Indian celebrities and personalities have lent their star power to the Cannes Film Festival red carpet over the years, and this year a number of Bollywood's new-generation actors also made their debut.
On May 20, Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor and Vishal Jethwa attended the premiere of French thriller Vie Privee (A Private Life). They are the stars of acclaimed filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan's film Homebound, which had its premiere at the festival's Un Certain Regard section, and is one of only two Indian films competing this year.
For her first Cannes outing, Kapoor wore a custom pink ensemble by Indian designer Tarun Tahiliani. Featuring a handwoven “tissue skirt and corset”, the hand-crushed fabric, crafted in the textile city of Benares, was an ode to Indian craftsmanship.
Kapoor finished her look with jewellery by Chopard.
Her co-star Khatter, known to international audiences for his role in Netflix show The Perfect Couple, chose a sharp bandhgala suit by couturier Gaurav Gupta. The custom maroon velvet suit featured knot embroidery on the front.
On May 21, Cannes veteran Aishwarya Rai Bachchan returned to the festival as L'Oreal ambassador. Styled by famed Indian designer Manish Malhotra, the Bollywood star honoured her Indian heritage in a handwoven Banarasi sari – known for its exquisite embroidery. Rai Bachchan draped her sari with a handwoven dupatta, edged with real gold and silver zardozi embroidery, finishing her look with jewellery by Manish Malhotra as well as sporting sindoor, the red powder typically worn by married women in India, in her hairline.
One of India's most beloved stars, Rai Bachchan, who has also served as jury member at Cannes in 2003, returned the following night in a black custom Gaurav Gupta gown. She completed her look with a Banarasi brocade cape enveloping her.
Handwoven in Varanasi, the cape featured verses from the holy Hindu scripture the Bhagavad Gita.
Rising star Nitanshi Goel, who most recently appeared in the acclaimed film Laapata Ladies, also made her Cannes debut as L'Oreal ambassador. Wearing a custom gown by Jade, the label by Indian designers Monica Shah and Karishma Swali, Goel's dress featured a sculpted black corset with a dramatic cage skirt decorated with embroidery.
Dubai resident and former Mrs UAE World Debanjali Kamstra, who made her acting debut in the short film 30 Days of Autumn, walked the red carpet on May 19.
Designed by Dubai-based Filipino designer Michael Cinco, Kamstra's striking off-shoulder brown ball gown featured shimmering gold leaf applique.
Speaking to The National ahead of her film's premiere at the Cannes film market Marche du Film, Kamstra, who runs a number of businesses in the UAE, says making her acting debut was the realisation of a childhood dream.
Cinco, a Cannes red carpet regular, also dressed Bollywood actress Urvashi Rautela earlier in the week.
Walking the red carpet on the opening night of the festival on May 13, Rautela's dress was inspired by the mosaics of Mexican art and featured a bustle at the hip, led by a dramatic train in tulle.
It's also a Cannes first for Bollywood star Alia Bhatt, also a L'Oreal ambassador, appearing at the fag end of the festival.
Bhatt chose Schiaparelli for debut – a pale pink number featuring intricate floral embroidery and organza work.
The acclaimed actress returned the following night, at the festival's closing ceremony in a bejewelled number by Gucci.
Bhatt, who was named the first Indian Gucci ambassador, arrived in a custom sari embroidered with crystals in the Italian fashion house's GG Monogram pattern.
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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Price, base: Dh105,900 (Premium); Dh115,900 (Sport)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
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Episode list:
Ep1: A recovery like no other- the unevenness of the economic recovery
Ep2: PCR and jobs - the future of work - new trends and challenges
Ep3: The recovery and global trade disruptions - globalisation post-pandemic
Ep4: Inflation- services and goods - debt risks
Ep5: Travel and tourism
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1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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.”
Company profile
Company: Verity
Date started: May 2021
Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Size: four team members
Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000
Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors
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