Princess Rajwa's status as fashion-forward royal is blooming.
The Jordanian princess, whose pregnancy was announced in April, has been spotted in stylish outfits at a number of public engagements.
On Wednesday, Crown Prince Hussein shared images from their recent to a production company in Amman.
"Rajwa and I were delighted to visit Digitales today. A Jordanian company creating impactful content on social issues and mental health," Prince Hussein posted on Instagram.
In the photos, the royals can be seen interacting and posing photos with the staff of Digitales. For the occasion, Princess Rajwa chose a brown linen MaxMara dress that featured a high waist and flared cut. The dress had a round neckline with a cord drawstring, while the long sleeves were finished off with French cuffs.
She paired her look with ballet flats from Miu Miu and a pink Fendi bag.
The couple have been in the spotlight since their grand wedding last year, with plenty of public interest in their lives, especially with the announcement of Princess Rajwa’s pregnancy in April.
Last month, Queen Rania of Jordan shared photos of the couple on the occasion of Prince Hussein's birthday.
"Happy birthday my dearest Hussein. Can’t wait to see you and Rajwa as parents," she captioned the post.
In the birthday portrait, the couple are looking out to the side of the shot, and Prince Hussein has his arm around his wife’s back. Princess Rajwa, standing in profile, is wearing a light yellow stretch-jersey midi dress by Spanish brand Rabanne.
The dress has a flowing, slightly loose fit that drapes gracefully over her pregnant figure. The fabric also appears lightweight, making it comfortable for warm weather.
The dress has short sleeves and a modest neckline, conveying a balanced and refined elegance. The subtle sheen of the fabric adds a touch of luxury without being flashy.
It illustrates the Princess's preference for outfits that are not only stylish and comfortable but also combine simplicity and a sense of sophistication. Her fashion choices also tend to blend traditional and modern elements.
Since announcing the pregnancy in April, Princess Rajwa has not been spotted out in public as frequently.
However, she attended the silver jubilee celebrations for her father-in-law, King Abdullah II, in Amman on June 10. For the occasion, she wore a stunning cape and gown created by Saudi designer Honayda Serafi.
Serafi, who also designed the gown for Rajwa’s pre-wedding henna party, incorporated the four colours of the Jordanian flag – red, green, black and white – through intricate beaded embroidery on the dress. Shimmering shades of silver were added as a nod to the jubilee year, symbolising both national pride and the royal family’s legacy.
Earlier in June, portrait photos of Rajwa were released to celebrate the couple’s one-year wedding anniversary. In them, she wears an elegant ruby Alice and Olivia Vernia blouson-sleeve, pleated maxi dress with a cinched waistline.
Although Princess Rajwa has only been part of the Jordanian royal family for little more than a year, she is following in the footsteps of her mother-in-law and already cementing her status as a fashion-forward royal.
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Barcelona 4 (Suarez 27', Vidal 32', Dembele 35', Messi 78')
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Ammar 808:
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Profile of Hala Insurance
Date Started: September 2018
Founders: Walid and Karim Dib
Based: Abu Dhabi
Employees: Nine
Amount raised: $1.2 million
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Top goalscorers in Europe
34 goals - Robert Lewandowski (68 points)
34 - Ciro Immobile (68)
31 - Cristiano Ronaldo (62)
28 - Timo Werner (56)
25 - Lionel Messi (50)
*29 - Erling Haaland (50)
23 - Romelu Lukaku (46)
23 - Jamie Vardy (46)
*NOTE: Haaland's goals for Salzburg count for 1.5 points per goal. Goals for Dortmund count for two points per goal.
