lifestyle and culture

While the pandemic might have put a damper on grand-scale weddings from 2020 onwards, many couples are choosing to have intimate wedding ceremonies.
This includes Bollywood star Varun Dhawan and fashion designer, Natasha Dalal who are the latest to have said “I do” this week.

While the couple had originally planned to wed in Thailand in 2020, the ongoing pandemic meant this could not go ahead.
Not wanting to wait any longer to tie the knot, the couple, opted for a venue closer to home in Alibaug, India and married over the weekend.
Sharing pictures to Instagram, the couple showcased their beautiful outfits gleaming with joy on their special day.

As per information from celebrity photographer Viral Bhayani, all guests entering the wedding arena were required to take mandatory COVID-19 tests and the celebrity list included Shah Rukh Khan, Raj Kundra, Remo D’Souza, Karan Johar, Manish Malhotra, Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, and Arjun, Janhvi Kapoor.
The festivities continued until Tuesday at The Maison House Resort in the coastal town in western India.
The couple met back in school, but didn’t officially start dating until many years later.
Dhawan and Dalal have kept their relationship very private, but have been photographed together on various occasions over the years.
Congratulations to the happy couple!
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Images: Instagram @varundhawan More

After four months of keeping their daughter’s name a secret, Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik revealed over the weekend their baby girl is called Khai.
The supermodel subtly updated her Instagram bio to reveal the moniker adding the title “Khai’s mom” to her profile.

However, it seems Hadid actually teased baby Khai’s name two months ago – and no one noticed! (Although we admit it would have been hard to spot…).
Eagle-eyed Hadid fans spotted in an old Instagram post that the new mum shared of her Christmas decorations, that one of the photos Khai’s name can be found.

In the last photo, the newborn’s name can be seen ever so faintly in a pot under the Christmas tree.

“Last pic see if you can find Khai’s name,” one fan said.
The meaning of baby Khai’s name
Not only is Khai a beautiful name, but there’s also a truly special meaning behind the moniker.
Khai means “crowned”, “the chosen one” or “strong” in some Arabic terms. The name was also chosen as it pays tribute to her late grandmother, Khairia, on her father Mohamed Hadid’s side of the family, according to TMZ.
Hadid’s father has previously claimed his late mother descended from royalty. “Her great grandfather was the Prince of Nazareth – King of Galilee in the 18th century Daher Al-Omer The Ruler,” he previously said.
Welcoming their new baby girl
Hadid and Malik announced the birth of their first-born via social media back in September.
The new mum took to Instagram to announce the news shortly sharing a sweet photo of her daughter’s hand.

“Our girl joined us earth-side this weekend and she’s already changed our world,” she captioned the photo. “So in love.”
While the new mum has now revealed her baby girl’s name to the world, she’s still keeping her face hidden from the public view to protect her privacy, something which she has done throughout her pregnancy.
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Images: Gigi Hadid Instagram More

While some royals might have bid their goodbyes to the single life, there’s still many out there who are yet to find ‘The One’.
Prince Abdul Mateen Of Brunei

Having trained as a pilot, Prince Abdul Mateen of Brunei, 29,  has amassed a large social media following creating a massive fan base. This prince keeps his follower up-to-date as he enjoys life to the fullest with an interest in activities such as polo and horseback riding. He also holds the rank of second lieutenant and has walked up seven mountains within 24 hours during a challenge he participated. The royal even represented Brunei at the Southeast Asian games held in Malaysia in 2017.
Crown Prince Hussein Of Jordan

Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah of Jordan is committed to building a bright future for Jordan’s youth, under the leadership of his father, King Abdullah II. The 26-year-old has a loyal following on social media and is an alumnus of Georgetown University. After his university studies, he went on to further graduate from the prestigious royal military academy, Sandhurst.
Prince Constantine-Alexios of Greece and Denmark

The son of Marie-Chantal, the Crown Princess of Greece and Pavlos, the Crown Prince of Greece, Constantine-Alexios, who is now 22, was raised in the UK and later on attended the exclusive Wellington College in Berkshire, where he later on went to one of the most-recognised universities – Georgetown University in Washington, US.
Also read: 6 of the most eligible royals in the Middle East
Prince Achileas-Andreas of Greece

The younger brother of Princess Maria-Olympia and Prince Constantine-Alexios, Prince Achileas, 20, completed his schooling in the UK at Wellington College. He’s now enrolled at New York University and by sources claim he’s reportedly set to make a television debut soon.
Lady Amelia Sophia Theodora Mary Margaret Windsor

The granddaughter of Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, who is first cousins with the Queen, Lady Amelia Windsor has graced the runway for luxury fashion houses such as Dolce & Gabbana and later on also began contributing to an environmental platform.
Arthur Chatto

The son of Lady Sarah Chatto (who is the daughter of the Queen’s late sister Princess Margaret) and Daniel Chatto, Aruthur Chatto is one of Britain’s most eligible royals. He’s an avid sportsman who also dabbles in mountaineering, boxing, scuba diving and other outdoor activities and through this, he’s built a loyal following on his social media. Chatto is also an avid rower and his team were the youngest ever to complete the GB row challenge, which was held to support the British Red Cross amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana of Thailand

From poetry to badminton to fashion designing, Princess Sirivannavari has numerous talents. She has her own fashion line and was invited by Pierre Balmain in 2007 to present her debut collection in 2007 at Paris Fashion Week. When she’s not designing, she keeps herself busy with her equestrian pursuits.
Princess Elisabeth Von Thurn und Taxis

Known as a journalist, author and a socialite by profession, she’s not only contributed to note-worthy columns on art and fashion. She is a member of the German princely house of Thurn and Taxis.
Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg

Princess Alexandra graduated from Lycée Vauban in Luxembourg and later on went to receive a master’s in interfaith studies from the Irish School of Ecumenics. She’s also fluent in four different languages and her passions include literature and travelling.
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Images: Instagram More

January’s – ‘The Positivity Issue’ – Download Now
We spoke to Terry Daly, Etihad’s Executive Director Guest Experience, Brand Marketing to find out more about how they are ensuring safe travel through the Etihad Wellness programme
‘Etihad Wellness’ is the airline’s expanded and comprehensive health and hygiene programme and customer guide. This builds on the stringent measures already put in place by Etihad to deal with COVID-19. The programme is championed by specially trained Wellness Ambassadors, a first in the industry, who provide essential travel health information and care so guests can fly with greater peace of mind.
How do you set yourself and your team up for a positive day?

I wake up earlier than I need to, so I can take my time in the mornings. I like to start my day sitting out on the balcony with a cup of coffee and catching up on the day’s news – both world news and from friends and family overseas. I get to work around 7:45 ready for the day ahead.
I’m a generally a positive person and spend time walking around the office to connect whenever I can. I would certainly say that positivity is contagious and it’s good to keep that spirit within the team. For our communications team, we start the day with a quick Microsoft Teams call to touch base, update each other on the latest news, and make sure we’re all feeling informed and connected.
This year has been a challenge, what positives have come to light this year either for you personally or Etihad?

I can certainly agree, it’s been a challenging year. I joined Etihad on 1st March. Three weeks later the airline was grounded, the country was in lockdown and we were all working from home. We very quickly took advantage of the technology solutions available to us, and I’m amazed at how well we worked together as a team in planning the restart of the airline. We quickly adapted to working online, and I have no doubt that the use of technology and new style of teamwork is something that will last.

What is at the heart of Etihad’s DNA as a brand?
Emirati hospitality is at the heart of our brand. That’s why every Etihad experience is an embodiment of a warm Abu Dhabi welcome — thoughtful, exceptional, and open to all.
We bring the world to Abu Dhabi by helping guests choose experiences that are meaningful to them and promote greater wellness and sustainability for our global community.
With Emirati hospitality at our core, Etihad makes sure guests always feel embraced and at home with us, no matter where they’re headed.
Tell us about the ‘Etihad Wellness’ programme and who you chose as Wellness Ambassadors
Wellbeing on board has always been important to us, but in these extreme times, we took extra care to listen to our guests and our frequent flyers to hear their concerns about flying in the post-pandemic era.
It became clear that of course, everyone needs to know about all the procedures a company is putting in place, like social distancing, staff training, regular cleaning and sanitisation to name a few. However, it also became clear that there was a need to be able to ask questions and seek reassurance. The design and launch of the Etihad Wellness programme was the result. It’s there to reassure travellers that it is safe to fly with Etihad. For added reassurance and care, we introduced Wellness Ambassadors who are there to provide guidance and wellness advice at every stage of the journey. Our Ambassadors can be contacted through live webchat before travel, at the airport or onboard.
We have a dedicated Wellness Ambassador on every flight, and they are supported by the entire crew. Initially, we asked our Cabin Crew to volunteer to become Wellness Ambassadors, but then we quickly trained every member of the crew to make sure that everyone would deliver the same, exceptional standards. You will however always find a dedicated Wellness Ambassador on every flight.
You’re laser-focused on wellness at every level from culinary hygiene to cabin deep cleaning. Why was implementing this so important to the brand?
Laser-focused is a great way to put it. We talk about wellness every day, and we’re always looking for new and innovative ways to make our guest experience even smarter.
We’ve always prided ourselves on our reputation in the industry, and we quickly understood that getting wellness ‘right’, would be important to our brand. We owe it to our customers to ensure that an Etihad aircraft is as safe as it can be. This is why we’re the only airline in the world currently making sure that 100% of our guests show a negative COVID-19 test before boarding, and retest again on arrival in Abu Dhabi.
We want our guests to think of Etihad and feel confident that they are in safe hands.
What effect have you seen from launching this to date and what do you expect to see throughout 2021?
The response has been overwhelmingly positive, both from the industry who have recognised our efforts and from our guests.
In the regular surveys we do, 93 per cent of our guests have given us a positive rating on our wellness initiatives. This is something that we’re really proud of.

As a brand, how do you approach client retention?
It’s fair to say that our guests are at the heart of the decisions we make and everything we do.
We operate the Etihad Guest loyalty programme as a way of recognising and rewarding our loyal customers. Throughout the pandemic, we’ve focused on making sure these Etihad Guest members are really well looked after.
One of the most attractive parts of an airline’s loyalty programme is the ability to use miles to buy flights or to upgrade an existing booking. That’s not so easy when there is a lockdown, a much smaller schedule, and travel restrictions across the globe.
This issue is ‘The Positivity Issue’ – how do you stay positive as a brand?
There is a saying, ‘never waste a good crisis’, and we’ve heard this mentioned a few times this year at Etihad. The pandemic has been really hard on the industry and it goes without saying that we are deeply saddened by the effect it has had. However, in the spirit of positivity, we have looked for an opportunity.
When most of our fleet was grounded earlier in the year, we used the opportunity to completely refresh our entire fleet, so that when you next step onboard an Etihad aircraft it should look and feel brand new.
Innovation is also in our DNA, and instead of waiting to follow the industry, we stay positive by taking the lead. We’re really confident about the Etihad experience and the Etihad Wellness proposition and feel this is something we can deliver with pride and positivity.
January’s – ‘The Positivity Issue’ – Download Now
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Images: Supplied  More