Zuhair Murad continues Hollywood premiere streak

Venezuelan star Maria Gabriela De Faria attended the Los Angeles premiere of “Superman” in a black sequined gown with a high neckline and chiffon cape from the label’s fall 2025 collection. (Getty Images)
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Updated 22 July 2025
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Zuhair Murad continues Hollywood premiere streak

DUBAI: Lebanese designer-to-the-stars Zuhair Murad continues to dress Hollywood’s TV and silver screen actors, with the likes of Krysten Ritter and Maria Gabriela De Faria donning his designs on the red carpet as of late.

For her part, US actress Ritter hit the red carpet at the premiere of TV series “Dexter Resurrection” in New York in a black high neck gown with silver star detailing from Murad’s ready-to-wear pre-fall 2025 collection.




US actress Krysten Ritter hit the red carpet at the premiere of TV series “Dexter Resurrection” in New York in a black high neck gown with silver star detailing from Zuhair Murad’s ready-to-wear pre-fall 2025 collection. (Getty Images)

Earlier this month, Venezuelan star De Faria attended the Los Angeles premiere of “Superman” in a black sequined gown with a high neckline and chiffon cape from the label’s fall 2025 collection.

“What a dream of a dress you guys gave me,” De Faria commented on the fashion house’s Instagram post about the gown this week.

Murad seems to have been heavily involved in the “Superman” press tour, dressing lead star Rachel Brosnahan for the Rio de Janeiro premiere in late June.

She wore a floor-length dress crafted from sheer navy blue fabric, adorned with geometric beadwork and sequins. The design featured a structured, plunging neckline with wide shoulder straps. The fitted bodice extended into a subtly flared mermaid-style skirt. 

Brosnahan takes on the role of Lois Lane in the upcoming film, directed by James Gunn. 

Since founding his brand in 1997, Murad has gained international attention. His creations have been worn by celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Taylor Swift, Celine Dion, Sofia Vergara, Kristen Stewart and Scarlett Johansson on major red carpets.

He is one of a handful of Arab designers on the official Paris Fashion Week and Paris Haute Couture Week calendars.

Murad was recently championed by British Lebanese actress Razane Jammal, who wore a black gown featuring a plunging neckline and tie detail at the waist from the designer’s ready-to-wear Pre-Fall 2025 collection to the launch of the Panthere de Cartier collection in Istanbul in June.

In April, American actress Blake Lively and singer songwriter Nicole Scherzinger both wore Zuhair Murad designs to the 2025 Time 100 Gala.

Lively opted for a pink taffeta off-the-shoulder gown with a corseted bodice and train detail from Murad’s Spring 2025 ready-to-wear collection. Scherzinger chose a black off-the-shoulder sequined gown from the designer’s Pre-Fall 2025 ready-to-wear collection.


Amr Diab and Sherine top Spotify list of 2025 MENA artists

Updated 17 December 2025
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Amr Diab and Sherine top Spotify list of 2025 MENA artists

  • Egyptian stars and icon Fairuz continue to resonate in region
  • Artists shaping rap, mahraganat, hybrid sounds feature

DUBAI: Spotify has released its list of the Top Middle East and North Africa artists and songs globally, shaped by streams from listeners both inside and outside the region, offering a snapshot of how MENA music travelled in 2025.

Topping the global MENA artists list is Amr Diab, a mainstay of Arab pop. He also led Egypt’s Wrapped this year, while his catalogue — spanning both older hits and newer releases — continued to draw sustained global engagement.

The return of “Tamally Maak” to the global Top Tracks list underlines the lasting appeal of his music across generations.

Sherine is one of the year’s most emotionally resonant voices with four tracks in the global Top 10. Her classics “Kalam Eineh,” “El Watar El Hassas” and “3la Bali,” alongside her newer release “Btmanna Ansak,” reached listeners from Egypt to Germany and the UK.

Spotify data shows her catalogue maintaining a strong, personal connection with audiences throughout 2025.

Regional classics also featured prominently. Nancy Ajram’s early-2000s hit “Ya Tabtab Wa Dallaa” found renewed popularity in markets including Indonesia and Turkiye, while Khaled’s “C’est la vie” continued to cross borders, resonating with listeners from France to India.

Fairuz remained a fixture in daily listening habits, anchoring morning and coffee playlists across the Arab world and the diaspora.

Beyond pop, artists shaping rap, mahraganat and hybrid sounds maintained strong global visibility.

ElGrandeToto, Morocco’s Top Artist on Spotify from 2020 to 2025, continued to spotlight the evolution of Moroccan hip-hop, which in 2025 blended rai, chaabi and local rhythms with trap influences.

His collaboration with Spanish-Moroccan rapper Morad, “Ojos Sin Ver,” featured on the global MENA Top Tracks list, highlighting the genre’s cross-regional and European appeal.

Egyptian rapper Marwan Pablo also remained a prominent global presence, recognized for his introspective approach within the country’s hip-hop scene.

Mahraganat artists Essam Sasa and Eslam Kabonga appeared in the global rankings as well, underscoring the genre’s expanding reach beyond its local roots.

The global MENA Top Tracks list included “KALAMANTINA,” a collaboration between Saint Levant and Marwan Moussa that blends hip-hop and pop within a hybrid electro-shaabi sound.