Stella McCartney will present her first show in Saudi Arabia, closing out this year's Riyadh Fashion Week, taking place from October 16 to 21.
Made up of about 30 presentations and runway shows, the event includes not only Saudi fashion names, but also international designers and, as such, keeps a keen eye on the global fashion market.
McCartney, who is famous for shunning animal-based products and materials, will curate a collection that mixes recent pieces with archival looks.
Although this is McCartney's first show in the kingdom, she has been creating Ramadan collections since 2022, meaning she is already well-versed in what Saudi clients demand of their wardrobes.
The Riyadh show coincides with the British designer's latest campaign, starring actress Eva Mendes as the face of the autumn/winter 2025 Ryder bag. Made from mycelium, the network of filaments contained within fungi such as mushrooms, the bag offers a stylish and sustainable alternative to snakeskin.
Burak Cakmak, chief executive of the Saudi Fashion Commission, described McCartney's participation as a “milestone for Saudi Arabia’s creative evolution”.
Riyadh Fashion Week also recently announced British label Vivienne Westwood will make its debut at the event, kicking things off with a collection made in collaboration with Art of Heritage.
Founded by Princess Nourah bint Mohammed Al Faisal, Art of Heritage is the kingdom's largest collection of traditional clothes, jewellery and artefacts, and was established to preserve the nation's aesthetic history. The collaboration has set the tone for a week that celebrates both heritage and innovation in fashion.
The involvement of Westwood and McCartney – both labels known for putting sustainability and ethical practices at the heart of everything they do – helps to highlight the event's ambitious plans to be future-facing while ensuring traditional skills are preserved.
Since launching in 2023, RFW has also worked to propel Saudi designers into the global spotlight by providing a high-profile, government-backed event to showcase their talent.
This season features Saudi label Hindamme, known for its 2018 Driving Jacket. Created to mark the moment women were allowed to drive in the kingdom, the garment is now housed in the Victoria & Albert Museum’s permanent collection. In 2024, the brand teamed up with Lina Malaika on a T-shirt reading “Saudi Arabia is the Future”, which was presented on the runway by pop star Mishaal Tamer and model Taleedah Tamer, walking arm-in-arm.
Other ready-to-wear brands to look for include Leem, known for its fluid, stylish separates; the crisp tailoring of Mona Alshebil; Arwa Al Banawi's edgy eponymous brand; and the evening and occasion wear of Razan Alazzouni. Couture labels Atelier Hekayat and Tima Abid are also taking part.
The “Big Four” fashion weeks of New York, London, Milan and Paris continue to dominate the calendar. However, the participation of Westwood and McCartney is an important moment for Riyadh Fashion Week as it asserts its position. Riyadh, as well as Dubai are both credible additions to the fashion map, which is significant as the world begins to look beyond the stranglehold of the “Global north” at what other markets can offer that is new and exciting.
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Super heroes
Iron Man
Reduced risk of dementia
Alcohol consumption could be an issue
Hulk
Cardiac disease, stroke and dementia from high heart rate
Spider-Man
Agility reduces risk of falls
Increased risk of obesity and mental health issues
Black Panther
Vegetarian diet reduces obesity
Unknown risks of potion drinking
Black Widow
Childhood traumas increase risk of mental illnesses
Thor
He's a god
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
