Van Cleef & Arpels, NYU Abu Dhabi usher in a new chapter for dance in the UAE

(Photography by Waleed Shah)
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Updated 21 September 2022
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Van Cleef & Arpels, NYU Abu Dhabi usher in a new chapter for dance in the UAE

DUBAI: This week, performers from the British dance company Candoco took to the stage at The Arts Center of NYU Abu Dhabi with the support of luxury French jewelry brand Van Cleef & Arpels.

Featuring both abled and disabled dancers, the performances for the UAE premiers of “Set and Reset/Reset” and “Last Shelter,” choreographed by Trisha Brown and Jeanine Durning, transcended perceptions of what dance can be.

“Candoco’s work expands the vocabulary of contemporary dance for performers with different ways of moving, including the integration of people of determination,” Executive Artistic Director at The Arts Center at NYUAD Bill Bragin told Arab News. “Introducing UAE audiences to Candoco and their work builds on conversations around dance and disability that began in The Arts Center’s first season with Aakash Odedra Company.”




Van Cleef & Arpels has been a devotee of dance since its establishment in 1895. (Photography by Waleed Shah)

The performance was the first in a series presented for the first time with the support of Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels, a program launched by the high jewelry house during the fall of 2020 to strengthen its commitment to the arts with a special focus on dance.

Van Cleef & Arpels has been a devotee of dance since its establishment in 1895. Those familiar with the French jewelry brand will recall its enrapturing bejeweled brooches of ballerinas inspired by some of the leading dancers of the 20th century, including New York City Ballet principal Suzanne Farrell and Russian Anna Pavlova. Claude and Pierre Arpels were friends of George Balanchine, the Russian-born American ballet choreographer who was one of the last century’s most influential dancers. When Balanchine’s 1967 ballet “Jewels” premiered in New York City, some reporters at the time said that Claude Arpels suggested the idea of a ballet inspired by jewels to Balanchine.

The brand’s patronage of dance since the fall of 2020 has focused predominantly on a modern and contemporary choreographic repertoire, encouraging new dance productions by companies around the world.




The dances featured both abled and disabled dancers. (Photography by Waleed Shah)

At the helm of Dance Reflections is Van Cleef & Arpels’ Director of Dance and Culture Serge Laurent, who previously worked at the Centre Pompidou and the Fondation Cartier. He studied at the École du Louvre in Paris.

“The first idea was to continue writing the story of the maison and its strong connection with dance as a source of inspiration,” Laurent told Arab News. “We are a company that is anchored in tradition but also very interested in new forms.”

The luxury brand’s support of and investment in dance was also a way to give back to the art form and to communities around the world.




The performances were choreographed by Trisha Brown and Jeanine Durning. (Photography by Waleed Shah)

“Dance brings all the artistic disciplines together: It can incorporate music, the plastic arts, costume, lighting, set design, graphic design and even jewelry,” Laurent said in a statement. “It is a fascinating art form and an incredible field of expression. That is why it can appeal to such a wide audience. I’d like to encourage spectators to admire the works freely, with no preconceptions.”

Van Cleef & Arpels’ new patronage of dance in the UAE comes at a time when the region’s dance scene is rising but still in great need of support — something that Bragin and The Arts Center at NYUAD are actively championing.

“The Arts Center has aimed to build an audience for contemporary dance in the UAE, giving exposure to world-class companies, providing training for local artists, and opening the doors for larger conversations through the art form of dance,” said Bragin. “The new partnership with Dance Reflection by Van Cleef & Arpels is especially meaningful since it recognizes the singular role The Arts Center has played in growing the dance ecosystem in the country through presentation, commissioning, transmission, and education. Van Cleef & Arpels have a century-long history of supporting the art form and being inspired by it. The combination of our visions together seems so organic.”


Recipes for success: Chef Federico Erroi  offers advice, a tasty crème brûlée recipe 

Updated 6 sec ago
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Recipes for success: Chef Federico Erroi  offers advice, a tasty crème brûlée recipe 

DUBAI: Federico Erroi’s culinary story begins in Florence, Italy, guided by his grandmother’s steady hands. She taught young Federico how to make pastry cream, sparking his lifelong fascination with desserts and the discipline behind them. 

 “I was never the best at theoretical subjects in school,” Erroi tells Arab News. “But when it came to getting my hands dirty in the kitchen, I always found success and great satisfaction.” 

Caption

By the age of 21, Erroi was already working professionally in Florence. After nearly a decade honing his craft in Italy, he moved to Dubai in 2017. Since then, he has led pastry programs at top-tier restaurants including Rue Royale and Cipriani. Today, he heads the pastry team at CÉ LA VI Dubai, a restaurant featured in the city’s Michelin Guide for three consecutive years. 

Erroi was recently shortlisted for Pastry Chef of the Year by the Hotel and Catering Awards.  

When you started out, what was the most common mistake you made?  

If there’s one thing I’ve always struggled with — not just in the kitchen, but in life — it’s patience. I always wanted to finish everything as quickly as possible, but still perfectly. This has been one of my biggest challenges, because pastry — especially baking — requires time. Long resting periods, fermentation and proofing are what give flavor, texture and structure to the best products. A mousse that hasn’t rested long enough will be too runny, and dough that hasn’t been rested long enough will lack flavor. That’s how I’ve come to master the ancient art of patience. 

CÉ LA VI Dubai. (Supplied)

What’s your top tip for amateurs?  

When it comes to pastry, the most common mistake is always the same: precision. Pastry is a perfect balance, an alchemy based on carefully selected and precisely measured ingredients. Many amateurs get the measurements wrong out of haste or distraction, or they replace ingredients or alter quantities as they please, which inevitably leads to disappointing results. 

My mother, for example, has the bad habit of reducing the amounts of butter or cream in my recipes. She’s very health-conscious and always afraid of overdoing it. But without fail, the result never satisfies her, and she always asks the same questions: “Federico, why are these cookies so hard?” or “Why is this cream flavorless?” or “Why is this mousse so runny?” And my response is always the same: “Mom, are you sure you followed the recipe?”  

Desserts aren’t always healthy. They are indulgences and guilty pleasures. We can absolutely enjoy them, as long as it’s in moderation. 

CÉ LA VI Dubai. (Supplied)

What one ingredient can instantly improve any dish? 

Any dish, if made with care, passion and — above all — love, will never disappoint. And maybe it’s the love we put into cooking that gets passed on to the ingredients we touch and makes our meal a moment of pure pleasure. That’s probably why your mom’s or grandma’s food always tastes the best. Then again, maybe a good quality vanilla or a pinch of salt — a contrast to the sweetness in pastry — is the real secret ingredient. 

When you go out to eat, do you find yourself critiquing the food?  

I’m simply grateful to share that moment with the people around the table. What scares my friends and family most when they cook for me is the fear of being judged, but I always tell them this: “For those of us who work in kitchens, just sitting at a table with loved ones is already a wonderful meal, because we’re used to eating in a rush, standing up or sitting on a cardboard box in a kitchen corner, alone, at odd hours, or while working.” 

What’s your favorite cuisine or dish to order?  

I always like to try something new — something beyond my culinary culture or dishes that require complex preparation that I can’t replicate at home. Sometimes, I just enjoy a perfectly executed croissant or a pizza baked in a wood-fired oven. As for desserts, I prefer to stick with the classics — a good tiramisu or quality gelato.

What’s your go-to dish if you have to cook something quickly at home?  

Probably pasta with cherry tomatoes, basil and parmesan. If I need a quick dessert, I’ll make a tiramisu, a passion fruit panna cotta or a chocolate soufflé. What do these recipes have in common? Simplicity. Just a few ingredients, each carefully selected and blended or cooked in a way that creates a dish with a unique flavor. 

What customer request or behavior most annoys you? 

Cooking in a restaurant also means learning to accept criticism, to really listen to what customers say, and to understand their preferences. It’s not always easy to accept certain comments like “This chocolate mousse is too airy” or “This dessert is too sweet or too bitter,” because everyone has their own palette. But sometimes, feedback, if listened to and understood, can genuinely help us improve. That’s why I always stay open to customer opinions, whether positive or negative. In fact, I’m often more interested in the negative feedback, because it’s from that input that I’ve been able to create new ideas or improve dishes I thought were already perfect. The truth is, in this profession, you never truly “arrive.” There’s always something more to learn. 

What’s your favorite dish to make? 

Panettone. It’s one of those desserts made with just a few ingredients: sourdough starter, water, flour, butter, eggs and sugar, along with raisins and candied orange. But making it is a true magic act that starts with the sourdough itself, a simple mixture of water and flour that’s fermented and refreshed daily for at least three months. This creates a colony of bacteria that will make the panettone rise and give it a unique, unrepeatable flavor, as the bacteria’s development depends on the surrounding temperature, the water used, and good microbes in the working environment. Only when the sourdough is ready can we proceed with the first dough, mixing the starter with water, flour, sugar, butter and eggs. 

This rests for 12 hours, followed by the final dough with the remaining ingredients. Then, after another six-hour rest, we reach the magical moment of baking, the moment of truth, where, based on the final volume, we truly understand whether all the previous steps were done perfectly, or if we made mistakes in temperature, fermentation or even the pH of our precious star ingredient, the sourdough starter. 

As a head chef, what are you like? 

I believe I’ve changed a lot over the years. I love teaching and sharing everything I’ve learned. I have no secrets — there truly are none, even if some professionals still claim otherwise. I always try to motivate my team and keep morale high, especially when the work hours get longer and more stressful. Today, I consider myself a very patient person — maybe thanks to this beautiful profession. I’ve never raised my voice in the kitchen, never insulted or scolded anyone. I firmly believe that kindness and good manners are the foundation of any relationship, and they can truly make a difference in the workplace. 

Chef Federico’s pineapple creme brûlée  

Ingredients for the coconut pastry cream:  

Coconut milk 350 g 

Coconut cream 50 g 

Sugar 1 38 g 

Lime zest 1/2 pc  

Sugar 2 38 g  

Salt 0.6 g  

Flour 32 g  

Corn starch 12 g  

Egg yolk 80 g  

Method:  

Mix coconut milk, coconut cream, sugar 1, lime zest in a pot and bring to a boil. 

In a separate bowl mix sugar 2, salt, flour, starch, egg yolk till powder is completely absorbed avoiding the lumps formations. 

Pour hot liquid onto the egg mix and bring back on fire stirring continuously till first bubble appear. 

Pour in a terrine and let it set covered with cling film on touching the cream (to avoid skin formation). 

When is completely cold mix till creamy texture and pour it onto the pineapple compote into the pineapple cup. 

Coat the surface with sugar and brulee till golden dark brown. 

Ingredients for the pineapple compote:  

Pineapple juice 100 g 

Sugar agar agar 10 g  

Finely chopped pineapple 100 g 

Method: (One portion 70 g of compote) 

Take a whole pineapple, cut off the leaf and slice it into three thick slices horizontally. 

With a spoon or a scooper scoop off the pulp creating a cup. 

Warm up the juice to 40°. 

Mix sugar and agar and add to pineapple juice. 

Boil for one min. 

Let it set in the chiller and blend it nicely. 

Add pineapple chopped and mix. 

Spread it evenly inside the pineapple cup. 


Book Review: The AI-Centered Enterprise

Updated 10 July 2025
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Book Review: The AI-Centered Enterprise

What lies beyond ChatGPT for businesses?

In The AI-Centered Enterprise: Reshaping Organizations with Context-Aware AI, authors Ram Bala, Natarajan Balasubramanian and Amit Joshi argue that the next leap in artificial intelligence is not about flashy prompts, but rather perception, reasoning, and organizational transformation.

The book, published earlier this year, introduces the concept of “context-aware AI,” systems that do not just process information but understand it in real-time business scenarios.

These are tools that adjust to their environment, collaborate across teams, and make decisions with nuance; a significant step forward from today’s mostly predictive systems.

The authors, all professors and practitioners in the AI and analytics space, offer a clear roadmap for businesses to prepare.

Their proposed model, the “3Cs” — “Calibrate, Clarify, Channelize” — breaks down how leaders can align AI tools with company values, ensure teams understand how to use them, and direct efforts where they will have the most impact.

For readers in Saudi Arabia, where AI is central to Vision 2030 initiative, this book can serve as a strategic lens.

While it does not focus on the region, its practical insights are useful for decision-makers looking to scale AI responsibly across sectors such as healthcare, logistics, and government services.

More guidebook than manifesto, “The AI-Centered Enterprise” avoids jargon and balances case studies with actionable ideas.

It will not dazzle readers chasing science-fiction futures, but it is a timely read for professionals who want to lead, not just react, in the age of intelligent systems.
 


WOOHOO, a restaurant operated by an AI chef, to open in Dubai soon

Updated 10 July 2025
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WOOHOO, a restaurant operated by an AI chef, to open in Dubai soon

  • AI ‘Chef Aiman’ to create data-driven flavour combinations
  • The restaurant that bills itself as “dining in the future” is set to open in September

DUBAI: In Dubai, your dinner might soon come with a side of source code.
WOOHOO, a restaurant that bills itself as “dining in the future,” is set to open in September in central Dubai, a stone’s throw from the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.
Food at WOOHOO will be assembled by humans, for now, but everything else — from the menu to ambience to service — will be designed by a culinary large-language-model called “Chef Aiman.”
Aiman — a portmanteau of “AI” and “man” — is trained on decades of food science research, molecular composition data and over a thousand recipes from cooking traditions around the world, said Ahmet Oytun Cakir, one of WOOHOO’s founders.

Food prepared using the recipe from "Aiman", the AI Chef is served on a plate, at the Trove Restaurant in Dubai on July 8, 2025. (REUTERS)

While Chef Aiman can’t taste, smell or interact with his dishes like a chef normally would, the model works by breaking cuisine down to its component parts like texture, acidity and umami, and reassembling them into unusual flavour and ingredient combinations, according to Aiman’s developers.
These prototypes are then refined by human cooks who taste the combinations and provide direction, in an effort led by renowned Dubai-based chef Reif Othman.
“Their responses to my suggestions help refine my understanding of what works beyond pure data,” Aiman explained, in an interview with the interactive AI model.
The goal, Aiman’s creators say, is not to supplant the human element of cooking but to complement it.
“Human cooking will not be replaced, but we believe (Aiman) will elevate the ideas, creativity,” said Oytun Cakir, who is also chief executive of hospitality company Gastronaut.
Aiman is designed to develop recipes that re-use ingredients often discarded by restaurants, like meat trimmings or fat, he said.
Longer term, WOOHOO’s founders believe Aiman could be licensed to restaurants across the globe, reducing kitchen waste and improving sustainability. (Reporting by Luke Tyson Editing by Ros Russell)


Elie Saab blends 19th-century romance with red carpet precision in fall couture

Updated 10 July 2025
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Elie Saab blends 19th-century romance with red carpet precision in fall couture

PARIS: Elie Saab, the Lebanese designer long favored on the red carpet, returned to familiar territory on Wednesday, with fall haute couture — and did so unapologetically.

In Paris, fashion insiders gathered among marble columns as models descended a gilded stone staircase to the strains of harpsichord music, setting the tone for a collection steeped in historical romance.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by ELIE SAAB (@eliesaabworld)

Saab leaned into his signature codes: sumptuous velvets, gowns gathered at the back, and pearl and jewel-adorned chokers. Floral appliques — another hallmark — blossomed, anchoring the collection in the femininity that has defined the house for decades.

This was a particularly thoughtful collection, evoking romantic silhouettes from the turn of the 19th century in Europe. The soft draping and historical references gave the show a sense of emotional depth beyond its surface opulence.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by ELIE SAAB (@eliesaabworld)

Macaron hues — nude, rose pink, water blue, and mint — punctuated by imperial black and gold, set off bold blooms across brocade and print, infusing the collection with romantic vibrancy. Among the standout pieces were gowns with cascading trains and bejeweled details, encasing the body in a kind of luxurious cage.

Saab said the collection — dubbed “The New Court” — was “a sumptuous playground for the modern queen — one who plays by her own rules.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by ELIE SAAB (@eliesaabworld)

Though luxury and opulence may be Saab’s well-trodden path, he showed that consistency remains its own form of artistry.

Saab’s couture is less about surprise and more about control — control of silhouette, embellishment, and fantasy. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by ELIE SAAB (@eliesaabworld)

If the show felt familiar at times, it was also undeniably polished — a standout collection that reminded audiences why Saab’s world of embellished escapism continues to resonate.

It’s a formula that keeps Hollywood coming back. Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Marion Cotillard, Penélope Cruz, Charlize Theron, Emmanuelle Béart, Sophie Marceau, Beyoncé, Maggie Cheung and Diane Kruger have all stepped onto the world’s biggest stages in Saab’s gowns — a testament to a house where fantasy and glamour are always in season.


Uncovering hidden meanings with Saudi artist Lulwah Al-Homoud

Updated 10 July 2025
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Uncovering hidden meanings with Saudi artist Lulwah Al-Homoud

  • The Saudi artist talks spirituality, geometry, and creating a new visual language

DUBAI: Despite her love for art, Lulwah Al-Homoud didn’t set out to be an artist. But last month her work — rooted in geometry, Arabic calligraphy, and deep spiritual reflection — was on display at one of Europe’s most cutting-edge digital art events. 

The Saudi artist was featured at this year’s edition of The Digital Art Mile in Basel, Switzerland, (which ran alongside Art Basel) presented by the Sigg Art Foundation. 

Her featured work comes from her series “The Language of Existence”  — a reimagined Arabic alphabet that uses geometric patterns inspired by Islamic art.  

“I created different geometric shapes assigned to each letter,” Al-Homoud says. “I kind of created a new language that cannot be read, but can be felt more.”  

“The Language of Existence” is a perfect representation of Al-Homoud’s work in general. “I was always drawn to calligraphy and Islamic geometry — we all see these beautiful (writings) and patterns, but we don’t know the meaning behind them,” she says.  

It was while pursuing her master’s in arts at London’s Central Saint Martins that Al-Homoud really began to dig into that meaning, studying geometry and calligraphy inspired by Islamic art and learning how they were developed over centuries by different cultures.  

Her path to that master’s was not straightforward. “I was always an artist inside — always drawing portraits and landscapes — but I wanted to have a career,” she says. “My family, especially wanted me to be a woman who has a career and who helps her society and all that.” She gained a bachelor’s degree in sociology, and — in the late Nineties — began studying visual communication design in London before moving on to her master’s.  

Al-Homoud began her working life curating exhibitions for Middle Eastern artists and calligraphers in London, something that helped her discover her own artistic voice. 

“When I learned about the sophisticated ideas behind Islamic art and geometry, I said, ‘That’s what I want to do.’ Because I felt that it was more of a universal language and it’s also where art and science meet,” she says. “I felt I wanted to do something with meaning.   

“I wasn’t thinking of exhibiting my work at all, but someone discovered my sketches and said, ‘Your work is great. You have to show it.’ And that’s where it all began,” she adds.  

Despite that initial encouragement, Al-Homoud says it wasn’t easy to establish herself as an artist in London in the early 2000s. Partly because people often made assumptions about her before even talking to her, based on her ethnicity and religion.  

“When I did exhibitions, they would come and ask me the wrong questions — they wouldn’t look at the art and relate to it,” she says. “It took time for people to realize that artists speak a universal language. Art really brings people together, while the world (wants to impose) divisions and categorization.”

While her art may have universal appeal, it is also heavily inspired by Al-Homoud’s personal beliefs.

“I (learned about) and met a lot of people in the art field who were using this calligraphy and geometry,” she says. “I feel this kind of art really reflects your spirituality more than any other, and this is the reason why Muslim artists kept doing it for all these years,” she says. “That’s why people say (that creating) it feels peaceful.”

Al-Homoud is also focused on helping the next generation of the Kingdom’s artists. She has founded an art center in Riyadh called Isdar, dedicated to teaching fine art and printing and to inspiring young artists.

“I feel it’s my time now to give. I had an experience that wasn’t that easy — it’s much easier now for artists in Saudi Arabia. But you need to educate them to be good artists, not just artists,” she says. “When you come to our space, you see me as a collector, as an educator, as an artist, and as a curator. I’m hoping to have a small museum in the future as well.”

Al-Homoud urges aspiring artists to be patient, and to be honest about their abilities and goals. And, most importantly, she says, “Stay humble. One of the greatest things I have learned from studying Islamic art is to be humble, no matter how successful or how big your name is.”