Aiisha Ramadan was a baby when her parents fled to Dubai from war-torn Lebanon in 1985. Ramadan, 27, has since carved a successful career in the Emirate as a fashion designer for her eponymous label. In 2000, while studying Fashion Design at American University, Ramadan was named Young Designer of the Year by Swarovski for her eveningwear. In 2008, Nokia chose her to design a line to showcase their PRISM 7900 handset. The PRISM collection showed at Dubai Fashion Week and toured Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Morocco, bringing Ramadan international recognition. Her label is now sold at select boutiques across the UAE, the US and Canada. She shares her sense of style and favourite possessions with Alexndria Gouveia.
My favourite fashion decade is the Fifties New Look era, which emphasises the hourglass silhouette. The worst decade is the Eighties.
Every woman should own a proper taupe seamless bra, a crisp white shirt, dark denim jeans and a little dress in black or white. A woman's signature should be a bag in her favourite colour.
From what I've seen this year, I think the singer Kesha has the worst fashion sense.
I never travel without a sketchbook and pencil to draw whatever comes to my mind. I also pack a pair of Manolos, a short dress and a necklace that goes with everything.
My Manolo Blahnik Petasap shoes are so colourful in a smart and sexy way. They work with everything, and they simply work for me!
Paris has the most fashionable people but London, for me, is the best city for shopping. For great deals I visit both Paris and London outlet malls.
Saint Paul de Vence, in the South of France, takes my breath away. I've never seen anything more beautiful. I've never smelt such fresh air, and never felt more alive than when I was there.
Every time I watch chef Anthony Bourdain on the Travel Channel I make a list of restaurants to visit. In Dubai, for posh food, I love Empire at The Monarch. For everyday meals it's PF Chang in Mirdiff City Centre.
My favourite book is Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. I wish I'd read it earlier. To anyone spending their lives asking "Why?", it answers "Why not?"
The right perfume loves your skin and is absorbed by it, becoming your perfume. Mine are Organza by Givenchy and The One by Dolce&Gabanna.
AIISHA'S WORLD
MY CAREER HIGHLIGHTS ARE... collaborating with Manolo Blahnik on our Love Affair collection and seeing Paris Hilton in my dress... MY MOTTO IN LIFE IS... less is more... I'D DON ANYTHING FOR... my family. I'd do anything for my family. I remember when my brother got his birthday present in cash and he used it to buy me the latest Swatch. I can't forget how unselfish that was of him.
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
Company%20profile
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Golden Shoe top five (as of March 1):
Harry Kane, Tottenham, Premier League, 24 goals, 48 points
Edinson Cavani, PSG, Ligue 1, 24 goals, 48 points
Ciro Immobile, Lazio, Serie A, 23 goals, 46 points
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, Premier League, 23 goals, 46 points
Lionel Messi, Barcelona, La Liga, 22 goals, 44 points
The biog
Name: Maitha Qambar
Age: 24
Emirate: Abu Dhabi
Education: Master’s Degree
Favourite hobby: Reading
She says: “Everyone has a purpose in life and everyone learns from their experiences”
More coverage from the Future Forum
How Beautiful this world is!
The specs
Engine: 2.5-litre, turbocharged 5-cylinder
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 400hp
Torque: 500Nm
Price: Dh300,000 (estimate)
On sale: 2022
Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Sweet%20Tooth
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The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
Everton%20Fixtures
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THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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RESULT
Arsenal 1 Chelsea 2
Arsenal: Aubameyang (13')
Chelsea: Jorginho (83'), Abraham (87')
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
The%20specs
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Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.