Oprah shared a video on Instagram of her holiday in Marrakesh. AP
Oprah shared a video on Instagram of her holiday in Marrakesh. AP
Oprah shared a video on Instagram of her holiday in Marrakesh. AP
Oprah shared a video on Instagram of her holiday in Marrakesh. AP

Oprah tours Morocco in a 'soul-filling' visit


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Oprah Winfrey visited Morocco this month, spending "two beautiful days” immersing herself in the North African country's rich culture.

On Saturday, the television personality shared a video of her holiday in Marrakesh on Instagram, where she's seen dancing, eating local food, exploring a souq and interacting with the country's famed artisanal rug makers.

“I spent two beautiful days in Marrakesh, Morocco, which wasn’t enough time to experience so much magnificent culture,” she wrote in the caption.

One of the highlights of Winfrey's visit to the country's red city was a trip to Souq Semmarine, a bustling local market filled with everything from food and art to jewellery, clothing and souvenirs.

The video also shows the American celebrity exploring the Olive Souq: “Olives everywhere,” she said, pointing towards the stacks of the fruit being sold at the market. “This is more olives than I've seen in my life!”

Morocco is known for its vibrant rug-making industry, and Winfrey took some time out to learn more about the art. "especially how they’re made with the consortium of 360 women,” she said in the clip, as she watches a female rug maker in action, and reported being “mesmerised by the final product”.

“Beautiful art,” she said of the Moroccan carpet laid in front of her.

Exuding quiet luxury in an all-white ensemble, Winfrey also indulged in “a thrillingly delicious meal underneath a Moroccan tent”, where she was treated to live music. After the meal, she danced with the locals.

She ended the caption with: “Thank you for a soul-filling time, Morocco.”

Several Arab personalities commented on Winfrey's visit to the country, including actress Fatima Zahra El Ibrahimi, journalist Fahd El Hachimi and singer-songwriter Najat Aatabou.

“You should come back and experience the diversity, culture, history and all the beauty Morocco has to offer. We love you!” El Ibrahimi posted.

The North African nation seems to be a favourite tourist spot among A-listers. Last year, Liam Hemsworth enjoyed a summer in Morocco's Chefchaouen. Lucy Hale, known for her role in Pretty Little Liars, also spent some time in Marrakesh and visited the Yves Saint Laurent Museum.

The full list of 2020 Brit Award nominees (winners in bold):

British group

Coldplay

Foals

Bring me the Horizon

D-Block Europe

Bastille

British Female

Mabel

Freya Ridings

FKA Twigs

Charli xcx

Mahalia​

British male

Harry Styles

Lewis Capaldi

Dave

Michael Kiwanuka

Stormzy​

Best new artist

Aitch

Lewis Capaldi

Dave

Mabel

Sam Fender

Best song

Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber - I Don’t Care

Mabel - Don’t Call Me Up

Calvin Harrison and Rag’n’Bone Man - Giant

Dave - Location

Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart

AJ Tracey - Ladbroke Grove

Lewis Capaldi - Someone you Loved

Tom Walker - Just You and I

Sam Smith and Normani - Dancing with a Stranger

Stormzy - Vossi Bop

International female

Ariana Grande

Billie Eilish

Camila Cabello

Lana Del Rey

Lizzo

International male

Bruce Springsteen

Burna Boy

Tyler, The Creator

Dermot Kennedy

Post Malone

Best album

Stormzy - Heavy is the Head

Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka

Lewis Capaldi - Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent

Dave - Psychodrama

Harry Styles - Fine Line

Rising star

Celeste

Joy Crookes

beabadoobee

The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

The specs

Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre

Power: 325hp

Torque: 500Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh189,700

On sale: now

Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

Silent Hill f

Publisher: Konami

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Rating: 4.5/5

GIANT REVIEW

Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan

Director: Athale

Rating: 4/5

Dhadak 2

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri 

Rating: 1/5

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.

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Key recommendations
  • Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
  • Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
  • Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
  • More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
Updated: July 24, 2023, 12:30 PM