US President Donald Trump in black tie and First Lady Melania Trump in an emerald green look by Elie Saab. Reuters
US President Donald Trump in black tie and First Lady Melania Trump in an emerald green look by Elie Saab. Reuters
US President Donald Trump in black tie and First Lady Melania Trump in an emerald green look by Elie Saab. Reuters
US President Donald Trump in black tie and First Lady Melania Trump in an emerald green look by Elie Saab. Reuters

Lifestyle

Melania Trump wears green Elie Saab dress to welcome Saudi Crown Prince on US visit

Emerald colour of leather-effect gown is nod to kingdom's national flag

Sarah Maisey

November 19, 2025

  • English
  • Arabic

US first lady Melania Trump welcomed Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House last night, alongside her husband US President Donald Trump. Melania wore an emerald green gown by Elie Saab for the occasion.

The President and first lady chose evening attire for the formal dinner held in the East Room in honour of the Saudi Crown Prince. Trump wore classic black tie, while his wife opted for a pleated, strapless gown by Lebanese designer Elie Saab, in a deep green, which could be read as a nod to the green of the Saudi national flag.

Melania Trump's heavily pleated gown is from Lebanese label Elie Saab's pre-autumn 2025 collection. Bloomberg
Melania Trump's heavily pleated gown is from Lebanese label Elie Saab's pre-autumn 2025 collection. Bloomberg

Worn with black pumps, the heavily pleated, floor-length gown is gently fitted. The leather-effect dress is ruched through the front, and cut from fluid jersey that has been given a special metallic coating to create a shimmering, jewel-like finish. Part of Elie Saab's pre-autumn 2025 collection, the gown is available online at Bergdorf Goodman for $3,350.

To emphasise the strapless cut, the first lady left her neck bare, instead finishing the look with white diamond earrings and a ring.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcome Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for a dinner at the White House. AP Photo
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcome Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for a dinner at the White House. AP Photo

The lavish White House dinner, comprising three long tables set up within the East Room, came on the first day of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to the US. Other guests included Elon Musk and Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo who plays for Al Nassr football club in Riyadh.

This is not the first time the first lady has worn a look by the Lebanese couturier. On a visit to Brussels in July 2018, she wore a white cocktail dress by Elie Saab, a sleeveless look with a sheer overlay.

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Number of tracks: 11

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Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
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Sustainable Development Goals

1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere

2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation

10. Reduce inequality  within and among countries

11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects

14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development

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Name: Yousef Al Bahar

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Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

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5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Afham, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ghallieah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout

6.30pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Yas Xmnsor, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi

7pm: The President’s Cup – Group 1 (PA) Dh2,500,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Adrie de Vries, Jean de Roualle

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Red flags
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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

What sanctions would be reimposed?

Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

  • An arms embargo
  • A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
  • A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
  • A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
  • Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

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