Category: Lifestyle features

Working with Artists and Audiences on Commissions and Residencies

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Although this week is all about Art Dubai, I also felt like talking about an incredibly interesting programme by The Sharjah Art Foundation called March Meeting 2012: Working with Artists and Audiences on Commissions and Residencies. This takes place until March 19 in Dar Al Nadwa, Heritage Area, Sharjah.

I’m told the programme will be inaugurated with an Opening Address given by His Excellency the Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, Abdul Rahman Mohammed bin Nasser Al Owais. Over 80 notable local and international art world figures will be speaking, including: HE Omar Saif Ghobash, HE Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Dr Salwa Mikdadi, Head of Arts and Culture Programme at Emirates Foundation and Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, Founder of the Barjeel Art Foundation.

Distinguished art historian and curator Salah Hassan will give the Opening Keynote. James Lingwood, Co-Director of Artangel, London, will be introducing for the first time in the UAE the commissioning work of Artangel at the March Meeting, which coincides with the Middle East premiere of 1395 Days without Red.

Ziad Antar, whose documentary photography project of the UAE coastline, Portrait of a Territory, which opened in Sharjah on March 16 and the curator of the exhibition, Christine Macel, Chief Curator at Musée National D’Art Moderne Centre Pompidou, Paris, will both be participating in the March Meeting, along with Basma Alsharif, who has a solo exhibition, Farther Than the Eye Can See opening today March 18.

Lebanese sound artist Tarek Atoui’s Revisiting Tarab, an evening of performances inspired by classical Arab music will premiere in Sharjah on March 19, will also be presenting. Additional speakers include Yuko Hasegawa (Japan), the newly appointed Curator of the next Sharjah Biennial in 2013, Jude Kelly, OBE, Artistic Director of Southbank Centre (UK) and Beatrix Ruf, Director/Curator, Kunsthalle Zurich (Switzerland).

Sheikha Hoor Al-Qasimi, President of the Sharjah Art Foundation, will give the Closing Address at the March Meeting on March 19….the question is – will I make it to any? I sure want to!

An evening with Her Highness Princess Ameerah Al Taweel

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With Her Highness Princess Ameerah Al Taweel

Flanked by Princess Ameerah & Rajah Galadari

One of the most amazing benefits of being a long term member of various professional women’s groups is that you get opportunities to meet with some very inspiring, beautiful and motivating women leaders. One such personality I met a few days ago was Her Highness Princess Ameerah Al-Taweel.

I was blown away by her down to earth personality, by the fact that she spent so much personal time with every woman in the room to get to know what they did and what their aspirations were. What was equally impressive was her knowledge in Mass Communication and the tips she gave us that night on communications, PR and Social media- it was on par with a professional communications expert.

I was thrilled to know that H.H Princess Ameerah had been to Fiji Islands….i don’t meet many people who have been to my country so we immediately felt at ease with other.

She taught me one good lesson that night…to never depend on anyone except myself. I will treasure this thought as I always trust people close to me way too much and I’ve realised that’s not a good thing as people can sometimes be deceiving and detrimental to your success because they drive you to do things that only benefit them….this is a lesson I will recall every time I am in situation where I’m told something but know in my heart its not the real scene.

Princess Ameerah is Vice Chairwoman and Board of Trustees and Head of the Executive Committee of the Al Waleed bin Talal Foundation in Saudi Arabia and the Alwaleed bin Talal Foundation Global. She supports a wide range of humanitarian interests in Saudi Arabia and around the world and has won numerous awards including the CEO Middle East 100 Most Powerful Arab Women 2012.

I went to the awards ceremony where Sheikha Lubna, another incredible Arab woman who has done this region proud spoke. Arab women are drop dead gorgeous, they have brains to match their beauty and given the opportunity, they shine among their peers….its great to see more and more Arab women making their mark in the global scenario as well.

It was awesome to come up, close and personal with Her Highness Princess Ameerah thanks to the hard work of Sahar Madani who is the founder of WE Group – this is different group from the International Business Women’s Group of which I have been a member of since 2003 thanks to the far sightedness of my ex boss Stuart Cameron who first encouraged me to network with women who were empowering. I owe this opportunity to him and till date, I always make time to meet and learn from women of calibre and high intellect.

One thing is clear…. The amazingly gorgeous Arab women of today are setting the stage to become inspiring leaders of tomorrow. Today I also heard a great talk by H. E Reem Al Hashimy who is a UAE Minister of State at the 20th World PR World Congress. Like her, Princess Ameerah is such an amazing example of an educated and incredibly eloquent, warm leader we all hope to see more of in the media and in forums around the world.

Saying goodbye at the end of the dinner…

Salute to beautiful relationships

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Image of Amira's cheeky kittens

One of my most favourite people in the world is my daughter’s godmother Amira (it means Princess) who is a Lebanese Australian currently based in Seattle.

We have this unspoken bond that has lasted more than 17 years and I can never erase the fond memories I shared with Amira and her family in Adelaide Australia on my home to Fiji. I had met them on many occasions before but going to the family home in Adelaide was like going to my very own home.

Needless to say I miss Amira heaps but I thought of her today as she sent us (especially her gorgeous Tash) pictures of some kittens she is fostering until they get a new home.

The kittens are gorgeous but apparently cheeky. I’m not a great fan of animals but my Tash could not stop jumping up and down for joy when she saw the photos and thought the letter addressed to her was awesome from Amira.

It brought home to me how the bonds you have with your University mates never really breaks…..at the moment I have 2 University friends here (Shadi and Edina) and I know I can pick up my phone anytime and they will totally make my day with stories, jokes, coffee dates etc. I reckon that is extremely special and something to be treasured.

Thanks Amira for the images and your beautiful message to me and Tash today…looks like I need to book that seat to Seattle soon and thanks for making me realise, appreciate and treasure the friends and family I have made made along the way. Salute to beautiful relationships 🙂

Novaro -The King of Modern Glass and The Royal Treasures Gallery

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Novaro pieces

Art Dubai is next week – I just received the most beautiful access card I’ve seen for any event so I was hoping to make this week more about PR World Congress, fanciful yachts belonging to members of our Millionaire Group plus about script writing and film making.

But Joelle had other ideas…..she wanted me to get in gear a week ahead and get a sneak peak into what Royal Treasures Gallery was up to. And boy I got some awesome insights – The Royal Treasures Gallery, host to the world’s finest crystal antiques and rare artifacts is announcing their partnership with Jean Claude Novaro, a French glass blower whose works have been snapped up by art connoisseurs….Joelle, loads of people heard of this here first!

Royal Treasures Gallery will launch this partnership through a 5 day exhibition at their Gallery, starting April 3rd – April 7th 2012 so do watch out for this perfect collaboration.

To give you a low down, Novaro, born in 1943, has worked with glass for more than 50 years. The artist  works on shapes but also on transformations due to the reaction of materials, adding enamels, metal oxides, inclusion of gold and silver sheet, coloring the surface or between two layers of clear glass.

As a result of the overwhelming response by the UAE’s antique and glass aficionados as well as artifact enthusiasts and following the success of the Royal Treasures Gallery inauguration before, Dinsha and Munchi Shroff, along with Manav Suri, their local partner, are thrilled with this new-fangled partnership with Jean Claude Novaro.

Novaro is widely acclaimed as the ‘King of Glass’ – his customer portfolio includes the likes of Mike Tyson and Sheikh Tariq Al Qassimi and he has also earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest hand blown coupe ever made.

Jean Claude Novaro’s unique and distinctive art-glass creations are highly valued and sought after by art connoisseurs all over the world. Several of the Frenchman’s creations are being displayed in museums, galleries and private collections around the world…..now Diva reckons that’s something to wait for patiently for the next couple of weeks…can you?

With Novaro

The awesomeness of Yas Marina

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How cool is this place - Image courtesy Yas Marina team

Whenever I venture towards Yas Island Abu Dhabi, people automatically think it is to fratenise with car manufacturers on the circuit – but diva is not only hooked on super cars….as an island girl, I love everything relating to the sea and my current favourite place to hang out in Abu Dhabi is the Yas Marina.

Now…it has been gut wrenching not tweeting or blogging about it but I did promise dear Jonathan when I do touch on it, it will be from the heart and I will talk about my adventures there from experience – unfortunately I have only been able to do whistle stop tours recently while testing the latest cars. (Yas Island is the best place to cruise around in open top convertibles in the evenings amongst other super cars that are there for a spin on the tracks).

Having orange juice with the GM of Yas Marina Cedric Le Rest during my lunch break at Radisson earlier in the year was the first time I got to know all about Yas Marina and the fabulous way its managed by Camper & Nicholsons Marinas. Samer from Yas as well joined us for a bit of laid back chat and between Samer, Cedric and Jonathan, I found out more about Yas Marina in that one hour than I had from all my adrenaline driven visits to the Yas Island.

Camper & Nicholsons is widely recognised to be one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious yachting business names, with origins dating back to 1782. The company has specialised in marina and waterfront development for over 40 years and has provided services to clients in more than 25 countries worldwide.

Their projects range from small marinas through to developments over 500 hectares. Camper & Nicholsons Marinas International Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Camper & Nicholsons Marina Investments Limited, listed on the AIM of the London Stock Exchange. Camper & Nicholsons currently operate marinas in Abu Dhabi, Grenada, Italy, Malta and Turkey.

The guys at Camper & Nicholsons are awesome – they recently announced that berth occupancy has doubled in the last 6 months and Cedric believes its due to their extremely competitive annual berth rates – which now includes an F1TM berth.

The best bit here is the VIP Privilege Card that offers berth holders a variety of discounts and value added services to Yas Island facilities. The 2012 Annual Berth rates (starting from 16,455 AED inclusive of a berth at 2012 Formula 1™ week) and the 2012 Formula 1™ Etihad Airways Grand Prix berthing tariffs which start from 10,395 AED. One superyacht to have recently taken an annual berth at Yas Marina is the 95m Indian Empress.

The competitive tariffs, coupled with the success of Yas Island Show Weekends, featuring international superstars such as Madonna, Janet Jackson and Elton John have helped to reinforce Yas Marina’s position as an attractive home port for yachts of all sizes.

Yas Marina features a variety of dining and entertainment options ranging from fine dining at Cipriani or Yotto, to more casual settings like Stars ‘N’ Bars and the vibrant Allure Night Club by Cipriani. I absolutely love Cipriani and it was everything Cedric had said about it to me months before.

Located at the heart of the Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island and located 10 minutes from Abu Dhabi International Airport, 20 minutes from central Abu Dhabi and 45 minutes from Dubai, Yas Marina has 143 berths for yachts up to 150m in size.  Visitors to the marina can enjoy easy access to pristine coastlines, 200 uninhabited islands and the nearby cosmopolitan cities…….looks like a place tailor made for diva!

Rixos on Palm Dubai

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Entrance to Rixos Palm Jumeirah

Couple of days ago, on my way to the Literature festival, I popped over to see bubbly Maria who had invited me over to check out Rixos Palm Dubai, part of one of the world’s fastest luxury hotel chains. I was overwhelmed by all things Turkish in a really pleasant way and had a wonderful tour by her, particularly the spa area which I think everyone knows is my biggest weakness – I can never have enough hamman experiences.

This new Rixos is certainly set to cater to UAE’s ever growing luxury leisure tourist market as well as business travellers seeking refreshing locations beyond the mainstream downtown addresses. Located on the tip of the Palm, (our very own Eighth Wonder of the world), Rixos The Palm Dubai truly salutes the daylight under astonishing 360 degree ocean views.

I loved the strikingly landscaped gardens along with the stunning beach promenade area featuring a Lounge for lunch and tapas (Ah…those Spanish days – I still cant believe that despite owning a home in Spain, I last ventured there 3 years ago. Its become my forgotten home and I’m constantly looking for golf players to go there and use my home so I feel less mad every time my agent tries to throw dodgy tenants my way. There are 3 world class golf courses 5 mins each way and 2 blue flag beaches – you would think someone would want to chill out there. Especially me but I never seem to have enough holidays in place)

I also loved the concept of Suite Beach which is a heaven of privacy for lovers away from the buzz plus a Family Beach catering to families.

The hotel’s interiors entail a modern minimalist approach blended with exclusive high-tech Innovative design elements featured in all aspects of the rooms and residences striking a balance between modern and comfortable. My twitter pic already have a preview of the awesome rooms – I adore four poster beds and while my private one has a antique feel, I also loved the modern version in the hotel’s suite.

A La Turca is the hotel’s authentic Turkish restaurant where  genuine Turkish dishes from the Aegean and the Black Sea as well as from Eastern Anatolia….i loved their seafood heaps.

Returning to the lobby, I was amusingly greeted by a bloke in a costume from the Rixy Club which is dedicated into turning children’s experiences to memorable moments through age tailored entertainment programs….no humorous comments about me looking young…its all in my head and this dude must have picked up on my young vibe.

I am a spa junkie – so as a Spa fanatic I can’t wait to try the world renowned Rixos Royal Spa that has several treatment rooms, bringing a myriad of treatments and rituals, its signature one being the Turkish Hamam, delivered with great authenticity from true Rixos Turkish heritage.

This island spa junkie can’t wait to be scrubbed to oblivion as long as a massage comes with it! Looking forward to my proper Rixos experience.

View from Rixos on my Blackberry

Living area of the suite

 

Majesty 135 and Gulf Craft’s 30 Year anniversay

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This afternoon, two of us, together with Walid got chauffeur driven to Um Al Quwain to join selected VVIPs and members of the Royal family to see the first Majesty 135 as well as celebrate the 30 year anniversary of an organisation that handles high end yacht brands in this region.  

Naturally I couldn’t say no to the invitation as no diva can resist fast cars, private airplanes, yachts or exclusive hospitality. After an afternoon with the Fijians from Shangri-la Fiji and Rajah + an evening at the literature festival, I was naturally knackered but mustered up enough energy to get myself to Umm Al Quwain.

We were welcomed by traditional Emirati music by the sea…island girl felt right at home next to the clear blue waters. We were in luck as we also ended up being the first people to see the Majesty 105 as well – awesome!

After a short drink with Erwin, COO of Gulf Craft who refers to my blog (glad someone other than David is reading them), we get talking about all things to do with yacht brands….he has awesome knowledge of these luxury machines and reiterates the success of Gulf Craft – he is just as passionate as the owners of Gulf Craft who are behind the success of their brands – Oryx, Majesty Yachts and Silver Craft.

Its rare to find people who believe so much in what they do that it becomes their life. I would love to find that love and passion and I reckon it lies in writing. Mainly because its one thing I can take control of and see it through without depending on anyone…its a liberating feeling.
I have loads of pictures of the yacht and both Erwin and Notis were amazing hosts – thanks Erwin for being so attentive and Notis for taking the time for a personal tour of the Majesty 105 despite being busy with the Who’s who of the yachting world.

With Notis on Majesty 135

It was also delightful to see the energy and enthusiasm of Trixee Loh who is the female power behind the Boat Show…its the best enlightened 2 hours I’ve spent today and its not just because Trixee is a Singaporean and I have an affinity with all that is remotely associated with Asia having lived in KL for 9 years with weekend trips to Singapore and Orchard Road. You will see the amazing work Trixee’s team has put forward at next week’s DIBS.

Meanwhile, I salute Gulf Craft, their awesome team for an amazing afternoon in Um Al Quwain. They will be a force to be reckoned with next week!

We caught up as well with Saeed Hareb on DIMC – the last time we had time for a chat was years ago with the Victory Team so today was nice just to be able to see him in an informal setting.

My next venture is a Woman’s Empowerment talk with a beautiful and magnetic Royalty – watch this space!

Majesty 105

Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2012

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Last night I went to the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2012 to listen to an author (David Nichols) whose book “One Day’ I’m reading after my NJD and Eric persuaded me that it was totally up my street – and they were right as I am currently enjoying this book as my bedtime reading. 

I bumped into people I know at the festival who enthused about the breathtaking display of readings, poetry, song and dance at the spectacular theatre that  is part of Cultural & Scientific Association at Al Mamzar.  This is where I saw the Japanese Drum show last week and it was wow.

The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2012 is held in Dubai between 6-10 March 2012 under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and is held in partnership with Emirates Airline and the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated Authority for culture, arts, and heritage.

I am going to some of the sessions later today. As my first project in the UAE in 2000 (DSF 2000) was for Saeed Al Nabouda, who is now the Acting Director General of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, I look forward to catching up with him hopefully at the festival – always good to stay in contact with ex clients.

I am all set for the literary sessions today as well which look awesome. I wish local author Dedra Stevenson was part of the line-up too as my daughter loves her work too. Can’t wait to hear Rashad Bukhash speak on the architectural Heritage of Dubai. I love his groups talks on design and traditional architecture so it would be delightful to hear both Rashad and Peter Jackson share their knowledge in one session.

Diva hangs out with the Dubai International Boat Show team at DIMC

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With His Highness SHeikh Marwan on board his yacht in Um Al Quwain during a Millionaire Group soiree

It is one of Dubai’s busiest weeks. All my friends are super busy….earlier today I caught up with an excited Barbara who is from the main organising team of the Dubai International Boat Show. We became friends early last year while I was shopping with NJD for a yachting weekend with friends and we clicked right away. She is awesome and we had a ball at the Motorshow together. The boat show publicity is done by Wallis Marketing (Mike Wallis and I go back years when we first went to Sharm al Sheikh together with a group for diving and dining – he of course played golf as well but I’ve never delved into this one sport – shame). Mike has an awesome team and together with them and Barbara’s dynamic team at DWTC, I reckon the public is in for a cool show this year.

Few of the cars I have driven already will also be on show :). Naturally my friends from Rolls Royce, Bentley and Mercedes Benz will be there in full force. The Supercar Promenade will show the finest models on four wheels with world class marques that will align perfectly with the prestige of the high-end boating brands.  Visitors will be able to get behind the wheel of some of the world’s fastest and most expensive cars – among them Bentley Continental Series 51, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, and Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé :). My daughter had an awesome time at last years show playing on the yachts and she showed her VIP tag to anyone who sat up and noticed. Little diva is having a fabulous time skiing in Switzerland and I have not had a single phone call :(.

This year’s 20th edition of the Dubai International Boat Show will celebrate the rich history and incredible growth of the regional maritime industry, bringing together the ‘who’s who’ in the vast sector from across five continents. In addition to an impressive number of global and regional firsts, the world’s leading marine leisure industry players will unveil their launches to tens of thousands of boating enthusiasts, confirming the event’s growing international reach and continued ability to attract top quality buyers in record numbers two decades after its inaugural staging. Members of our Millionaire Group are waiting in anticipation and keep asking me about what’s in store.

I remember hanging out 8 years ago with the Victory team at DMC when the show still revolved a lot around sports and I was doing profile stories on the main players for our Group. I’m glad they are still members of our group and still as dynamic as ever. Before that, 20 years ago, the Dubai International Boat Show was originally launched as the ‘Watersports & Powerboat Show’ as a fully indoor event held at the Dubai World Trade Centre.  Its current home at the Dubai International Marine Club, Mina Seyahi has accelerated its transformation into one of the most influential brands in the world and witnesses incredible growth of 43 times in size and 14 times the number of exhibiting companies since its inception.

Boat Show - image courtesy DIBS

According to a story Mike’s team sent our Millionaire Group today, with an astounding 33 premiers, including world and regional launches, and 750 companies plus 430 boats on display, the strength of this year’s 20th anniversary event programming clearly reaffirms its position as one of the top five international boat shows and the Middle East’s number one destination for leisure marine trade.  46 countries including Austria, Cyprus, Djibouti, Egypt, Hongkong, Madagascar, Poland, Philippines, Seychelles and Tunisia will be there.

The show will feature 186 new exhibitors and some of the world’s most renowned brands this year, including Abeking & Rasmussen, Al Futtaim Marine, Blohm + Voss Shipyards GmbH, Bombardier Business Aircraft, CSO Yachts, Dutch Thruster Group, Fehrmann Metallverarbeitung GmbH, Fraser Yachts, Green Marine, Kaiserwerft GmbH, Koot Yachts, Limassol Marina, Mave, Milano Teleport S.p.A., Oldenburger Yacht Interior GmbH & Co., Otto Pienning GmbH, RE-Boat Srl, Sunreef Yachts, Yamal Boats and many more. Plus 11 members of the world’s most prestigious super yachts builders association (SYBAss), to include Abeking & Rasmussen, AMELS, Benetti, CRN, Feadship, Fincantieri, Heesen Yachts, Lurssen, Oceanco, San Lorenzo, and Trinity Yachts, will show their latest yacht models and designs in a dedicated SYBAss Pavillion.

Several of the Dubai International Boat Show stalwarts including leading shipyard Westport have increased their space while North Africa’s latest shipyard, Koot yachts, are among the many first time exhibitors alongside Al Rubban, AM Shipyard and Dutch Thruster Group, who also make their debut appearance. Key exhibitors including Al Shaali, ART Marine, Aquaspeed, Azimut, Cummins, Emirates Boats, Gulf Craft (my favourite), Heinen & Hopman, Princess Yachts and Sunseeker will be very popular I’m sure.

Enjoy the show….Island girl is back on the clear blue waters of the Arabian Sea…even if it is on a yacht in April with my pals in Umm Al Quwain – its too cold for me still to jump into the sea so my after work swimming sessions are on hold. Next up is my take on the soiree with the 100 Top Arab Women’s networking at Emirates Towers plus the Emirates Festival of Literature – it sure is a busy March!

11th Women’s Exhibition at Dubai Ladies Club

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After my JetPad introduction, I ventured to the Dubai Ladies Club for Tim Hortons & doughnuts with none other than Dubai’s Thoraya Al Awadhi. There are very few women I admire or am friends with but ever since I have met Thoraya, early last year, it has been a delight to catch up with her at her office (Squisito) for coffee or outside. Dubai may be full of beautiful women but its not often I come across women who are beautiful, intelligent, down to earth, grounded, successful while being family oriented as Thoraya which is why no matter how tired I am end of day, I never say no to meeting with her.

Yesterday I caught up with her at the 11th exhibition that she has organised for women and I absolutely loved the abayas, the jewellery and walked out with some herbal supplements. The exhibition is for women to showcase their creativity, talent and provide as well as receive guidance in business. Thoraya targets women, especially those above 40, whose children are grown up and who may have a lot of time on their hands, to recognise their talent and to help them realise this will make them become financially secure. The idea is to encourage them to utilise their skills and help those in need with the money they earn.

I remember how I was late getting to the Thoraya Alawadhi Group of Companies the first time as I had decided to try out the Rolls Royce Phantom of a friend and the petrol was on ‘E’ – we had underestimated how far it will take us. We reached her 20 minutes late and she was most gracious and forgiving about the fact that we drove 30miles an hour to get to her. Our coffee date had started on a humorous note – our mutual friend felt we both were very similar in many ways and should meet and its great we did.

I’m so glad for that introduction because Thoraya has become my role model and since meeting her, I have become more focussed on myself, my child and the time I spend with her just like Thoraya did over the years and her daughter (Najla Al Awadhi) is a well known intellectual personality in the UAE. Thoraya herself graduated from the University of Southern California as a historian. Imagine my delight when I heard that as the company I work for has a global travelling exhibition that looks back in history on the achievements and inventions of Muslim scholars during the golden age of Islam.

It’s always great to be able to talk about all kinds of subjects with Thoraya. Most of her current events are in aid of the Al Noor which is a school for special needs children. Thoraya organizes special events and exhibitions to raise awareness for children with special needs. I have been to her events and as a woman, I really appreciated the things on offer and meeting interesting people from all walks of life.

Our last chat was a discussion on the fact that civilisations should always be built on people and not on buildings. She loves the fact that the UAE Government spends as much on developing the skills and talents of the local people as on the beautiful architecture that visitors to the country are in awe of. She also encourages the growth of the younger generation having seen how successful her own children are.

My favourite project of Thoraya’s is one that she and her partner Miss Leen Vandle designed together – They designed and built a houseboat that is ideal to be attached to beach hotels. She has a model of this currently in Dubai. It is unique and beautiful and future concepts of the boat will also include the facility of being able to travel. The houseboat is a dream home for people who like to live on water (As an Islander and a Pisces, I can totally relate). The interiors are better than any five star hotel you can visit.

Thoraya looks years younger than her age. Her secret is being happy and able to realize her dreams. Doing yoga also helps her with balancing her thoughts and keep her energy levels up. Especially as she gets up early to get her youngest daughter, Yasmeen up for school so her days starts at the same time – this is one thing I am so bad at. I definitely am not a morning person so I admire people who can start the day early with so much vigour. If you have time, do go and see Thoraya’s amazing exhibition tailored for women at the Dubai Ladies Club….its on until the evening of the 8th of March. Enjoy