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The Gulf

Industry, culture, and capital across the Gulf.

37 posts

Beyond the Stay: Ralf Steinhauer on Designing Abu Dhabi’s Next Generation of Destinations

Beyond the Stay: Ralf Steinhauer on Designing Abu Dhabi’s Next Generation of Destinations

Ralf Steinhauer reflects on why luxury in the Gulf is more functional than expressive, and how hospitality has quietly become the infrastructure of daily life.

By Staff Writer • 5 min read

How the UAE Is Building Its Own Luxury Ecosystem — Mall of Emirates. Source: Majid Al Futtaim

How the UAE Is Building Its Own Luxury Ecosystem

Homegrown brands, design platforms, and government accelerators are reshaping the UAE's luxury landscape. The most interesting momentum today is coming from within, and it is building fast.

By Chloé Reuter • 4 min read

In Conversation: Charles Awad, Former Chief Brand Officer, Majid Al Futtaim

From Procter & Gamble to leading brand strategy at a top regional retailer, Charles Awad knows what separates brands that scale in the GCC from those that stall. He reflects on the discipline behind genuine localisation and why relevance here is earned, not declared.

By Staff Writer • 6 min read

In Conversation: Alison Rehill-Erguven, CEO, Cenomi Centers

In Conversation: Alison Rehill-Erguven, CEO, Cenomi Centers

From a career spanning Asia, Europe, and Latin America to leading Saudi Arabia’s largest mall operator, Alison Rehill-Erguven reflects on the Kingdom’s retail transformation, the shift from shopping to experience, and why relevance — not scale — defines the next era.

By Staff Writer • 3 min read

Culture

Identity, creators, media, arts and how taste is curated here.

21 posts

Beyond the Stay: Ralf Steinhauer on Designing Abu Dhabi’s Next Generation of Destinations

Beyond the Stay: Ralf Steinhauer on Designing Abu Dhabi’s Next Generation of Destinations

Ralf Steinhauer reflects on why luxury in the Gulf is more functional than expressive, and how hospitality has quietly become the infrastructure of daily life.

By Staff Writer • 5 min read

How the UAE Is Building Its Own Luxury Ecosystem — Mall of Emirates. Source: Majid Al Futtaim

How the UAE Is Building Its Own Luxury Ecosystem

Homegrown brands, design platforms, and government accelerators are reshaping the UAE's luxury landscape. The most interesting momentum today is coming from within, and it is building fast.

By Chloé Reuter • 4 min read

In Conversation: Charles Awad, Former Chief Brand Officer, Majid Al Futtaim

From Procter & Gamble to leading brand strategy at a top regional retailer, Charles Awad knows what separates brands that scale in the GCC from those that stall. He reflects on the discipline behind genuine localisation and why relevance here is earned, not declared.

By Staff Writer • 6 min read

Abu Dhabi's Cultural Blueprint Is Rewriting the Rules of Soft Power — Saadiyat Cultural District. Image: Visit Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi's Cultural Blueprint Is Rewriting the Rules of Soft Power

Heritage and contemporary art are converging in Abu Dhabi to build something more durable than spectacle. The emirate is quietly assembling the infrastructure of global cultural influence.

By Luning Wang • 5 min read

Luxury

Brands, retail, experiences, and the business of luxury.

19 posts

How the UAE Is Building Its Own Luxury Ecosystem — Mall of Emirates. Source: Majid Al Futtaim

How the UAE Is Building Its Own Luxury Ecosystem

Homegrown brands, design platforms, and government accelerators are reshaping the UAE's luxury landscape. The most interesting momentum today is coming from within, and it is building fast.

By Chloé Reuter • 4 min read

In Conversation: Charles Awad, Former Chief Brand Officer, Majid Al Futtaim

From Procter & Gamble to leading brand strategy at a top regional retailer, Charles Awad knows what separates brands that scale in the GCC from those that stall. He reflects on the discipline behind genuine localisation and why relevance here is earned, not declared.

By Staff Writer • 6 min read

In Conversation: Alison Rehill-Erguven, CEO, Cenomi Centers

In Conversation: Alison Rehill-Erguven, CEO, Cenomi Centers

From a career spanning Asia, Europe, and Latin America to leading Saudi Arabia’s largest mall operator, Alison Rehill-Erguven reflects on the Kingdom’s retail transformation, the shift from shopping to experience, and why relevance — not scale — defines the next era.

By Staff Writer • 3 min read

Private Shopping Salons Redefine Luxury Retail in the Gulf — Del Core Collaboration With Harvey Nichols For Its First Presence in Dubai. Image: Harpers Bazaar Arabia

Private Shopping Salons Redefine Luxury Retail in the Gulf

Across the GCC, VIP programmes are evolving into intimate salons that mirror majlis culture. Trust, family dynamics, and cultural alignment now shape purchasing decisions more powerfully than exclusive access alone, writes Taqua Malik, founder of Freedomvisory.

By Taqua Malik • 3 min read

In Conversation

Q&As with the innovators shaping culture, capital, and tech.

12 posts

Beyond the Stay: Ralf Steinhauer on Designing Abu Dhabi’s Next Generation of Destinations

Beyond the Stay: Ralf Steinhauer on Designing Abu Dhabi’s Next Generation of Destinations

Ralf Steinhauer reflects on why luxury in the Gulf is more functional than expressive, and how hospitality has quietly become the infrastructure of daily life.

By Staff Writer • 5 min read

In Conversation: Charles Awad, Former Chief Brand Officer, Majid Al Futtaim

From Procter & Gamble to leading brand strategy at a top regional retailer, Charles Awad knows what separates brands that scale in the GCC from those that stall. He reflects on the discipline behind genuine localisation and why relevance here is earned, not declared.

By Staff Writer • 6 min read

In Conversation: Alison Rehill-Erguven, CEO, Cenomi Centers

In Conversation: Alison Rehill-Erguven, CEO, Cenomi Centers

From a career spanning Asia, Europe, and Latin America to leading Saudi Arabia’s largest mall operator, Alison Rehill-Erguven reflects on the Kingdom’s retail transformation, the shift from shopping to experience, and why relevance — not scale — defines the next era.

By Staff Writer • 3 min read

In Conversation: Nicola Turner, Principal at Heidrick & Struggles

In Conversation: Nicola Turner, Principal at Heidrick & Struggles

From London to Dubai, Nicola Turner has placed senior leaders across luxury, retail and beauty. Now she shares insights on the Gulf's talent landscape, why cultural fluency and global acumen must coexist, and what leaders will need by 2028.

By Staff Writer • 5 min read

Technology

Startups, AI, fintech, and the engines of innovation.

10 posts

In Conversation: Lara Varjabedian and Jonathan L. Hasson, Co-Founders of UBQT

In Conversation: Lara Varjabedian and Jonathan L. Hasson, Co-Founders of UBQT

From Dubai, an AI-powered platform is attempting something radical: getting people off their phones and back into real life. Lara Varjabedian and Jonathan L. Hasson reflect on digital minimalism, proximity-based connection, and why the UAE provides the ideal testing ground for their work.

By Staff Writer • 6 min read

The Passport Moment: Why Luxury’s Next Advantage Is Proof, Not Promise

The Passport Moment: Why Luxury’s Next Advantage Is Proof, Not Promise

The most valuable logo in luxury won’t sit on a clasp or heel: it will live inside a code. DPPs are moving from regulation to relevance, turning provenance into the industry’s next competitive edge.

By Staff Writer • 3 min read

How Hub71 Is Rewiring the Gulf’s Startup Ambition — Image: Hub71

How Hub71 Is Rewiring the Gulf’s Startup Ambition

Abu Dhabi’s founder ecosystem is maturing fast — combining policy, capital, and AI depth to attract a new generation of global builders.

By Julienna Law • 3 min read

AI meets Arabic: the race to build culturally fluent chatbots — Photo by Immo Wegmann / Unsplash

AI meets Arabic: the race to build culturally fluent chatbots

For 400 million Arabic speakers, ChatGPT falls short. Local AI is filling the gap.

By Staff Writer • 4 min read

Highlights

Editor’s picks: essential reads, curated.

7 posts

Private Shopping Salons Redefine Luxury Retail in the Gulf — Del Core Collaboration With Harvey Nichols For Its First Presence in Dubai. Image: Harpers Bazaar Arabia

Private Shopping Salons Redefine Luxury Retail in the Gulf

Across the GCC, VIP programmes are evolving into intimate salons that mirror majlis culture. Trust, family dynamics, and cultural alignment now shape purchasing decisions more powerfully than exclusive access alone, writes Taqua Malik, founder of Freedomvisory.

By Taqua Malik • 3 min read

The UAE’s Niche Luxury Opportunity

The UAE’s Niche Luxury Opportunity

The UAE luxury market has shifted from spectacle to curation. Today's discerning consumers seek intimacy and originality over logos, creating unprecedented opportunities for founder-led brands with distinctive points of view.

By Chloé Reuter • 5 min read

East Meets West: The Cultural Architecture of Market Entry

East Meets West: The Cultural Architecture of Market Entry

For international SMEs, the Middle East represents opportunity and complexity in equal measure. Success requires more than market research: it demands cultural intelligence, patient partnership and strategic design from day one, writes Taqua Malik.

By Taqua Malik • 4 min read

Abu Dhabi’s bold bid to become a global art capital — Opening in December 2025, the Zayed National Museum will feature six permanent galleries spanning 300,000 years of history. Image: Abu Dhabi Media Office

Abu Dhabi’s bold bid to become a global art capital

Pouring billions into museums and fairs, Abu Dhabi leads the Gulf’s cultural development. But it has grander ambitions: to become the world’s next art capital.

By Staff Writer • 5 min read

Capital

Investment trends, new economies, regional venture shifts.

3 posts

The UAE's Economic Ambition Finds a Strategic Partner in China

The UAE's Economic Ambition Finds a Strategic Partner in China

With Chinese New Year and Ramadan taking place this week, their timing highlights a deepening cultural and economic exchange: Chinese capital and collaboration play a strategic role in the Emirates’ ambition to double GDP by 2031.

By Julienna Law • 4 min read

How Hub71 Is Rewiring the Gulf’s Startup Ambition — Image: Hub71

How Hub71 Is Rewiring the Gulf’s Startup Ambition

Abu Dhabi’s founder ecosystem is maturing fast — combining policy, capital, and AI depth to attract a new generation of global builders.

By Julienna Law • 3 min read

In Conversation: Snow Li, Investor and Art Collector

In Conversation: Snow Li, Investor and Art Collector

From Shanghai to Abu Dhabi, from manufacturing to museums, Snow Fei Nan Li’s journey is one of scale and purpose: shaping industries, bridging continents, and redefining what cultural diplomacy means in the 21st century.

By Staff Writer • 4 min read