dog and his friend, but it is about the complexities of our generation, highlighting (the) struggle … that we go through in our society.”
The film was inspired by a real incident that resulted in an Egyptian court jailing four men in 2015 over the brutal killing of a dog, which was filmed and sparked outrage when the video went viral.
Sotheby’s ‘Origins’ auction in Diriyah achieves more than $17 million in sales, with Saudi artists shining
Updated 09 February 2025
Ghadi Joudah
RIYADH: Sotheby’s inaugural auction in Saudi Arabia, titled “Origins,” concluded on Saturday with a total of $17,283,840 in sales in the fine art and luxury categories.
The historic event at Diriyah’s Bujairi Terrace was a turning point for the Kingdom’s art and luxury scene, with Saudi artists garnering significant attention.
Jerry Inzerillo, CEO of Diriyah Company, highlighted the significance of the collaboration between Diriyah and Sotheby’s.
“A few years ago, we decided that Sotheby’s, as a 277-year-old brand, had to match up with Diriyah because the value systems were the same, and you can’t be Sotheby’s without being in Diriyah,” he said in his opening remarks.
The modern and contemporary art section featured works by Saudi artists that collectively realized $1.1 million in sales.
Abdulhalim Radwi’s vibrant 1984 market scene set a personal auction record, selling for $264,000 after fierce bidding online and in the room. (Supplied)
Mohammed Al-Saleem’s untitled work, sourced directly from the artist’s daughter, led the Saudi work on offer.
The piece, blending abstract Arabic calligraphy with Al-Saleem’s vision of Saudi landscapes, sparked intense competition among four bidders before selling for a remarkable $660,000 — triple its pre-sale estimate.
Abdulhalim Radwi’s vibrant 1984 market scene set a personal auction record, selling for $264,000 after fierce bidding online and in the room.
Ahmed Mater’s “Illumination Diptych (Makkiah Tale)” exceeded expectations at $102,000.
Mater, one of Saudi Arabia’s most acclaimed contemporary artists, is internationally celebrated, with works displayed by institutions throughout the Arab world, the UK and the US.
Rene Magritte’s “L’Etat de veille” sold for $1.2 million. (Supplied)
Maha Malluh’s “Magadeer” (from the “Food for Thought” series), inspired by the cultural and spiritual heritage of the Najd area of the Kingdom, sold for $84,000, also surpassing its estimate.
When it came to international works, surrealist Rene Magritte’s “L’Etat de veille” sold for $1.2 million and Fernando Botero’s “Society Woman” made $1 million. Meanwhile, Banksy’s “Subject to Availability” from his series of vandalised oils, sold for $1.2 million.
The luxury segment dazzled collectors with an extraordinary selection of rare items, such as a Patek Philippe Grand Complication watch, a Cartier diamond necklace from the Art Deco era, and a limited-edition Hermes Birkin bag crafted from exotic leather.
Collectors from 45 countries took part in the auction, demonstrating its global appeal, while nearly one-third of the lots were bought by buyers from Saudi Arabia.
Additionally, more than 30 percent of participants were under the age of 40, reflecting the growing interest in art and luxury items among younger generations.
