First it was Dolce & Gabbana taking its Alta Moda to AlUla for a fashion spectacular. Then Saudi Arabian designers exhibited their work at Paris and Milan fashion weeks, under the umbrella of Saudi 100.
Riyadh Fashion Week launched in 2023. And most recently, Lebanese designer Rami Kadi took a leaf out of the Dolce & Gabbana book by staging his latest couture show at AlUla.
The first Red Sea Fashion Week will begin on Thursday, showing that the kingdom has big plans to put the nation firmly on the fashion map.
Running until May 18, the event is being held at the newly opened The St Regis Red Sea, located on a private island and accessible only via boats.
It is the latest initiative of the Saudi Fashion Commission, which is looking to support and nurture fledgling fashion designers within the kingdom.
Seven designers will showcase their collections across three days. In addition, there will also be showroom visits, to allow visitors to see the collections up-close.
Kicking off the event is a show by Tima Abid, the Saudi Arabian designer who has previously shown her evening wear as part of Paris Haute Couture week. With 16 years of experience, Abid is well known across the region for elevated evening wear and deftly cut bridal gowns. With an eye for a simple silhouette, Abid's pieces often mix an understated outline with technical details such as cut outs.
Day two opens with a show by Eau, which is then followed by the runway show of Sara Altwaim, a Saudi designer known for an updated romance about her work, and whose past collections include a full skirted look in pale nude lace and black trimmed seams, and a bridal look crafted entirely from lace, with integrated lace gloves.
Next will be Yasmina Q, famous for breezy, lightweight knits in soft sorbet colours designed as body skimming dresses, as well as top and trouser matching separates.
Day three begins with Hadia Ghaleb showcasing its modern, edgy swimming alternatives for women who prefer to cover up on the beach. Think long sleeves, high necks, shorts and wraps, as well as headcoverings, all of which come in colour blocking and patterning.
Then it will be the turn of niluu. The only non-Saudi showing, the Turkish brand uses sustainable vegan silk to create fluid resort wear in dazzling prints.
Rebirth, meanwhile, will close out the week, with its elevated bohemia. Founded by Tala Abukhaled, the label is skilled at incorporating traditional techniques into its modern designs, such as weaving turned into crop tops and knotted macrame as flowing belts.
Rebirth's recent project combined traditional Palestinian tatreez embroidery with sheer tops, the result giving the illusion of the colourful stitches hanging in mid-air.
As a first for the Saudi region, this show promises to underpin the breadth of talent emerging from the kingdom.
Follow The National's @luxuryexplained account on Instagram for live coverage of the event
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
ASHES FIXTURES
1st Test: Brisbane, Nov 23-27
2nd Test: Adelaide, Dec 2-6
3rd Test: Perth, Dec 14-18
4th Test: Melbourne, Dec 26-30
5th Test: Sydney, Jan 4-8
Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
Other key dates
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Finals draw: December 2
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Finals (including semi-finals and third-placed game): June 5–9, 2019
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Euro 2020 play-off draw: November 22, 2019
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Euro 2020 play-offs: March 26–31, 2020
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.”
The biog
Favourite book: You Are the Placebo – Making your mind matter, by Dr Joe Dispenza
Hobby: Running and watching Welsh rugby
Travel destination: Cyprus in the summer
Life goals: To be an aspirational and passionate University educator, enjoy life, be healthy and be the best dad possible.
