JEDDAH: When Saudi Arabia’s ban on women driving ended on Sunday, fashion designer Eman Joharjy and her friends drove to Jeddah’s seafront where they exchanged their car for bicycles.
The colorful, embroidered jumpsuit abayas they donned stood out among the sea of women wearing similar loose-fitting full-length robes but in the traditional black. Yet no one stopped them.
Women in Saudi Arabia are rapidly gaining more freedoms under a reform agenda spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who wants to transform the Kingdom's economy.
The government recently allowed women to join the security forces and no longer requires them to have a male relative’s consent to open a business. And while now they can drive, they still need permission to get married and travel abroad.
Mohammed bijn Salman laid the ground two years ago for many social changes, including the return of cinemas and public concerts, by curbing the powers of the religious police.
These days at sunset, as the Arabian heat eases, women do sports along the promenade.
“Women feel encouraged by the government support. They are telling them, ‘You can go run and play sports’,” said Joharjy. “But let’s change from a sedentary society to a more active one.”
In 2007, frustrated by a lack of abayas made for running or cycling, Joharjy designed one for herself. She began making them for friends and selling what she dubbed the “sporty abaya.”
Colorful racks display designs for different activities like the driving abaya, which features a hoodie, tight elbows to prevent the sleeves from catching on the steering wheel, and shorter lengths to make switching pedals easier.
Most importantly for Joharjy, there is no trace of black.
“They reflect freedom and the willingness to embrace life and make it easy for the modern woman,” she said. “Besides, women love color.”
She is optimistic that Saudi Arabia’s social rules will ease further. But she still believes that many women will continue to wear the abaya in one form or another.
For her, the robe is like the Indian sari, a symbol of cultural heritage rather than religion.
Saudi Arabian woman designs abayas for freer lifestyles
Saudi Arabian woman designs abayas for freer lifestyles
- Colorful, embroidered jumpsuit abayas by fashion designer Eman Joharjy definitely standout
- The designs are for different activities like the driving abaya, which features a hoodie, tight elbows to prevent the sleeves from catching on the steering wheel
Gigi Hadid confirms relationship with first photo on social media
DUBAI: In a new post on social media, supermodel Gigi Hadid has confirmed her long-rumored relationship with partner Bradley Cooper with her first-ever photograph of the couple together.
The US Dutch Palestinian model took to Instagram on Saturday night to share photographs of her 30th birthday party, held in late April in New York. In the carousel of images, Hadid can be seen kissing Cooper while standing behind a tiered birthday cake.
Social media commenters, and news outlets, quickly spotted the post and dubbed it the “hard launch” of their relationship.
Hadid, 30, and Cooper, 50, were first linked in October 2023.
"I feel so lucky to be 30!" Hadid captioned her post. "I feel so lucky for every high and low - for all the lessons and gifts both have brought me. To get to feel it all! I’m so lucky to be a mom, friend, partner, sister, daughter, colleague to some of the most unbelievable humans!!"
"So lucky for the support and encouragement from all of YOU around the world, every day and on my birthday last week," she continued. "I had the best time celebrating, and it’s a blessing to feel so loved!! I am grateful and honored to take on a new decade."
Cooper shares daughter Lea De Seine, 8, with model Irina Shayk while Hadid shares her daughter Khai, 4, with One Direction alum Zayn Malik.
The birthday party was held at Le Chalet in New York City on April 25.
Hadid entered the venue with Oscar nominee Cooper, and met up with her sister Bella Hadid, mother Yolanda Hadid, father Mohamed Hadid, Russian media personality Keni Silva and US actress Anne Hathaway, among others.
Gigi’s birthday was on April 23, and the internet was abuzz with celebrities, designers, family and friends who sent birthday wishes to the supermodel as she turned 30.
Bella shared a carousel of photos on Instagram to celebrate, writing: “IT’S GIGI DAY EVERYONE SAY IT WITH ME. HAPPPYYY 30th BIRTHDAYYYY JELENAAAA.”
Yolanda Hadid, Gigi’s mother, took a moment to reflect on her daughter’s 30-year journey. “Thirty years went by in a flash, 10,950 days to be exact but there hasn’t been one day without you on my mind,” she wrote, sharing photos of Gigi from babyhood to recent moments.
Kevin Hart brings laughs and life lessons to Abu Dhabi with ‘Acting My Age’
ABU DHABI: Kevin Hart returned to the stage at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Friday with his signature energy and a new show, following his successful performance there in 2023.
“It’s good to be back,” Hart said, kicking off a night of relentless humor and heartfelt honesty.
As part of the Abu Dhabi comedy festival, Hart performed a classic American standup show mixed with a lot of self-deprecating humor.
Titled “Acting my Age,” the show is themed around understanding old age and realizing that aging is about gaining experience and wisdom.
With jokes about his endless injuries and health problems, Hart’s signature facial expressions and animated vocals brought the show to life, and left members of the audience in tears of laughter.
The show was targeted at an older crowd, and Hart was able to capture their attention with his personal anecdotes.
Crowd work and audience interactions were missing from his performance and some people yelled out to grab his attention, but he mostly ignored these callouts.
As usual, his line delivery was on point and he was able to easily transition from one story to the next while maintaining running gags throughout the show, which lasted about an hour.
Opening for Hart were a group of comedians who go by the name of “Plastic Cup Boyz.” The trio, consisting of Joey Wells, Will “Spank” Horton and Na’im Lynn, delivered an entertaining and captivating opener for the show.
Hart ended his performance with heartfelt sentiment, saying: “The win in life is old age. Old age is not guaranteed.”
Maya Akra on the Oscars and making space for Arab voices in Hollywood
DUBAI: Lebanese actress and comedian Maya Akra has spent years carving out her niche across Beirut and New York. This year, that journey reached a new milestone when “Anora,” a film she appears in, won five Oscars, including Best Picture.
But for Akra, the recognition is just one part of a much longer story.
“I was raised by ‘Comedy Central’ (and) … ‘The Nanny.’ Fran Drescher was my hero,” Akra told Arab News. Her early love of performance was sparked at home, where her father, a filmmaker, recorded endless hours of her childhood on VHS. “Being in front of the camera has been my reality since I was a baby. I have hours of footage from my childhood, sometimes just talking endlessly like I was the host of my own show. Somehow that early lens shaped me,” she said.
She began performing on stage at a young age, often drawing from real-life experiences marked by grief, resilience and reinvention. After building her career in Lebanon — working behind the scenes at MTV, acting in student films and her comedy sketches going viral — Akra moved to New York to pursue acting and stand-up full-time.
Now part of the city’s vibrant improv and comedy scene, she has performed at venues such as The Stand, Stand Up NY and Broadway Comedy Club.
Her acting work includes short films, commercials and theater, often centered around stories of identity and migration. “I’m drawn to stories that spotlight the emotional and cultural struggles of Arab immigrants,” she said.
Akra is passionate about breaking the mold for Arab characters onscreen. “Arab talent is slowly gaining more visibility in Western media… (but) the industry still has a long way to go. Too often, the roles offered to Arab actors are still limited to certain tropes, like the villain, the terrorist or the oppressed woman.
“We have so many untold stories that reflect the diversity and success of Arabs in America,” she added.
While “Anora” was not an Arab story, being part of an indie project that defied expectations — and that went on to sweep the Oscars — was a powerful moment for Akra. She had been invited to the ceremony but did not attend.
“I didn’t even watch the ceremony. I had just moved into my apartment. I was in a really emotional place. I had just lost my aunt,” she recalled. “Then suddenly, I got a message: ‘You’re featured in the Best Picture of 2024!’ I was stunned. It felt completely surreal. I was so happy, and I couldn’t stop smiling.”
Looking ahead, Akra is focused on continuing to tell real, layered stories through both comedy and drama. “I carry Lebanon with me into every room,” she said. “I’ll be at the Oscars when I win my own one day. I’m claiming that.”
Ramy Youssef’s ‘#1 Happy Family USA’ comedy hits close to home
- Focus on challenges facing Muslim Americans post-9/11
- Stark reminder that today’s dystopia is no laughing matter
TORONTO: American-Egyptian comedian and actor Ramy Youssef’s first animated venture “#1 Happy Family USA,” on Amazon Prime Video, is a satirical take on the challenges faced by Muslim-American families in a post-9/11 world.
Created with Pam Brady of “South Park” fame, the eight-episode series opens with a darkly comic twist of fate — the Egyptian-American Hussein family is at the airport when news breaks of the World Trade Center attacks.
And from that moment, everything changes. The patriarch and owner of Hussein’s Halal Cart is convinced that “we must work harder at being like them. So, we blend in.”
To fit in, Hussein shaves his beard and pushes the family to “look more American.” Meanwhile, mom Sharon (also known as Sharia) embraces her faith with renewed conviction by donning a hijab.
Twelve-year-old Rumi (voiced by Youssef) finds himself an outcast at school and is now forced to navigate not only the throes of middle school and adolescence, but also the harsh realities of a post-9/11 world.
Each character is so vividly portrayed that you can easily imagine your Arab teta or the local Pakistani imam in the mix. The well-timed vocal interjections and cultural (Arab and American pop-culture) references bring an extra layer of freshness and humor to the show.
Known for his Emmy-nominated “Ramy,” Youssef continues to shed light on the Muslim-American experience.
The show evokes the familiar sentiment of fear. It captures the lived reality of Islamophobia and surveillance in Muslim communities, and explores related themes of identity struggles, microaggressions, and code-switching.
We can laugh at the Hussein family’s antics, but the show serves as a stark reminder that in today’s dystopian and polarized political climate, there is little humor to be found.
UK comedian Russell Brand appears in court on rape charges
- He faces two counts of rape, two of sexual assault and one of indecent assault
- Arriving for the first court hearing in the case, Brand made his way slowly through a crush of media and onlookers gathered outside the court
LONDON: British comedian and actor Russell Brand appeared in a London court on Friday to face five charges of rape and other sexual offenses and said.
Brand, 49, who became known internationally as the husband of pop star Katy Perry after forging a career in Britain with his risque comedy routines, was charged last month.
He faces two counts of rape, two of sexual assault and one of indecent assault.
Arriving for the first court hearing in the case, Brand made his way slowly through a crush of media and onlookers gathered outside the court.
The celebrity, dressed casually in a dark colored open-necked shirt and jeans, spoke only to confirm his details before being granted bail and ordered to appear in court again on May 30.
In a video response on X after he was charged, Brand denied all the alleged offenses and said he was “grateful” for the “opportunity” to defend himself.
“I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord. I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile, but what I never was a rapist. I’ve never engaged in non-consensual activity,” he said in the video.
The charges relate to offenses alleged to have taken place between 1999 and 2005 involving four women.
Prosecutors charged him after a police investigation into allegations following a broadcast of a Channel 4 documentary in September 2023.
London’s Metropolitan Police have said the investigation remains open and urged “anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information” to contact officers.
Brand is charged with the rape of a woman in 1999 in the Bournemouth area on England’s south coast, as well as the abuse and sexual assault of a woman in 2004 in the Westminster area of central London.
He has also been charged with indecently assaulting a woman in 2001 and sexually assaulting another woman between 2004 and 2005 — both incidents alleged to have taken place in Westminster.
The court confirmed that he lives part of the time in the United States, but Brand also gave an address in the southern English county of Buckinghamshire.
Born in 1975 to working-class parents in Essex, east of London, Brand began his stand-up career as a teenager.
He burst onto the scene as a provocative, often lewd comedian before transforming into a Hollywood star, then an anti-establishment guru and conspiracy theorist who has millions of fans online.
He has almost seven million subscribers on YouTube, 11.3 million on X and 4.8 million on Instagram.
He presented a show on the BBC’s Radio 2 station between 2006 and 2008 but left after an on-air prank when he left a sexually explicit voicemail for “Fawlty Towers” actor Andrew Sachs about his granddaughter.
He also presented a “Big Brother” spin-off show for several years and wrote columns for the left-wing Guardian newspaper and penned two autobiographies.
Brand was married to US star Perry for 14 months between 2010 and 2012.
He is now married to the author and illustrator Laura Gallacher, with whom he has three children.
