Founder of Saudi luxury jewelry, watches platform CLÉ talks brick-and-mortar opening

Founder of Saudi luxury jewelry, watches platform CLÉ talks brick-and-mortar opening
Yasmine Alshathry is the founder of e-commerce platform CLÉ. (Supplied)
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Updated 27 September 2023
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Founder of Saudi luxury jewelry, watches platform CLÉ talks brick-and-mortar opening

Founder of Saudi luxury jewelry, watches platform CLÉ talks brick-and-mortar opening

DUBAI: Saudi entrepreneur Yasmine Alshathry is opening the first brick-and-mortar store for her e-commerce platform CLÉ – dedicated to fine jewelry and watches – in VIA Riyadh on Oct. 7.  

Alshathry, who launched her platform in 2013, took a trip down memory lane with Arab News, looking back at how she started CLÉ and what she is doing to grow the brand.  

“The journey began long before 2013, back when I was in middle school where frankly I was fortunate to be surrounded by people of taste and culture who wore beautiful mechanical watches,” she recalled.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by CLÉ - كلي (@werecle)

“Of course, at the time I had zero knowledge or clue what watches were about, but I enjoyed the aesthetics and design and that was the initial hook,” she said.   

Alshathry then started having conversations with her father about the pieces he owned. “As any 14-year-old, when you share a common interest with your role model – your parents – nothing can beat that feeling,” she said. 

When she moved to London in 2011, she started to immerse herself in the industry by visiting modern and vintage boutiques. “It was in 2013, when I wanted to truly mimic the feeling I received from everyone I met in these stores to GCC collectors and equally support them in their endeavors to acquire the pieces they were after.”  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by CLÉ - كلي (@werecle)

That was when she took the decision to launch CLÉ Concierge, a bespoke service that aimed to bridge the gap between watch collectors and brands. 

In 2019, the founder decided to scale CLÉ Concierge to serve a wider purpose focused on growing and evolving the luxury market from a traditional retail model to an innovative platform built on localization, brand storytelling and a luxury customer service experience. 

Her decision to launch a physical store came after the COVID-19 pandemic hit. She noticed an unexpected shift in consumer behavior as people wanted to go back to physical experiences and human interactions, she said. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by CLÉ - كلي (@werecle)

“The Saudi customer has a very peculiar purchase behavior and although he or she is very tech-savvy, there will always be hesitation when it comes to buying jewelry or watches online and they need a sense of reinforcement and we believe the store will provide that feeling,” Alshathry said.  

“Our aim is to deliver a rewarding experience to our clients every time they engage with us and because we offer an exclusive service and product range that very few people appreciate and know about,” she said. “Our aim is to grow this pool of audience and expand it, and to do so, we need to continuously educate the market, build rapport and relationships and to do that we need to be visible, present and accessible to clients.”  

The entrepreneur said that VIA Riyadh’s team reached out to her because “they truly appreciated what CLÉ has to offer.”   

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by CLÉ - كلي (@werecle)

“VIA Riyadh is a luxurious development with a local essence that embodies everything we believe in at CLÉ, bringing in exclusive retail and hospitality brands means we all service and target a niche audience, centered around offering a high caliber customer experience,” she said. 

The launch event will take place on Oct. 7.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by CLÉ - كلي (@werecle)

“Because we don’t do mainstream at CLÉ definitely expect for the launch event to be daring, different and bold,” the founder said. “All I can say is that there will be a lot of engaging activities and guests won’t be bored.” 

The founder said that she is working on growing a wider presence for CLÉ.  “We are definitely looking to open new stores but with different concepts. I don’t believe that our stores will be the same across Saudi Arabia or the Gulf, we will always add something new and fresh into any concept we bring forward,” she said.  


RSIFF announces winners of the Red Sea Souk Awards  

RSIFF announces winners of the Red Sea Souk Awards  
Updated 11 sec ago
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RSIFF announces winners of the Red Sea Souk Awards  

RSIFF announces winners of the Red Sea Souk Awards  

DUBAI: The Red Sea International Film Festival on Tuesday announced the winners of the Red Sea Souk Awards, which offers grants to develop and boost new talent from Saudi, Arab and African directors.  

Three juries deliberated to select nine winning feature ideas and two TV series. 

Twenty-four new film projects screened as part of the Red Sea Souk, with 12 titles by filmmakers of African and Arab origin, alongside 12 Red Sea Lodge projects by Saudi, Arab and African directors which have been developed over the last year through workshops and in partnership with the Torino Film Lab.  

(Supplied)

The Red Sea Souk Project Market jury awards are supported by the Red Sea Fund, and in the selection were five Saudi projects, eight African projects and eleven projects from the wider Arab region. 

An additional wing of the Project Market is the Work-in-Progress Showcase featuring six feature films by directors who are also of the African or Arab diasporas. All selected Work-In-Progress projects competed for the Red Sea Souk Awards — with two winners to be chosen by the Work-in-Progress Showcase Jury. 

Mohammed Al-Turki, CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation, said in a statement: “The winners of this year’s Red Sea Souk Awards demonstrate the rich and varied new visions in filmmaking emerging both from the wider MENA region and from those who have roots here. 

“These directors are the cinematic voices of tomorrow and we are thrilled to play a part in the development of their talent and storytelling which will undoubtedly yield successes and international recognition,” he added.  

Here is the full list of winners:  

Arab Cinema Center will get two supported places on the International Film Festival Rotterdam Producers Lab.  

Saudi winner: Ghaidaa Abuazzah (“By Hasnaa’s Side”) 

Arab winner: Fatma Racha Shehadeh (“The Girl and The Missing Bed”) 

MAD Solutions will receive $50,000 to a project in development, in production or in post production.  

Winner: “Nostalgia: A Life In First Chapter” by Ameer Fakher Eldin 

OTICONS will get a Work-in-Progress film consisting of Music Consulting services worth $5,000 

Winner: “Men in the Sun” by Mahdi Fleifel 

SHIFT STUDIOS will get $12,000 for a promotion package and $8,000 for a full DCP package. 

The $12,000 winners: “Rising Up At Night” by Nelson Makengo and “My Semba” by Hugo Salvaterra 

The $8,000 winner: “Men in the Sun” by Mahdi Fleifel 

TITRAFILM will get $15,000 for a Work-in-Progress film.  

Winner: “Animale” by Emma Benestan 

Arab Radio and Television Network will get $10,000 grant for one Saudi Project in development or production and $50,000 for one Arab project in development or production. 

The $10,000 grant winner: “The Night Whisperer” by Lina Mahmoud 

The $50,000 grant winner: “Love Conquers All” by Danielle Arbid 

CineWaves Films will get $50,000 for a project in development, production or post-production. 

Winner: “Mecca, Berlin” by Majtaba Saeed 

Ithra will get $50,000 for one Saudi project in production or post-production.  

Winner: “The Night Whisperer” by Lina Mahmoud 

MBC Academy/Shahid will get $75,000 for a Saudi project in development, $75,000 for a Saudi project in development or production or post-production and $50,000 for an Arab project in development or post-production. 

The winner of the $75,000 for a Saudi project in development: “In the Beginning, It Is The End” by Ghadeer Binabbas 

The winner of the $75,000 for a Saudi project in development or production or post-production Winner: “By Hasnaa’s Side” by Amaal Youssif 

The winner of the $50,000 for an Arab project in development or post-production: “Madness and Honey Days” by Ahmed Yassin Al-Daradji.

Serieslab Awards got the $10,000 Red Sea Serieslab Award for: “Eye of the Kite” by Saleh Al-Hamad and “Our Son is Prettier” by Hanaa Saleh Alfassi. 

WIP Awards got the Red Sea Souk Post-Production Jury Special Mention Award with a grant of $10,000. The winner is “My Semba” by Hugo Salvaterra.  

The Red Sea Souk Post-Production Award was awarded to “Yunan” by Ameer Fakher Eldin with a grant of $30,000. 

The $50,000 Red Sea Souk Production Award for a Red Sea Lodge project.

Award by Project Market Jury went to: “By Hasnaa’s Side” by Amaal Youssif, “Fantastic Tale” by Vincho Nchogu, “Black Snake” by Naishe Nyamubaya and “My Father Killed Borghiba” by Fatma Riahi.  

The $25,000 Red Sea Souk Jury Special Mention Award went to “Love Conquers” by Danielle Arbid. 

The $35,000 Red Sea Souk Development Award went to “When I Close My Eyes, I See Your Eyes” by Sameh Alaa.  

The $100,000 Red Sea Souk Production Award went to “The Return Of The Prodigal Son” by Rani Massalha.  


Gulf dish harees, Palestinian dabke added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list  

Gulf dish harees, Palestinian dabke added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list  
Updated 50 min 18 sec ago
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Gulf dish harees, Palestinian dabke added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list  

Gulf dish harees, Palestinian dabke added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list  

DUBAI: The Middle Eastern dish harees, popular in the Gulf region, has been added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list alongside other practices and dishes from the Arab world.  

The name harees comes from the Arabic word harasa, which means to mash or to squash. Just as the name suggests, in the preparation of harees wheat is ground with goat meat or mutton, and then cooked over low heat until it gets creamy. 

The list also includes six other cultural traditions from the Arab world, including the Palestinian version of the dabke – the Levant folklore dance, Iraq’s traditional craft skills and arts of building called Al-Mudhif and Lebanon’s man’ouche, the flatbread topped with thyme, cheese or ground meat.   

From Syria, UNESCO added the glassblowing technique that artisans use for the craft of creating glass objects from pieces of waste glass using a handmade brick oven.  

The list also includes Sudan’s Al-Molid procession, which is a parade that celebrates the Prophet’s birthday. It takes place in the third month of the Islamic lunar calendar. 

The last thing on the list is the arts, skills and practices associated with engraving on gold, silver and copper, which is popular in Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisian and Yemen. 


Kate Beckinsale, Jameela Jamil step out in Arab gowns

Kate Beckinsale, Jameela Jamil step out in Arab gowns
Updated 06 December 2023
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Kate Beckinsale, Jameela Jamil step out in Arab gowns

Kate Beckinsale, Jameela Jamil step out in Arab gowns

DUBAI: British actresses Kate Beckinsale and Jameela Jamil this week stepped out in head-turning ensembles by Arab designers at Elle’s Women in Hollywood celebration at Nya Studios in Los Angeles. 

Beckinsale — famous for her roles in “Snow Angels,” “Fool’s Paradise” and “Click” — opted for a figure-hugging gown from Lebanese couturier Zuhair Murad’s ready-to-wear Fall/Winter 2023 collection.  

The dress boasted cut-outs with gemstone detailing at the waist. 

Beckinsale opted for a figure-hugging gown from Lebanese couturier Zuhair Murad. (AFP)

The event was attended by A-list stars including Jennifer Lopez and her husband Ben Affleck, Eva Longoria, Bella Ramsey, Jodie Foster, Jameela Jamil, Kerry Washington, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Alexandra Shipp and many more. 

British Indian Pakistani actress and activist Jamil wore a heavily-embellished gold mini dress from Dubai-based Tunisian designer Ali Karoui. To complete her dazzling ensemble, she wore reflective gold heels by Jimmy Choo. 

Jamil took to Instagram to share snippets from the event with her followers. “I love Jodie Foster so much,” she captioned a video, and in another she wrote: “Oprah brought on ICONIC Fantasia Taylor Barrino.” 

British Indian Pakistani actress and activist Jamil wore a heavily-embellished gold mini dress. (AFP)

US singer and actress Taylor Barrino also turned to an Arab designer — Yousef Akbar.  

She donned an electric blue jumpsuit by the celebrity-loved Saudi couturier. The ensemble had an asymmetric skirt attached to the waist and a chunky gold chain that crossed over her chest.  

The ELLE Women in Hollywood Awards honors “the women who are influencing Hollywood today from the best red carpet appearances, the women behind the camera, to ELLE’s very own cover stars,” according to the publication’s description.  

This year’s honorees include Lopez, Taylor Barrino, Longoria, Foster, Nina Garcia, America Ferrera, Danielle Brooks, Greta Lee, Lily Gladstone and Taraji P. Henson. 


Tunisian-Moroccan production ‘Backstage’ explores inner lives of multinational dance troupe

Tunisian-Moroccan production ‘Backstage’ explores inner lives of multinational dance troupe
Updated 06 December 2023
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Tunisian-Moroccan production ‘Backstage’ explores inner lives of multinational dance troupe

Tunisian-Moroccan production ‘Backstage’ explores inner lives of multinational dance troupe

JEDDAH: Set against the backdrop of the majestic Atlas Mountains, “Backstage” — the Tunisian-Moroccan production from husband-wife duo Khalil Benkirane and Afef Ben Mahmoud that premiered at the Red Sea International Film festival on Monday night — is a story that contains multitudes. 

Following a fateful night in the lives of a slowly unraveling but close-knit dance troupe, “Backstage” manages to touch on topics such as displacement, climate change, body autonomy, found family, the institution of marriage, and more; all the while slowly zooming the lens into the inner lives of its main characters, all 10 of them.  

Speaking to Arab News at the sidelines of the festival in Jeddah, co-director Ben Mahmoud — who also stars in the film as one of its central characters Aida — says that she began working on the script for the film in 2016. 

“I began my artistic career as a dancer, then stage actor, then actress for cinema and TV. And this journey through all these life arts, of course made a huge impression in my life. And when I moved to cinema, my goal was to bring these two worlds of cinema and dance together because, for me, they are both not that far. And I love them both,” she said.  

Co-director and husband Benkirane said: “I would come home from from work and she would update me as to the new scenes she was working on. My job does not allow me to really get my creative parts, really start the script. But this way worked really, really well. And we usually get on the same wavelength when we watch films. So, it was a beautiful collaboration.”  

“And what I liked about the script is that it has a normal, straight line as far as the development of the narrative. But the structure allowed us to inject certain things that we are concerned with, such as the environment, the right for women to use their body as a tool of work, challenging the notion of marriage, which in the Arab world is so dear to tradition, immigration and going back to the place of origin, which does not satisfy anymore because you have become something else,” he said.  

(AN/ Huda Bashatah) 

The cast, a mix of actors and dancers, features names from across the Arab world including Sofiane Ouissi, Ali Thabet, Abdallah Badis, Salima Abdelwahab, Nassim Baddag and Saleh Bakri. The film also stars dancer Hajjiba Fahmy, who is known for her extensive work with US superstar Beyonce.  

But the most prominent name to jump out from the cast and crew is that of award-winning Belgian choreographer and dancer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, who makes his acting debut with “Backstage.” 

“Dance is really dear to my heart but it is also not always well represented in cinema. And there are only three dance scenes. But even if we have only three scenes, for me it was extremely important to have a big figure because this is going to give more visibility and credibility to what we are trying to do,” Ben Mahmoud said.  

“And it was extremely important for us to have someone such as Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and we were so lucky to talk to him and to convince him to be with us. And we were lucky because he’s extremely generous and we really collaborated together. We gave him the script, he worked on the script, and we didn’t know what he was going to do with the choreography. But when we saw the movement and how it was so linked to the narrative and how much they give this expression through the body to tell everything without words — this was really amazing,” she said. 


Tamer Ruggli’s ‘Back to Alexandria’ starring Nadine Labaki dives into complex mother-daughter relationship

Tamer Ruggli’s ‘Back to Alexandria’ starring Nadine Labaki dives into complex mother-daughter relationship
Updated 06 December 2023
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Tamer Ruggli’s ‘Back to Alexandria’ starring Nadine Labaki dives into complex mother-daughter relationship

Tamer Ruggli’s ‘Back to Alexandria’ starring Nadine Labaki dives into complex mother-daughter relationship
  • Swiss-Egyptian director Tamer Ruggli’s debut feature ‘Back to Alexandria’ stars lauded Lebanese actress Nadine Labaki
  • The film will screen at Jeddah’s Red Sea International Film Festival, with the director saying he expects it will resonate with Arab audiences

DUBAI: Jeddah’s Red Sea International Film Festival has attracted a slew of major titles for cinemagoers to watch before it wraps up on Dec. 9 and one of its most anticipated movies is Swiss-Egyptian director Tamer Ruggli’s debut feature, “Back to Alexandria.”

Starring veteran actors Nadine Labaki and Fanny Ardant, the film explores the complexities of a mother-daughter relationship with a script that features Arabic and French.

Sue (Labaki) is a psychotherapist living in Switzerland who returns to Egypt after 20 years to mend fences with her dying mother, Fairouz (Ardant).

Ruggli’s unconventional flick explores various layers of familial relationships.

The 37-year-old filmmaker told Arab News that he had initially wanted to do cartoons and later turned to film because it brought all the layers – colors, photography, costumes, and makeup – into one universe.

For his first movie, script development took seven years, and it became an ambitious project with a stellar cast.

He said: “We have a great cast of famous Arab actors that accepted to work on this more arthouse kind of film that they were normally used to.”

The film draws extensive references from his childhood.

The film poster for ‘Back to Alexandria.’ (Supplied)

“I grew up listening to my mother’s story on her relationship with her mother, how it affected her — she is the pretext of telling the story. But it’s very inspired by my childhood memories; the people I met growing up and those who have shaped me. I like to say it’s semi-autobiographical,” Ruggli added.

As mother and daughter unearth the past, Sue learns about Fairouz’s love life and better understands the complexities of their relationship.

He said: “Sue has an idealized image of her mother, and she discovers some things about her love life – that she loved someone else and had to marry a different person. She had to sacrifice a part of herself, so she rejected her daughter in a way. It symbolizes the freedom that she didn’t have.”

Aside from examining a contentious mother-daughter relationship, Ruggli has also included the presence of aunts in the film, making it even more relatable to Arab audiences.

“There’s this love-hate relationship with aunts – sometimes they even replace the mother’s role. So, we have different aunts present in the movie.

“For instance, Nadine’s character has this very close relationship with her aunt’s help, which is more human than that she has with her family,” he added.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Tamer Ruggli (@tamer_ruggli)

One highlight of the film is the candy pink Cadillac Sue is seen driving around in, imagining conversations about things left unsaid between her and her mother. The car, which belongs to Fairouz, becomes a symbol of the mother’s eccentricity.

Ruggli said: “The car is very feminine and exuberant and is reminiscent of the mother. She’s this flamboyant character that lived in Egypt and always stood out from the crowd.”