UFC fighters Whittaker and De Ridder prepare for headline clash in Abu Dhabi
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What's On
17 minutes ago
- What's On
Dubai Fashion Week returns September 2025 with global designers
Fashion week is back and Dubai is first on the runway. Dubai Fashion Week (DFW) returns from September 1 to 6 for its Spring/Summer 2026 edition, once again opening the global fashion calendar ahead of New York, London, Milan and Paris. With over 30 designers and new countries on the runway, Dubai is making its mark on the global fashion map. Hosted at Dubai Design District (d3), this year's event is bigger, bolder and more global than ever. The official fashion week of the city is back with more than 30 designers from the UAE, France, India, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, the UK and, for the first time, Germany, Croatia and the Netherlands. According to d3's Senior Vice President Khadija Al Bastaki, this season is a celebration of how far the industry has come. 'As d3 celebrates over a decade of nurturing design excellence, this new and expanded edition of Dubai Fashion Week shows how we have grown together,' Al Bastaki said. From the textured drama of couture to the edge and energy of ready-to-wear, the Spring/Summer edition is shaping up to be a love letter to both heritage and the future. Newcomers include Maison Novague from Germany, Chic & Holland from the Netherlands and XD Xenia from Croatia, each bringing fresh narratives and cultural aesthetics to the catwalk. The couture lineup features designers from the UAE, Malaysia, the Philippines, India, Nicaragua, Germany, and the Netherlands. The ready-to-wear schedule includes brands from France, the UK, Iraq, Turkey, and Canada. The UAE-based designers on the lineup include Linen Obsession, Otte, Benang Jarum, Nada Puspita, That Concept, Buttonscarves, FLTRD, Dima Ayad, Lili Blanc, Mrs. Keepa, Lama Jouni and BLSSD. Mohammed Aqra, Chief Strategy Officer, Arab Fashion Council, said this season's lineup is stronger than ever, with new countries making their debut on the runway, an upgraded Buyers Programme, and impactful conversations through Threads Talks. 'This season represents a powerful evolution of our platform. We're not just showcasing collections – we're building a creative economy rooted in diversity, design diplomacy, and long-term commercial impact. DFW SS26 is a bold statement of where fashion is going, and the world is watching,' Aqra said. Dubai Fashion Week's roster brings together homegrown heroes and international heavyweights. Michael Cinco is the Dubai-based couturier whose gowns have graced the likes of Beyoncé and Aishwarya Rai. Dima Ayad has earned her name with inclusive fashion that fits and flatters every body. Mrs. Keepa, known for her sculptural silhouettes, is where bold design meets Parisian edge, and Lama Jouni's minimalist pieces cater to the cool and understated. Les Benjamins has become a streetwear staple with a cult following in the city, while BLSSD blends fashion with purpose through its socially conscious collections. Heba Jasmi's occasionwear is already popular among UAE fashion lovers, and Rizman Ruzaini's intricate couture has made him one to watch beyond his native Malaysia. These familiar names are joined by global talent bringing fresh ideas to the runway. Tara Babylon's work, rooted in sustainability and craft, is loud, proud and impossible to ignore. First-time DFW designers like Maison Novague, Chic & Holland and XD Xenia are tapping into cultural storytelling with a distinctly modern twist. 'With a rich legacy of influencing the regional landscape, DFW is actively championing sustainability, innovation, and diversity in the global design narrative, cementing Dubai's position as the destination of choice for fashion and creative talent from around the world,' Al Bastaki said. With so many new names joining the fold and regional favourites leading the charge, DFW is proving that Dubai isn't borrowing from the fashion capitals. It's becoming one. Images: Dubai Fashion Week
The National
3 hours ago
- The National
Former AWOL wicketkeeper Ghulam Shabber open to return after corruption ban over ‘worst decision of my life'
A former UAE wicketkeeper, who once went AWOL and fled the country midway through a tournament, will be able to return to cricket this month when his ban for corruption ends. Ghulam Shabber has not played sanctioned cricket since he walked out of the team hotel in Abu Dhabi unnoticed, late at night during the 2019 T20 World Cup Qualifier. He had left his kit bag in his hotel room, and told his roommate he would be back later. His absence was only noted at the team meeting the following morning, ahead of a vital fixture for the UAE in their bid to reach the World Cup. He was immediately uncontactable. Team members, as well as staff from the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) and the ICC, conducted a search for him which included local police stations and hospitals. Friends both from his residence in Ajman, as well as back in his native Pakistan, were unable to assist with trying to find him. Ultimately, a contact of one of his erstwhile UAE teammates found Shabber's name, as well as those of his immediate family, on the manifest of a flight which had departed for Pakistan late the previous night. When Shabber was tracked down the following day, he told The National that he had retired from cricket and would not be returning. The timing of his exit was telling. The national team was in disarray at the time due to a probe by the ICC's anti-corruption unit (ACU). Mohammed Naveed, Shaiman Anwar and Qadeer Ahmed had all been thrown out of the team and charged with a variety of corruption offences on the eve of the tournament. Ashfaq Ahmed was then provisionally suspended amid suspicion he, too, was involved. Shabber then went missing, having had dinner with Ashfaq the previous evening. Shabber initially denied he was involved in the corruption case, saying he had left due to what he perceived was a lack of faith in him by the coaching staff, as well as the pervading atmosphere surrounding the team. The ACU trailed Shabber in Pakistan, though. The investigation into his part in attempts to fix aspects of matches involving the UAE took nearly two years, but in 2021 he admitted to six corruption offences. The ICC banned him for four years from that date. He will be eligible to return to playing officially recognised cricket from August 22. Now aged 39, Shabber says he does not want to return to playing, but will if he can get a match fee to do so, in order to feed his children. He has a young family and has only sporadically been employed during his absence from cricket. 'My answer is no, but I will have to take care of my children,' Shabber told The National when asked if he will return to playing. 'I have small children and I don't have a job. I have to feed the children, so I will have to play. 'What was meant to happen has happened. I want to forget my past and move forward. I am working on myself, and I want to be myself in a new way. 'I love the UAE. It is my home. If I have to go back to my home again in life, I will go there. And one thing I want to do is to apologise to my friends, my relatives, the UAE cricket board, my teammates, the ICC, and my fans. Because of me, your hearts were broken.' The report into Shabber's case implicated him in attempts to fix aspects of international matches involving the UAE on separate tours to Nepal and Zimbabwe in 2019. Although he denied acting on the plans to fix, he did acknowledge he had failed to report the approaches to the ACU, as players are obliged to do. He also acknowledged he had agreed to let his phone number be passed on to someone he knew to be involved in betting. His sanction of four years reflected the fact he admitted those offences. In the time since, he has lived in his home town of Jhang, occasionally working as a storekeeper, as well as other jobs. 'It was the worst decision of my life that got me into trouble,' Shabber said. 'I've had a very difficult life. I've worked everything from labour to in a general store. 'I have been unemployed for the past three years. No one has even asked about my condition. My condition is so bad that I cannot say. But Allah has given me patience and I am enduring these conditions patiently.' Ghulam is the second player to be eligible to play again out of the six from that UAE side who were handed bans by the ICC for corruption. Qadeer made a comeback in November 2024 after five years out, and has since established himself back in A-division domestic cricket. The pace bowler has also expressed a wish to assist the anti-corruption authorities with their attempts to educate players on the risks facing them. Shabber said he also wants to help others to learn from the mistakes he made. 'Whether you become a cricketer or not is a matter of fate,' he said when asked if he would encourage his children to pursue the sport. 'I would like my kids to be educated, have awareness, and not make mistakes like their father. 'I am very sorry for what happened. This is the biggest loss in my life that can never be compensated for, which has caused a lot of damage to my personality and my family. 'I still counsel children. I explain to them that hiding a sin is also a sin. Always stand by the truth and always do good. The end of evil is always bad. 'I want what happened to me not to happen to anyone else, so I will do whatever it takes to make it happen, because small mistakes can lead to big sins.'
The National
5 hours ago
- The National
How two million palm fronds create UAE Pavilion's unique scent at Expo 2025 Osaka
Step into the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka and the first thing you notice is the scent. It's warm, earthy and oddly nostalgic. This is not a man-made fragrance, but something organic and real. For Emiratis, it evokes the memory of drying dates in the summer. For Japanese visitors, it is something comforting and familiar even if they cannot quite place it, notes Shaikha Al Ketbi, the UAE Pavilion's creative director. 'In our previous participation at Expo 2020 Dubai, we had a bespoke fragrance created. But here in Osaka, the scent came naturally,' she says. 'It was not part of the plan, but a complete surprise.' The pavilion is built from about two million date palm fronds, arranged into 90 towering columns. The fronds were sourced from the UAE, Egypt and Tunisia, then cleaned, straightened and treated before being shipped to Japan. 'We gathered all the material in a warehouse. When we entered, it smelt just like home,' says Al Ketbi. 'There was warmth, a little sweetness. We said to each other: 'Wouldn't it be amazing if this scent stayed once the pavilion was built?'' Luckily for the team, and the visitors, the unique scent lingered on when the pavilion was built, even after months of foot traffic. Of the response from Japanese visitors, Al Ketbi adds: 'It has been such a strong point of connection. Some ask if we plan to bottle it, an idea we are now exploring with perfumers.' The pavilion itself was designed to engage all senses. 'We wanted a multisensory experience,' says Al Ketbi. 'Scent, yes, but sound as well. There is a soundscape at the entrance that mimics the sounds of an oasis. The materials are textured, and we use lighting and space to create calm. And there is the food, of course.' The restaurant inside the pavilion serves Emirati cuisine but in bento boxes, a gesture of cultural exchange. 'We knew the Japanese public would appreciate that format,' says Mariam Al Memari, head of the UAE Expo Office. 'It is something familiar to them. But when they open it, it is a surprise. They discover Emirati flavours and traditional dishes. The response has been incredibly positive.' Some ingredients are flown in from the UAE, others sourced locally to maintain freshness and sustainability. Meanwhile, the architecture is striking in its simplicity. The glass facade invites people in, offering a view of the columns and woven structures within. The layout is circular, centred on a courtyard-like space. 'From the beginning, we wanted to build a pavilion that felt welcoming,' says Al Ketbi. 'Some pavilions are designed to impress from a distance. Ours is designed to invite. Visitors see the columns and the materials, and they come closer.' The columns vary in height from nine to sixteen metres, and are constructed from treated palm fronds and bound with rope. 'The material is unfamiliar here,' says Al Ketbi. 'We worked with a Japanese carpentry studio to make it happen. It required a whole new supply chain.' The effect is both immersive and intimate. Japanese visitors often touch the materials, notes Ketbi. 'They are drawn to the texture. It creates a relationship. They do not just see the pavilion, they feel it.' At the centre of the experience are Emirati youth ambassadors and volunteers, many of whom speak Japanese, guide visitors and answer questions. 'They are the human face of the UAE here,' says Al Memari. 'Visitors are often struck by their warmth and confidence. For many, it is their first time meeting someone from the UAE.' The pavilion also includes a shop that offers products made by Emirati artists and start-ups. Many items are made from date palm fibre. 'We want people to take home something that feels authentic,' says Al Memari. 'Some pieces even reference Expo 1970, when Abu Dhabi participated before the formation of the UAE.' That reference to 1970 is part of a wider narrative. The pavilion's theme, Earth to Ether, connects past and present. 'In 1970, Abu Dhabi came to Expo as a single emirate,' says Al Ketbi. 'In 2025, the whole federation is here. That is not just history. It is a story of transformation.' The story is narrated through media installations as well as the pavilion's design itself. The layout is circular, evoking traditional gathering spaces. The woven materials bring on a sense of one's own home rather than a busy commercial setting. 'We wanted to explore the idea of legacy,' says Al Ketbi. 'What gets passed on? What do we share with the world? How do we carry our environment with us, even when we are far from home?' The pavilion was developed by a multidisciplinary collective that brought together architects, designers, artists, writers and engineers. 'It was a collaborative process,' says Al Ketbi. 'Everyone contributed. The person who wrote the story, the person who sourced the material, the person who shaped the columns – all of them were part of the creative team.' Since opening its doors, the pavilion has attracted more than two million visitors. 'We see 30,000 people a day,' says Al Memari. 'But more important than the numbers is the feedback. Visitors, Japanese or otherwise, tell us they feel something here – calm, welcome connection.'
