Rihanna gave a rare performance of some of her biggest hits at the pre-wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant on Friday.
Matching the dress code of “elegant cocktail", she wore a fluorescent green bodycon and glittery custom-made gown by The Attico.
The singer, who went on a musical hiatus in 2016 to focus on other projects as well as raising her two children with rapper A$AP Rocky, recaptured the magic of old in Jamnagar.
“I’m here tonight in honour of Anant and Radhika, thank you for having me here. God bless your union, I wish you all the best, congratulations,” she said as she took the stage.
She added: “How many of you believe in love?” before performing her 2011 hit track We Found Love.
Other hits she performed include Diamonds, Work and Wild Thoughts showcasing the success of her career that has produced eight albums and helped her win nine Grammys.
After leaving the stage, she told reporters: “I'll be back, I love India. The show was the best. I haven’t done a real show in eight years."

Anant is the youngest son of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani. He is hosting a lavish three-day celebration in the Gujarati city, on the west coast of India, which began on Friday.
The 1,200-strong guest list is a who's-who of Bollywood, business leaders, Indian cricketers, politicians and business tycoons.
UAE businessman and Emaar Properties founder Mohamed Alabaar with his wife; Bollywood stars Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone; Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan; Shah Rukh Khan and his family; and Ivanka Trump were some of the guests seen arriving at the airport in Jamnagar city.
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Bollywood actors Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone lead the celebrities and business leaders arriving at Jamnagar Airport for the Ambani pre-wedding celebrations. AFP -

UAE businessman Mohamed Alabbar, founder of Emaar Properties, and wife Ghamzeh arrive for the celebrations ahead of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's wedding. EPA -

Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan arrive. AFP -

Reliance Industries' chairman Mukesh Ambani's son Akash Ambani, centre, arrives for the celebrations. EPA -

Suhana Khan, daughter of Shah Rukh Khan, arrives in a Rolls-Royce. EPA -

Khan's son Aryan arrives. AP -

Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor. AP -

All guests were flown via chartered flights into Jamnagar, including Akash Ambani, Anant's brother. Reuters -

The lavish three-day event has a guest list of 1,200. Reuters -

Bollywood's Arjun Kapoor. AP -

Ambani and Merchant host a communal dinner for 51,000 local villagers ahead of their pre-wedding celebration. AP
All were flown on chartered flights into Jamnagar. However, the main wedding event will be held in July in Mumbai.
According to a nine-page event guide and wardrobe planner sent to guests and seen by The National, the celebrations will include several themed parties, which began with a cocktail party called An Evening in Everland on Friday.
The Ambanis are not known to cut corners for their weddings. Anant's sister Isha Ambani's star-studded 7 billion rupee nuptials ($86 million) in 2018 is still the most expensive Indian wedding of all time and included a performance by Beyonce.
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Anant Ambani, son of Mukesh Ambani, and Radhika Merchant at their engagement party in Mumbai on January 19, 2023. AP -

The couple's pre-wedding celebrations will kick-start in March. Reuters -

The Ambani family. AP -

Actor Ranveer Singh and his wife actor Deepika Padukone at the engagement party. Reuters -

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and her daughter Aaradhya. AFP -

Bollywood actress Sara Ali Khan arrives for the engagement party. Reuters -

Actor John Abraham. Reuters -

Producer Boney Kapoor and his son, actor Arjun Kapoor. Reuters -

Actress Katrina Kaif. Reuters -

Gauri Khan, the wife of actor Shah Rukh Khan, and her son Aryan Khan. Reuters -

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar. AFP -

Bollywood director and producer Karan. AFP -

Bride-to-be Radhika Merchant at her mehendi party in a multicolour lehenga embroidered with flowers and mirrors, by designer duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla. Photo: Instagram / abujanisandeepkhosla -

Merchant is set to marry Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani. Photo: Instagram / abujanisandeepkhosla -

Merchant is the daughter of industrialist Viren Merchant. Photo: Instagram / abujanisandeepkhosla -

Isha Ambani wore a pink outfit by designer Anuradha Vakil for the pre-wedding mehendi ceremony. Photo: Instagram / stylebyami
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
While you're here
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
The biog
Name: Mohammed Imtiaz
From: Gujranwala, Pakistan
Arrived in the UAE: 1976
Favourite clothes to make: Suit
Cost of a hand-made suit: From Dh550
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
COMPANY%20PROFILE
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Johnstone, Pickford, Ramsdale
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Godfrey, James, Maguire, Mings, Shaw, Stones, Trippier, Walker, White
Midfielders Bellingham, Henderson, Lingard, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse
Forwards Calvert-Lewin, Foden, Grealish, Greenwood, Kane, Rashford, Saka, Sancho, Sterling, Watkins
The biog
Favourite hobby: I love to sing but I don’t get to sing as much nowadays sadly.
Favourite book: Anything by Sidney Sheldon.
Favourite movie: The Exorcist 2. It is a big thing in our family to sit around together and watch horror movies, I love watching them.
Favourite holiday destination: The favourite place I have been to is Florence, it is a beautiful city. My dream though has always been to visit Cyprus, I really want to go there.
Results:
CSIL 2-star 145cm One Round with Jump-Off
1. Alice Debany Clero (USA) on Amareusa S 38.83 seconds
2. Anikka Sande (NOR) For Cash 2 39.09
3. Georgia Tame (GBR) Cash Up 39.42
4. Nadia Taryam (UAE) Askaria 3 39.63
5. Miriam Schneider (GER) Fidelius G 47.74
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More from Firas Maksad
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Defence review at a glance
• 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
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
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Leaderboard
63 - Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA)
64 - Rory McIlroy (NIR)
66 - Jon Rahm (ESP)
67 - Tom Lewis (ENG), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)
68 - Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)
69 - Justin Rose (ENG), Thomas Detry (BEL), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Danny Willett (ENG), Li Haotong (CHN), Matthias Schwab (AUT)
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Company%20profile
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
About Tenderd
Started: May 2018
Founder: Arjun Mohan
Based: Dubai
Size: 23 employees
Funding: Raised $5.8m in a seed fund round in December 2018. Backers include Y Combinator, Beco Capital, Venturesouq, Paul Graham, Peter Thiel, Paul Buchheit, Justin Mateen, Matt Mickiewicz, SOMA, Dynamo and Global Founders Capital
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States |
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China |
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UAE |
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Japan |
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5 |
Norway |
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Canada |
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Singapore |
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Australia |
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Saudi Arabia |
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South Korea |
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures: Monday, first 50-over match; Wednesday, second 50-over match; Thursday, third 50-over match
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law






















