All eyes are on Taylor Swift as she continues to embark on her long-awaited Eras world tour, and the star is pulling out all the wardrobe stops for the occasion.
Swift is known to turn to designers from the Middle East to dress her for big occasions, and this tour is no different.
On Friday night during the first of three shows at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, the star took to the stage in a gold tulle dress by Lebanese designer Elie Saab, one of Swift's go-to favourites.
The starwore the dreamy gown featuring a ruched neckline and intricate corset detailing as she performed power balled Enchanted. The dress is from the designer's Haute Couture Autumn Winter 2020 collection.
And its not the first time Swift has chosen Saab during her much anticipated tour. The Shake it Off singer appeared on stage in a floral couture gown by Saab last month as she performed in Tampa, Florida.
Featuring long sleeves and heavy embellishment, the skirt of the delicate mesh gown was adorned with dozens of delicate 3D petals.
Swift has also chosen Saab to dress her for several red carpet moments, including the 2015 Grammy Awards, when she wore a custom teal ombre metallic gown, which featured a short front and caped long train skirt.
She also turned to the designer for the 2013 Country Music Awards in Nashville. For that occasion, she chose a classic satin gown in deep red with a full skirt, featuring floral embellishment.
Saab is not the only Lebanese designer Swift has championed during her Eras tour wardrobe.
At one of the tour’s March stops in Glendale, Arizona, Swift appeared in a custom-made glittering gown by Zuhair Murad.
The pink princess-cut dress featured thin straps, a full skirt and intricate bead work that covered the dress, making the waist the focal point.
Murad also created a custom midnight blue embellished bodysuit for the tour, which Swift wore on stage in Las Vegas.
Swift is a long-time fan of Murad. For the 2012 Grammys, she wore a nude dress with gold embellishing from the brand’s 2011 haute couture collection. Murad also created several custom embellished catsuits for her 1989 world tour in 2015.
The star has shown love to other designers from the region in the past, too. In the 2014 music video for hit Blank Space, Swift wore a white pencil dress by Lebanese designer Georges Chakra in one scene.
Swift has also chosen Lebanese designer Reem Acra for several occasions, including bridesmaid duties for the wedding of her childhood best friend Brit Maack’s wedding in 2016.
The dress had an intricate lacework top and a flowing blush pink skirt.
She also wore a dress by the designer for the Winter Whites Gala in London in 2014. That gown featured an gold embellished top and flowing white skirt.
See Taylor Swift’s style evolution
Taylor Swift, in an embellished LBD, arrives at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles, California, on November 18, 2007. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Sandy Spika, arrives at the Grammy Awards at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, California, on February 10, 2008. EPA
Taylor Swift, in a navy mini dress, arrives for the Grammy Awards nominations in Los Angeles, California, on December 3, 2008. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Kaufman Franco, arrives at the Brit Awards at Earl's Court on February 18, 2009 in London, England. Getty Images
Taylor Swift, in a chiffon-sleeved dress, attends the Echo Music Awards at the O2 Arena on February 21, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. Getty Images
Taylor Swift, in Rachel Gilbert, attends the Sydney premiere of '17 Again' on March 11, 2009 in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images
Taylor Swift, in Kaufman Franco, arrives at the Grammy Awards at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, California, on January 31, 2010. EPA
Taylor Swift, in a gold mini, holds her award for 'Album of the Year' at the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 5, 2009. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Roberto Cavalli, attends the Roberto Cavalli show during Milan Fashion Week on September 27, 2010 in Milan, Italy. Getty Images
Taylor Swift, in Roberto Cavalli, attends the Roberto Cavalli party as part of Paris Fashion Week on September 29, 2010 in Paris, France. Getty Images
Taylor Swift, in a lace skater dress, attends BBC Radio 1's Teen Awards at Hammersmith Apollo, on November 14, 2010 in London, England. Getty Images
Taylor Swift, in Collette Dinnigan, arrives at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles, California, on November 21, 2010. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Elie Saab, arrives for the Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 3, 2011. EPA
Taylor Swift, in J Mendel, arrives at the Met Gala in New York on May 2, 2011. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Reem Acra, arrives for the American Music Awards held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on November 20, 2011. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Zuhair Murad, arrives for the Grammy Awards at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, California, on February 12, 2012. EPA
Taylor Swift, in J Mendel, arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles, California, USA, on September 6, 2012. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Elie Saab, attends the Elie Saab show as part of Paris Fashion Week on October 3, 2012 in Paris, France. Getty Images
Taylor Swift, in a scarlet midi, at Westfield London on November 6, 2012 in London, England. Getty Images
Taylor Swift, in J Mendel, attends the MTV EMAs at Festhalle Frankfurt on November 11, 2012 in Frankfurt, Germany. Getty Images
Taylor Swift, in Elie Saab, arrives at the Aria Awards at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on November 29, 2012 in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images
Taylor Swift, in a white mini, attends the 40 Principales Awards at Palacio de los Deportes on January 24, 2013 in Madrid, Spain. Getty Images
Taylor Swift, in Elie Saab, attends the NRJ Music Awards at Palais des Festivals on January 26, 2013 in Cannes, France. Getty Images
Taylor Swift, in J Mendel, arrives for the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, USA, on February 10, 2013. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Elie Saab, attends the Brit Awards at the 02 Arena on February 20, 2013 in London, England. Getty Images
Taylor Swift, in J Mendel, attends the Met Gala in New York on May 6, 2013. EPA
Taylor Swift, in a shirt and shorts, at the Capital Summertime Ball at Wembley Arena on June 9, 2013 in London, England. Getty Images
Taylor Swift, in Herve Leger, arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, New York, on August 25, 2013. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Julien Macdonald, arrives for the American Music Awards held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on November 24, 2013. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Reem Acra, arrives at Centrepoint's Winter Whites Gala at Kensington Palace in London on November 26, 2013. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Carolina Herrera, arrives at the Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California, on January 12, 2014. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Gucci, arrives for the Grammy Awards held at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, California, on January 26, 2014. EPA
Taylor Swift, in J Mendel, arrives for the Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 6, 2014. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Oscar de la Renta, arrives for the Met Gala in New York on May 5, 2014. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Novis, arrives for the Teen Choice Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, on August 10, 2014. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Sass & Bide, on September 4, 2014 in Hamburg, Germany. Getty Images
Taylor Swift, in Michael Kors, at the American Music Awards at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on November 23, 2014. EPA
Taylor Swift, in J Mendel, attends the afterparty for the annual Victoria's Secret fashion show at Earls Court on December 2, 2014 in London, England. Getty Images
Taylor Swift, in Sachin & Babi, attends the Jingle Bell Ball at 02 Arena on December 7, 2014 in London, England. Getty Images
Taylor Swift, in Elie Saab, arrives for the Grammy Awards held at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, California, on February 8, 2015. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Julien Macdonald, attends the Elle Style Awards on February 24, 2015 in London, England. Getty Images
Taylor Swift, in Roberto Cavalli, attends the Brit Awards at the O2 Arena on February 25, 2015 in London, England. Getty Images
Taylor Swift, in Balmain, arrives for the Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 17, 2015. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Ashish, arrives for the MTV Video Music Awards at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on August 30, 2015. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Versace, arrives for the Grammy Awards ceremony at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, California, on February 15, 2016. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Alexandre Vauthier, arrives for the Vanity Fair Oscars After-Party following the Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood, California, on February 28, 2016. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Louis Vuitton, arrives at the Met Gala in New York on May 2, 2016. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Versace, arrives for the Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 20, 2018. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Balmain, arrives for the American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on October 9, 2018. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Rosa Bloom, at the iHeartRadio Music Awards at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on March 14, 2019. EPA
Taylor Swift, wearing J Mendel, arrives for the Time 100 Gala at the Lincoln Centre in New York on April 23, 2019. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Raisa & Vanessa, arrives for the Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 1, 2019
Taylor Swift, in Versace, arrives for the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Centre in Newark, New Jersey, on August 26, 2019. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Julien Macdonald, arrives at the American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on November 24, 2019. EPA
Taylor Swift, in Etro, arrives for the Golden Globe Awards ceremony in Beverly Hills, California, on January 5, 2020. EPA
Taylor Swift, in checked Carmen, attends the 2020 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on January 23, 2020. AFP
Taylor Swift, in a floral Oscar de la Renta dress, attends the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards at Los Angeles Convention Centre on March 14, 2021. AFP
Taylor Swift, in a black Greta Constantine Hockney bodysuit, performs onstage during the 36th Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on October 30, 2021. AFP
Taylor Swift, in a velvet Etro suit, attends the 'All Too Well' premiere in New York City on November 12, 2021. Getty Images
Barcelona v Real Madrid
Semi-final, first leg
Wednesday (midnight UAE)
Series information
Pakistan v Dubai
First Test, Dubai International Stadium
Sun Oct 6 to Thu Oct 11
Second Test, Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tue Oct 16 to Sat Oct 20
Play starts at 10am each day
Teams
Pakistan
1 Mohammed Hafeez, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Haris Sohail, 6 Babar Azam, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed, 8 Bilal Asif, 9 Yasir Shah, 10, Mohammed Abbas, 11 Wahab Riaz or Mir Hamza
Australia
1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Mitchell Marsh, 5 Travis Head, 6 Marnus Labuschagne, 7 Tim Paine, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Jon Holland
Brief scores:
Everton 0
Leicester City 1
Vardy 58'
The lowdown
Rating: 4/5
if you go
The flights
Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return.
The trek
Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required.
Huddersfield Town permanent signings:
Steve Mounie (striker): signed from Montpellier for £11 million
Tom Ince (winger): signed from Derby County for £7.7m
Aaron Mooy (midfielder): signed from Manchester City for £7.7m
Laurent Depoitre (striker): signed from Porto for £3.4m
Scott Malone (defender): signed from Fulham for £3.3m
Zanka (defender): signed from Copenhagen for £2.3m
Elias Kachunga (winger): signed for Ingolstadt for £1.1m
Danny WIlliams (midfielder): signed from Reading on a free transfer
German intelligence warnings
2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Wednesday
Poland v Portugal 10.45pm
Russia v Sweden 10.45pm
Friday
Belgium v Switzerland 10.45pm
Croatia v England 10.45pm
Saturday
Netherlands v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Denmark 10.45pm
Sunday
Poland v Italy 10.45pm
Monday
Spain v England 10.45pm
Tuesday
France v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Wales 10.45pm
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
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)
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score):
Manchester City (0) v Tottenham Hotspur (1), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Match info
Manchester City 3 (Jesus 22', 50', Sterling 69') Everton 1 (Calvert-Lewin 65')
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
The Bloomberg Billionaire Index in full
1 Jeff Bezos $140 billion
2 Bill Gates $98.3 billion
3 Bernard Arnault $83.1 billion
4 Warren Buffett $83 billion
5 Amancio Ortega $67.9 billion
6 Mark Zuckerberg $67.3 billion
7 Larry Page $56.8 billion
8 Larry Ellison $56.1 billion
9 Sergey Brin $55.2 billion
10 Carlos Slim $55.2 billion
The Laughing Apple
Yusuf/Cat Stevens
(Verve Decca Crossover)
UK’s AI plan
AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
£10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
£100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
£250m to train new AI models
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
Places to go for free coffee
Cherish Cafe Dubai, Dubai Investment Park, are giving away free coffees all day.
La Terrace, Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai, are serving their first 50 guests one coffee and four bite-sized cakes
Wild & The Moon will be giving away a free espresso with every purchase on International Coffee Day
Orange Wheels welcome parents are to sit, relax and enjoy goodies at ‘Café O’ along with a free coffee
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
