Arab stars and Hollywood celebrities walked the red carpet for the annual Joy Awards, one of the region's biggest entertainment events, at Riyadh's Kingdom Arena on Saturday.
Hollywood A-listers Matthew McConaughey, Amanda Seyfried, Anthony Hopkins, Morgan Freeman, Cuba Gooding Jr and Martin Lawrence joined football star Thierry Henry and a host of regional celebrities, from veteran Egyptian actress Yousra to Saudi actress Mila Alzahrani on the red carpet.
The event also featured top-notch performers on the night, including pop star Christina Aguilera, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, Canadian crooner Michael Buble – fresh off his Abu Dhabi show last week – Lebanese singer Wael Kfoury and Saudi superstar Mohammed Abdu.
Now in its fifth year, Joy Awards honours talents across film, TV, sports and even social media. It is organised by Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and broadcast live on MBC channels and streaming platform Shahid.
Aguilera was accompanied on the red carpet or, more accurately, lavender carpet, by her fiance, Matthew Rutler. Wearing a white shirt paired with shimmering maxi skirt, the singer accessorised her look with dark sunglasses.
Opening the show with her rousing 20O2 hit The Voice Within, Aguilera later changed to a striking red gown by Elie Saab, followed by an all-black leather ensemble for her biggest hit Genie in a Bottle.
As if channeling her Red Riding Hood character from 2011, Seyfried walked the red carpet in a dreamy red ruffled dress by Valentino, accentuated by a black bow on the waist.
Meanwhile, McConaughey was accompanied by his wife, model Camila Alves, who chose a striking one shoulder yellow dress with gold sequins by Oscar de la Renta.
The Arab world was also glamorously represented by stars from the Gulf as well as the wider Middle East, with Lebanese designers dominating the red carpet.
Saudi actress Mila Alzahrani chose a dramatic gown by Lebanese designer Sara Mrad. The corseted sapphire dress featured a voluminous sleeve while the midi skirt is adorned by organza feathers and a bouquet of embroidered flowers. The look is finished off with a pleated puffy train.
Lebanese couturier Zuhair Murad, who was honoured at the event, also dressed a number of regional stars on the night, including Lebanese singer and actress Cyrine Abdelnour, Egyptian actress Enjy Kiwan, Moroccan actress Miryam Labiad and Lebanese actress Aimee Sayah.
Egyptian actress Nelly Karim chose a stunning red gown by Lebanese designer Tony Ward while Syrian singer Assala Nasri chose a creation by Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran.
