Best and Worst: Saudi influencer, podcaster and entrepreneur Rae Joseph talks fashion and travel

Best and Worst: Saudi influencer, podcaster and entrepreneur Rae Joseph talks fashion and travel
Saudi influencer, podcaster and entrepreneur Rae Joseph. (Courtesy of Aya Ballout)
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Updated 05 December 2024
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Best and Worst: Saudi influencer, podcaster and entrepreneur Rae Joseph talks fashion and travel

Best and Worst: Saudi influencer, podcaster and entrepreneur Rae Joseph talks fashion and travel

DUBAI: The Saudi influencer, podcaster and entrepreneur discusses style and her favorite destinations. 

Best TV show/film you’ve ever seen?    

I don’t love anything too dark or too serious. I get too engaged, so if it’s something too heavy or emotional, it can really drag me down. So I avoid things that are intense or too dark. I enjoy shows that take me somewhere different. I love sitcoms like “Friends,” and shows like “Sex and the City.” I also like “Ugly Betty.” People make fun of me for that, but I loved it because it is just a happy show. It was a simple love story, enough to lift you up and keep the storyline going. Other than that, I do not follow a lot of series. 

Worst TV show/film you’ve ever seen?   

Like I said, I really don’t like dark things. I know it’s some people’s cup of tea, but it’s definitely not mine. I don’t like those.  

Best personal style moment so far?    

Whenever I feel most in my element and feeling the look. I love vintage. I have my own big collection of vintage pieces, and I love mixing them with modern pieces and with pieces from local brands. I love creating that fusion that I feel truly represents who I am, and kind of shows the possibility of translating different cultures, different realms, different eras, into personal style. 

Worst personal style moment?    

Let’s say my late teens. Well… maybe from 14 till my early 20s? I was very experimental — to a fault. I look at pictures and I’m, like, ‘What was I doing?’ I experimented with my makeup, with my hair — I dyed my hair so many different colors, so many different styles. But, honestly, as embarrassing as it was, I’m also grateful for that phase, because I feel like I got a lot of things out of my system. It helped me shape my own way of styling and enabled me to explore myself better without having any restrictions.  

Best accessory for a little black dress?    

Less is more. Adding just one simple piece of jewelry adds so much character. I love that kind of dynamic, and I think it says a lot about a person’s personal style. 

Worst accessory for a little black dress?    

Just over-accessorizing. You want to keep it chic — elevated and refined. You don’t want to overwhelm the look. You allow the dress to shine, and when the dress shines, you shine as well. When you don’t overcrowd the look, you wear the outfit, the outfit doesn’t wear you. 

Best fashion trend of 2024?     

I’m not really a trends person. I’m aware of them, but I don’t necessarily implement them in my personal style. But, I really enjoy that it’s heading away from loud, in-your-face fashion — the prints, the logos, all that busy style — and people are now opting for a more sophisticated, understated look. Simpler looks allow you to show your taste better, in my opinion. I think Gen Z are a big part of that change. They are dressing more true to themselves. They see fashion as a way of personal expression, as opposed to just following what trends are out there.  

Worst fashion trend of 2024?    

The worst thing is when you see people lost in their outfits, and you can tell it’s really them following whatever they read, whatever they saw on someone else, rather than personally expressing themselves. 

Best advice you’ve ever been given?  

With everyone having access to everyone’s life and what everyone’s doing with all these different websites and apps, I feel like there is a lot of, sometimes subconscious, pressure, where people see everyone’s journey and then get overwhelmed. But, at a relatively young age, someone told me, ‘Don’t worry. Everything happens to different people at different times. Everyone has a different journey.’ I think that allows me to be more content and live life more peacefully. And have healthier relationships. 

Worst advice you’ve ever been given?  

Any advice that pushes you to be something that isn’t who you are. Some people give advice where they’re suggesting that you change the core of who you are — your values, what you stand for. I always think that never works.  

Best book you’ve ever read?    

I really enjoy Iraqi author Ali Al-Wardi. I find him quite insightful, especially his writings about social dynamics and society. He was such a visionary that even when you read his works today, you find parallels with our society. They tell you a lot about people and who we are as societies and communities.  

Worst book you’ve ever read?    

If I don’t like a book, or I’m not connecting with it, I’ll just put it down.  

Best thing to do when you’re feeling low?    

What I do if I am overwhelmed or feeling some kind of stress or anxiety take solo walks. I love just grabbing a cup of coffee then going on a walk by myself, and clearing my mind and allowing myself to settle. Even if you don’t resolve the things that are causing you anxiety, I think you'll return from the walk feeling a bit more settled and you can probably make better decisions and think more clearly. 

But if you mean you’re sad or depressed, then I think there's nothing better than spending time with someone you really trust — a family member or a very good friend. There’s so much power and human communication, as long as it’s with the right people. It could also be a therapist. Just spending time with someone who can understand, knows how to listen, and could give you helpful advice based on them knowing you.  

Worst thing to do when you’re feeling good?    

I think our brains sabotage us. We don’t allow ourselves to fully immerse ourselves in whatever is making us feel good. So I think you just have to try to relish it, and not think about other things. Just allow yourself to celebrate whatever it is that is making you feel good. Don’t take away from that. And make sure you share whatever is making you feel good with the right people. 

Best holiday destination?    

My three favorite cities — which I will never, ever be bored of — are New York, Paris and Cairo. Those cities have personalities. If you walk on the street by yourself, you don’t feel alone. They have so much character.  

Worst holiday destination?    

You see some people that go to the same place every year and do the same thing, see the same people. They don’t explore or expand their horizon. I don’t think that’s ‘the worst’ — it’s just unwise. 

Best subject at school?    

It makes me sound like a nerd, but I really enjoyed math. I really enjoyed equations and breaking them down and finding solutions.  

Worst subject at school?    

Physics is something that I just studied to pass my exams and get the grades. A lot of things did not add up for me. 

Best thing to do to ensure you have a productive day?   

I feel like starting the day right — whatever that looks like for you … maybe working out, maybe meditation, maybe spending time with family — and starting relatively early, sets you up well. 

Worst thing to do when you’re trying to have a productive day?    

Have a lot of distractions around. I think we became so addicted to checking our emails or messages, that it really can kill productivity. But we can try to control it as much as we can by limiting the distractions. 


Bella Hadid turns spotlight onto powerful Ms. Rachel poem

Bella Hadid turns spotlight onto powerful Ms. Rachel poem
Updated 08 June 2025
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Bella Hadid turns spotlight onto powerful Ms. Rachel poem

Bella Hadid turns spotlight onto powerful Ms. Rachel poem

DUBAI: American Dutch Palestinian supermodel Bella Hadid has shared a powerful poem by popular children’s educator and YouTuber Rachel Griffin Accurso, known globally as Ms. Rachel, amplifying its message of hope and solidarity with Gaza.

The poem, titled “The People Were Brave,” went viral on social media for its stirring call to action urging people to show bravery and use their voices for good.

“The leaders were mostly silent. They were scared of what they might lose. The celebrities were mostly silent. They were scared of what they might lose. The media was mostly silent. They were scared of what they might lose. But the people were not silent. They were brave,” the poem begins.

“So never stop speaking up for those in need. Never wait for the world. It was ordinary people that became extraordinary. And changed everything. And moved us all. And saved us all,” it ends.

Last week, Ms. Rachel made headlines when she said she was willing to jeopardize her career to advocate for Palestinian children suffering under the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

She said she had been targeted by online campaigns and faced calls for government investigation after voicing support for children affected by war in Gaza and elsewhere.

Despite growing criticism from some pro-Israel groups and conservative media, in a recent interview with WBUR, a Boston-based public radio station, she said she remained defiant.

“I would risk everything — and I will risk my career over and over to stand up for children,” she said.

“It’s all about the kids for me. I wouldn’t be Ms. Rachel if I didn’t deeply care about all kids.”

The YouTube star added a recent meeting with Palestinian mothers whose children remain trapped in Gaza had had a profound effect on her: “When you sit with a mother who’s FaceTiming her boys in Gaza who don’t have food, and you see that anguish, you ask yourself: What more can I do?”

A former teacher in New York, Ms Rachel said her work had always been rooted in the principle that all children, regardless of nationality or background, deserved dignity, safety, and access to basic needs.

“That’s the basis of everything for me — children are equal,” she said. 


Petals and thorns: India’s Booker prize author Banu Mushtaq

Petals and thorns: India’s Booker prize author Banu Mushtaq
Updated 08 June 2025
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Petals and thorns: India’s Booker prize author Banu Mushtaq

Petals and thorns: India’s Booker prize author Banu Mushtaq
  • Mushtaq won the coveted literature prize as the first author writing in Kannada — an Indian regional language
  • As a young girl worried about her future, she said she started writing to improve her “chances of marriage”

HASSAN, India: All writers draw on their experience, whether consciously or not, says Indian author Banu Mushtaq — including the titular tale of attempted self-immolation in her International Booker Prize-winning short story collection.
Mushtaq, who won the coveted literature prize as the first author writing in Kannada — an Indian regional language — said the author’s responsibility is to reflect the truth.
“You cannot simply write describing a rose,” said the 77-year-old, who is also a lawyer and activist.
“You cannot say it has got such a fragrance, such petals, such color. You have to write about the thorns also. It is your responsibility, and you have to do it.”
Her book “Heart Lamp,” a collection of 12 powerful short stories, is also her first book translated into English, with the prize shared with her translator Deepa Bhasthi.
Critics praised the collection for its dry and gentle humor, and its searing commentary on the patriarchy, caste and religion.
Mushtaq has carved an alternative path in life, challenging societal restrictions and perceptions.
As a young girl worried about her future, she said she started writing to improve her “chances of marriage.”
Born into a Muslim family in 1948, she studied in Kannada, which is spoken mostly in India’s southern Karnataka state by around 43 million people, rather than Urdu, the language of Islamic texts in India and which most Muslim girls learnt.
She attended college, and worked as a journalist and also as a high school teacher.

Constricted life

But after marrying for love, Mushtaq found her life constricted.
“I was not allowed to have any intellectual activities. I was not allowed to write,” she said.
“I was in that vacuum. That harmed me.”
She recounted how as a young mother aged around 27 with possible postpartum depression, and ground down by domestic life, had doused petrol on herself and on the “spur of a moment” readied to set herself on fire.
Her husband rushed to her with their three-month-old daughter.
“He took the baby and put her on my feet, and he drew my attention to her and he hugged me, and he stopped me,” Mushtaq told AFP.
The experience is nearly mirrored in her book — in its case, the protagonist is stopped by her daughter.
“People get confused that it might be my life,” the writer said.
Explaining that while not her exact story, “consciously or subconsciously, something of the author, it reflects in her or his writing.”
Books line the walls in Mushtaq’s home, in the small southern Indian town of Hassan.
Her many awards and certificates — including a replica of the Booker prize she won in London in May — are also on display.
She joked that she was born to write — at least that is what a Hindu astrological birth chart said about her future.
“I don’t know how it was there, but I have seen the birth chart,” Mushtaq said with a laugh, speaking in English.
The award has changed her life “in a positive way,” she added, while noting the fame has been a little overwhelming.
“I am not against the people, I love people,” she said referring to the stream of visitors she gets to her home.
“But with this, a lot of prominence is given to me, and I don’t have any time for writing. I feel something odd... Writing gives me a lot of pleasure, a lot of relief.”

‘The writer is always pro-people’
Mushtaq’s body of work spans six short story collections, an essay collection and poetry.
The stories in “Heart Lamp” were chosen from the six short story collections, dating back to 1990.
The Booker jury hailed her characters — from spirited grandmothers to bumbling religious clerics — as “astonishing portraits of survival and resilience.”
The stories portray Muslim women going through terrible experiences, including domestic violence, the death of children and extramarital affairs.
Mushtaq said that while the main characters in her books are all Muslim women, the issues are universal.
“They (women) suffer this type of suppression and this type of exploitation, this type of patriarchy everywhere,” she said. “A woman is a woman, all over the world.”
While accepting that even the people for whom she writes may not like her work, Mushtaq said she remained dedicated to providing wider truths.
“I have to say what is necessary for the society,” she said.
“The writer is always pro-people... With the people, and for the people.”


Emirati artists perform in showcase at London’s Kensington Palace

Emirati artists perform in showcase at London’s Kensington Palace
Updated 07 June 2025
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Emirati artists perform in showcase at London’s Kensington Palace

Emirati artists perform in showcase at London’s Kensington Palace

LONDON: “If we do not tell our story, someone else will. And they will get it wrong,” said Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, following a performance in London on Friday that brought Emirati talent to a major international platform.

Emirati artists took to the stage at Kensington Palace to present a night of operatic performances. Fatima Al-Hashimi, Ahmed Al-Housani, and Ihab Darwish performed in multiple languages including Arabic, Italian and English. The performance was part of the Abu Dhabi Festival’s Abroad program in collaboration with the Peace and Prosperity Trust. The event was intended to promote Emirati cultural expression through classical music and cross-cultural collaboration.

Fatima Al-Hashimi, Ahmed Al-Housani, and Ihab Darwish performed in multiple languages including Arabic, Italian and English. (Supplied)

Alkhamis-Kanoo said an event like this is vital for cultural diplomacy and is not a one-off, but a commitment to placing Emirati talent on the world stage. 

“It’s about creating understanding, building dialogue, and showing the world the strength of our cultural identity through music,” she explained. “We invest in the young, we partner with the world, and we build cultural legacies that last.” 

The evening also included the premiere of Darwish’s latest composition “Ruins of Time,” which blended orchestral arrangements with traditional Arabic elements.

“Music is the fastest way to reach people. It creates peace, it creates understanding,” Darwish told Arab News. “Music removes boundaries. It creates a shared language, a dialogue of coexistence, peace, and tolerance. When people from different cultures come together to create music, it naturally fosters mutual understanding.”

Al-Hashimi explained the intention behind adapting a classical repertoire to reflect Arab identity. “Even while singing in Italian, I included Arabic lyrics to keep our signature present,” she said.

Al-Housani described the event as a “professional milestone,” adding: “Performing here is more than a concert, it’s a message. We’re here to show the world the strength and beauty of our culture.”


As goats get pricier, Pakistan’s capital turns to falooda dessert to keep Eid Al-Adha spirit alive

As goats get pricier, Pakistan’s capital turns to falooda dessert to keep Eid Al-Adha spirit alive
Updated 08 June 2025
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As goats get pricier, Pakistan’s capital turns to falooda dessert to keep Eid Al-Adha spirit alive

As goats get pricier, Pakistan’s capital turns to falooda dessert to keep Eid Al-Adha spirit alive
  • Falooda is made with vermicelli in cold milk, softened basil seeds and generous scoops of vanilla or kulfi ice cream
  • Final touch is a fragrant pour of rose syrup, turning concoction into a pink-hued celebration of summer and Eid

ISLAMABAD: With sacrificial goats commanding million-rupee price tags this Eid Al-Adha, many in Pakistan’s capital are seeking solace not in the livestock markets, but in a humbler tradition: a chilled bowl of falooda — a silky, rose-scented dessert layered with ice cream, nostalgia, and just enough sweetness to lift a heat- and inflation-weary soul.

A dessert with Persian roots, falooda made its way to South Asia during the Mughal era, evolving from a frozen, rose-infused noodle pudding in Iran to the vibrant, multi-textured treat beloved across Pakistan today.

At its best, falooda is an edible symphony, a tangle of thin vermicelli swimming in cold milk, softened basil seeds (tukhmalanga) floating like miniature pearls, and a generous scoop of vanilla or kulfi ice cream crowning the glass. The final touch is a fragrant pour of rose syrup, turning the whole concoction into a pink-hued celebration of summer — and now Eid.

Nowhere is this more evident than at Bata Kulfi Falooda, a small, family-run dessert shop in Islamabad’s bustling I-8 Markaz marketplace.

There, amid the clatter of spoons and the hum of Eid shoppers, customers line up for what’s become a seasonal staple, the shop’s signature Matka Falooda, served in traditional clay bowls that keep the dessert ice-cold, even under the blazing June sun.

“We first opened in Peshawar [northwestern city] in 1962,” said Shah Faisal, the shop’s manager, as he rushed between customers to take orders. “In 2015, we brought the same taste to Islamabad. Nothing has changed. The ingredients, the method, even the feel of it, it all comes from Peshawar.”

During Eid week, Bata Kulfi Falooda’s signature Matka Falooda becomes more than a dessert. It’s a celebration in a bowl.

“It’s a memory in every bite,” said Muhammad Kamil, a 27-year-old student who had just returned from a livestock market, saying he was stunned by the jaw-dropping prices.

“Right at the entrance, we saw a goat priced at Rs1.5 million [$5,350]. A little further in, there was a sheep for Rs2 million [$7,140],” Kamil said as he waited for his bowl of falooda.

“After seeing a goat worth Rs1.5 million, only ice cream could cool us down, otherwise it would’ve been hard to keep the spirit of sacrifice alive.”

Determined to celebrate in his own way, Kamil turned to falooda, at a far more palatable Rs450 ($1.60) per bowl.

What drew him in, he said, was the comforting presentation: the cold earthen bowl, the soft noodles slicked with syrup, and the melting scoop of ice cream sinking slowly into the milky depths. He’s even considering gifting bowls of it to friends this Eid.

Indeed, with families across Islamabad and beyond rethinking how to celebrate Eid this year, it may not be the size of the goat that sets the mood but rather the shared sweetness of something simple, familiar, and deeply rooted in tradition.

So, while this Eid may see fewer families walking home from markets with goats in tow, many are still finding ways to savor the spirit of the season with a humble bowl of falooda, which is doing more than just cooling people down — it’s lifting spirits, one spoonful at a time.

According to shop manager Faisal, falooda easily outpaces even their famous kulfi in popularity during the Eid holidays.

“In this heat and with everything getting so expensive, people still want something festive,” he said. “And falooda brings joy that doesn’t cost a fortune.”


Andria Tayeh nominated at Austrian Film Award

Andria Tayeh nominated at Austrian Film Award
Updated 07 June 2025
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Andria Tayeh nominated at Austrian Film Award

Andria Tayeh nominated at Austrian Film Award

DUBAI: Lebanese Jordanian actress Andria Tayeh has been nominated for best supporting actress at the Austrian Film Award for her role in “Mond.” 

The ceremony is scheduled to take place from June 12 to June 15.

Tayeh shared the news with her followers on Instagram, thanking her supporters and the awards organization for the recognition.

She is nominated alongside Italian actress Gerti Drassl and Austrian actress Maria Hofstatter.

“Mond” is directed by Austrian filmmaker Kurdwin Ayub. The film follows former martial artist Sarah, who leaves Austria to train three sisters from a wealthy family in the Middle East. 

What initially appears to be a dream job soon takes a darker turn: The young women are isolated from the outside world and placed under constant surveillance. They show little interest in sports — raising the question of why Sarah was hired in the first place.

Tayeh plays the role of Nour, one of the three sisters. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Andria Tayeh (@andria_tayeh)

The actress, who is also known for her roles in Netflix’s hit series “Al-Rawabi School for Girls,” has had a busy year collaborating with multiple brands and fronting their campaigns.

In February, Giorgio Armani announced her appointment as its new Middle East beauty ambassador.

She took to Instagram to express her excitement: “I am thrilled and honored to embark on this new journey with Armani beauty. This marks a real milestone for me, as the brand embodies values I have always cherished: timeless elegance, dramatic simplicity, and women empowerment.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Andria Tayeh (@andria_tayeh)

That same month, she was named the first Middle Eastern ambassador for French haircare brand Kerastase.

In a promotional clip, she appeared in an all-white studio, answering questions about why she is the ideal Kerastase ambassador. Tayeh spoke in a mix of English, Arabic and French, playfully flipping her hair for the camera as she discussed her dedication to maintaining healthy hair.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Andria Tayeh (@andria_tayeh)

In March, she also fronted Armani’s Ramadan campaign, set against the backdrop of a desert landscape.

Draped in a flowing emerald-green abaya, Tayeh was seen in the video applying the Vert Malachite perfume from Armani Prive as the camera captured the details of the fragrance and her attire. The setting featured sand dunes stretching into the horizon.