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Founded by Hassan Thurabi and Azmi Shams, Ghayat is an Arab luxury fashion brand. The brand offers modern luxury fashion that is inspired from Middle Eastern traditional attire. Ghayat aims to create true Arab representation by exploring all the elements of Arabic culture and Tradition, which are filled with an abundance of Elegance, Prestige, and Luxury. The inception of GHAYAT designs were a culmination of natural Arabian soothing environment and sophisticated concrete structures. Since it's launch Ghayat released several collections, including: the Aquanaut collection which was inspired by a beautiful natural phenomenon where sun rays meet the ocean and the Peace collection, the ideology behind it is to create exclusive fashion pieces that are highly adaptable to your daily environments. Visionary Magazine spoke with Ghayat's founders to learn more about the brand, it's inception and it's future. What made you want to start Ghayat? Identifying the right niche is critical to any business, the niche in the Arab Luxury Fashion industry that we are catering to was identified by both of us more than 6 years ago. Since the ideation point till launch, we both had to do the right market research to identify what the needs of the consumers are, what price point can we make the products available, the fit that is acceptable by all etc... The reason for us to launch a luxury brand like Ghayat was after identifying the gap that the Arab Luxury Fashion Industry has. Can you name a luxury fashion brand from the Middle East from the top of your mind? Why do brands like Dior, Channel, Armani come into your mind when you hear the word luxury? With the resources the Middle East provides us with, with the capability and capacity to produce high-end products with similar or higher quality than those brands, why has no one attempted to compete with those big names? These are some of the reasons we decided to launch a brand such as Ghayat. What have the reactions been so far? Leveraging the credibility and reputation of Telal International Group has been of great advantage for Ghayat. We have exceeded our sales expectations with monthly organic sales growth of 117% in the first 3 months since its launch in August 2020. Though in our plan, we did expect the consumers to be hesitant to try out a new brand emerging from the Middle East, we are glad that we have been entrusted by those who were willing to try Ghayat products. The phenomenon about luxury fashion is that it is not accessible to all, it is usually for those who know the worth in different factors such as, cut, fit, comfort and most importantly the material. Though the trend of e-commerce is growing in the region with double digit growth, and our website catering to our consumers we see that new consumers are reluctant to try new things bought online, however the winners are those who fight reluctantly and they are our existing customers. We measure our success not by the number of different customers, but the number of times the same customer comes back to buy more. What is your vision for Ghayat? A simple and straight forward answer to this would be “to put the Middle East on the map of modern, luxury fashion and provide opportunities”. We also focus on bringing out new designers from the Middle East and provide them with all the resources to actualize their designs. One of the major pillars of our business strategy is innovation in our products and portfolio diversification. When it comes to luxury customers, there are a wide range of preferences and catering to them all gradually is challenging but also interesting for Ghayat. There is so many areas in the fashion industry to enter in with the specialization that we have at hand. With tailors, designers, factories, retail outlets at the brand’s disposal; Ghayat has all the resources to confidently enter into any space of the luxury fashion industry, thanks to our partner Telal International Group. What makes Ghayat different than other brands that attempted to do the same? The resources, the passion and commitment are pointers that help Ghayat stand out from other brands. Bringing Arabic traditional wear into a area of modern luxury wear is both dicey and convoluted. As said earlier, the idea/concept is more than 6 years in discussion, hence a lot of research, thought and prototypes had resulted in the perfect product experience through Ghayat. These are factors that makes Ghayat stand out and deliver success. Where do you see Arab fashion going? Compared to previous years, we see that the Arab fashion industry is welcoming trends from around the globe. This may be because of the diverse population in the Middle East. Still remaining in their roots, the Arab fashion was evolving gradually, however with more and more international brands focusing their attention to the Middle East, we see that the evolving process is starting to become more rapid. It is definite that within the next 5 years, there will be a fashion revolution in the middle east and the region will be one of the focal points for luxury fashion. Check out Ghayat's Webiste & Instagram at: https://www.ghayat.com/ https://www.instagram.com/ghayat.official/?hl=en Follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!

Kevin Hart earns up to $10-15m per film but he also charges Hollywood studios an extra fee if they want the film promoted across his social media. Kevin leverages his brand and his social media to charge studios an extra $2-5M if they want the film shared across his large 100m+ following. Kevin Hart began his acting career in 2002, with a role in the American sitcom ‘Undeclared’, created by Judd Apatow. He made his film debut the same year, with a main role in the comedy film ‘Paper Soldiers’. He next appeared in the 2003 comedy horror film ‘Scary Movie 3’, the third film of the Scary Movie franchise. The film was a huge success commercially, though reviews were below average. The same year, he was seen in the film ‘Death of a Dynasty’. He then went on to appear in several movies in the following years, with the latest one being ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’. The film was a huge success commercially, earning nearly $1 billion at the box office. It was met with mostly positive reviews from critics. Follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!

The Shubbak Film Festival always puts the Arab World on the map. The biannual event is now had its sixth edition, bringing contemporary Arab culture to London like never before. From Casablanca to Riyadh, the festival tapped into the region’s biggest talents this year. “Shubbak 2021 celebrates the creativity and voices of Arab artists and takes you right into the heart of cultural expression in the Arab world and its diaspora,” said artistic director Eckhard Thiemann in an interview . “With a wide range of performance venues in London and an extensive network of international locations from Slemani to Casablanca, from Cairo to Riyadh, this year’s festival programme transcends the borders of all our previous editions,” he continued. As part of this year’s programme, Shubbak is placing the spotlight on Saudi women in an exhibition, set to take place both physically and online, with the concept of movement in mind. The exhibition, entitled ‘Image & Movement’ features the artists create works—each using their distinct approach—to investigate the human body as an expressive tool. The show includes works by Ahaad Alamoud, Balqis Al Rashed, Sarah Brahim and Marwah AlMugait. Alamoudi’s piece ‘Those Who Don’t Know Falcons Grill Them’ will be on display. The work—a music video—sees a cohort of male dancers performing Khabayti, a traditional Saudi Arabian dance originating in the Kingdom’s west coast. The choreographed dance, which was historically used in preparation for war and now largely performed during social gatherings (by women as well, at segregated women-only events), is appropriated by Alamoudi whose male subjects don custom-made garments patterened with falcons. Balqis Al Rashed presents a piece titled ‘A State of Play’, a video series investigating preconceived notions of womanhood, identity, and public exposure. Al Rashed’s piece was featured on Instagram’s official page in 2016, making her the first Saudi artist to be featured on the social media’s account. In partnership with phographer Mohammad Alfarj, artist Sarah Brahim also takes part of the show, showcasing a piece called ‘The Dance of the Olive Tree in the Wind.’ Marwah AlMugait presents a video titled ‘I Lived Once’ which sees choreographers LAmees AlSaddique and Jawaher AlRefaei take on moves inspired by the ‘shimmering’ of honeybees and Mimosa Pudica’s signature ‘touch me not’ folding movement, ultimately pointing to alternative structures to the typical order of human society. Follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!

When it comes to the UAE’s art scene, Tashkeel is a cultural staple. The gallery, which launched in 2008, has long nurtured the region’s artists. In the years since, it never stopped. The art organization is now taking things to the next level with a new scholarship fund for UAE-based creatives. With an aim to bolster the nation’s creative sector, the fund was established to encourage those pursuing postgraduate studies in visual art and design at institutions in and outside of the UAE. The fund will cover tuition fees to those awarded, with a call for submissions to be held every two years. 2021 marks the scholarship’s inaugural edition, and three artists have been selected. Palestinian-Canadian designer Faissal El Malak is among the recipients. With an already-successful eponymous label under his belt, El Malak will embark on a journey to pursue an MFA in Fine Art at Goldsmiths University of London. “ My membership at Tashkeel for the past five years has been an essential factor in my growth as a designer and now as an artist. It has allowed me to connect with the creative fabric of the UAE and truly find a home in Dubai,” the artist said in a statement. “Tashkeel’s generosity allowed the acquisition of two pieces by the V&A making me the first Palestinian fashion designer to enter their collection,” he continued. Alia Bin Omair, a member of Tashkeel since 2014, was also granted the funding to pursue a two-year MFA in Contemporary Jewellery at the prestigious Alchimia Contemporary Jewellery School in Florence. The Emirati artist is behind an eponymous jewellery label, has already exhibited her work everywhere from London Design Festival, Dubai Design Week and Milan Design Week. “I am honored to be one of the recipients of the Tashkeel Scholarship Fund, and appreciate the generous support that will enable me to further my practice and career,” she says. Interior and product designer Lina Ghalib is also among those awarded the prize. The artist, who graduated with a degree in Interior Architecture at the American University in Sharjah, has been a member of Tashkeel since 2019, participating in their Tanween design program. She will move on to take up a Master’s degree in Interior Design at Savannah College of Art and Design. “I am truly humbled by the amount of support I am receiving from Tashkeel ever since joining the Tanween programme. It is as though they are my second home. I am honored to be chosen for this Scholarship Fund. I intend to do my best on a daily basis as my small way of thanking Sheikha Latifa bint Maktoum and the Tashkeel team for their ongoing generosity. This is, with the will of God, the next step in forging a successful design career,” Ghalib announced. Follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!

Bahrain may be the smallest country in the GCC, but it’s expanding art scene may soon make it one of the region’s art hubs. The latest advancement beyond its annual Art Bahrain Across Borders fair? A new permanent gallery. Entitled RAK Art Foundation, the art gallery is spearheaded by Sheikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, a member of Bahrain’s royal family and avid art collector. HRH opened the gallery in a converted traditional Bahraini house where he was raised. The space, which was built in the 1920s will house a slew of works—from his own to a collection of pieces by international artists. The home’s original foundation was maintained to ensure the home keeps its traditional architecture. Its OG gypsum walls were kept too, which act as central features in the gallery’s design. “I hope that when guests visit the RAK Art Foundation, they might feel inspired to develop their own collections, or at the very least acknowledge the importance of sharing art with others,” Al Khalifa told The National . Al Khalifa, who has been painting since a young age showcased his most recent works everywhere from London’s Saatchi Gallery to Berlin’s Collectors Room, before settling some of his pieces in the newly launched gallery. Among them is ‘Spectrum’, a series pieces that explore colour. But alongside it in the works on display is a piece by American artist Frank Stella entitled ‘The Honor and Glory of Whaling,’ and ‘La Vie’ by Japanese anime producer and manga art and illustrator Kenji Yoshida. Follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!

Spotify has just recently announced the launch of a new social-audio network called GreenRoom. The already well-established streaming service is just about to add another arrow to its ark by positioning itself at the center of this new booming live-audio market. Formerly known as Locker Room, the company was acquired by the Swedish music giants last March in an attempt to expand their reach whilst accelerating their entry into the thriving podcast industry. Since Clubhouse’s global launch a couple of months ago, many streaming platforms have tried to open themselves up to these new features and formats of audio – Spotify being part of one of the most anticipated releases. Better known for its musical services, Spotify have announced in an official press release that GreenRoom will be a space to “chat about the latest music releases, sports hot takes, need-to-know moments in culture, and anything in between” granting users the possibility to record themselves and posting this new way of podcasting onto their main platform. This same statement included and re-expressed the company’s belief that “Spotify has an opportunity not only to enable live broadcasts, but to aid discovery, drive consumption, and accelerate growth of the live category overall. Today’s app unveiling is our opportunity to begin laying the foundation for the exciting roster of content and capabilities Spotify has in store in our venture into live audio.” As for the terms and conditions of the app, it will be unveiled simultaneously on both the Apple Store and Google Play and will only require you to use your usual Spotify credentials to log in. Completely free, GreenRoom will not call for you to own a premium account in order to access the app, although a Creator Fund scheme will be displayed in order to monetize their work and fuel the new app with more in-depth and desirable content in the future with better means. Listeners and participants will also be able to honor their favorite creators through the Gem system. If someone says something you like in a room, you’ll be able to double tap their profile and reward them with a gem – a prize that will show on your profile and the more you have the more reliable you are to be perceived. Similar to Clubhouse, everyone will be able to open a room and can invite any other user to join them in the conversation. Everyone will be able to talk even though requests to speak on stage will be controlled and monitored by the hosts (the person who initially opened the room or were appointed as such). Available since last week, Spotify’s GreenRoom mirrors a lot of potential to become the next big thing in a year where organic interactions and social gatherings have been made very rare and limited in number. Follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!

The NFT Craze Reaches The Middle East With The Launch Of The First MENA Based NFT Agency. The line between what can be considered as art and what can’t is becoming thinner and thinner by the day, it seems. Non-Fungible Tokens, better known as NFTs, are a new range of artwork, and they’ve been taking the internet by storm since early January. This new form of digital art has completely shifted what constitutes art. American rapper Azealia Banks sold quite the * explicit * audio of herself as an NFT for $17,000, whilst the OG Nyan Cat meme sold for over half a million dollars. Essentially, the aim of an NFT is to be able to claim ownership over any dematerialised object online, as they cannot be replicated whilst also serving as a major catalyst for creators as well as the entire industry as a whole. The specific information embedded within the NFT’s blockchain (basically the token’s digital DNA) cannot be altered nor modified. This paves the way to be able to own legitimate pieces of craft online, while making sure that everyone gets a fair share of the deal—be it from the buyer’s perspective as it is not possible to steal this item, or the seller, who can now receive a far better retribution for their work. Whilst the concept may seem a little confusing at first, the market has grown by more than 800% between January and April of this year, generating over $400 million in the first quarter of 2021 alone. With new industries and markets opening up, it is quite safe to say that the need to organise, institutionalise and regulate this new kind of art auctioning has clearly been made felt – and the Behnoode Foundation is willing to lay the early foundational bricks for the region. Initially established in 2016, the Dubai-based organisation is set to inaugurate and launch the first ever NFT agency of the Arab world, centring it mainly around Islamic arts and culture. According to Behnoode Javaherpour, founder of the institution, this new agency will aim at “helping artists understand the whole process of modernising their artworks through NFT” whilst promoting and rewarding the abundant number of talents, creatives and artistic minds visible in the region. These pieces of art, which are frequently purchased with crypto-currencies, are believed to bear many benefits as “anyone can access [them] via a screen; secure ownership recorded on the blockchain; [have] more transparency; [receive] speedier payment to the artists as well as royalties paid on resale.” The first-ever NFT art auction through the Behnoode Art foundation is set to begin this month and is believed to include contemporary artworks “that juxtaposes ephemerality with permanence”. Protected by the same software used on cryptos, it goes without saying that each piece will be unique and special whilst increasing the popularity of the central point of focus of the initiative. Follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!

It’s no secret: Arabs love K-Pop. with countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Morocco, Egypt and Qatar as the genre’s biggest consumers in the world, K-Pop definitely has a home in the region. As a result, a movement of Arab K-Pop artists was born and this movement is rapidly growing. Now, the ultimate Arab K-pop anthem is here. Saudi-Arabia based Kuwaiti singer Bader Al-Shuaibi just teamed up with Korean-American singer AleXa on the ultimate bop. Entitled ‘It’s On”, the track comes as part of a Spotify venture, featuring Arabic, Korean and English lyrics. “(It is) unfamiliar but interesting and fun,” Al-Shuaibi told Arab News in an interview . “It blends cultures and backgrounds and even people.” The song was unveiled as part of Spotify’s Radar programme, the streaming platform’s global emerging-artist program that launched in March 2020. “In our continued efforts to blur the boundaries of the global music landscape, we cooked up this next Radar collaboration with a focus on K-pop and Khaleeji pop from the Gulf region,” said Wissam Khodur , who manages artist and label partnerships at Spotify MENA. “K-pop is performing amazingly well across the world, but especially so in the Gulf, where we see K-pop releases shoot to the peak position on charts,” Khodur continued. To mark her regional debut, AleXa said: “I’m so grateful for this collaboration. It’s a fresh, never-heard-before mix of cultures and sound. I really can’t wait for our fans to hear this track all over the world.” Follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!

The world’s largest sporting event is almost here—and it’s not short of Arab representation, of course. But Yasmine Al Dabbagh is making history as one of few (and fast) women to represent Saudi Arabia at the Tokyo Olympics set to be held later this month. The news was announced after Al Dabbagh broke the national female 100-meter dash record at the athletics national trial last month. With a record time of 13.24, the runner officially became the fastest woman in the Kingdom. “Yasmeen Al-Dabbagh is literally the fastest woman in Saudi Arabia. Can’t wait to see her take on the 100-meter race in Tokyo,” celebrated Princess Reema Bint Bandar Bin Sultan, Saudi Ambassador to the United States, to make the announcement. “I’m running for myself, my country, and for all young Saudis. So many people have helped me throughout my career to compete, become a better sprinter and better person,” said Al Dabbagh on her accomplishment. “Regardless of the result, Saudi Arabia is a country on the move and I’m going to love every second of the Olympics,” she added. The history-making runner will join athlete Mazen Al-Yassin in Tokyo, who will be taking part in the 400m race. 10 Saudi athletes secured spots at the games, the roster includes weightlifter Mahmoud AL Ahmeed, rower Husein Alireza, karate athlete Tarek Hamdi, Suleiman Hamad in judo, swimmer Youssef Bouarish, shooter Saeed Al Mutairi, and table tennis player Ali AL Khadrawi. Follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!

The Red Sea Film Foundation, the Saudi Arabian organization that overseas the kingdom’s Red Sea International Film Festival, has launched the Red Sea Fund, a $10 million fund aimed at supporting projects with directors from the Arab world and Africa. The fund is set to back more than 100 feature projects in its first year, as well as episodic content, and will also be open to short films from Saudi nationals. “Helping African and Arab cinema grow, that’s a very exciting responsibility,” said the festival’s newly-appointed artistic director, Edouard Waintrop. “That’s what the Red Sea Fund will do at every stage of the making of the chosen movies and episodic content. In providing more than 100 grants to help the development, production and post-production of movies across the Arab World and Africa, the Red Sea Fund will help cinema that is in full metamorphosis he continued." The inaugural edition of the festival is due to take place on November 11 of this year in Al Balad, Jeddah’s historic downtown. To kick it off, the organization will host what they’ve dubbed ‘Red Sea Souk’, a marketplace and industry hub for the region. The ‘souk’ will see a marketplace complete with pitching sessions for more than 20 projects from the region as well as a films-in-progress workshop. Follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!

In collaboration with the Arab Fund of Arts & Culture (AFAC), Netflix has announced an expansion of its emergency relief fund, which is valued at $500,000 to support the region’s film and television industries. The fund, which was originally established in October 2020 following the Beirut port blast, will be provided in the form of individual grants of $2000. The fund will go to those Netflix described as ‘below the line crew, craftspeople and freelancers who are active in the television or film industry’. In 2020, the two organizations awarded 246 grants to Lebanon’s film and television community. This time around, the fund has been expanded to the entire region, though. “We have expanded the emergency fund to support more people from the Arab creative community,” Netflix said in a statement. “Forging the right partnerships allows us to create jobs, build talent pipelines and support the industry. We are so grateful to be working with AFAC and hope this fund supports the creative community during this difficult period.” arabculturefund.org Follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!

Mike AKA the RM Plug is a Miami based entrepreneur and a top level watch trader of Ghanaian origin. Growing up around a father who was an entrepreneur himself, Mike was drawn to the art of trade from a young age. After moving to the states and going through some adversity, he started his first business, which was a marketing agency. After getting some success with that, he went on to establish a clothing brand, which ended up being super successful and started a big fashion trend at the time. After his success in the fashion business, he went into the watch trading industry and rose to be one of the top watch traders in the world after only two years. Mike's client list include wealthy businessmen and celebrities such as recording artist Davido, actor Omari Hardwick and many more. Mike talks about his beginnings as an entrepreneur, his success in the fashion industry and how he rose to the top of the watch trading game. Follow us on: Instagram Facebook YouTube Make sure to share this post and subscribe to our newsletter to receive notifications on our latest posts, as well as exclusive content and much more!