Every week, The National's Luxury magazine team puts together Black Book, a cheat sheet of the most interesting and noteworthy arrivals in fashion, watches, jewellery and cars.
Ralph Lauren yacht takes over
Ralph Lauren has launched a yacht experience in Dubai and Abu Dhabi to showcase its latest autumn/winter 2024 collections. Running until December 15, guests can immerse themselves in the Ralph Lauren universe, complete with custom sun beds, sofas and living spaces. The yacht offers a scenic journey around Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi or Dubai Harbour, providing a stylish escape from everyday life. Showing pieces from Ralph Lauren Home and Ralph Lauren outdoor wear, it is designed to be a respite from day-to-day life, where even the brand's own coffee is served.
Ralph Lauren Homeware is available at Tanagra
Amouage reinvents perfumery
Amouage, the Omani perfume house, has released three scents called the Essences. Using an innovative double-infusion process, the perfume concentrate is mixed with sandalwood chips from the ancient groves of Western Australia, and then diluted with bioethanol that has been left to age for six months in Oakwood barrels, to create an entirely new genre of sophistication and nuance. Named Reasons, Outlands and Lustre, each is 30 per cent perfume, offers a unique olfactory journey and comes in a new, opaque bottle.
Priced Dh1,750 each for 100ml
Delvaux's cosmic handbags
Delvaux – the Belgium maison credited with inventing the modern handbag – has created a special collection for winter. Inspired by the timeless brilliance of the cosmos, the bags are the colour of clouds, and are scattered with the delicate sparkle of stars. The bags include the Brilliant Mini bag, with its distinctive horseshoe buckle, the flap style of the Tempete Small, and the cushion-like Cool Box Nano.
Brilliant Mini bag priced at Dh22,134
Hermes beauty pencils
Hermes latest beauty line, Trait d’Hermes, is a collection of beauty pencils that resemble children's coloured pencils as an invitation for fun and play. Offering 40 different colours and finishes – 24 for eyes and 16 for lips – the colours include Hermes most famous hue Orange Boite. The eye pencils are non-greasy and come in either matte or iridescent, while the lip pencils have a precision tip, and match perfectly with Rouge Hermès lipsticks. There is also a pencil sharpener, designed by Pierre Hardy for a touch of school-day nostalgia.
Pencils are sold individually and in sets of 12 and 40; prices start at Dh220
Hublot Classic Fusion Abu Dhabi edition
Hublot is celebrating Abu Dhabi’s heritage with two new timepieces created in collaboration with Ahmed Seddiqi and Sons. Named the Classic Fusion Abu Dhabi editions, the watches are available in 42mm and 33mm sizes.
The 42mm watch has a satin-finished titanium bezel and case. Water-resistant up to 50 metres, it has 25 jewels and a 48-hour power reserve. In contrast, the 33mm watch is adorned with 36 white diamonds on its bezel. Both watches feature a Sunray Camel-coloured dial with polished rhodium-plated hands, complemented by a camel leather strap in a matching sand hue.
Limited to just 50 pieces of each size, the 42mm costs Dh35,018 and the 33mm is priced at Dh40,854
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
England squad
Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, James Bracey, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Ben Foakes, Lewis Gregory, Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Amar Virdi, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The years Ramadan fell in May
The Dictionary of Animal Languages
Heidi Sopinka
Scribe
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Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
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The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
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Paris Can Wait
Dir: Eleanor Coppola
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard
Two stars
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.