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DUBAI: Brazilian football superstar Neymar’s partner Bruna Biancardi touched down in Saudi Arabia this weekend as the football legend arrived in Riyadh ahead of his unveiling as an Al-Hilal player on Saturday.
The heavily pregnant Brazilian model took to Instagram Stories to share snapshots of her time in Riyadh, including short videos of the couple’s hotel and shots of the skyline.
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Biancardi is a model and social media influencer who has previously collaborated with brands such as Louis Vuitton, Off-White, and Balmain.
The couple announced they are expecting their first child together in April 2023. “We dream about your life, plan for your arrival, and know that you are here to complete our love and make our days much happier,” they wrote in Portuguese alongside a photo of them kissing as they cradled Biancardi’s bump on social media.
Two months later, the couple hosted a gender reveal party where they learned they will have a daughter.
“We can’t wait to meet you in person, DAUGHTER! You are our greatest gift!” Biancardi wrote on Instagram. Neymar has a son from a previous relationship.
The model has a stellar social media presence boasting 7.1 million Instagram and her content largely focuses on fashion and beauty.
DUBAI: K-Pop focused fan event KCon is returning to Riyadh on Oct. 6 and 7 with a line-up of 14 bands.
Day one will feature Everglow, Highlight, Hyolyn, Kard, Riize, Super Junior-D&E (which are members Donghae and Eunhyuk) and 8Turn, while the second day will see performances by Dreamcatcher, El7z Up, Evnne, Oh My Girl, Super Junior, Tempest and TNX.
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The event, which launched in Los Angeles in 2012, is said to be one of the largest Korean cultural festivals. It has been held in seven countries across the globe, drawing over a million visitors.
The Kingdom’s hosting of the event is part of an agreement signed between the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Seoul-based entertainment company CJ ENM in June 2022. It also reflects the ministry’s efforts to boost international cultural exchange in line with the goals of Vision 2030.
DUBAI: British singer Jessie J hit the stage at the record-setting second edition of the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards Abu Dhabi in her role as the evening’s co-host on Saturday.
The show, held at Yas Island’s Etihad Arena, saw social media star and content creator Ossy Marwah co-host alongside the singer, who performed her hit song “Price Tag” on stage.
Awards were handed out based on a record number of 46 million votes that saw children from around the world choose their favorite international and regional acts across the film, television and music industries.
Influencer Gaith Marwan, actress Mayan El-Sayed and Moroccan singer-songwriter Manal picked up awards, while the line-up of artists who performed on the night included global music act Now United, Palestinian Chilean singer-songwriter Elyanna, Saudi artist Bader Al-Shuaibi, Palestinian singer-songwriter Noel Kharman, and Jordanian singer-songwriters Issam Alnajjar and Siilawy.
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Ahead of his show, Kuwait-born-and-based star Al-Shuaibi spoke to Arab News about what to expect from his performance.
“I’m very excited to be part of this huge show with stars and influencers coming from around the world. It is an indescribable feeling, and I am very happy to be among the stars performing,” he said.
The pop singer, known for his hits “Mahsoma,” “Ya Hob,” and “Yalghair,” promised fans that his Nickelodeon show would be “different.”
He went on to perform a medley of his hits, including hits “Mtaaba,” “Kol El-Nas,” “Ana Weyah” and “Bravo Alek.”
For her part, Elyanna — who recently became the first artist to perform a full set in Arabic at California’s Coachella music festival — hit the stage with her latest release, “Mama Eh.”
Celebrity presenters included Lebanese eyewear designer and influencer Karen Wazen, influencer Noor Stars, radio host Kris Fade, musician Lea Makhoul, internet personality Amr Maskoun, YouTube stars the Saudi Reporters and vlogger Gaith Marwan, who also won the night’s favorite influencer award.
On the international front, US pop star Olivia Rodrigo won the favorite international artist prize, while internet heavyweight Mr Beast nabbed the favorite international content creator award. “Wednesday” actress Jenna Ortega was voted the favorite international influencer.
DUBAI: Designers Shaikha Noor Al-Khalifa and Shaikha Haya Al-Khalifa of Bahraini label Noon by Noor this week unveiled their spring/summer 2024 collection in London on the sidelines of London Fashion Week.
Titled “Moonlit,” the cousins said that the collection was inspired by the duality of light and shade in the moon. The collection personified the balance of contrasting elements across colors, fabrics, structure, mood and silhouette, they said.
In the collection, cape-like sleeves create an airy and voluminous effect, with low cuts and narrowing cuffs. Square-cut shirts, some cropped, and others transformed into bibs or featuring buttoned hems, add volume and versatility.
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Utilitarian cargo pockets make a stylish appearance on chinos, shorts and cotton dresses tied at the back, while jackets showcase clean lines and simplicity without linings, facings or canvas.
“A mother, a boss, a leader. Our woman at Noon by Noor is all of these and more,” said Shaikha Noor Al-Khalifa in a statement underlining the brand’s commitment to inclusivity and embracing the diverse roles women play.
Shaikha Haya Al-Khalifa highlighted the brand’s adaptive creative process: “The Middle East in August is extremely hot and humid, so we worked with the elements, the heat and humidity, as we created our show look. We made our woman glossy and wet as if she had just emerged from a shower or a swim in the sea, confident and strong.”
London Fashion Week, which runs until Sept. 19, began on Thursday with the second annual Vogue World event.
The gala night was attended by part-Middle Eastern actress Yara Shahidi, who turned heads in a deep-purple dress from British designer Victoria Beckham’s fall/winter 2023 ready-to-wear collection.
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The event, which took place at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, was also attended by Canadian supermodel Winnie Harlow, who posed on the red carpet wearing a black velvet gown with a voluminous floor-length white cape by Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad.
The dress featured a plunging neckline, and Harlow topped off the look with black opera gloves and diamond jewelry.
DUBAI: Italian luxury label Bulgari this week launched its “Serpenti 75 Years of Infinite Tales” exhibition in Dubai.
The showcase, which runs until Sept. 24 at the Dubai International Financial Center, presents a selection of the brand’s iconic snake-inspired masterpieces which started in 1948.
For the exhibition, the maison tapped three UAE creatives to give their interpretation of the Serpenti: Henna artist Azra Khamissa, Emirati spoken word poet Afra Atiq, and jewelry designer and sculpture artist Azza Al-Qubaisi.
Khamissa is creating henna drawings inspired by both her bedouin designs and the brand’s snake creations.
Atiq wrote a poem inspired by three pieces from the Serpenti designs. It pays homage to continuity and focuses on the shedding of snakeskin.
DUBAI: Grammy Award-winning singer Bruno Mars is set to perform in Saudi Arabia on Sept. 29 as part of AlUla Moments, the highly anticipated concert series that takes place in the ancient oasis city.
Mars will headline the opening concert of a series of live music events that will feature both international and regional superstars yet to be announced.
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His performance will be held at the same site that hosted the contemporary outdoor art exhibition of Desert X AlUla 2022, where the flagship music and entertainment festival Azimuth takes place the week prior.
“We are thrilled to announce that Bruno Mars is coming to AlUla to perform,” said Rami Al-Moallim, vice president of destination management and marketing at the Royal Commission for AlUla.
“Diverse and exciting musical experiences are synonymous with AlUla Moments and welcoming a record-breaking, globally renowned artist like Bruno Mars is just the start of what promises to be an unforgettable series. Our visitors cannot expect less than an epic night where Bruno launches our concert series in sensational fashion.”
