Celebrity-loved Saudi designer Yousef Akbar: Fashion Trust Arabia win was ‘life-changing’ 

Being a fashion designer was never a childhood dream for Akbar. (Supplied)
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Updated 25 April 2023
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Celebrity-loved Saudi designer Yousef Akbar: Fashion Trust Arabia win was ‘life-changing’ 

  • In 2017, his business almost went under. Now, Akbar is one of the Gulf’s most in-demand creatives 

DUBAI: Saudi fashion designer Yousef Akbar was all over the news as US actress Sharon Stone wore one of his creations to the 2023 Women’s Cancer Research Fund gala in Beverly Hills.  

Stone isn’t the first celebrity that Akbar has dressed, either. Since the launch of his brand in 2016, Akbar’s avant-garde creations have been championed by other A-listers, including American supermodel Chrissy Teigen and former Destiny’s Child star and Beyoncé bandmate Kelly Rowland.  

Being a fashion designer was never a childhood dream for Akbar, he tells Arab News. He studied supply-chain management at university and — outside of academia — was a keen, and talented, ten-pin bowler.   

Akbar says that during his childhood in Jeddah he used to love sketching and drawing, but a career in the arts was not something he ever considered.  

“Being an artist or a designer was so unthinkable that it wasn’t even worth dreaming about — it was completely out of the question,” he says.  

Akbar’s parents were fairly traditional and wanted him to focus on a steady career for his future, so he spent most of his adolescence studying. In his spare time, he went bowling. He was good enough to earn a spot on the national team, competing at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha where Saudi Arabia won a bronze medal in the team of five event.  

“We were very successful, and King Abdullah invited us to the palace to reward us,” Akbar says. “We were asked to write a letter with our request (for the reward), and I asked for a scholarship for higher education, which was granted.” Soon after, he headed to Australia to study logistics and supply-chain management at the University of Sydney.  

As a student, he loved going on shopping trips with friends. Although he couldn’t splurge as much as he would have liked to. “Coming from a regular middle-class family and being on a student allowance, I didn’t have thousands of dollars to shop. Also, I couldn’t find the type of clothes I wanted to wear in regular menswear stores,” he explains. “So, towards the end of my Master’s degree, I started looking for fashion courses where I could learn to make my own clothes.”   

He signed up for a fashion design degree at Ultimo, a technical and further education college in Sydney. Initially, he was disappointed in the course.   




Chrissy Teigen with her husband John Legend in LA in 2019 wearing a Yousef Akbar dress. (Supplied)

“Once I got in, I thought I would be able to pick tailoring as a subject — you know, learn how to make a jacket for myself and get out of there. But tailoring was a second-year subject, so I had to complete the first year to get there. Additionally, womenswear was compulsory in the first year, which really annoyed me — I was barely interested in menswear, let alone womenswear,” he says.  

However, as he got into the swing of things and started learning about design, something clicked, and Akbar discovered this was something he wanted to take seriously. “Once I had that realization, I worked hard and was fortunate enough to graduate top of my class in 2016,” he says.  

That same year, he launched his eponymous brand — a commitment he was perhaps not quite ready for in retrospect.  




Akbar (bottom right) and his national bowling squad teammates meet King Abdullah after winning bronze at the Asian Games in 2006. (Supplied)

“If I’d known how difficult it is to start a label, I wouldn’t have done it,” he says. “The fashion business can be complex and isn’t something they teach in depth at fashion school.”  

He adds that starting a brand takes a lot of money, and as a graduate student; his savings fell short. “Another challenge was realizing that graduating top of your class means nothing. There are (plenty of) talented designers out there, all competing for a handful of stores, clients, buyers and PR placements. Talent alone isn’t enough.”  

Despite his collection being well received and Teigen wearing one of his dresses to the 2016 American Music Awards, the sales weren’t coming through. He contacted countless buyers and stores without getting a response. It got to the point where if someone wrote back with a “No,” he would take solace in the fact that they had at least looked at his collection. Then, in 2017, a disagreement with a PR agency in 2017 meant that his brand had to hit pause temporarily. “They scammed me out of my money, putting me out of business,” he says. “So even if I had an order, I had no resources to make it. But it was a life lesson, and now I’m wiser.” 

A year and a half later, he heard about the prestigious Fashion Trust Arabia competition and decided to apply for it.  

“I was so surprised to be a finalist and even more surprised to win it,” says Akbar. Winning the 2020 prize in the evening wear category turned things around almost instantly for him. Aside from the significant prize money, Akbar also received mentorship from some of the biggest names in the fashion industry.  

“Part of our prize was collaborating with (prestigious London department store) Harrods, and if it did well, they said they would continue to buy. Thankfully that’s still a success,” Akbar says.  

The designer considers himself extremely fortunate to have crossed paths with FTA co-chairs Tania Fares and Her Excellency Sheikha Al-Mayassa (the sister of the ruler of Qatar).  

“For so long, you think it’s impossible to make it and are shut out of this business. People tell you, ‘You’re so talented’ and yet nothing’s working — it’s disheartening. In retrospect, I could have had a great job and an incredible income with my degree in logistics, but I was still living the poor student life in the fashion world. So when you get this big break, it’s life-changing,” he says.  

Akbar now works out of a design studio in Sydney with a small team on a freelance basis and often commissions artisans in India to produce his embroidery. 

He recently partnered with an LA-based PR agency specializing in celebrity placements, leading to Stone and Alicia Keys wearing pieces from his Spring/Summer 2023 collection.  

“It’s incredible seeing all these different women wearing my dresses, and Sharon Stone is exactly the kind of woman I want to dress,” he says.  

Clearly, things are moving in the right direction. Akbar’s expert draping and bold designs have captured the attention of international stylists and stockists. His advice to emerging designers? “Do this because you truly love it, stay true to yourself, don’t compare your journey with others,” he says. “And have thick skin.”  


Jennifer Lopez turns heads at F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 

Updated 20 April 2025
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Jennifer Lopez turns heads at F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 

JEDDAH: US superstar Jennifer Lopez turned heads at the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah ahead of her after-race performance.

The “Kiss of the Spider Woman” actress and singer made an appearance at the final practice on Saturday in a pink catsuit with a zipper down the front.

She performed on stage on Saturday night with a string of her most famous hits as part of an after-race concert lineup including Usher, Major Lazer, Peggy Gou and PartyNextDoor, alongside Arab stars such as Marwan Pablo, Tul8te, Hisham Abbas, Mostafa Amar and Hamid El-Shaeri.

Jennifer Lopez performed in Jeddah on Saturday night. (Supplied)

Widely regarded as one of the world’s most influential entertainers, Lopez has made her mark across music, film and television. She remains the only female artist to simultaneously top both the US box office and music charts, with over $3 billion in global box office earnings, more than 80 million records sold and billions of streams and views across her music catalogue.


Japan’s Koji Yamamura brings expertise to Saudi Film Festival masterclass

Updated 20 April 2025
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Japan’s Koji Yamamura brings expertise to Saudi Film Festival masterclass

DHAHRAN: Animation lovers attending the 11th Saudi Film Festival this week were treated to a masterclass by Oscar-nominated Japanese director Koji Yamamura.

Yamamura gave a masterclass titled “Giving Shape to Invisible Light” on Saturday.

While the Saudi Film Festival typically focuses on local and regional cinema, it also offers audiences a chance to engage with global voices. This year, Japan holds a special place in the lineup, with the festival running until April 23.

Masterclass attendees watched as Yamamura explained his process and shared several of his shorts, which he dissected, offering guidance and insight into his creative approach.

Yamamura, regarded as one of Japan’s most successful animation filmmakers, began creating films at just 13 years old. After six painstaking years and thousands of drawings, his 10-minute 2002 film “Mt. Head” earned him an Oscar nomination in the Best Short Film category.

The story follows a man who eats cherry pits to avoid waste, only to have a cherry tree sprout from his head. What begins as a nuisance quickly escalates into chaos as strangers flock to picnic and swim atop his head.

Narrated in the traditional rakugo style — with a single voice and sparse instrumentation — the work blends classical storytelling with modern themes. Beneath the dark humor lies a critique of isolationism, environmental degradation, and the illusion of control. The more the man tries to resist change, the more disorder he invites, leading to a haunting end.

Yamamura explained that many of his works were inspired by traditional tales that are over 150 years-old—stories where the beginning and end are already known — so the creative challenge lies in how he fills the space.

His work moves fluidly between absurdity and clarity, often occupying a Kafkaesque space that encourages the viewer to dive in until the narrative fully takes hold.

After the masterclass, he sat down to answer questions by moderator Naoures Rouissi of the Arab Film Festival Zurich, and the audience was invited to take part in a Q&A portion.

Abdulrahman Al-Qarzaee, a fluent Japanese speaker who is Saudi, translated.

“I’m very interested in Arabic culture. It is my first time in Saudi Arabia — I would like to sketch it. I think the landscape is very different from Japan,” Yamamura told Arab News after the session.

When Arab News asked if he might create a new work inspired by his visit to the Kingdom, he didn’t hesitate.

“Probably, yeah. This is a very special and different experience for me,” he concluded with a smile.


Saudi comedy film ‘Ambulance’ to get sequel

Updated 19 April 2025
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Saudi comedy film ‘Ambulance’ to get sequel

DUBAI: A sequel is already in the works for “Esaaf” (“Ambulance”), the new comedy starring Saudi actor and stand-up comedian Ibrahim Al-Hajjaj and directed by British filmmaker Colin Teague.

The film premiered on Tuesday, making history as the first Arabic-language movie to be released by Imax. 

The plot revolves around two Saudi paramedics who discover a briefcase containing holding SR2 million (around $533,300) and find themselves caught up in a dangerous kidnapping scheme.

The movie is written by Alberto Lopez and produced by Al-Hajjaj’s House of Comedy, Saudi producer Talal Anazi’s Black Light Operations and former MBC Studios chief Peter Smith in tandem with Saudi Media Company. 

The film marks Al-Hajjaj’s first major release since “Sattar,” the 2023 wrestling film which grossed over $30 million, primarily from Saudi audiences.


Princess Rajwa, Prince Hussein visit historic site in Jordan

Updated 19 April 2025
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Princess Rajwa, Prince Hussein visit historic site in Jordan

DUBAI: Princess Rajwa Al-Hussein of Jordan opted for a relaxed look this week when she visited the archaeological site of Umm Qais with her husband, Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah.

Rajwa, who is of Saudi origin, wore beige Atelier canvas straight-leg cargo pants by Jacquemus, paired with a black fitted top and matching Prada re-edition 2005 nylon bag. She completed her look with Gentle Monster’s Musee 01 sunglasses.

The crown prince also kept it casual in a plain white T-shirt, olive green cargo shorts and sunglasses.

Bin Abdullah took to Instagram to share a heartwarming photo with his wife taken during their visit.

“There is nothing like spring in the north of Jordan,” read the caption.

The couple also made headlines this week as their eight-month-old daughter, Princess Iman bint Al-Hussein, marked a significant milestone when she accompanied them to the Kingdom of Bahrain on her first official overseas visit.

The young princess was received by Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa at Al-Sakhir Palace. (Instagram)

The young princess was received by Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa at Al-Sakhir Palace.

Princess Rajwa opted for a white-and-blue ensemble from London-based fashion label Erdem for the occasion. This included a floral midi pencil skirt and a draped short-sleeved top. She completed the look with white lace slingback pumps from Manolo Blahnik and a Jacquemus shoulder bag.

Last month, Crown Prince Hussein took to Instagram to mark Mother’s Day with a heartfelt tribute to his mother, Queen Rania, and Princess Rajwa.

In the first of two images, Queen Rania is holding her granddaughter, Princess Iman, as the crown prince watches on.

In the second image, Princess Rajwa, dressed in a plain white t-shirt, is seen holding her daughter.

“To my beloved mother and my loving wife, your presence fills our lives with joy, and your love is the true meaning of giving. Happy Mother’s Day,” he wrote.

The royal couple welcomed Iman in August last year.

They are also active in their humanitarian efforts. During Ramadan, they visited the Children’s Museum Jordan to attend an iftar event with orphans.

They spent time with the children, playing games, sharing a meal and engaging in conversation. The couple also posed for photos with the young attendees.


At Art Dubai, Pakistani artists find the space missing at home

Updated 19 April 2025
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At Art Dubai, Pakistani artists find the space missing at home

  • The Middle East’s leading art fair draws galleries and collectors from around the world
  • Pakistani artists say global interest is rising in their work, bringing international recognition

KARACHI: Pakistani artists have been receiving increasing international recognition, but many still grapple with limited opportunities and visibility at home, a participant at a major Gulf art fair said this week.
Her comments coincided with Art Dubai 2025, the Middle East’s leading contemporary art fair, where 10 Pakistani artists are exhibiting their work this year.
The event, running since 2007, draws galleries and collectors from across the globe and has become a vital platform for people with creative abilities in places like Pakistan.
“It’s wonderful that we as artists who have been invisible because of the greater struggles of [our] country are visible through this platform in the Gulf,” said Faiza Butt, a London-based Pakistani artist currently attending the fair, told Arab News over the phone.

Artist Faiza Butt poses against the backdrop of her artwork ‘The Male Figure’ during the Art Dubai 2025 preview at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai on April 17, 2025. (Photo courtesy: Handout/Grosvenor Gallery)

“It’s really a matter of pride that despite all the odds, Pakistani artists continue to appear, and work and make themselves visible, especially female artists.”
Butt maintained Pakistani artists are shaped by the country’s complex realities, adding that is what gives their work its depth.
“Our social and political struggles really feed the artists’ imagination,” she said. “Art doesn’t come from a happy place. So one of the reasons our artists are so strong is because our country has gone through a great deal of strife.”
She also credited the country’s mature art education institutions, such as the National College of Arts in Lahore and the Indus Valley School of Arts in Karachi, for nurturing generations of artists despite systemic challenges.

Artwork ‘The Male Figure’ by Pakistani artists Anwar Saeed and Faiza Butt on display by Grosvenor Gallery during the Art Dubai 2025 at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. (Photo courtesy: Handout/Grosvenor Gallery)

Karachi-based visual artist Sana Arjumand, who is also exhibiting at the fair, echoed similar views.
“There is now more and more interest coming into Pakistani art because we are really making very good art,” she said.
“Because of so many different experiences here [in Pakistan], we have that informed kind of making of art. It’s more vibrant and alive. It stands out as well — that is why more and more interest is coming here.”
Arjumand, who studied painting at NCA, said her early work focused on self-reflection but has since evolved to include themes of Sufism, mysticism and human interconnectedness with nature.
Her new work, presented at the fair, explores the idea that human behavior mirrors elements in the natural world.
“It’s for everyone,” she said. “It has a storyline that anybody can relate to.”
A total of ten Pakistani artists, including one posthumously, are featured in the fair’s Contemporary Art section. Among them is the late Sadequain, whose pioneering calligraphy and figurative works helped define Pakistan’s post-Partition art movement and continue to influence generations of artists.

Sana Arjumand’s painting ‘The Perfect Mirror’ on display by Aicon Gallery at Booth E5 as they set up for the Art Dubai 2025 preview at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai on April 16, 2025. (Photo courtesy: Handout/Sana Arjumand Studio)

Also exhibiting are Rasheed Araeen, a Karachi-born conceptualist known internationally for his contributions to British minimalist and postcolonial art, and Imran Qureshi, whose fusion of classical Mughal miniature techniques with contemporary themes has earned him acclaim worldwide.
Other featured names include Anwar Saeed, celebrated for his explorations of identity and sexuality, and Shezad Dawood, a London-based multidisciplinary artist with Pakistani and Indian heritage.
Butt is being represented by Grosvenor Gallery in London, which is exhibiting her work alongside that of Anwar Saeed under a shared curatorial concept focused on representations of the male form.
“The female figure is represented enough in the arts,” said Butt. “Anwar and I both discuss the male form but with our own unique politics based on our unique ethnography. But we are both Pakistanis, and there are overlaps in our concerns.”
She will also deliver a talk on behalf of Saeed, reflecting on his practice and political engagement through art.
Despite global attention, Butt stressed that Pakistan lacks the institutional and financial infrastructure to support a thriving art scene.
“Art is a very priced project, and Pakistan cannot afford having art fairs or a very established art market,” she said. “Pakistani artists get absorbed by galleries from other countries.”
She described Art Dubai as a great opportunity for artists in her country.
“Dubai is a very stable financial hub of the Gulf region,” she continued. “It has welcomed a great deal of migration from India and Pakistan. You get a diverse audience. It’s a beautiful coming together, in a positive way, of ideas, culture and exchange of thought.”