K-pop’s Enhypen will host fans for a two-night stay at the Zaha Hadid-designed Dongdaemun Design Plaza as part of Seoul Fashion Week. Photo: Airbnb
K-pop’s Enhypen will host fans for a two-night stay at the Zaha Hadid-designed Dongdaemun Design Plaza as part of Seoul Fashion Week. Photo: Airbnb
K-pop’s Enhypen will host fans for a two-night stay at the Zaha Hadid-designed Dongdaemun Design Plaza as part of Seoul Fashion Week. Photo: Airbnb
K-pop’s Enhypen will host fans for a two-night stay at the Zaha Hadid-designed Dongdaemun Design Plaza as part of Seoul Fashion Week. Photo: Airbnb

K-pop’s Enhypen to host travellers at Zaha Hadid-designed Dongdaemun Plaza in Seoul


Hayley Skirka
  • English
  • Arabic

From NCT's Jeno opening the show at New York Fashion Week to BTS's Jimin as global ambassador for Dior, K-pop and the world of fashion are no strangers.

Boy band Enhypen got in on the act at Milan Fashion Week and the seven-piece will take their fondness for fashion further during Seoul Fashion Week when they host two fans for an overnight stay and a special preview of the shows.

Partnering with accommodation rental platform Airbnb, Enhypen will host two lucky guests to stay in Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul.

Guests will sleep on the upper level of DDP the night before Seoul Fashion Week kicks off. Photo: Airbnb / Sim Yoonseok
Guests will sleep on the upper level of DDP the night before Seoul Fashion Week kicks off. Photo: Airbnb / Sim Yoonseok

Designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid, the striking shell-like structure is a major landmark in the South Korean capital. It’s also the host of the city's fashion week and a place where models, celebrities and glitterati strut the runway.

Enhypen's hosted stay will be the first time the landmark has opened to guests overnight.

“We are honoured to partner with Airbnb and DDP to bring guests behind the scenes of Seoul Fashion Week like never before. It’s so exciting to be part of the K-Wave movement, and share the magic of Korean music and fashion with the world,” said Jungwon from Enhypen.

In September this year, DDP will open its doors after hours for two Airbnb guests. Upon check-in, travellers will receive a personalised video message from the K-pop band.

K-pop chart toppers Enhypen will welcome guests with a personalised video message. Photo: Chun-Young-Sang
K-pop chart toppers Enhypen will welcome guests with a personalised video message. Photo: Chun-Young-Sang

The top floor of the plaza will be transformed into a stylish suite, complete with a double bed perched atop a fashion runway, a stylish lounge area and a fridge full of snacks and refreshments, all of which have been selected by Enhypen.

Guests can walk the runway and get a sneak peek at some of the collections set to preview at Seoul Fashion Week the very next day.

A backstage dressing room will be available for guests to try on some of the collections from K-fashion’s most innovative up-and-coming designers, and the lucky pair will also get their very own capsule wardrobe to take home.

A dressing room at DDP will be set up with a capsule K-fashion wardrobe, which guests can take home. Photo: Airbnb / Sim Yoonseouk
A dressing room at DDP will be set up with a capsule K-fashion wardrobe, which guests can take home. Photo: Airbnb / Sim Yoonseouk

Up on the rooftop of Dongdaemun Design Plaza, a tour guide will show guests around the landmark site, allowing fans to take in the expansive views of the historic region that is known for its 24-hour shopping and fashionable cafes.

Stays cost $14 per person, a nod to 14 years ago when construction started on the historic building.

Included in the stay are refreshments, exclusive front-row passes to Seoul Fashion Week and autographed Polaroid photographs of Enhypen.

Booking will open on Airbnb's website at 8am (Korean time) on May 24, with reservations only accepted for September 4.

Six of the best Airbnbs in Abu Dhabi: in pictures

Easter%20Sunday
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Past winners of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

2016 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)

2015 Nico Rosberg (Mercedes-GP)

2014 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)

2013 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)

2012 Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)

2011 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)

2010 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)

2009 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)

 

'The Ice Road'

Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne

2/5

Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species

Camelpox

Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.

Falconpox

Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.

Houbarapox

Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.

The specs

Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Power: 575bhp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: Dh554,000

On sale: now

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Racecard
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England Test squad

Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Jamie Porter, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes.

UK%20record%20temperature
%3Cp%3E38.7C%20(101.7F)%20set%20in%20Cambridge%20in%202019%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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

SUNDAY'S ABU DHABI T10 MATCHES

Northern Warriors v Team Abu Dhabi, 3.30pm
Bangla Tigers v Karnataka Tuskers, 5.45pm
Qalandars v Maratha Arabians, 8pm

SPECS
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65
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Avengers: Endgame

Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin

4/5 stars 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

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.”

WORLD'S%2010%20HIGHEST%20MOUNTAINS
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The%20specs
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Fixtures

Opening day Premier League fixtures for August 9-11

August 9

Liverpool v Norwich 11pm

August 10

West Ham v Man City 3.30pm

Bournemouth v Sheffield Utd 6pm

Burnley v Southampton 6pm

C Palace v Everton 6pm

Leicester v Wolves 6pm

Watford v Brighton 6pm

Tottenham v Aston Villa 8.30pm

August 11

Newcastle v Arsenal 5pm

Man United v Chelsea 7.30pm

 

The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe


Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km

WITHIN%20SAND
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MATCH INFO

Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)

TV: Abu Dhabi Sports

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)

%E2%80%98White%20Elephant%E2%80%99
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Book%20Details
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Updated: May 21, 2023, 12:00 PM