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‘The future of fashion is here’ US designer Norma Kamali says at WWD Global Fashion Summit in Riyadh

‘The future of fashion is here’ US designer Norma Kamali says at WWD Global Fashion Summit in Riyadh
Iconic designer Norma Kamali spoke to the audience about her experience as a fashion entrepreneur. (Arab News)
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Updated 06 June 2024
Rahaf Jambi
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‘The future of fashion is here’ US designer Norma Kamali says at WWD Global Fashion Summit in Riyadh

‘The future of fashion is here’ US designer Norma Kamali says at WWD Global Fashion Summit in Riyadh
Updated 06 June 2024
Rahaf Jambi
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RIYADH: Riyadh played host to the Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) Global Fashion Summit at King Abdullah Financial District on Thursday, with US fashion designer Norma Kamali featured in the line-up of speakers.  

 Throughout the day, there were several workshops and conference sessions that discussed a variety of topics related to entering the Saudi market and sustainability at the event that was  held in partnership with the Saudi Fashion Commission and King Abdullah Financial District Development and Management Company

Iconic designer Kamali spoke to the audience about her experience as a fashion entrepreneur.

Kamali, who started her business in 1967, is known for such statement pieces as the celebrity-loved sleeping bag coat, the high heeled sneaker and the Parachute Collection.

 During her afternoon session at the summit, the designer emphasized that the Saudi fashion industry is at a crossroads.

 “Saudi Arabia is one of the most innovative and forward-thinking countries in fashion and young designers here know their heritage and they have the technology and support,” she said.

“So, my advice for the designers is to really pay attention to the opportunity you have and don't let it pass by because this is your moment and I believe the future of fashion really is here,” Kamali added.

The designer also touched on Artificial Intelligence and how important it is for the fashion industry to adopt it.

"I want to live to be 120 years old, but when I pass away, the team will have a ton of my AI tips and tricks. It's an exciting tool that's a lot of fun to use," she stated.  

Kamali received the WWD International Designer of the Year Award at the Global Fashion Summit.

In the evening, the Fashion Awards will celebrate the achievements of Saudi designers through a ceremony. Among many accolades, the Designer of the Year award will be presented to a creative whose work has impacted the fashion industry.

“We are thrilled to witness the burgeoning fashion industry in Saudi Arabia gaining global recognition. Hosting WWD’s annual Global Fashion Summit for the first time in our region, right here in the heart of Riyadh, is an exciting moment,” said Burak Cakmak, CEO of the Saudi Fashion Commission, in a previously released statement.

 

Topics: Saudi Arabia WWD Saudi fashion commission Global Fashion Summit Norma Kamali

Pakistani artists unite in powerful show of solidarity to raise funds for Gaza

Pakistani artists unite in powerful show of solidarity to raise funds for Gaza
Updated 09 May 2025
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Pakistani artists unite in powerful show of solidarity to raise funds for Gaza

Pakistani artists unite in powerful show of solidarity to raise funds for Gaza
  • The participants reflection on the Palestinian cause through dialogue, paintings, sculptures, theater, music and film
  • Proceeds of the artworks sold at the humanitarian art camp and others up for auction will go to the Palestinian embassy
Updated 09 May 2025
Muhammad Ibrahim

ISLAMABAD: Around 150 Pakistani artists gathered in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad to participate in a eight-day humanitarian art camp to raise funds for people affected by Israeli military offensive in Gaza, the head of Silk Road Culture Center said this week, in a remarkable show of solidarity with the Palestinians.

The camp, “Art for Life – Art for Gaza,” brought together musicians, writers and performers from across Pakistan who presented series of multidisciplinary performances and visual art displays to raise funds for the war-torn people of Gaza.

The event began on April 30 and ended on May 7, amid renewed Israeli strikes on the Palestinian enclave. Israeli’s 18-month war against Hamas has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, Palestinian officials say.

“The idea [behind the event] was to empathize with the suffering people of Palestine,” Jamal Shah, chairman of the Silk Road Culture Center, told Arab News on Wednesday, without sharing details of the total funds raised.

Jamal Shah, Pakistani artist and chairman of Silk Road Culture Center, records live art performance to express solidarity with Gaza, in Islamabad on May 6, 2025. (AN Photo)

A wide range of artworks, including paintings, sculptures, calligraphy, origami and mixed media, were created, exhibited and sold at the event, according to Shah. Many of the pieces are still up for auction, with proceeds pledged to the Palestinian embassy in Pakistan to support humanitarian aid efforts in Gaza.

The participating artists engaged in dialogue around the Palestinian cause and expressed their reflections through paintings, sculptures, theater, music and film at the event.

“My depiction shows their flag and different elements. The golden color represents pain and the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” said Atif Ayub, a contemprary artist from Lahore, describing his installation that combined symbolic imagery focusing on the year 1988 that marked the establishment of the State of Palestine.

“It’s all about shared humanity and emotion.”

Pakistani artists paint during a live performance in solidarity with the people of Gaza, at the Silk Road Culture Center in Islamabad on May 6, 2025. (AN Photo)

The final two days featured live painting sessions, with artists painting silhouettes of performers in real time. These sessions were accompanied by musical performances, skits and poetry readings.

Pakistani singers and musicians such as Arieb, 360 Degrees, Maddy and Sam performed original pieces dedicated to Palestine, contributing to the emotional tone of the event.

Zeeshan Usman Khattak, a filmmaker from the northwestern city of Peshawar, said their collaborative work was a visual metaphor for the crisis in Gaza.

“There was a live performance behind the canvas and we were capturing the shadows,” Khattak said of their live performance. “Those movements reflected the dance of life and death, the aggression, the loss.”

Visitors attend the eight-day art workshop to express solidarity with the people of Gaza, at the Silk Road Culture Center in Islamabad on May 6, 2025. (AN Photo)

Wednesday’s closing ceremony was attended by ambassadors from Palestine, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Yemen, Qatar, Syria and Romania, along with cultural attachés from China and Iran as well as representatives from the French film community.

Summera Jawad, a professor who teaches fine arts at Lahore’s Punjab University, highlighted the community-driven nature of the initiative.

“Artists are not just performing or creating here, they’re also contributing to the exhibition and donating their artworks for the cause,” she said.

Topics: Pakistani artist Jamal Shah War on Gaza Pakistan Palestine

Saudi ‘farm for experimentation’ on show in Milan exhibition 

Saudi ‘farm for experimentation’ on show in Milan exhibition 
Updated 09 May 2025
Jasmine Bager
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Saudi ‘farm for experimentation’ on show in Milan exhibition 

Saudi ‘farm for experimentation’ on show in Milan exhibition 
  • The curators of the Saudi Pavilion at the Triennale Milano discuss their Al-Ahsa-inspired work 
Updated 09 May 2025
Jasmine Bager

AL-AHSA: Saudi Arabia’s lush oasis of Al-Ahsa will be in full bloom in Italy next week at the 24th Triennale Milano International Exhibition, which runs from May 13 to Nov. 9 at Milan’s Palazzo dell’Arte. 

Al-Ahsa is officially recognized as the world’s largest oasis, and is home to more than 2.5 million date palms.  

The Kingdom’s debut pavilion at the exhibition is “Maghras: A Farm for Experimentation,” which, according to the exhibition’s website, is “structured as a transplanted maghras — a unit of land demarcated by four palm trees” and “symbolically frames the dialogues, material traces, soundscapes of field recordings, and speculative gestures emerging from the space.” 

Date harvest spread across two maghras_Image by Alejandro Stein. (Supplied)

The pavilion, commissioned by the Architecture and Design Commission under the Ministry of Culture, and curated by longtime friends Lulu Almana and Sara Al-Omran, along with US-based creative director Alejandro Stein, is inspired by Al-Ahsa’s Al-Sbakh Farm, established by the late Noura AlMousa. The farm is now managed by the Abdulmonem Alrashed Humanitarian Foundation (named after its founder, AlMousa’s son) and the Noura AlMousa House for Culture and Arts, housed in AlMousa’s former home. 

“We’re really continuing on the lineage of the matriarch,” Al-Omran tells Arab News when we meet the curators at the farm. “Her spirit feels very present because she really cared about craft and culture.” 

Almana and Al-Omran commissioned three Saudi artists to work on the pavilion: Leen Ajlan, a London-based designer from Jeddah; Mohammad Alfaraj, a contemporary artist whose family have been farming in Al-Ahsa for generations; and Tara Aldughaither, founder of Sawtasura, an audio research and learning platform focused primarily on female voices.  

(Supplied)

Through videos, sound installations, and participatory programs, the pavilion will invite visitors to engage with the evolving agricultural ecosystems of Al-Ahsa.  

The maghras concept symbolically ties the exhibition to the land, offering an immersive experience that bridges past traditions with contemporary agricultural practices. 

“Technically, there are three participating artists but it’s more than that — there is a big team,” Almana says. “Then there’s all the research that’s being displayed through illustrations and maps and texts that the team worked on. There’s also all the programs and workshops that have been a big part of it.” The fruits of this collective effort will be published in a book later this year.   

Al-Omran explains that her grandparents are from Al-Ahsa. “I always hear, particularly from my grandfather, these stories of Al-Ahsa. And when he speaks about it, it feels like this mythical place that doesn’t really connect to what I see here (now),” she says. “I grew up in (Alkhobar), but would come here every week. Many of my best memories were here; running around on the farm, seeing the frogs and the rabbits and the sheep and playing around. And also understanding seasons and seeing crops and produce. But through conversations with him, I saw this contrast of the place that he talks about and the place I’m witnessing. And I realize that it’s really within a lifetime that the environment has shifted so much.” 

A workshop in the ancient village of Battaliyah_Image courtesy of Maghras. (Supplied)

Al-Omran’s family, including her grandfather, attended the opening event at Al-Sbakh Farm last autumn, where they saw their hometown celebrated in a new light. 

“They’re proud. They’re really happy to see that Al-Ahsa is spoken about,” Al-Omran says. “They see that it’s not just about the past, but a way of thinking about the future.” 

The unfolding narrative of the project has emphasized community engagement. “It was really nice and natural,” says Almana. “It didn’t feel forced in any way. People were saying, ‘You’re doing something important.’ It felt impactful despite its small gestures.” 

After nearly a decade of living abroad in large, congested cities including London and New York, Almana says the initial intention for this project, for her, “was that I needed to get rooted into a place, build knowledge, and build a community of like-minded people who share similar concerns, questions and values: How do we preserve the identity of a place that’s constantly changing? How do we share our concerns and ideas for regeneration, for reviving certain things? It matters to build a community around these questions. Then everything becomes more meaningful and interesting.” 

Almana had only visited Al-Ahsa briefly up until five years ago, during COVID, when she finally spent a significant amount of time there. She found the place inspirational. “It hit me that there’s this urban-rural tension. The big cities get attention, but the rural, historic agricultural places are overshadowed. I wanted to dive into agriculture and build a community of like-minded people,” she says. 

Almana’s partnership with Al-Omran added an insider’s perspective to the project. In Milan, visitors will experience the “true essence” of Al-Ahsa, the pair say.  

“We really wanted to represent Maghras in the most authentic way,” Almana explains. “It’s a community-based project within a morphing landscape, not just a static thing.” 

And Milan, she hopes, is just the start. “We want this to grow into something longer-term, and we’ve conveyed that to the ministry, which supports this vision,” she says. 

Al-Omran stresses the amount of research that was involved in creating the pavilion. “We’re looking at a display of research material that we assembled for our first event back in October. And at that point we had spent about three or four months looking at archival research and doing a lot of interviews.” 

The first activation was both a presentation and a checkpoint.  

“We wanted to take a moment to sift through the material we’d come across and the conversations we’d listened to. It was important to do that during the opening, where we welcomed the community and spoke about the project, because it was important to hear people’s reflections on the research as it emerges; we felt that would influence the direction,” she says. 

“Sometimes we don’t really realize what’s lost until generations have passed. And it felt like we were in a moment where the shifts are happening,” she continues. “So it felt urgent to talk about it now, while that generation is still around.” 

Topics: Triennale Milano International Exhibition Al-Ahsa

Recipes for Success: Chef Soner Muran offers advice and a tasty fried mussels recipe 

Recipes for Success: Chef Soner Muran offers advice and a tasty fried mussels recipe 
Updated 09 May 2025
Shyama Krishna Kumar
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Recipes for Success: Chef Soner Muran offers advice and a tasty fried mussels recipe 

Recipes for Success: Chef Soner Muran offers advice and a tasty fried mussels recipe 
Updated 09 May 2025
Shyama Krishna Kumar

DUBAI: Soner Muran may have sharpened his culinary skills at one of Turkey’s top schools, but it was his grandmother’s cooking that lit the initial fire. 

“My earliest memory is grilling sardines with my grandmother. The smell of the sea and the fire stayed with me. I knew early on this was what I wanted to do,” Muran tells Arab News. 

“I started studying in the most famous chef school in Turkey (Bolu Mengen Culinary School) when I was 14. After four years of education, I started working in Istanbul’s fine-dining restaurants,” he continues. 

Muran is now head chef at Sur.Dubai. (Supplied)

Muran is now head chef at Sur.Dubai — inspired by SurBalik, a seafood restaurant that has been a cornerstone of Istanbul’s culinary scene for 20 years. Sur.Dubai has a Mediterranean-inspired menu that highlights the coastal heritage of Turkey’s Aegean and Mediterranean regions. 

“We cook fish over a wood fire, which is rare in Dubai,” says Muran. “That fire adds depth, smoke, and tradition. Our flavors are bold but simply focused on quality seafood, modern touches, treated with respect.” 

Here, Muran talks about his love for seafood and his favorite dish to cook, and shares a simple fried mussels recipe. 

What was the most common mistake you made when you were starting out?  

I used too many ingredients. I thought more meant better. But great cooking is about balance, not showing off. Now, I focus on fewer elements, greater techniques, and give extra care to every single ingredient in a dish. 

Sur.Dubai is inspired by SurBalik, a seafood restaurant that has been a cornerstone of Istanbul’s culinary scene for 20 years. (Supplied)

What’s your top tip for amateur chefs (cooking at home)? 

Reduce ready-made items. If possible, avoid buying them altogether. Good food takes a little time, even if it’s simple. Take your time to cook better food.  Also, taste as you go. Trust your senses. 

What one ingredient can instantly improve any dish?  

Olive oil. A splash of acidity can lift flavors, balance richness and bring freshness. Especially with seafood, it’s magic. 

When you go out to eat, do you find yourself critiquing the food?  

Yes, it’s hard to switch off. I don’t judge harshly, but I notice details.

Sur.Dubai has a Mediterranean-inspired menu that highlights the coastal heritage of Turkey’s Aegean and Mediterranean regions. (Supplied)

What’s the most common issue you find in other restaurants? 

The most common issue is lack of seasoning or dishes that try to do too much.  

What’s your favorite cuisine?  

Seafood, always. I like to see how other chefs handle it — how fresh it is, how it’s cooked, what flavors they use. It tells me a lot about the restaurant. And I just love seafood; it’s clean, light, and full of character. 

 What’s your go-to dish if you have to cook something quickly at home?  

A simple risotto with parmesan and lemon. It’s comforting, quick if you keep stirring, and you can adjust it based on what you have — like peas, herbs, or shrimp. It feels special even when it’s simple. 
 
What customer request most frustrates you?  

When guests ask for a perfectly cooked fish, then ask for it well done. Or when people expect fast-food timing from a wood-fire kitchen. Good things take time. 

What’s your favorite dish to cook?   

Olive oil braised root vegetables with a nicely grilled wild seabass together with some butter-glazed mussels. 

What’s the most difficult dish for you to get right (whether on your current menu or not)?  

Bouillabaisse. It’s a traditional French seafood stew, but making it properly is complex. The broth needs depth from the fish bones, shellfish, and herbs. Timing is everything — each seafood needs different cooking times. It’s a dish that tests your control and your palate. 

As a head chef, what are you like? Are you a disciplinarian?  

I’m focused but fair. I don’t shout — I lead by example. I want my team to love what they do but also take pride in doing it well. Respect is key, both ways. 

Chef Soner’s fried mussels recipe  

Mix 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup cornstarch, salt, pepper, and cold sparkling water into a thick batter. 

Dip cleaned mussels in batter. 

Deep fry at 180°C until golden (2–3 mins). 

Drain and serve hot with tarator sauce. 

Tarator Sauce 

Soak and squeeze stale bread (1 cup). 

Blend with 1/2 cup walnuts, 3–4 garlic cloves, 3 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, and salt. 

Add water if needed for a smooth texture. 

Serving Tip: 
Serve with pickles and fresh coriander leaves for extra flavor. 

Topics: Soner Muran Sur.Dubai

Primark to open 3 stores in the UAE 

Primark to open 3 stores in the UAE 
Updated 08 May 2025
Arab News
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Primark to open 3 stores in the UAE 

Primark to open 3 stores in the UAE 
Updated 08 May 2025
Arab News

DUBAI: Primark is officially making its way to Dubai, marking its debut in the UAE after years of rumors about the popular store’s launch in the country. 
The popular budget retailer is partnering with retail giant Alshaya Group to open three stores in Dubai, as announced by Alshaya Group CEO John Hadden on Virgin Radio Dubai’s Kris Fade Show. 
Set to launch in early 2026, the stores will be located at Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates and City Centre Mirdif.
“Price is the same. We’re going to do jeans at a starting price of AED 50 and a basic t-shirt will be AED 15,” Hadden said on the show. “I’m so excited I can’t sustain it. It’s just brilliant.”
Primark’s regional debut is set for The Avenues Mall in Kuwait, with the store expected to open by late 2025. Following that, the brand will expand to Dubai as its next stop in the Middle East.
Primark began 55 years ago in Dublin, Ireland, where it originally opened under the name Penneys. Since then, it has grown to operate 450 stores worldwide.
With a presence in 15 European countries and 16 locations in the United States, the brand offers a wide range of products including clothing for women, men and children, as well as cosmetics, home goods and accessories.

Topics: Primark

Diwan Kitchen brings Saudi soul to North London

Diwan Kitchen brings Saudi soul to North London
Updated 08 May 2025
Bahar Hussain
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Diwan Kitchen brings Saudi soul to North London

Diwan Kitchen brings Saudi soul to North London
  • The UK capital’s latest Saudi restaurant drew the crowds for its opening night
Updated 08 May 2025
Bahar Hussain

LONDON: North London just got a little warmer. On May 1, at 510 Holloway Rd, the heart of the Kingdom found a new home in the UK capital. With oud music drifting through the air and the scent of spiced lamb and simmering wheat pulling people in from the street, Diwan Kitchen opened its doors to the public.

The new Saudi restaurant isn't just serving food. It’s telling stories.

The interiors are a soft, glowing tribute to the Kingdom’s past. From carved wood panels evoking the mudbrick homes of Najd, to vibrant fabrics and lanterns echoing the coastal souqs of Hijaz, every corner of Diwan Kitchen feels like a page from a living history book.

Guests on the restaurant's opening night. (AN Photo)

Those traditional mudbrick homes of Najd, designed to keep cool in scorching summers and warm in desert winters, weren’t just shelters; they were social spaces, built around courtyards, where family, memory, and hospitality were the foundation of daily life.

“We wanted to show people what traditional Saudi dining is like” Adem Nasraddin, co-founder of the restaurant, told Arab News. “There’s a rhythm to Saudi life. A scent, a pace, a flavor. We bottled that feeling and served it on a plate.”

And what a plate it is. The tasting menu is a culinary journey across the Kingdom. You can start in Hijaz, with motabag — pan-fried pastries that are light and crisp and deeply comforting. Whether filled with spiced vegetables, gooey cheese, or minced beef, each bite transports you to a Jeddah street corner at sunset.

There’s foul medammas, a creamy mash of fava beans seasoned the Hijazi way: with garlic, lemon, and cumin. And tamees bread; hot and soft, made for tearing and sharing — just as it should be.

The restaurant serves authentic Saudi cuisine. (AN Photo)

The main courses venture into the windswept heartlands of Najd, with jareesh, a dish made from crushed wheat, simmered with tomatoes and onion, that tastes like something a Bedouin grandmother would proudly serve you under an open sky. Alongside it is marqooq, a rich, flat-dough stew that has nourished generations through long desert nights.

Of course, no Saudi table would be complete without rice. Diners can choose between kabsa — the fragrant national treasure of the central regions — and mandi, with its delicate smoke, hailing from the misty mountains of Asir and the southern valleys.

Then comes saleeg, a creamy rice dish from Taif, cooked in milk and broth and topped with tender chicken. It's the kind of meal that slows you down, insisting you stay a little longer.

“My experience has been that it’s completely authentic,” one Saudi guest, Fahad Habib, told Arab News. “It feels like I’m back home.”

Beyond the menu, Diwan Kitchen is a space built on memory and modernity. Saudi music played at the launch, and as guests chatted over cardamom coffee and dates, the atmosphere was part-family gathering, part-culinary pilgrimage.

The opening night drew a mixed crowd — Saudis living in London, curious neighbors from Holloway Road, and food lovers eager to explore a cuisine that’s still underrepresented in the UK. For many, it was more than just a meal; it was a chance to connect with a culture through flavor, memory, and setting.

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