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Lifestyle

Lifestyle and entertainment news from the Middle East. All the important stories, exclusive interviews, plus authoritative opinion and analysis

Damian Lewis, Salman Rushdie and Rio Ferdinand among UK honours list

Actor Damian Lewis, author Ian Rankin and former Northern Ireland first minister Arlene Foster were among more than 1,100 people recognised by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth in her annual birthday honours. The list, which is issued to mark the 96-year-old monarch’s official birthday, honours recipients for their “outstanding” contributions; most awards recognise public service or community […]

Clothing, Apparel, Person

Age is just a number – and that number is $33trn

As companies join the global race to prolong life, the Gulf is positioned to lead the way in preventative medicine “Live long and prosper” may be a quote from science fiction, made famous by a Star Trek movie in 1979, but its sentiment is driving real growth in today’s global scientific economy. The global longevity […]

Dubai ranked most overworked city in the world

Dubai is the most overworked city in the world, according to a new global report out this week – but a workplace culture expert said this could be due to the type of workers the emirate traditionally attracts. Kisi, a New York-based cloud-based security systems provider, looked at the work-life balance in 100 global cities. […]

Ecclestone denies arrest for carrying illegal gun

Former Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone today denied he had been arrested in Brazil and said an illegal gun found in his luggage before boarding a flight was never used and had no ammunition. The 91-year-old Briton, now in Portugal, said a “silly, tiny little incident” had caused a lot of aggravation as he and […]

Smize Cream: ADIO initiative is helping US companies led by women and minority entrepreneurs expand in emirate

Supermodel Tyra Banks to launch ice cream brand in Abu Dhabi

Californian supermodel Tyra Banks has picked Abu Dhabi as the first international market outside the US to launch her global ice cream brand, Smize Cream, as part of a partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO). The 48-year-old entrepreneur made the announcement at the Access Granted talk series on Thursday, adding that she was […]

Clothing, Apparel, Person

Move over Hollywood, it’s Arab time at Cannes film festival

The Middle East is one of the big talking points among the international film set at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, especially the presence of Saudi Arabia which unveiled big-ticket incentives to lure Hollywood and Bollywood producers to the kingdom. “I think in the past [the Middle East] always had some sort of presence but […]

Rocketman’s jet-pack set to take off in the Gulf

A British technology firm which has developed jet suits allowing users to fly at altitudes of up to 12,000 feet has already sold some of its products in the region and is keen to set up a training facility in the Gulf. Based in Wiltshire, South-West England, Gravity Industries was launched in March 2017 and […]

If you learn any simple Arabic greetings, you’re likely to please your regional business contact

Get ahead in the Gulf with our networking advice

This month’s guide on how to succeed in the Middle East offers essential tips on business practices and social etiquette The Middle East is rich in opportunity for businessmen and women, but entrepreneurs keen to forge partnerships need to remember that norms and practices can vary from those in Europe or the US. The region […]

Elie Habib's Anghami generates close to one billion streams a month with a catalogue of more than 72 million Arabic and international tracks

Make some noise for Anghami’s Elie Habib

The Lebanese music streaming mogul talks to AGBI about the meteoric rise of his Nasdaq-listed company, its battles with music pirates, relocation to Abu Dhabi and his ambition to launch Arab music stars Elie Habib fell in love with coding early. He started selling software at the age of 17 and launched several companies in […]

Person, Human, Guitar

A history of music streaming

Napster and BitTorrent initially changed the way people thought about music in 1999 before being taken down for unauthorised use of copyright material. iPod launched in 2001 and by the mid-2000s, Pandora and Spotify had both launched. Make some noise for Anghami’s Elie Habib The music industry shunned the new platforms at the start, with […]

Juan Carlos and Felipe of Spain

Juan Carlos to visit Spain after two years in UAE exile

The former king of Spain, Juan Carlos, will travel to his country this weekend for the first time since he left under a cloud of scandal in August 2020, making his home in the United Arab Emirates. Juan Carlos, 84, is visiting the northern region of Galicia for a boating event, according to the mayor […]

Person, Human, Audience

Who is Konstantin Sidorov?

Konstantin Sidorov is an international entrepreneur and investor with over 25 years’ experience in building, developing and restructuring businesses within the tech sector.  He has successfully built and sold several IT businesses. In 2016 he sold the Eastern European division of RRC Group to a leading US-listed distributor Ingram Micro. In 2020, he sold his […]

Amr Nosseir used to be managing director, chairman and head of Middle East Business Development at CVC Capital Partners

CD&R hires Amr Nosseir, CVC’s top Mideast dealmaker

Private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) has hired CVC Capital Partners’ top dealmaker for the Middle East as it seeks to bolster its presence and expand relationships with investors in the region. CD&R said yesterday it had appointed Amr Nosseir as senior advisor to the firm. Nosseir previously served as managing director, chairman […]

Eco-friendly, luxury ‘nest’ hospitality project opening in the desert

Dubai’s Nara Desert Escapes, the team behind the luxury dining brand Sonara Camp, has launched a new eco-friendly desert hospitality offering known as ‘The Nest’ by Sonara. The company is already looking at expansion overseas ahead of its opening later this year. Designed by Italian architect and designer Gianni Ranaulo, the high-end project consists of […]

Outdoors, Nature, Wheel

Belgian music festival launches adults-only desert glamping

Belgian music festival organiser Tomorrowland has teamed up with local partners to open an adults-only desert resort, which will include luxury glamping accommodation, it was announced yesterday at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai. The desert resort, to be named Terra Solis, will be located in Dubailand, Al Yufra, 25 minutes’ drive from Downtown Dubai […]

Tie, Accessories, Accessory

Who is Lord Udny-Lister?

Edward Julian Udny-Lister is a special adviser to the UK government, a political strategist and former politician.  One of Boris Johnson’s closest aides, Udny-Lister served as Downing Street chief of staff from 2019 to 2021, primarily advising on strategy. He was the deputy mayor of London for policy and planning between 2011 and 2016 – […]

Netflix drops Meghan Markle’s animated series

Streaming platform Netflix Inc said on Sunday it had decided to stop work on Meghan Markle’s family series “Pearl” as it reviewed animated content. Dropping several projects, including Markle’s, was part of strategic decisions on production of animated series, the company said in a statement, without providing further details on its decision. Archewell Productions, the […]

Musk’s Twitter free speech promise may be tested in Middle East

In a region where the local media is often controlled by the state, millions of people rely on social media platforms to follow news and express their opinions. Both Twitter and Facebook showed their potential to influence real-life events during the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, when they played an outsize role in social upheaval. But […]

Apparel to buy Karl Lagerfeld brand in $210 mln all-cash deal

Apparel Group Ltd said on Monday it has agreed to acquire the remaining 81% stake in Karl Lagerfeld for $210 million in cash, becoming the sole owner of the Parisian fashion brand. G-III, which owns brands including DKNY and Jessica Howard, will purchase the additional stake from a group of investors led by Fred Gehring […]