ACC commemorates Somali National Day
The festival included a Somali heritage exhibition that displayed traditional handmade objects, equipment from Somali life, fabrics, and musical instruments used in Somali songs. A range of traditional Somali foods and desserts produced using locally sourced agricultural ingredients were also on show. The event featured video displays of songs and dances from Somalia's various regions and communities, as well as recitations of well-known Somali poems.
Welcome address
Nasser Al Darmaki, a board member of the club, began the ceremony with a welcome address, expressing his delight at hosting the Somali community's national festival. He underlined the club's dedication to assisting Arab communities and intellectuals by offering a space for cultural engagement and creativity. Al Darmaki confirmed that this goal is consistent with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who founded the club to serve as a cultural hub.
Enhancing UAE-Somali relations
Al Darmaki also emphasised the deep kinship links between the UAE and Somalia, which are founded on shared history and culture and deepened over time through mutual cooperation.
Somali Ambassador's speech
Hussein Abdi Halane, Somali Ambassador to the UAE, gave a speech thanking the club for hosting the event and congratulated the Somali community on its national day. He recalled the Somali people's accomplishments and patriotic togetherness, applauding the community's efforts to preserve strong ties to their motherland. The ambassador praised the Somali community in the UAE for its adherence to local rules and commitment to developing friendship and peace among various resident communities, thereby projecting a favourable picture of Somalia abroad.
Tribute to Sheikh Zayed and continued support
The envoy also paid tribute to the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan for launching the UAE's long-standing support for Somalia, stressing that these efforts have grown stronger and more widespread over time.
Remarks from the Head of the Somali Community in Ajman
Mohammed Abdullah, the Head of the Somali Community in Ajman, emphasised the importance of this national day as a source of pride for Somalis. He elaborated on the Somali community's year-round cultural and social initiatives in the UAE, which aim to strengthen national unity while also fostering harmony and involvement among the country's varied expatriate communities.
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In December 2021, ZEGNA became a public company by merging with a US-listed investment vehicle, raising $761 million while allowing the Zegna family to retain majority control. By 2024, the Ermenegildo Group – which now includes ZEGNA, TOM FORD Fashion, and Thom Browne – recorded revenues of €1,946.6 million, up 2.2 per cent YoY, and a profit of €90.9 million. How has the Zegna family succeeded where so many others have failed? 'We are pioneering. A pioneer is somebody that takes risk. Without risk, you go nowhere today. When we see an opportunity with the potential to succeed that's over 50 per cent, we go. So, we are a little bit incoscienti,' he jokes, meaning 'reckless' in Italian. 'Believe in the newness and take your chances when you see potential at the outset.' Gildo concedes that the risk of entering China in 1991 was greater than in Dubai in 2008, but recklessness comes at a price, of course. 'You have to be ready to fail,' he warns. 'If you fail, you start all over again. 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So, when it comes to the opportunity in Saudi Arabia, Gildo is watching with interest. 'We don't want to be overly distributed, but I do believe that by 2030, Saudi Arabia would be another important market,' he attests. 'You shouldn't open too many points of sale. We were offered 10 stores. I said, 'Forget about it!' We want to move gradually. Now we have one, and from one to three. We don't have a store in Jeddah yet. So, we will proceed gradually, be successful, and then move forward.' He considers, 'How big will Saudi be compared to Dubai? That I don't know. I don't think it will ever be the size of Dubai for us, to be honest with you, but I do think an interesting part of our growth will come from Riyadh. I also think Doha can be another interesting market, but Dubai is quite unique.' Sharing his strategy for expansion, he points out, 'The success of the brand is not like a turnkey. It's a matter of brand maturity, and how likely your brand is to be successful with the local customer. Timing is very important.' Gildo's advice to retailers is to 'See where you are today, project where you could be tomorrow, then take your own bet and follow the flows of your customer. Your customer may not be somebody else's customer, so you need to make sure you anticipate their moves.' ZEGNA and Dubai: Two success stories, one mindset With Dubai Mall ranking as his number one store and the highest-ever transaction in the house's history taking place at VILLA ZEGNA the day after he presented the Summer 2026 show in the city, Gildo is astute enough to observe that ZEGNA's destiny is inextricably linked to the success of Dubai. 'In the post-Covid years, I've seen an incredible explosion of this area, as you have seen with ZEGNA. I think that the two have gone hand in hand. And surely this region has partially helped the growth of ZEGNA.' He reflects, 'The modernisation of ZEGNA has helped us become one of the leaders in the market and we understood what was needed here – product that can be wearable now, impulse-driven, and innovative.' Dubai, like ZEGNA is on an unstoppable upward trajectory, so what advice does Gildo have for the emirate when it comes to building a sustainable, successful, multigenerational legacy just as he has done? 'It's too big a question! I'm flattered that you asked me, but I don't think that I'm entitled to give a reply,' he hesitates. Yet never one to back down from a challenge, he responds with charm, 'Keep going in the direction you're going and keep being enthusiastic about what you're doing by building on talent, modernity, and technology. You have an incredible organisation, an incredible project, and incredible resources. So just keep doing what you've been doing, in particular in the past five years. Stay the course and make sure that the execution is top. Maybe if there is one risk, it's that Dubai might be running too fast. Make sure you keep up the quality of service, the quality of people, the quality of experience, as you have done in the past five years. Whenever I visit this market, I feel an adrenaline rush. So, Dubai needs to keep its adrenaline levels high.' Using ZEGNA's data as an example, Gildo discloses, 'We have a thousand people visiting the store, every day. That's a lot by any standard. So, take advantage of this moment, show the world what you do best, go for newness, never give up, and keep your entrepreneurial spirit.' He adds, 'And if you ask me, I would give you the same answer about the way I run my business.' Gildo's final word? 'Make sure that you keep your high-end positioning.' And reflecting on ZEGNA's six-day domination of Dubai, he concludes, 'I think this event shows that we can go even higher.'
