While Halloween costumes such as mummies, vampires and werewolves are classics that never go out of spooky style, sometimes it’s fun to delve into pop culture and dress up as something or someone that captures the zeitgeist.
With so much happening this year in television, film, music and social media, putting together a costume can be as convenient or complex as you like.
For the ultimate costume that’s already in your wardrobe, look to Gen-Z couple Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet, whose joint off-duty look features black T-shirts, hoodies and baseball caps, which is incredibly easy to replicate.
Plenty of bandages and a red camouflage jacket will have you looking like Shah Rukh Khan in Jawan in an instant, while those with a penchant for flamboyant colours and monogrammed attire can channel Ranveer Singh a la Rocky in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.
Here are 13 Halloween costumes ideas for adults, children and couples.
The smash hit film of the year is a rich minefield of Halloween costume inspiration, meaning you probably won’t be the only Barbie at the party.
You can choose from Stereotypical Barbie as portrayed by Margot Robbie, Kate McKinnon’s Weird Barbie, Physicist Barbie, Judge Barbie, President Barbie … the list is endless.
While donning a pink dress and heels is classic Stereotypical Barbie, spice things up by heading out as Rollerblading Barbie. Skates optional.
Cowboy Ken
Cowboy ensemble, Dh126.32, Wocloey at www.amazon.ae; white felt cowboy hat, Dh93.20, The White Shop at www.amazon.ae. Photos: Warner Bros Pictures; Amazon
As with Barbie, there are plenty of Kens to choose from. Are you Cowboy Ken? Beach Ken? Dancing Ken?
Whichever iteration you go for, there are plenty of easy ways to nail the look so you can strut out of your mojo dojo casa house looking suitably Kenough. Swagger not optional.
Nepo baby
T-shirt, $49, www.wolfandbadger.com; TRF boyfriend low-rise jeans, Dh199; www.zara.com/ae. Photos: Wolf and Badger; GC Images; Zara
Less a costume and more an attitude, this one allows you to channel the likes of Hailey Bieber, Lily Rose Depp, Eve Hewson, Dakota Johnson, Ananya Panday and more.
The off-duty nepo baby look is dressed-down but still deceptively stylish. Accessorise your jeans and tee combo with perfectly styled hair, a great lipstick and a compact 1990s shoulder bag.
This Halloween, it’s time to stock up on bandages, but not for a mummy costume.
Turn yourself into Vikram Rathore, Shah Rukh Khan’s character in box-office smash hit Jawan. You’ll need plenty of bandages to wrap around your head and hands, as well as some well-worn combat trousers and a red camo jacket or hoodie.
With the world’s focus on chatbots right now, there’s never been a better time to inject a little murderous AI action into the spookiest night of the year.
M3gan, a film about a seemingly friendly doll who goes on a killing spree, was an unexpected hit earlier this year; just remember to brush up on Megan’s viral dance skills.
Mabel Mora from Only Murders in the Building
Faux fur jacket, Dh156.74, Collusion at www.asos.com; Heist Beanie Brixton hat, Dh52.63, www.revolve.com; headphones, Dh65, www.amazon.ae. Photos: Hulu; Revolve; Amazon; Asos
Turn yourself into the Upper West Side podcaster by donning her signature oranges and mustards, and be ready to start reporting if something nefarious happens at your party.
Ranveer Singh in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani
Monogram Admiral jacket, price on request, Louis Vuitton. Photos: Louis Vuitton / Dharma Productions
Given the rise of quiet luxury, a costume party offers the perfect opportunity to brazenly flaunt your designer logos and channel your inner Ranveer Singh. As the titular character in Bollywood hit Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Singh dons numerous designer jackets, blazers and shirts – mainly flaunting Gucci and LV tops and frequently open to the belly button.
Recreate the look with oversized, logo-spattered shirts unbuttoned over plain black or white tank tops, paired with chunky jewellery and tailored trousers or jeans.
The sports comedy, about a naive American football coach from Kansas who flies to England to manage ailing football team AFC Richmond, came to an end this year. Bring back the magic (and wisdom) of the inspirational coach by channelling your inner Ted.
Pick up an AFC Richmond top, and don’t forget the moustache. Sunglasses, a clipboard and a sign that says “Believe” are also good additions. And don’t forget your whistle, even though Roy Kent would not approve.
Couples: Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet
Women’s black T-shirt, Dh45, www.zara.com/ae; hoodie, Dh149, www.bershka.com/ae; necklace, Dh35, www.pullandbear.com/ae. Photos: Getty Images; Zara; Bershka; Pull and Bear
If you’re heading to a party as a duo, going as Gen-Z’s current couple obsession, reality TV star-turned-beauty mogul Jenner and Hollywood darling Chalamet is by far the easiest way to go.
For last-minute costume inspiration, channel the couple during their visit to the US Open. Girls will simply need a black tee and stylish dark sunglasses.
Boys can opt for a grey T-shirt, black hoodie, black baseball cap and statement necklace – all pieces that will likely be in your wardrobe already.
Couples might want to capitalise on pop culture’s hottest new pairing lest they split.
In the most fun meeting of the music and sporting worlds since Spice Girl Victoria Beckham married footballer David Beckham, Kansas City Chief's tight end Travis Kelce and pop princess Taylor Swift have been trending for weeks with an are-they-aren’t-they romance.
Boys can grab a number 87 jersey and fake moustache to portray Kelce, while girls can opt for any look from Swift’s Eras tour, although her Not a Lot Going On At The Moment T-shirt remains an instantly identifiable Swifty fashion moment.
Couples: Priscilla and Elvis Presley
Wig, Dh59.17, www.lightinthebox.com; dress, Dh210, www.sanddollardubai.com; eyeliner, Dh64.91, www.amazon.ae; sunglasses, Dh37, www.desertcart.ae; costume, Dh300, www.amazon.ae; wig, Dh101, www.desertcart.ae. Photos: Light in the Box; Amazon; Sand Dollar Dubai; Desert Cart
The Presleys have spent the year in the spotlight thanks to Austin Butler’s Oscar-nominated portrayal of The King in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, and the upcoming Priscilla – the Sofia Coppola-directed film starring Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi as Priscilla and Elvis.
Elvis fans will enjoy finding just the right spangly costume, but don’t forget the details such as the sideburns and big jewellery for the men. Likewise, dressing up as Priscilla is all about the hair, winged eyeliner and swishy dress.
Children: Super Mario Bros
Luigi costume, Dh212.50, www.mypartycentre.com; Mario costume, Dh231, www.desertcart.ae. Photos: My Party Centre; Desert Cart
Bring one of the biggest films of the summer to life by dressing little ones up as Mario and Luigi.
From the overalls to the oversized hats, children will love portraying the video game characters, right down to the comedic moustaches.
Children: Glinda and Elphaba
Glinda costume, Dh102, www.desertcart.ae; witch costume, Dh98, www.desertcart.ae; green face paint, Dh35, Snazaroo at www.mypartycentre.com. Photos: Desert Cart; My Party Centre
The hugely anticipated film version of the hit stage show Wicked, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, is set to hit the big screen in November.
Get ahead of the curve by dressing your little ones up as the two stars, Glinda and Elphaba, and remember: There are no good witches on Halloween, only wicked ones!
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
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
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.”
On the menu
First course
▶ Emirati sea bass tartare Yuzu and labneh mayo, avocado, green herbs, fermented tomato water
▶ The Tale of the Oyster Oyster tartare, Bahraini gum berry pickle
Second course
▶ Local mackerel Sourdough crouton, baharat oil, red radish, zaatar mayo
▶ One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Quail, smoked freekeh, cinnamon cocoa
Third course
▶ Bahraini bouillabaisse Venus clams, local prawns, fishfarm seabream, farro
▶ Lumi Black lemon ice cream, pistachio, pomegranate
▶ Black chocolate bar Dark chocolate, dates, caramel, camel milk ice cream
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
