New face of Arab women? European man is Vogue Arabia editor

Manuel Arnaut

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: The local publisher of Vogue Arabia announced Manuel Arnaut as its new editor-in-chief on Friday, a day after the surprise exit of its former editor.
Arnaut is currently the editor-in-chief of Architectural Digest Middle East, which like Vogue Arabia is a publication of Conde Nast International.
“The team and I are committed to working toward a Vogue Arabia that is the proud voice of the region, representing the strength and allure of the Arab woman,” he said in a statement.
Dubai-based publisher Nervora, which publishes Vogue Arabia in partnership with Conde Nast, said Arnaut will start in his new role on May 7. Arnaut, who hails from Portugal, previously held posts at Vogue Portugal, GQ Portugal, as well as having had his work published in Vogue and GQ Brazil.
However, many are wondering how well a European man can represent the “proud voice” of the Arab world, and particularly its women.
The luxury fashion magazine’s edition for the Middle East had published just two print issues when it was reported Thursday that its editor-in-chief, Saudi Princess Deena Aljuhani Abdulaziz, was no longer in the post.
She was quoted in a statement to insider fashion website Business of Fashion saying she was fired because she refused to compromise on her vision for the magazine.
“It had initially been my intention to build this important and groundbreaking edition of Vogue from inception to a mature magazine in line with others in the Vogue stable,” she said, before adding that she felt the publisher’s approach conflicted with the traditional values that underpin the region. The inaugural print edition published in March featured American supermodel Gigi Hadid on the cover and included a section entirely in Arabic. In an interview last month with The Associated Press in her Dubai office, Abdulaziz discussed the idea behind Hadid wearing an embellished, mesh veil on the cover.
“I don’t want Vogue Arabia to just be another regional magazine. I definitely want it to be a global one as well, especially in this political climate. I think it’s very important,” the mother of three had said.
Nervora CEO Shashi Menon paid brief tribute to Abdulaziz, who was appointed in July 2016. “As the launch editor-in-chief of Vogue Arabia, Deena Aljuhani Abdulaziz has earned a place in the history of fashion and Vogue,” Menon said.