JEDDAH: American-Palestinian supermodel Gigi Hadid is visiting Bangladesh to meet Rohingya Muslim refugees. The 23-year-old model is documenting her work with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Bangladesh on social media.
Hadid visited the Jamtoli Refugee Camp in Cox’s Bazar on Friday, where she met with Rohingya refugee children.
“En route to the Jamtoli Refugee Camp, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh,” she wrote on Instagram. “As well as providing for the Rohingya refugees, UNICEF supports the host communities in need, including an estimated 28,000 people given access to better sanitation and safe water through the WASH Program, and 53,000 locals have been supported in educational activities.”
She shared several images of children at the camp, detailing the conditions they live in and UNICEF’s work in the area. “Across all the camps, 1.3 million people currently require humanitarian assistance; more than half of them are children,” Hadid wrote.
Hadid visited a “women/girl-friendly” zone, where they get a basic education and learn skills such as sewing. “We spoke about their personal stories and hardships, what they enjoy and benefit from currently in the refugee camps, what they still need, and what they hope for their futures. Their strength, bravery and desire to learn and better their lives and the lives of their children is inspiring and encourages us @unicefusa to continue to find new ways to support these amazing human beings during this crisis,” she wrote.
The cause of the refugees is one that is close to Hadid’s heart. Her father, Mohamed Hadid, came to the United States as a refugee before he became a billionaire real estate developer. In January, Hadid and her younger sister, Bella, protested US President Donald Trump’s travel ban targeting some Muslim-majority countries.
On Saturday, Hadid visited UNICEF’s child-friendly space in Camp 9 of the Kutupalong Balukhali Refugee Camp. The purpose of the camp, Hadid said, is to “let kids be kids.”
“As well as psychosocial work to help them get through trauma through activities like art, they also can play sports, learn music, and learn to read and draw (some for the first time in their lives). Separate from educational spaces, the importance of these spaces is huge due to the fact that refugee children can spend a majority of the day working, usually collecting firewood from miles away so their families can cook, taking care of siblings, helping around the house etc., and here they can just focus on having fun,” she wrote.
The model also visited the UNICEF Learning Center in the Shamlapur Refugee Camp in Cox’s Bazar.
Gigi Hadid visits Rohingya refugee camps
Gigi Hadid visits Rohingya refugee camps
- American-Palestinian supermodel Gigi Hadid is visiting Bangladesh to meet Rohingya Muslim refugees
- Hadid visited the Jamtoli Refugee Camp in Cox’s Bazar on Friday
From trends to routines — how beauty is evolving in the Gulf region
DUBAI: The beauty landscape in the Gulf is shifting, driven by a new generation of consumers who see skincare, self-care and digital discovery as part of their everyday lives. According to Nicole Nitschke, managing director of FACES Beauty Middle East, the region has moved far beyond simply buying products.
“Beauty in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) has evolved from being product-focused to increasingly experience-driven, with consumers seeking solutions that combine effectiveness, self-care and personalization,” she told Arab News.
Shoppers today may browse online, but many still want to touch, test and experience products in-store, creating what she describes as a balance between digital inspiration and physical retail.
That evolution is being led by Gen Z — those born between the late 1990s and early 2010s. “Gen Z in the GCC is informed, experimental and digitally connected,” Nitschke said. “Social media plays a major role in how young consumers discover and engage with beauty trends, and routines that support both appearance and wellbeing have become especially important to them.”
One of the most powerful trends shaping this generation is the rise of Asian and Korean beauty. Nitschke said: “The success of Korean beauty in the GCC is driven by a convergence of product excellence and innovation, accessible pricing and cultural influence. K-beauty is not just about products; it represents a broader lifestyle movement.”
From K-pop to K-dramas, Korean pop culture has created an aspirational pull that resonates strongly with young consumers in the region. But it is also about results, Nitschke said: “Its products deliver high quality and visible results.”
In the Gulf’s climate, skincare routines have also become more purposeful. “GCC consumers are gravitating toward hydration-focused and barrier-supporting products, including essences, serums, ampoules and lightweight creams,” she said, adding that multi-step routines centered on skin health and self-care are especially popular.
Shoppers in the region are also highly aware of what they are putting on their skin, she says: “They are highly ingredient-conscious, value education and seek guidance that combines expertise with accessibility.”
Looking ahead, Nitschke believes Korean beauty is here to stay: “Korean beauty has become structurally integrated into the GCC market, influencing routines, expectations, and retail offerings.” It is no longer a passing trend, but a permanent part of how beauty is understood in the region.
