The Ambani family has been turning heads in Dubai.
Over the weekend, Anant, the youngest son of Indian billionaire Mukesh, and his fiancee Radhika Merchant were pictured in multiple locations around the emirate. The couple’s visit comes on the heels of their lavish pre-wedding ceremony, which made international headlines for its opulence as well as for its stellar guest list.
They were filmed driving in an orange Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge accompanied by some 20 security vehicles. There are also videos of them strolling in Dubai Mall and City Walk, again flanked by security personnel.
“They love to visit Dubai and are having a great time,” Mahesh Verma, a wedding planner and businessman who lives in Dubai, tells The National.
Verma was with the couple on Sunday as they visited the Green Planet, an indoor zoo and garden at City Walk. “They are big-time nature lovers,” he said. “They had a great time seeing and interacting with the various species of reptiles, birds and animals at the Green Planet.”
He said the couple also took an excursion to the desert, where they had “great fun".
The couple’s pre-wedding celebrations in Jamnagar made global headlines last month.
The 1,200-strong guest list was a who's who of Bollywood, business leaders, Indian cricketers, politicians and business tycoons. UAE businessman and Emaar Properties founder Mohamed Alabaar was invited; as were Bollywood stars Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone; Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan; and Shah Rukh Khan.
Performers, meanwhile, included Rihanna, who expressed joy at having her “first real show” in eight years, as well as Punjabi music star Diljit Dosanjh.
The main wedding event, which will be held in July in Mumbai, is already reported to become “the biggest of the year” in India.
Anant, who is one of the heirs of the Reliance Industries empire, is no stranger to Dubai. He is the owner of what has been dubbed one of the most expensive houses in the city. The beachside villa is situated on The Palm and costs an estimated $80 million. It includes 10 bedrooms, indoor and outdoor pools and a spa.
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From left: Nita Ambani, Radhika Merchant, Anant Ambani and Isha Ambani in Manish Malhotra. Photo: @manishmalhotra05 / Instagram -
Anant Ambani looked regal in a sherwani intricately embroidered with jungle motifs and Swarovski crystals. Photo: @manishmalhotra05 / Instagram -
Bride-to-be Radhika Merchant wore a lehenga featuring a metal mesh drape embellished with more than 20,000 Swarovski crystals. The dress was made by more than 70 artisans, Malhotra said. Photo: @manishmalhotra05 / Instagram -
Isha Ambani also wore red in a lehenga-inspired gown, which she paired with a giant emerald necklace as well as matching bracelet and earrings, and finished her look with a red fur jacket. Photo: @manishmalhotra05 / Instagram -
Nita Ambani chose a more traditional look for the night, wearing a Kanchipuram sari, renowned the world over for its fine silk weaves. Malhotra and his team then added traditional zardosi, or elaborate embroidery, to the border of the sari, giving it a regal look. Photo: @manishmalhotra05 / Instagram -
Shloka Mehta, Anant's sister-in-law also dazzled in a custom made lehenga with patterns made in a "cage cutout" style that took 8,000 hours to make. Photo: @manishmalhotra05 / Instagram -
Bollywood star couple Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone performed on the night. Photo: Reliance Industries -
Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan on stage. Photo: Reliance Industries -
Ivanka Trump, centre, and husband Jared Kushner. Photo: Reliance Industries -
Actors Salman Khan, Ram Charan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan perform. Photo: Reliance Industries -
Bollywood stars Amir Khan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan got together for a rare reunion. Photo: Reliance Industries -
New Zealand cricketer Trent Boult and his wife Gert Smith. Photo: Reliance Industries -
England cricketer Sam Curran and Isabella Grace. Photo: Reliance Industries -
Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar with his wife Anjali. Photo: Reliance Industries -
Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan. Photo: Reliance Industries -
Bill Gates and Paula Hurd. Photo: Reliance Industries -
Bollywood stars Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan with their son Taimur Ali. Photo: Reliance Industries
