Rizwan Zulfiqar Bhutta

Aanand L. Rai, Dhanush, Prakash Raj, Kriti Sanon, And A.R. Rahman Breathe New Life Into Long-Perished Indian Cinema With Tere Ishk Mein

Aanand L. Rai, Dhanush, Prakash Raj, Kriti Sanon, And A.R. Rahman Breathe New Life Into Long-Perished Indian Cinema With Tere Ishk Mein By Riz Z bhutta Review Tere Ishk Mein feels like a resurrection, a reminder of what Indian cinema can be when craft, soul, and sincerity come together. Aanand L. Rai once again proves why he is one of the most sensitive storytellers of our time. The story feels settled, lived-in, and deeply loved. It doesn’t rush to impress; it allows emotions to breathe, linger, and stay with you. This is not just a love story, it is something you feel, long after the screen fades to black. Dhanush rises effortlessly above the noise of stardom. There is a raw honesty in his performance that few actors, Bollywood or otherwise, can match. He doesn’t perform the character; he becomes it. Prakash Raj delivers yet another masterclass in restraint and depth, while Kriti Sanon brings grace and emotional clarity to her role, holding her ground with quiet strength. And then there is A.R. Rahman, creating magic in a way only he can. The music doesn’t decorate the film; it defines it. Every note feels purposeful, emotional, and timeless, elevating the narrative into something almost poetic. The cinematography is a life, languages, and cultural textures feels organic and respectful, allowing different worlds to blend seamlessly. It’s a powerful step toward a truly pan-Indian cinematic language, without losing authenticity. Each actor is sublime in their respective roles. No one overshadows the other; instead, they move together in harmony, serving the story above all else. Tere Ishk Mein is not just a film, it’s a reminder. A reminder of cinema that trusts emotion over spectacle, storytelling over shortcuts. A masterpiece, in the truest sense of the word.

The Dubai Flying Taxi and the End of the Urban Gridlock

The Dubai Flying Taxi and the End of the Urban Gridlock By Peter Davis The morning sun over the Persian Gulf has always reflected off the glass and steel of Dubai’s skyline with a certain prophetic intensity. But as we stand in the early days of 2026, the light catches something entirely new, a silhouette that, until very recently, existed only in the conceptual renders of science fiction. Suspended between the shimmering spire of the Burj Khalifa and the turquoise waters of the Palm Jumeirah, a fleet of six-rotor aircraft now hums with the sound of a city that has finally outpaced the ground. This is the dawn of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), and with the official commercial launch on March 31, 2026, Dubai has become the world’s first true laboratory for a life lived in three dimensions. For decades, the global conversation regarding “flying cars” was dismissed as a retro-futuristic fantasy, a trope of mid-century optimism that failed to account for the crushing realities of battery density, noise pollution, and air traffic complexity. Yet, the skepticism is being silenced by the soft, electric whir of the Joby S4. The launch of the world’s first commercial flying taxi service in Dubai is not merely a localized transit upgrade; it is a seismic shift in the architecture of human movement. We are witnessing the decoupling of geography from time. In a city where the arterial pulse of Sheikh Zayed Road has long been prone to the occasional sclerotic jam of supercars and logistics haulers, the sky has been opened as a release valve, a high-speed bypass that redefines the very essence of a modern metropolis. The Engineering of a Silent Revolution To understand the magnitude of this moment, one must look past the sleek carbon-fiber fuselage and into the intricate machinery of the partnership that made it possible. This was not an overnight success but a calculated, decade-long sprint led by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in collaboration with Joby Aviation and Skyports Infrastructure. While other global hubs like New York, Los Angeles, and London spent years entangled in the thickets of local zoning laws and fragmented regulatory hurdles, Dubai’s leadership moved with a singular, strategic efficiency. They recognized early on that the primary barrier to flight was not just the aircraft, but the ecosystem. The aircraft itself, the Joby S4, is a marvel of Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP). To the casual observer, it looks like a cross between a sophisticated drone and a private jet of the future. However, the engineering genius lies in its redundancy. Unlike a traditional helicopter, which relies on a single complex rotor head, a notorious “single point of failure”, the S4 utilizes six independent tilting rotors. This means that if one, or even two, motors were to fail, the aircraft can transition its power and land with the grace of a bird. For the passengers, the most striking element isn’t the speed, though 321 km/h is certainly exhilarating, but the silence. At cruising altitude, the sound of the rotors is lost to the ambient wind, a stark contrast to the thudding, aggressive cacophony of the traditional helicopters that have long ferried the ultra-wealthy. The 12-Minute Commute The true value proposition of the flying taxi is found in the math of the commute. The journey from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to the Palm Jumeirah, a route that once demanded a forty-five-minute commitment to the asphalt and the whims of rush-hour traffic, now takes a mere 10 to 12 minutes. As you lift off from the DXB Vertiport, a three-story architectural gem integrated into the airport’s existing terminal structure, the city unfolds beneath you in a way that feels intimate rather than distant. You aren’t just flying over Dubai; you are moving through it. The route passes the Downtown hub, where the vertiport sits nestled near the Dubai Mall, looking like a futuristic lily pad amidst a sea of skyscrapers. From this vantage point, the sheer scale of the infrastructure investment becomes clear. These are not mere landing pads; they are high-tech portals equipped with rapid-charging systems that can replenish the aircraft’s batteries in the time it takes for a passenger to deboard and a new group to check in. By the time you reach the American University in Dubai (AUD) vertiport in the Marina or the rooftop terminal at Atlantis The Royal on the Palm, the traditional concept of “distance” has been rendered obsolete. Vertiports The New Anchors of Urban Real Estate The infrastructure is being developed by Skyports Infrastructure, which has designed a “plug-and-play” terminal system specifically for the high-density environment of Dubai. The DXB hub alone covers 3,100 square meters and is designed to handle up to 170,000 passengers annually. But the significance of these buildings goes beyond throughput. We are seeing a fundamental shift in real estate valuation. Historically, the value of a property in Dubai was dictated by its proximity to the Metro or its ease of access to the main highways. Today, a new metric has emerged: “Vertiport Proximity.” Developers are already redesigning penthouses and commercial towers to include private landing zones and integrated air-taxi lounges. The “Marina-to-Downtown” corridor, once a logistical hurdle for many residents, has become a non-issue, effectively merging two of the city’s most vibrant districts into a single, seamless urban experience. This connectivity is attracting a new wave of global tech talent and venture capital, as Dubai cements its reputation as the world’s living laboratory for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The vertiport at Dubai Mall, developed in collaboration with Emaar, isn’t just a transport stop; it’s a lifestyle statement, connecting the world’s largest shopping destination to the global aviation network in a matter of minutes. The Regulatory Blueprint One of the most under-reported aspects of Dubai’s success is the legislative ground cleared by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). Dubai is currently the only city in the world with a dedicated national legal framework for vertiports and eVTOL operations. The GCAA’s “CAR-HVD” regulations have become

The Timeless Allure of Liwa as the UAE’s Ultimate Sanctuary for Heritage and Silence

The Timeless Allure Of Liwa As The UAE’s Ultimate Sanctuary For Heritage And Silence By Hafsa Qadeer Some places demand attention through spectacle, while others command reverence through restraint. Liwa Oasis belongs firmly to the latter. Stretching along the northern edge of the Rub’ al Khali, the Empty Quarter, Liwa is not merely a destination on the map of the United Arab Emirates. It is a place of origin, memory, and meaning. In a nation celebrated globally for speed, scale, and ambition, Liwa remains the UAE’s quiet counterpoint: a sanctuary where heritage is not curated, but lived, and where silence is not emptiness, but presence. To understand Liwa is to understand the emotional geography of the UAE itself. Where the Story of the UAE Began Long before oil reshaped the destiny of the Emirates, Liwa was already shaping lives. The crescent-shaped chain of oases owes its existence to underground freshwater reserves that allowed date palms to thrive amid one of the harshest deserts on Earth. This natural miracle transformed Liwa into a cradle of settlement, sustaining communities for centuries and anchoring tribal life in an otherwise unforgiving landscape. Crucially, Liwa is the ancestral homeland of the Bani Yas tribal confederation, from which the ruling families of Abu Dhabi and Dubai emerged. The migration of Sheikh Shakhbout bin Dhiyab Al Nahyan from Liwa to the coast in the late 18th century ultimately led to the founding of Abu Dhabi city itself. In this sense, Liwa is not peripheral to the UAE’s story; it is foundational. Every palm grove, falaj channel, and mudbrick structure here carries echoes of survival, adaptation, and leadership forged in adversity. Liwa is where the ethos of endurance that defines Emirati identity was first tested and refined. A Landscape of Profound Contrasts What strikes visitors to Liwa most forcefully is not its vastness, though the dunes are among the tallest in the world, but its contrasts. Dense clusters of palm trees suddenly give way to sweeping sandscapes that stretch beyond the horizon. Life and barrenness coexist in intimate proximity, each heightening the impact of the other. The dunes of the Empty Quarter are not static. They shift, breathe, and reshape themselves with the wind, creating a constantly evolving canvas of light and shadow. At dawn and dusk, the sands glow in hues of gold, copper, and deep crimson, lending the desert an almost spiritual dimension. Yet despite this grandeur, Liwa never overwhelms. Instead, it humbles. The desert imposes a slower rhythm, compelling visitors to observe rather than consume, to listen rather than speak. In a world saturated with noise and urgency, Liwa offers a rare and increasingly precious experience: stillness. Silence as a Cultural Experience Silence in Liwa is not merely the absence of sound; it is an immersive state. At night, when temperatures cool and the stars emerge in startling clarity, the desert becomes a vast amphitheater of quiet. There are no city lights to compete with the cosmos, no mechanical hum to intrude upon thought. This silence has long shaped desert life. For Bedouin communities, attentiveness to subtle sounds, wind direction, animal movement, and shifting sands was essential for survival. Silence sharpened awareness and fostered introspection. Today, that same silence offers modern visitors something different but equally vital: relief from constant stimulation. Liwa has increasingly drawn artists, writers, photographers, and thinkers seeking creative clarity. The desert does not distract; it reveals. In Liwa, ideas have room to breathe. Fortresses of Memory Scattered across the oasis are historic forts and watchtowers, built primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Constructed from mudbrick and palm timber, these structures were designed not for grandeur but for protection, against rival tribes, raiders, and the relentless elements. Their thick walls and elevated towers speak of vigilance and communal defense, of a time when survival depended on cooperation and foresight. Today, many of these forts have been carefully restored, not as museum pieces, but as living reminders of desert ingenuity. Standing beside these structures, one feels the continuity between past and present. They are physical manifestations of resilience, a reminder that the UAE’s modern stability was forged through centuries of hardship and perseverance. Living Heritage What sets Liwa apart from many heritage destinations is that its traditions are not staged or ornamental. Date farming, for example, remains a central pillar of life in the oasis. The cultivation of dates is both an economic activity and a cultural inheritance, passed down through generations with meticulous care. The annual Liwa Date Festival has become one of the most significant heritage events in the region. It celebrates agricultural excellence, honors farmers, and reinforces the cultural importance of the date palm, often referred to as the “tree of life” in desert societies. Competitions, exhibitions, and auctions attract participants from across the UAE, ensuring that traditional knowledge continues to thrive in a modern context. Similarly, desert sports and gatherings held around landmarks such as Tel Moreeb, one of the world’s tallest sand dunes, reflect the evolving relationship between people and landscape. While high-performance vehicles now climb dunes once traversed by camels, the spirit of challenge and mastery remains deeply rooted in desert culture. Modern Comfort and Ancient Soul Liwa’s engagement with modern tourism has been deliberate and restrained. Luxury desert resorts in the area draw architectural inspiration from traditional forts and Bedouin settlements, blending seamlessly into the landscape rather than dominating it. The emphasis is not on excess, but on immersion, allowing visitors to experience the desert’s majesty without erasing its character. This approach reflects a broader Emirati philosophy: progress need not come at the cost of identity. In Liwa, development enhances appreciation rather than replacing tradition. The desert remains the protagonist. Why Liwa Matters Now At a time when global travel is increasingly defined by speed, spectacle, and digital validation, Liwa offers an alternative narrative. It is not a place for hurried itineraries or constant documentation. It asks something different of its visitors: patience, humility, and presence. For the UAE, Liwa serves as a cultural

Dubai Enters the Global Fight Arena as PFL Sets Its Sights on 2026

Dubai Enters The Global Fight Arena As PFL Sets Its Sights On 2026 By Sudipa Roy Dubai has never been a city that merely hosts events. It absorbs them, reshapes them, and sends them back to the world amplified. From heavyweight boxing bouts under desert skies to Formula One races staged like cinematic finales, the emirate has steadily built a reputation as a destination where global sport meets spectacle. In 2026, that reputation will expand once again as the Professional Fighters League (PFL) brings one of its marquee events to Dubai, marking a significant moment for mixed martial arts in the Middle East. The announcement of PFL’s return to Dubai in February 2026 is more than a scheduling update on the global MMA calendar. It reflects a broader shift in how combat sports are evolving, and where their future audiences lie. As traditional fight capitals such as Las Vegas and New York remain dominant, leagues are increasingly looking eastward, and Dubai has emerged as one of the most strategically important stages for this expansion. At the heart of PFL’s appeal is its distinctive league-based format, which separates it from other MMA promotions. Fighters progress through a regular season, playoffs, and championship rounds, earning points rather than relying solely on hype-driven matchmaking. For a city like Dubai, where structure, ambition, and long-term vision underpin everything from infrastructure to tourism, the PFL model aligns naturally with its ethos. This is sport presented not just as entertainment, but as a system built on performance, discipline, and measurable excellence. The 2026 event, scheduled to take place at the Coca-Cola Arena, will place Dubai at the center of PFL’s global ambitions. The arena itself has already proven its versatility, hosting concerts, esports tournaments, and international sporting events, and its selection signals an intent to deliver MMA as a premium, mainstream experience rather than a niche spectacle. For fans, it means world-class production. For fighters, it means exposure to a global audience in one of the world’s most media-connected cities. But Dubai’s growing role in combat sports is not accidental. Over the past decade, the UAE has invested heavily in becoming a hub for international athletics, from football and golf to endurance sports and martial arts. Abu Dhabi’s long-standing relationship with the UFC laid much of the groundwork, demonstrating that the region could host high-level MMA events with professionalism and global reach. Dubai’s embrace of PFL builds on that foundation while carving out its own identity, one rooted in innovation, scale, and global connectivity. What makes PFL’s arrival particularly significant is timing. Mixed martial arts is no longer an emerging sport; it is a mature, global industry competing for attention in an increasingly crowded entertainment ecosystem. Audiences today are more discerning, drawn not just by knockouts but by narratives, personalities, and production value. Dubai offers all three. The city understands storytelling, whether through architecture, tourism campaigns, or mega-events, and that expertise is now being applied to combat sports. For fighters, competing in Dubai carries a symbolic weight. The city represents opportunity, a crossroads where East meets West, where careers can gain international momentum overnight. A strong performance on a Dubai card resonates across regions, from Europe and Central Asia to Africa and South Asia, markets that continue to fuel MMA’s growth. In this sense, PFL’s Dubai event is not just a destination fight; it is a gateway. Beyond the cage, the event also speaks to Dubai’s broader ambition to position itself as a cultural and entertainment capital. Sports today are no longer isolated competitions; they are content ecosystems, feeding digital platforms, streaming services, and global media cycles. A PFL event in Dubai is designed to travel, through social media clips, international broadcasts, and behind-the-scenes storytelling, projecting the city’s image far beyond the arena walls. Critically, Dubai’s involvement does not dilute the sport’s competitive integrity. Instead, it raises expectations. Fighters, promoters, and broadcasters alike understand that events hosted in the emirate are held to a higher standard, whether in logistics, athlete care, or fan experience. This pressure has often resulted in sharper production, tighter organization, and a more polished presentation, benefits that extend to the sport as a whole. As 2026 approaches, the anticipation surrounding PFL’s Dubai event will continue to build, not just among MMA enthusiasts but across the wider sports and entertainment community. The emirate’s entry into the PFL calendar signals a deeper integration of combat sports into the global mainstream, where athletic competition, cultural influence, and commercial vision intersect. Ultimately, Dubai hosting PFL is not about one night of fights. It is about positioning, of a league seeking global relevance, of fighters chasing international recognition, and of a city that has mastered the art of turning ambition into reality. When the cage doors close in Dubai in 2026, the bouts will be decided by skill and strategy. But the message beyond the arena will be unmistakable: the global fight game has a new center of gravity, and it is firmly rooted in the Middle East.

A Visionary Founder Profile on Onur Kece THE REFRESHMENT CLUB Where Disruption Becomes Culture

THE REFRESHMENT CLUB Where Disruption Becomes Culture A Visionary Founder Profile on Onur Kece Onur Kece, Founder & Creative Director of The Refreshment Club, and Alix Petit Kece, Design Director Disrupting the familiar: The Refreshment Club’s bold Arrival in Dubai Forget conventional campaigns and glossy taglines. The Refreshment Club (TRC) isn’t here to fit in Dubai landscape – it’s here to rewrite it. Founded in Paris and now rooted in Dubai, the agency bridges art, culture, and technology to craft ideas that challenge, connect and endure. “Disruption for us isn’t noise,” says Onur Kece, founder and Chief Creative Officer. “It is about simplifying what others complicate – finding emotion in precision, and meaning in boldness.” The philosophy: Clarity as a Creative Weapon TRC’s philosophy is built around disruption through clarity. In a world oversaturated with content, Onur emphasizes the danger of “visual content pollution,” where brands lose identity in the endless stream of social feeds. “Producing more content doesn’t build a brand. Producing meaningful ideas does, he says. TRC flips this script, crafting work that earns its place in culture, not just on screens. The agency’s DNA integrates strategy, human insights and emotions, allowing them to create campaigns that sweeps audience off their feet rather than simply populate feeds. “In a world flooded with visuals, the real disruption is creating ideas people can actually feel,” Onur explains. When AI Meets Emotion TRC doesn’t treat AI as a shortcut – but as a collaborator, not a replacement. | “You won’t lose your job to AI – you will lose it to the person who knows how to use it,” Onur points out. The agency merges machine precision with human instinct, enabling fast, agile, and precise execution without sacrificing creativity. This AI powered approach supports strategy, ideation, and production, while always placing humans at the center of decision- making. The result? Ideas that were previously impossible due to cost or complexity now become feasible. Teams are empowered to push boundaries, exploring “impossible ideas” that redefine the creative landscape. The Topical Approach: Culture before Content One of TRC’s most defining principles is this: A global brand entering a new culture, this can’t be copy- pasted. Onur calls it a topical approach – a deep dive into the cultural nuances, behaviors, symbols, and emotional cues of the audience a brand wants to speak to. “A brand introduced to a new culture must be handled differently,” he explained. “We need to understand the cultural fabric before we create anything for it.” Relating this approach to TRC’s new chapter in the Middle East, let’s differentiate: As global brands enter the Middle East, many fall into the same trap; exporting a creative idea built for another culture and expecting it to land unchanged. The Refreshment Club sees this as the biggest missed opportunity in modern branding – and the starting point of their most innovative work’ For TRC introducing a brand is not a translation; it is a transformation. “We believe every audience deserves creative that speaks their language – not just their market,” Onur explains. This belief powers TRC’s topical approach: a deep dive into the cultural fabric, social rhythms, emotional cues, and historical context of each new audience. So, this is where TRC’s methodology becomes unique. Instead of relying on assumptions or generic playbooks, they use AI as a catalyst to explore culture- specific insights faster and more intelligently. Ai helps them map emerging behaviors, surface micro- trends, and brainstorm culturally resonant ideas at unprecedented speed. Disruption in Action TRC’s philosophy isn’t a theory – it’s visible in their work. Heimstone Public Pool – SaintTropez A retail space transformed into a sideways swimming pool. Not a store – an installation. The result? 25M impressions. Sold- out drops. Global editorial buzz. It didn’t go viral because it goes loud – but because it turned retail into emotion. Saint- Peres Paris Experiential design inspired by the inside of a kiln. A poetic bridge between heritage and modernity – anda Vogue Paris Fashion Week must- see. A brand reborn through culture storytelling. Elie Saab x Vogue An AI-driven campaign film created before the dress even existed physically. Here, Al wasn’t the star – emotion was. Technology simply enabled the impossible. Westfield A global campaign system powered by AI, creating culturally relevant visual expression across diverse markets – proving that culture-first thinking Each project is proof of TRC’s thesis: An embodiment of TRC’s philosophy of meaningful disruption, strategic creativity, and cultural scale. relevance. Each project is proof of TRC’s thesis: An embodiment of TRC’s philosophy of meaningful disruption, strategic creativity, and cultural relevance. Dubai: A Playground for Creative Rebels With their Dubai presence, TRC isn’t just entering a new market; they are redefining how global trends belong here. The bring a model built on agility, cultural intelligence, and region- specific creativity – a model designed for a region where nuance isn’t optional, it’s everything. By this, TRC is one of the few creative houses treating the Middle East’s culture not as a backdrop, but as the brief. Quality over Quantity While other agencies produce content like factories, TRC focuses on impact. “You can’t cook a five- hour Italian Ragu in five minutes – and you can’t move people with fast content,” Onur asserts. This meticulous approach ensures campaigns are strategic, identity driven and designed to resonate deeply, reducing media spend while maximizing ROI. The Creative Duo Leading the Refreshment Club In September 2025, The Refreshment Club enters the Middle East, and at the helm of this new chapter are two forces shaping TRC’s identity: Founder & Creative Director Onur Kece and Design Director Alix Petit. Together, they embody the rare blend of visionary strategy and redefine the agency. Onur brings over two decades at the intersection of advertising, design, and brand strategy, and Alix complements this by bringing more than 15 years of leadership in fashion and brand building. This dual leadership is not about titles – it’s about balance. Strategic disruption and crafted beauty. Together they lead the Dubai team with a shared mission: to build work that isn’t just seen,

David White & the Rise of DP WORLD ILT20, A New Era for Global Cricket

David White & the Rise of DP WORLD ILT20 A New Era for Global Cricket By Rizwan Zulfiqar Bhutta Cricket has always been more than a sport. It is a language that connects cultures, a rhythm that pulses through stadiums, streets, and living rooms across continents. Yet in recent years, the format of Twenty20 has redefined that rhythm, infusing the traditional game with pace, spectacle, and accessibility. In this new era of global cricket, few figures have played as decisive a role in shaping its evolution as David White, the Chief Executive Officer of the DP World International League T20 (ILT20). Since its inception, the DP World ILT20 has grown into one of the most dynamic and ambitious T20 leagues on the global stage. White’s vision for the league extends far beyond the boundaries of a typical franchise tournament. His mission is to elevate the UAE as a world-class cricketing destination, while cultivating the next generation of Emirati talent. “The league was established with the central goal of developing and nurturing the UAE’s cricket talent,” White says, his conviction unmistakable. “The league is about growth, and we’ve already started to see results, with the UAE qualifying for and participating in the Asia Cup T20 tournament last month. That success reflects the deeper purpose behind ILT20.” Under White’s leadership, ILT20 has carved a unique niche in the crowded global cricket calendar. While the Indian Premier League and Big Bash League dominate the headlines in India and Australia, ILT20 brings something distinct to the table a fusion of elite competition, world-class hospitality, and the energy of a truly international hub. The UAE’s world-renowned infrastructure and its winter climate create the perfect setting for global cricket, where both players and fans can experience the sport at its best. “The DP World ILT20 has established itself as one of the leading franchise tournaments in the world,” White explains. “We have more than 100 top international players from around the globe. Combine that with the UAE’s unmatched tourism infrastructure and perfect playing conditions during the winter months, and you have a festival of cricket that attracts fans from every corner of the world.” Indeed, the league’s setting adds a layer of grandeur that few tournaments can match. The matches unfold across the UAE’s three iconic venues, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah, each bringing its own character and legacy. As millions of tourists converge on the Emirates during the season, the atmosphere inside the stadiums becomes electric, a blend of cultures united by one passion. Off the pitch, fan engagement and entertainment have become defining hallmarks of the league, with live performances, interactive zones, and family experiences that turn each game into a celebration. The UAE’s relationship with cricket is not new. Its legacy stretches back more than four decades, to when the first international cricket tournament was played in the region. Since then, the country has hosted T20 World Cups for both men and women, multiple Asia Cup events, and countless bilateral series featuring major cricketing nations. The DP World ILT20 builds upon that foundation, reinforcing the UAE’s position as a global hub for the sport. White views this as a natural progression. “The UAE has hosted some of the biggest cricket events in the world for over forty years. The ILT20 simply adds another layer to that legacy, bringing together some of the best franchises and players while helping solidify the UAE’s reputation as a center for world-class cricket.” Behind the glamour of any major sports league lies the engine that powers its growth broadcasting rights, sponsorships, and franchise investments. For ILT20, these partnerships are not just commercial pillars but long-term collaborations that sustain and expand the ecosystem. White understands their importance deeply. “Top sporting tournaments survive, grow, and prosper through broadcast rights, sponsorships, and franchise investments,” he says. “For a sporting event to sustain and thrive, all these aspects must coexist and reinforce one another.” Balancing the league’s entertainment value with the purity of the sport is another cornerstone of White’s approach. While the league embraces the vibrant energy of modern cricket, the lights, music, and festivities, White is unwavering in his belief that the sport itself must remain at the core. “The entertainment quotient is important, but cricket itself must always be the main product,” he affirms. “Our tournaments have produced thrilling matches and unforgettable performances, which have captured the imagination of fans around the world. And we’re able to deliver that because the UAE’s infrastructure is truly world-class from pitches and outfields to facilities that rival the best venues globally.” That commitment to excellence has had ripple effects across the broader cricket economy. The DP World ILT20 has become a significant contributor not only to the sport’s financial ecosystem in the UAE but also internationally. The league’s player salaries rank among the highest in the world, attracting an impressive roster of international stars alongside local talent. “The ILT20 is one of the most sought-after events for players, officials, broadcasters, and professionals across the cricket industry,” White notes. “It’s a global stage that supports careers and provides a world-class spectacle for fans at home and abroad.” Perhaps the most inspiring dimension of ILT20 is its impact on Emirati and regional players. By sharing dressing rooms and training sessions with some of the best in the business, local cricketers gain invaluable exposure and experience. “The league is about development,” White says. “Our players get to learn directly from international coaches and stars, improving their skills, temperament, and professionalism. For many of them, it has been life-changing not only in terms of financial rewards but also in terms of personal growth and confidence.” Already, the league has seen several young UAE players rise through the ranks and establish their names in professional cricket. White believes that in the years ahead, this influence will expand beyond the Emirates, extending opportunities to aspiring players from across the Gulf region. “We want ILT20 to be a platform for the entire region,” he says, “a catalyst for

Mira Nair’s Tapestry From Monsoon Wedding to a Son on the Steps

Mira Nair’s Tapestry From Monsoon Wedding to a Son on the Steps of New York’s City Hall Editorial Feature There are filmmakers who record the world, and there are filmmakers who rearrange it, stitching fragments of memory, migration, and ritual into something new and unmistakably human. Mira Nair belongs to the latter tradition. For four decades she has been the seamstress of stories that travel, streetwise comedies, tender domestic farces, and intimate portraits of displacement that cross oceans and generations. The thread that runs through those films, from Salaam Bombay! to Mississippi Masala to the exuberant, widely beloved Monsoon Wedding, is an appetite for cultural detail, the way a sari drapes against a doorway, the choreography of a family dinner, the small cruelties and great loyalties that make kinship feel both local and global. If Monsoon Wedding is her signature, it’s because the film does what good family stories always do, it renders the ordinary ceremonial, the bargain and banter, the last-minute crisis before the baraat, as a stage for larger human truths. Shot quickly on a modest schedule and with a compact crew, the film exploded into a global conversation in 2001, winning the Golden Lion in Venice and entering the international imagination as a movie that could be unmistakably Indian and yet profoundly universal in its staging of joy, grief, and negotiation. It’s a style decision as much as an ethical one, Nair trusts specificity to deliver universality. But a career summary misses the domestic workshops and living-room politics that shaped those films. Mira Nair’s life has always been braided with worlds beyond cinema, she grew up in India, trained at Harvard, and built long collaborative ties between New York and Kampala. She founded the Maisha Film Lab to mentor East African storytellers and has used the profits of early successes to build nonprofits for vulnerable children. That insistence on passing tools along, of creating spaces where others can tell their stories, is as much a part of her legacy as the frames she composes. Which brings us to a quieter, striking piece of the family story, Mira Nair is the mother of Zohran Mamdani, born in Kampala in the early 1990s to Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, the Ugandan scholar who became a fixture of academic life in North America. Zohran’s childhood threaded together the cultural habits of Uganda, India, and later New York, languages shared at the dinner table, political debates in the living room, the smell of cardamom alongside libraries of postcolonial theory. It was an upbringing where art and ideas were ordinary elements of domestic life, not luxuries kept for galleries. That interweaving of home and the wider world is the essential source of the kind of cultural fluency that shows up in both mother and son, one through cinema, the other through civic life. When a child grows up in the orbit of filmmaking and scholarly conversation, politics in the small sense, how to argue, how to listen, how to account for history while attending to the person beside you, becomes part of everyday etiquette. Those habits, cultivated over dinner-table arguments and film sets, are what turn private sensibilities into public instincts. The result is not theatrical biography but a cultural inheritance, a household that taught a child to navigate multiple belongings without erasing any of them. So when the headlines arrived, terse, pop-cultural proof of an arc that might read almost too neatly for fiction, people did what audiences always do, they read a family’s private textures into a public moment. For a director long celebrated for translating domestic ceremony into cinematic spectacle, it was an uncanny reversal. The wedding table had become a stage, now a son’s public milestone turned family history into a civic photograph. For many who have loved Mira’s films, what they saw in that photograph was continuity rather than contradiction, the same curiosity about identity and home that animated Monsoon Wedding now moving through a different city square. This is not to mythologize. Family stories are complicated, diasporic lives are full of compromises and contradictions, private regrets and public things to be proud of. But there is a recognizable cultural through-line, Nair’s films insist that identity is lived in ceremony and argument, in food and language, in migration and memory. Her son’s public life, whatever one reads into the offices he holds, grew from that ecosystem of practice. It’s an unequivocal portrait of transnational domesticity, a story of migration that doesn’t end in assimilation but keeps expanding the table. If a magazine about culture were to place this family on its cover it might not lead with policy papers or campaign slogans. It would linger instead on the small, telling details, a hand-stitched sari at a victory celebration, a rehearsal dinner where Urdu and English float together, a director telling a crew to start the day with yoga. It would map how rituals, cinematic, culinary, conversational, become forms of training, for compassion, for critique, for communal life. And it would remind readers that cultural work and civic life are not separate spheres but overlapping practices that shape how we belong to one another. Mira Nair’s films taught us to watch families at work, negotiating wounds, trading jokes, performing histories. Her life, and now a chapter of her family’s life played out on the civic stage, feels like an extension of that gaze. Not a political tract, not a manifesto, but a cultural document, a testimony to how stories once told in living rooms travel out into the world and come back transformed, bringing their textures with them. If cinema trains us to see the intimate as universal, then perhaps the reverse is true as well, a son’s public moment can teach us something about the private archives we carry, about the languages we teach around the dinner table, about the music that accompanies our rituals. For lovers of film and of the complicated, luminous work of belonging, that is the story worth lingering over.

Will, The Witcher Season 4 Survive the Switch from Cavill to Hemsworth?

Will, The Witcher Season 4 Survive the Switch from Cavill to Hemsworth? By Hafsa Qadeer When The Witcher Season 4 debuts on October 30, audiences will be greeted by one of the boldest changes the show has attempted: the recasting of its central figure. Henry Cavill’s Geralt set a tone brooding, rugged, and silently dangerous, and fans invested deeply in his interpretation. Now, Liam Hemsworth steps into this shadow, tasked with making the role his own while carrying forward the weighty legacy of three seasons. What Works Fresh energy: Hemsworth brings a slightly different cadence and charisma. His Geralt feels more open emotionally (less stony-faced), which allows for new depths in relationships with Ciri and Yennefer. Supporting cast continuity: Familiar faces, the sorceresses, the elves, and the political intrigues ground the show. Their chemistry, long built, helps buffer the shock of change. Bolder narrative arcs: The writing leans into riskier storylines, exploring new corners of the Continent and introducing morally grey dilemmas with greater urgency. Visual flair and action: The show retains its trademark high production values, visceral monster fights, sweeping landscapes, and moody cinematography, ensuring the spectacle is still there. What’s Challenging Comparisons are inevitable: Every move Hemsworth makes will be scrutinised against Cavill’s version. Some will pine for the old guard, especially during scenes that “feel like classic Geralt.” Tonal balancing act: Hemsworth’s more expressive Geralt can sometimes feel at odds with the world’s grim darkness; striking the right balance is tricky. Character transition friction: In early episodes, there are moments where Hemsworth seems “introduced” rather than “continued,” which can pull the viewer out of immersion. Will It Still Impress? Yes, though not flawlessly. For fans who view The Witcher as more than just Cavill’s show, Season 4 offers a chance to reset and expand. Hemsworth may not supplant Cavill in everyone’s heart, but he brings his own strengths. The series’s strengths in world-building, supporting ensemble, and production scale remain intact — those foundations aren’t tied to one actor. If you go in open-minded, Season 4 can still inspire awe, deliver emotional payoffs, and renew your love for monster-hunts and moral quandaries. It may feel different, and occasionally uneven, but it’s a worthwhile continuation, proof that a strong story world can handle even big changes at its core.

Eveningwear & Couture New Luxury Narratives Shaped by Middle Eastern Craft

Eveningwear & Couture New Luxury Narratives Shaped by Middle Eastern Craft By Raveena Parmar In a world where fashion trends cycle faster than ever, couture remains one of the rare art forms that resists time. And nowhere is this resistance more poetic, and more powerful than in the Middle East. Here, eveningwear is more than glamour: It is memory, heritage and devotion stitched into silk. Today, a new generation of Middle Eastern designers is rewriting the meaning of modern luxury: one that balances structure and softness, opulence and restraint, heritage and innovation. Couture from the region is no longer content to be admired, but it demands to be felt. Threads of Memory, Sculpted in Modernity The soul of Middle Eastern couture lies in craftsmanship. Not as marketing rhetoric but as an inherited tradition. Generations of master artisans have perfected the sacred language of needle and thread, passing down hand-embroidery, beading, crystal placement, and metallic threadwork as forms of storytelling. Lebanese couturier Elie Saab, the undisputed poet of eveningwear, once said, “Elegance is not about being noticed, it’s about being remembered.” His gowns, often drenched in constellations of Swarovski crystals and moonlit sequins, feel like preserved fragments of beauty. They whisper rather than shout. This reverence for handwork echoes across ateliers from Beirut to Dubai, from Marrakech to Riyadh. Zuhair Murad turns embroideries into entire universes,star maps, baroque florals, and celestial motifs that seem destined for red carpet mythology. Georges Hobeika breathes softness into couture through feathers and silk petals that sway like poetry in motion. Rami Al Ali fuses Arab geometry with couture minimalism, proof that embellishment and purity can coexist.These designers are guardians of a legacy but they are also architects of a new future. The Rise of Wearable Opulence Once upon a time, couture was purely spectacle as it was beautiful but distant, untouchable beyond gala carpets and editorial fantasy. Today, Middle Eastern couture is evolving toward emotional wearability. Eveningwear now moves, adapts, and transforms to the rhythm of modern women. Designers are responding to a new generation, to the one that wants clothes they can feel themselves in, not disappear beneath. The gowns are still breathtaking, but now they hold ease and softness. Structure is still celebrated, but it serves the body instead of restricting it. Shapes sculpt rather than suffocate; corsetry is lighter, and silhouettes embrace fluidity. Even modesty, which is a key element in Middle Eastern fashion, has become a dimension of modern couture. Capes replace bare shoulders. Draping replaces deep cuts. Coverage becomes elegance rather than limitation. A new visual language is emerging: sensuality through silhouette, not exposure. Craft Meets Innovation The future of couture doesn’t abandon tradition; it transforms it. The growing demand for function in luxury has birthed modular eveningwear: gowns with detachable trains, adjustable sleeves, and removable crystal harnesses. Convertible couture allows a woman to wear a dramatic runway gown as both a red-carpet statement and a more intimate soirée look. It is an emotional and intelligent design. In Dubai and Riyadh, experimental houses like Ashi Studio are redefining eveningwear through sculptural minimalism, using architectural structure and innovative materials to craft gowns that look like moving art. Meanwhile, designers from North Africa like Maison Sara Chraibi are infusing couture with symbolism, embedding Amazigh patterns, calligraphy, and spiritual geometry into contemporary shapes. Technology has also entered the atelier: laser-cut silks, 3D floral appliqué, and AI-assisted embroidery mapping are quietly shaping the future. Yet the heart of couture remains deeply human. Hours of labor. Devotion by hand. A relationship between maker and garment. Red Carpet Power: The Middle Eastern Takeover You can trace the power of Middle Eastern couture not only through ateliers but through pop culture itself. From Beyoncé’s golden tour gowns by Nicolas Jebran to Jennifer Lopez’s ethereal Zuhair Murad cape in Cannes, from Priyanka Chopra’s crystal-encrusted Elie Saab moment to Bella Hadid’s sculptural Ashi Studio gowns, the influence is global and undeniable. The Middle East isn’t just participating in the red carpet; it is defining its visual language. Celebrities now turn to these designers not just for spectacle but for storytelling. These gowns carry meaning, drama, and identity. They are wearable art and full of soul. LUXURY WITH PURPOSE Fashion Beyond Fantasy A quiet revolution is also happening behind the seams. Many Middle Eastern designers are championing ethical luxury and artisan preservation. Instead of outsourcing production, they keep ateliers local, passing on artisanal skills to young generations. Couture becomes a way to preserve heritage rather than commercialize it. Even sustainability, which was once seen as incompatible with couture, is now finding its way in. Rami Kadi experiments with recycled sequins along with other young Arab designers who are upcycling vintage fabrics from souks. Future couture is not only stunning but also conscious. A New Luxury Narrative The world once looked to Paris for couture, and today it looks East, too. Because in the Middle East, couture is not just a business,it is also a living legacy. Eveningwear is treated with emotion, and gowns are made to carry identity. Luxury is not excess, but it’s an expression. The next chapter of couture belongs to designers who balance heritage and innovation, those who dare to imagine gowns that transcend time but move with the world. Designers who build cathedrals of embroidery and allow a woman to dance in them. Middle Eastern couture is not just rising: It is redefining the global language of elegance, one handcrafted masterpiece at a time. As someone who observes this industry not just with admiration but curiosity, I believe the true future of couture lies in honesty. Luxury today is not defined by price, but by purpose. What makes Middle Eastern couture stand out to me is not only its beauty, but its emotional depth, as it is one of the few fashion movements that still carries a soul. Yet I also think couture must continue evolving beyond fantasy. I want to see more designers embrace storytelling that resonates with real women, not just muses, but

The UAE, The Startup Capital of the World A National Sprint to Rewire an Economy

The UAE The Startup Capital of the World A National Sprint to Rewire an Economy By Rizwan Zulfiqar Bhutta When a nation chooses to redefine its future, it does not do so lightly. The United Arab Emirates has now embarked on one of the most ambitious economic projects in its modern history. Under the banner “The UAE: The Startup Capital of the World”, the country has launched a bold campaign to position itself as a global hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. With a clear target of training 10,000 Emiratis in entrepreneurship and generating 30,000 new jobs by 2030, the initiative is not just a statement of intent, but a call to action that reimagines the country’s economic DNA. For decades, the UAE has been known for trade, logistics, oil wealth, world-class infrastructure, and its ability to attract global talent. Now it seeks to evolve beyond those strengths by nurturing the next generation of founders, innovators, and risk-takers. This campaign represents the pivot from an economy powered by resources to one driven by people, ideas, and innovation. Why Now, The Strategic Logic The timing could not be more significant. Across the globe, economies are being reshaped by technology, artificial intelligence, and new business models. Oil revenues, while still strong, are no longer seen as a sustainable foundation for long-term prosperity. The UAE has already proven its ability to diversify through tourism, aviation, real estate, and finance, but the next frontier lies in entrepreneurship. By making startups a national priority, the UAE is addressing several challenges at once: job creation for its citizens, diversification away from hydrocarbons, and positioning itself as a beacon for global investment. At its core, the campaign is about harnessing the creative energy of young Emiratis and embedding innovation into the very fabric of the national economy. The Architecture of the Campaign At the center of the initiative is a new digital hub designed to act as a one-stop shop for aspiring entrepreneurs. This platform will offer online training, mentorship programs, access to co-working spaces, introductions to investors, and curated networking opportunities. It is designed to take a founder from idea to launch with the kind of support that has, until now, been scattered across separate agencies and organizations. More than 50 public and private partners have joined forces in the campaign. They include government agencies, banks, accelerators, corporate entities, and academic institutions, all working in concert to ensure that entrepreneurs can access the markets, capital, and skills they need. Startups will also be integrated into government procurement, giving them a ready-made avenue for contracts and revenue. In this way, the campaign tackles one of the greatest challenges facing entrepreneurs worldwide, which is not just access to money, but access to customers. The Vision, What the UAE Wants to Achieve The campaign’s vision stretches beyond the numbers. It is not only about training 10,000 people or creating 30,000 jobs, but about embedding entrepreneurship into the national identity. The UAE is aiming to make founding a company as credible a career choice as working in government or pursuing traditional professions. The broader vision is to build an economy where Emiratis are not just employees, but leaders of high-growth companies, innovators in technology, and creators of intellectual property. It imagines cities across the country buzzing with co-working spaces, labs, accelerators, and venture capital firms, with the UAE recognized globally as the place where ideas take flight. The Targets, Ambition and Accountability The commitment to measurable targets gives the initiative real weight. By 2030, the UAE wants to see thousands of new entrepreneurs trained and tens of thousands of jobs created. Meeting those targets will require more than enthusiasm, it will demand cultural change, supportive policies, financing structures, and a tolerance for failure. Yet, if any country can do it, it is the UAE. Its government has shown time and again that it can deliver national-scale projects, from building futuristic cities to launching a Mars mission. The challenge will be to sustain momentum, ensure the quality of training, and create genuine pathways from education into viable businesses. Future Benefits: Beyond the Numbers If the campaign succeeds, the benefits will extend far beyond the immediate goals. First, it will create a pipeline of globally competitive Emirati founders who can scale businesses across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. This would position the UAE not just as a hub for startups, but as an exporter of innovation and talent. Second, the initiative will help balance the labor market by providing young Emiratis with alternatives to public sector employment. This shift will strengthen the private sector, reduce reliance on government jobs, and encourage more dynamic economic participation. Third, successful startups will attract more venture capital into the country, reinforcing a cycle of investment, growth, and reinvestment. Over time, this could lead to the emergence of UAE-born unicorns, companies valued at over a billion dollars, further cementing the country’s reputation as a startup capital. Finally, the initiative has social and cultural benefits. It empowers women, young people, and communities outside the main urban centers by giving them the tools to build businesses. It encourages risk-taking, creativity, and resilience, values that will shape not only the economy but the identity of future generations. Opportunities and Competitive Advantages The UAE enjoys a set of advantages that many aspiring startup hubs can only envy. Its location makes it a gateway to three continents. Its policies allow for flexible visas, attractive free zones, and world-class infrastructure. Its capital resources, both government-backed and private, are immense. Most importantly, its leadership has the political will to make entrepreneurship a national priority. The Global Ripple Effect The success of the campaign will not stop at the UAE’s borders. A vibrant startup ecosystem in the Emirates would draw investors, accelerators, and founders from across the world, making the country a regional headquarters for innovation. Neighboring states may follow suit, creating a Gulf-wide startup corridor that connects markets across the Middle East and beyond. For global entrepreneurs, the UAE could become the natural launchpad