DUBAI: Saudi media personality Sara Murad has been a mainstay in Arab households for more than a decade, most recently as the presenter of MBC morning show “Sabah Alkhair Ya Arab.” 

“When someone tells me that I made a change in their life, it feels so rewarding and makes me want to give more,” Murad tells Arab News. 

As part of that effort to ‘give more,’ Murad decided last year to launch her own fragrance brand, By Sara Murad. 

“I’ve always wanted to be a businesswoman; I just never had the time or the right team to take the step. Putting everything together feels so exciting and gave me the drive to launch a brand,” Murad, who is now a Dubai resident, says. 

“Everyone loves fragrance, it’s embedded in our culture. And I have always been passionate about collecting them. But with By Sara Murad, I wanted to create something that would showcase our culture with a modern twist that could reach the world. And I wanted to create something with my name that I’ve been working on for so long,” she added. 

The first fragrance from her brand — Black Oud — is “a harmonious melding of French elegance and the pride of Saudi Arabia,” according to the publicity blurb, “blending notes of Oud, amber, wood and leather.” 

“Saudi Arabia is all the inspiration — including the change, the openness and invitation to the world, the inspiration that the country is giving to the youth and the empowerment that is giving us as women,” she says. “To see the Kingdom’s growth has been fascinating and makes me so proud. To see the opportunity that’s been given to women and men… it’s definitely a chance for the young to grow.” 

When she was a young adult, Murad would have never imagined she would find a career as a TV presenter. She graduated as a graphic designer and was interested primarily in advertising and production work. 

“I never thought of (trying to get) a job in front of the camera. I believe everyone gets an opportunity but sometimes it is so out of our comfort zone that we reject it,” she says. “When I got offered the job, I challenged myself to try it, thinking that I had nothing to lose and that it would be an experience. And here I am,12 years later.” 

Her success was hard-won. “Honestly, it’s not a field where you meet people who want to help you grow, so I counted on myself and learned a lot — most of it the hard way,” she says. 

In the beginning, there were people who were surprised to learn that she was a Saudi woman. “But now the whole world knows what a Saudi woman is capable of,” she adds. 

Juggling a full-time job with a new business is, of course, no mean feat, and Murad makes it work by being organized at all times. 

“My days are never (the same). My schedule is always changing. There is always something new happening, whether it is the show I’m presenting, or a photo shoot, or working on a new fragrance. There is nothing typical about my life. But I try to manage as far as I can to give everything my full attention. So, I’m very, very organized. And working with a great team also helps a lot to reach my goals,” she says. 

“When it comes to de-stressing, I try to take it easy. I shut down work. I mean, I never shut down, who am I kidding? But I play the piano — that helps,” she continues. “I like to read, that also helps. And I like to travel a lot and change scenery as well, even if it’s for work.” 

DUBAI: Saudi actress Mila Al-Zahrani has been selected as one of the new faces of Boucheron’s Quatre collection, joining the French brand as it celebrates the collection’s 20th anniversary.

This year marks two decades since the jewelry house introduced its Quatre collection, which features four patterns from the Boucheron archives and three shades of gold. 

To commemorate the milestone, Boucheron has released a new campaign featuring Al-Zahrani alongside three other women from the Middle East: Romanian Jordanian footwear designer Amina Muaddi, Lebanese singer Dana Hourani, and Turkish actress Dilan Çiçek Deniz.

“Once a Quatre girl, always a Quatre girl. Our family is growing,” Al-Zahrani wrote on Instagram, sharing a picture of herself adorned in wide, cuff-style bracelets with parallel band designs. 

Hourani wrote on Instagram: “So happy to announce that I have joined the @Boucheron Quatre family. Proud to be part of this new partnership with a visionary brand known for its innovation and cutting-edge designs. Lots happening this year, excited for what’s coming.”