Lebanese actress Nadine Nassib Njeim fronts new Carolina Herrera campaign

Lebanese-Tunisian actress Nadine Nassib Njeim is the face of Carolina Herrera’s latest perfume, Good Girl Midnight. The limited-edition fragrance is being launched exclusively in the Middle East.

Njeim was chosen to represent “the confidence of the Middle Eastern woman” and “contrasting aspects of femininity that are so intrinsic to the Good Girl universe”. For the campaign, the actress and 2004 Miss Lebanon winner was photographed in Beirut wearing a gold sequin-covered dress designed specifically by Wes Gordon, creative director of Carolina Herrera. The campaign was created by Lebanon-based production company, Plastik Studios.

The signature stiletto-shaped bottle of the Good Girl perfume range has been reimagined in an intense black lacquer with a toe dipped in a cascade of illuminated gold dust. Its gold box is embossed with a geometric motif reminiscent of twinkling stars.

The limited-edition fragrance is available exclusively in the Middle East. Photo: Carolina Herrera

Good Girl Midnight re-interprets the signature jasmine scent of its predecessor with powerful notes of tuberose and orange blossom. The floral core of the fragrance is blended with sandalwood and patchouli, as well as warm vanilla and the more complex tonka bean.

"It’s always good to be bold with @carolinaherrera," Njeim wrote on Instagram. “Honoured to be the face of Good Girl Midnight, the new fragrance by Carolina Herrera.”

This is not the first time Njeim has partnered with a global brand. In 2020, she teamed up with MAC to launch a limited-edition collection "inspired by the golden colours and the beauty of the Middle East”. In 2021, she was named as the brand ambassador for Damas Jewellery.

Known for her work highlighting social inequalities, Njeim was badly injured in the explosion in Beirut in August 2020. She underwent a six-hour operation after sustaining injuries while in her high-rise apartment in the Lebanese capital. Njeim was home alone watching television on a sofa located beside a window when the explosion occurred. "I thank God for giving me a second chance,” she wrote on social media at the time.

Tips to keep your car cool

Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
Park in shaded or covered areas
Add tint to windows
Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat

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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.”

David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL

Saeb Erekat: Palestine can overcome coronavirus, even as Israel undermines its efforts

Jonathan Cook: The US and Israel are scaring the ICC away from helping Palestine

Shaddad Attili: Palestine is not short on water - just the right to use it

Full Party in the Park line-up

2pm – Andreah

3pm – Supernovas

4.30pm – The Boxtones

5.30pm – Lighthouse Family

7pm – Step On DJs

8pm – Richard Ashcroft

9.30pm – Chris Wright

10pm – Fatboy Slim

11pm – Hollaphonic

The candidates

Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

Tickets

Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.

Habtoor interview

The UAE should temporarily scrap VAT, Khalaf Al Habtoor says

ACL Elite (West) - fixtures

Monday, Sept 30

Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)

Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)

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

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha

Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar

Director: Neeraj Pandey

Rating: 2.5/5

Checks continue

A High Court judge issued an interim order on Friday suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.

Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review of the minister's unilateral action this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing.