More stories

  • in

    Netflix has announced a $500,000 fund to help Lebanon’s film and TV industry

    Streaming giant Netflix has announced it’s launching a fund in order to help Lebanon’s television and film industry.
    In collaboration with the Arab Fund for Arts & Culture (AFAC), Netflix will launch an emergency fund worth $500,000 (Dhs1.8 million).

    The fund will be distributed to individuals who need financial support who work in the film and television industry whether they be freelancers, crew, craftspeople and more.
    Following the economic hardships caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic and the devastating blast in Beirut, many have been left out of work and the arts industry has been particularly hard-hit.

    In a statement released by AFAC’s Executive Director Rima Mismar, she explained she hopes the new fund will offer relief to those who have been left in a vulnerable position due to the economic downturn.

    “The multiple crises that Lebanon has been facing over the past year expose further the vulnerability and precarity of the arts and culture sector and magnify long-standing inequalities and lack of social safety nets,” she said. “There is a real fear of loss of livelihoods for freelance artists, professionals and practitioners which may eventually lead to migration and creativity drain.
    “We hope that this support will offer the community of practitioners a sense of solidarity and something to hold on to while fighting its way out of this emergency situation.”
    The fund is set to launch later this month on October 26. In order for those who are a part of Lebanon’s film industry, they will be able to apply for individual grants – worth up to $2,000 – online.
    Documentation needs to be provided of recent projects, references and other support they may be receiving at present. Furthermore, applicants must outline what projects have been delayed or cancelled which they were set to work on this year.
    – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
    Images: Supplied, Feature Image: Jo Kassis from Pexels More

  • in

    Kris Jenner explains the reason why KUWTK ended

    For the last 14 years, Kris Jenner has led her family to become the most famous reality stars and businesswomen in the world.
    Labelled the ‘momager’ in the early days of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, she has overseen each of her daughters careers – as well as her own – to catapult the whole family into international stardom.

    However, it was recently announced that the season which is set to air early next year would mark the last for KUWTK.
    Discussing the decision to end the long-running reality show in a recent interview with Beauty Inc., Kris said that the growth of social media and the accessibility it gives to people was a factor in the ending of the show.

    “When we first started, there was no Instagram or Snapchat or other social media platforms,” the momager explained.
    “The world has changed. Now there are so many, the viewer doesn’t have to wait three or four months to see an episode. We can give them all of the information anyone would ever want to know in real-time.”

    While it’s the end of the show, Kris doesn’t blame social media, in fact, she explained that she and her daughters would continue to let their followers – which combine to over 679 million between them – into their lives.
    “The girls want them to be part of the journey to keep them engaged,” she said.
    However, it’s been reported there were other factors in the show come to an end.
    Last month, it was reported by The Sun momager Kris was the one who pulled the plug to end the series as both Kim and the youngest Kardashian-Jenner Kylie decided they were going to quit the show regardless.
    “The family have been locked in an ongoing debate over the future of the show for months now,” a source told the outlet. “Kim has all the drama with Kanye West going on.
    “He’s refusing to put anything personal on the show, and it’s increasingly difficult for Kim to find time to film the show.”
    Meanwhile, 23-year-old Kylie was ready to leave the show as she’s making plenty of money through endorsements and her beauty brands Kylie Cosmetics and Kylie Skin. In fact, she and older sister Kendall have reportedly “always struggled with fame and being in the spotlight”.
    While it’s certainly an end of an era for KUWTK, we’re sure sisters Kourtney, Kim, Khloe, Kendall and Kylie, as well as momager Kris, won’t be going anywhere.
    – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
    Images: Supplied, Instagram, Feature Image: Kylie Jenner Instagram More

  • in

    HE Noura Al Kaabi becomes the latest UAE minister to receive COVID-19 vaccine

    Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi has become the latest minister to receive the UAE’s COVID-19 vaccine.
    Taking to her official Instagram page, the Minister of Culture and Youth shared with her 138,000 followers a photo of her receiving the vaccine.

    In the caption of her post, Her Excellency thanked the nurse who administered the jab for her.
    “Thank you Nurse Ozma, from Lahore! She’s been working in the UAE for the past 18 years,” the minister said.

    Just under a month ago, the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine was administered in the UAE, which was given to the country’s Minister of Health and Prevention, Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Owais.
    Per the UAE’s state news agency WAM, the vaccine was developed by Chinese drug maker Sinopharm and has undergone extensive testing in the UAE with over 31,000 volunteers taking part in the trial over the last couple of months.
    The health minister received the first dose of the vaccine one week after approval was given by the UAE government for a COVID-19 vaccine to be administered on frontline workers including doctors, nurses and police.
    The principal investigator and chairperson of the National Clinical Committee for Coronavirus, Dr Nawal A-Kaabi noted that the initial results are “encouraging”, but that studies will be ongoing.
    “The initial results are encouraging in terms of the presence of antibodies in the body,” Dr Al Kaabi said.
    Shortly after, the COVID-19 vaccine began to be administered on frontline workers.
    It has been clearly stated by the Ministry that those who are receiving doses of the vaccine will be closely monitored.
    – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
    Images: Her Excellency Noura Al Kaabi Instagram More

  • in

    Emirates showcases the incredible 30-year transformation of Dubai

    It’s hard to believe that three decades ago, Dubai is a far cry from what it looks like today.
    Emirates Airline recently shared two photos which showcased the dramatic transformation of the emirate over the last 30 years and it’s safe to say in the first photo Dubai would be unrecognisable to many.

    The post was simply captioned, “How it started vs. How it’s going.”
    In the first photo, which is thought to be taken around 1990, shared on the airline’s Instagram page, an old Sheikh Zayed Road can be seen.

    With only a handful of buildings seen in the image, you’d be forgiven if you didn’t know this image was of Dubai.

    Now, 30 years later, the road connects the buzzing emirate from Marina to Downtown and is filled with skyscrapers, hotels, residences, malls and more.
    In contrast, Emirates also shared a photo of the now hustling and bustling Dubai and one of its iconic landmarks – the Burj Khalifa.
    If this is what’s happened in just 30 years for Dubai, we can only dream of what the next 30 will bring…
    – For more luxury lifestyle, news and fashion follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
    Images: Emirates Airline Instagram More

  • in

    The ultimate vault based in Dubai which ensures your valuables stay safe

    October’s – ‘The Bravery Issue’ – Download Now
    “Jewellery is a daily part of everyone’s life here in the UAE and there is a huge appreciation, in particular for fine jewellery in the region,” fine jewellery expert Vik Jethwani says. Seeing this first-hand with his own jewellery company Vik Jethwani Fine Jewellery, he took the brave leap of faith in launching a unique, bespoke service catering to VIP clientele in the Middle East.
    Enter the 818 Vault – a service Jethwani had always envisioned himself launching. “I would witness what a difficult situation it was for them to find a luxury and bespoke service they could trust, and so wanted to provide them with an additional part of our existing company, offering an ideal solution through a familiar supplier,” he tells Emirates Woman.

    Highly distinctive and individual, Jethwani talks us through the bespoke service, what it has to offer and how being a third-generation jeweller led him down this path.
    Why did you decide to launch 818 Vault?
    We noticed that there was a massive gap and an extreme shortage in the market for independent and luxury safety deposit lockers here in Dubai. As we have such a diverse and strong list of clients, we noticed that a number of banks where our clients were storing their jewellery were limited with the services that were offered. There was often no VIP area, no comfortable seating and most of all no insurance. Clients would also have to travel to the middle of the city to attain a safety deposit locker and it would take up a lot of their time. I also noticed that it was generally always a chore or headache for them and so I wanted to provide an enjoyable, safe, luxurious and convenient solution to the issue. People in this region spend so much on their jewellery, it should definitely be taken care of and kept in a safe, comfortable and VIP environment. I like to think of 818 Vault not just as a secure storage solution for your jewellery, but rather as a complete package with an exceptional standard of service to accommodate our clients’ varying needs. You can also have your jewellery professionally appraised and repaired through one of the many different services we provide.

    What does the name 818 Vault represent?
    The number 8 is a very special number for me as it’s an angel number, which represents balance, security, power, infinity and success. And that is what our vault provides. When you add up 818 you get 17 and 1+7= 8 – it’s genius!
    How did you start out in fine jewellery?
    I am a third-generation jeweller and my grandfather was the third-largest exporter of pearls in Kobe, Japan. My mother continued his legacy by bringing the pearling business to the UAE and I then continued it with my wife Natasha. Together we brought contemporary fine jewellery to Dubai and created our own brand called Vik Jethwani Fine Jewellery.
    Why is 818 Vault different?
    Well, to start we offer Dhs1,000,000 of insurance for each and every safety deposit locker through our qualified insurance brokers. We also provide appraisal services where we can offer you a value for each and every piece of jewellery you own but may not have a receipt for. All these documents can be kept so you can maintain your jewellery. Our location at the prestigious Almas Tower, home to some of the biggest diamond companies in the world and recognised as the safest building in the Middle East is also a distinct advantage. Additionally, 818 Vault is designed to be discreet yet accommodating, we offer a VIP setting where you can come and book the vault for just yourself and arrange your jewellery in our comfortable and opulent viewing chamber which includes a jeweller’s table, tasteful mirrors and plush seating. Furthermore, we offer each client a booking service where they can call ahead of time and secure the vault to themselves for 30-minute slots. This is ideal as no one else can access the vault during this time and we are completely contactless. The only thing you need to bring is your key which has been in your possession the whole time.

    Why did you choose this location for 818 Vault?
    I have been planning this for over two years and would not want our flagship vault to be in any other tower. Almas Tower is the definition of strength and security and is recognised as an iconic building within the global jewellery business.
    How long did it take to see the vision become a reality?
    We started in January 2020. Since then we have seen an increase in the number of clients coming to sign up with our safety deposit lockers. We’ve expanded our services to offer private viewings, private bookings and minimal contact in line with health and safety measures. Unfortunately, many banks are still overcrowded and aren’t maintained well. We sanitize the entire vault after every use!
    I remember sitting down with Natasha two years ago and mentioned to her that I was thinking about providing a service that would be quick, secure and convenient that would solve the issues a lot of our clients were having with other safe deposit facilities. She asked me about it every day on how the idea was progressing and I guess all the questioning made me get up every morning and get this vault built!
    How can we secure a deposit box?
    A potential new client would need to first visit our vault and fill out one of our registration forms. Once the application is complete, they just need to select a locker, sign our terms and conditions contract and then they have their locker. It’s easy, convenient and quick.
    This is ‘The Bravery Issue’ – how do you define bravery?
    Bravery to me is having the courage to step into the unknown and follow your heart. When you follow your passion, don’t look back and just go for it is what being brave is all about!
    For more information on 818 Vault visit 818vault.com
    October’s – ‘The Bravery Issue’ – Download Now
     – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
    Images: Supplied More

  • in

    The UAE launches new multi-million dirham grant for scientists to make it rain

    All year round, 99 per cent of the time you can expect weather in the UAE to be one thing – hot and sunny.

    However, the UAE has now launched a new multi-million dirham grant in order for scientists to research into making it rain in the country.
    Spearheaded by the National Centre of Meteorology, grants of Dhs5.5 million could be available to those who can contribute to the National Rain Enhancement Programme with their research. This grant would be distributed over three years, meaning the yearly amount would equate to a maximum of Dhs2.02 per annum.
    Discussing the new initiative, the director of the National Centre of Meteorology and the President of the Regional Association II (Asia) of World Meteorological Organisation, Dr Abdulla Al Mandous said it was an “important step in pushing forward the rain enhancement research to the next level of impact and sophistication”.
    “This focus will improve our ability to address water-stress issues more effectively in line with the aspirations of our leadership, while enhancing the UAE’s position as a global hub for rain enhancement,” he added.
    In the last few years, cloud seeding has been used in the UAE in order to encourage increased rainfall.
    Last year, according to Statista.com, it rained a total of 38 days.
    – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
    Feature Image: Sheikh Hamdan Instagram More

  • in

    This famous Dubai restaurant adds to its menu for the first time in 10 years

    It’s no secret that Dubai is a hub for many incredible restaurants. With so many options to go to, it’s not often you’ll find yourself going back to the same place.
    However, one Dubai restaurant we just can’t ever get enough of is LPM Bar & Restaurant. Having been on the Dubai restaurant scene for over 10 years, it has solidified its place as one of the crowning jewels in the F&B space in the UAE – both in Dubai and in Abu Dhabi.

    To mark its 10-year anniversary in Dubai, there’s been some new dishes added to LPM’s menu for the first time in a decade – 10 new dishes for its 10-year anniversary.
    All have been created by LPM’s Chef Patron, Raphael Duntoye. Discussing the milestone for LPM Dubai, Duntoye said it was “something very special” for the internationally renowned restaurant.

    “Our guests love all our signature dishes and keep coming back for those, and I really wanted to come up with unique creations to celebrate this milestone,” he said. “The global situation made me think hard about new ideas, to add even more reasons for our long-term guests or new ones to keep discovering LPM at each and every visit.”
    New dishes include seafood paella, undressed crab with cucumber gazpacho, sweet peppers in olive oil, quinoa salad, raw vegetables with bagna cauda, cauliflower salad with almond and caraway dressing.
    However, for EW – we were lucky enough to get a sneak peek of the new menu – the standout dishes on the new menu include the chicken paella, seabass ceviche with smoked tomato jus, bean butter hummus with quinoa crisps and artichoke with lemon vinegarette.
    So, if you ever needed another excuse to head down to DIFC for a fabulous dinner at LPM, it could be to try the new dishes. But, to be honest, you never need an excuse to go to LPM.
    Take a look at the new LPM dishes below.

    – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
    Images: Supplied More

  • in

    The Dubai-based supercar enthusiast who gave up her career to follow her passion

    October’s – ‘The Bravery Issue’ – Download Now
    Giving up a successful career to follow her passion for supercars, Alex Hirschi, also known as @ supercarblondie, tells us about leaving your comfort zone for the dream.
    How did you decide to make the leap out of your comfort zone?
    I was a co-host on a radio show in Dubai for several years before quitting to set up my own business. I have always loved cars and have aspired to owning a luxury car since I was a little girl. I had the opportunity to drive a Bentley, at the time I pinched myself as I was driving my dream car! After that, I went knocking on doors, asking McLaren and Ferrari if they could possibly loan me one as well, in a professional capacity.

    I started uploading videos on social media of my personal experience driving these cars for the first time. It got to the point where my husband and I would spend every weekend hunting down cars in order to film them. We would come home from our full time jobs at around 8pm and start working on editing and arranging cars for the next weekend until midnight.
    We spent around 6 months uploading videos and photos almost every day on the side of our full time jobs, and grew my account to around 50,000 followers on Instagram. At that point, we had to make a decision, I loved my radio job, and it was a job that I had worked hard to get. Considering giving this up for an industry that was still so new to everyone including me, was a big risk but I took the leap of faith and put my all in to it. After a year I hired my husband full time. He quit his job in finance after 15 years to join me in building the business. He is my cameraman and my manager. After three years of doing this full time, my following has grown to around 37 million people across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.
    What’s the bravest step you took to follow your passion?

    The bravest thing I suppose has been to keep pushing on with the business even though I faced so much negativity from people online. When my videos started going viral and being seen by millions of people, this opened me up to the subjective opinions of all kind of individuals. After a while of trying to deal with this negativity myself, I realised I needed help, and went to see a therapist. I suppose that was one of the smartest, if not bravest decisions I’ve made. It often has such a stigma to it, when you seek help, but if I hadn’t have done that, I don’t know how I would have got through that initial phase.
    Can you describe your career evolution & determination?
    I graduated university in Brisbane and came to Dubai straight away. I was 22 years old and followed my husband here who had found a graduate job in banking. Unfortunately, a few months after we arrived the financial crisis hit and I found it very difficult to get a job. I took random freelance gigs here and there, wherever I could, just to make some money, but for the first year I couldn’t find anything full time. I then followed my husband to Singapore who got transferred there and that’s when I found my first full-time job as a TV presenter on a cable network about real estate.
    My husband got transferred back to Dubai 6 months later but I decided to stay in Singapore, living with a local family in order to get some work experience. I wasn’t ready to move again and face finding another job again. I moved back to Dubai 6 months later and again couldn’t find a job in journalism, so I got a job as a receptionist in the DIFC just so I could pay the bills. After two years I quit and I’d finally found an opportunity to be a freelance journalist on the radio. I read the news on Virgin, Dubai 92 and Dubai Eye for several years picking up shifts as often as I could. This involved getting up at 3am every day for a year. I’m not a fan of early mornings so this was a tough year, but I loved the job! Then a few years later I scored my dream job as the co-host of an evening show on Dubai Eye. I did that for 3 years before quitting to set up my own company.
    How do you feel while you’re driving these super cars?
    It just makes me so happy. I could be having the worst day and then sit behind the wheel of a fast car and have a smile on my face within a minute.

    Tell us about having your husband as your manager?
    It’s interesting! It was really difficult at first. We’ve gone through some rough patches because we are both really driven and we found it hard at first switching off ‘work mode’. We would literally be talking about work from the moment we woke up to the moment we went to sleep. It was hard for my husband too because he quit his career and had a lot to prove to both himself and me, that he had made the right decision, so he really went for it. Eventually, we found ways to draw a line between personal and work, but it’s always a constant battle and something that we work on every day. I’ve been with my husband since I was 17 so our relationship is the most important thing to me, and we do everything to make it work.
    How has social media affected the industry?
    The best thing is being able to connect to people all over the world. I am hardly ever a tourist anymore. When I used to travel, I just did all the typical touristy things, visiting monuments, going to tourist hotspots and tourist traps. Now, that never happens because whenever I travel to a city anywhere in the world, I will connect with other supercar owners or groups and they are all happy to show me around. This means I get to have a completely authentic experience of each city and each culture because I’m invited into the homes of locals.
    This year has been challenging – how do you approach challenges?
    Honestly, this year has been a blessing in disguise. I went through a period earlier this year where I wasn’t sleeping, I wasn’t feeling myself, and actually had a full burn out. When Coronavirus hit, it gave us an opportunity to rest, stay in one place and rework the business. It made us realise we couldn’t keep going the way we had been otherwise we’d both be burned out. We also had the opportunity to hire people and expand the team. Now, our team has expanded from 2 to 6 people in the last 6 months. I just hired my sister and my brother in law as well this month. They flew over to join the team from Australia. It’s super important to surround yourself with people you really trust in this business.
    This issue is ‘The Bravery Issue’. How would you define bravery?
    Not knowing the outcome, but taking a calculated risk. Doing something that puts you outside your comfort zone in order to achieve something greater.
    October’s – ‘The Bravery Issue’ – Download Now
    – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
    Images: Supplied More