Chinese movie stars set to dazzle Dubai at second China Film Week

The second China Film Week will be held at Roxy Cinemas at City Walk and The Beach in Dubai. (Supplied)
Updated 26 September 2019
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Chinese movie stars set to dazzle Dubai at second China Film Week

DUBAI: Some of China’s biggest movie stars and directors will on Sunday descend on the UAE for the opening of a major film festival.

Hala China, a joint tourism, trade and investment initiative between the UAE’s Meraas and Dubai Holding, will host the second China Film Week at Roxy Cinemas at City Walk and The Beach in Dubai, from Sept. 29 to Oct. 5.

Famous names from the Chinese movie industry are expected to fly in for the red-carpet opening night which will feature the world premiere of “Chinese Captain,” a film adaption of the real-life events of a Sichuan Airlines flight’s forced landing in 2018 – the same day it is screened for the first time in China.




Hala China is a joint tourism, trade and investment initiative between the UAE’s Meraas and Dubai Holding. (Supplied)

This year’s China Film Week will also see the introduction of the first China-UAE film and television forum on Sept. 30 at Dubai’s Madinat Jumeirah, which will include an exhibition of more than 100 photographs chronicling the Chinese film industry’s evolution over the last 70 years.

Among the directors heading to the UAE will be Zhang Jizhong, an acclaimed producer known for film adaptations of classic Chinese wuxia (martial artists) literary texts “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” and “Journey to the West.”

Director Yu-sheng Tian will bring his latest film “The Ex-File 3: Return of the Exes” to Dubai for an exclusive screening.


Jessica Kahawaty to narrate London concert paying tribute to Arab music icons

Updated 24 February 2026
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Jessica Kahawaty to narrate London concert paying tribute to Arab music icons

DUBAI: Australian Lebanese model and entrepreneur Jessica Kahawaty this week announced that she will serve as the storyteller for “A Night With The Legends,” a one-night musical tribute celebrating iconic women of Arabic music, taking place at London’s Royal Albert Hall on March 5.

Kahawaty will portray Scheherazade and deliver spoken narration during the program.

The evening will pay tribute to the legacies of Umm Kulthum, Fairuz, Warda, Sabah, Asmahan and Layla Mourad.

Vocals will be performed by Lebanese vocalist Abeer Nehme, accompanied by the UK-based London Arab Orchestra under the direction of conductor Basel Saleh, alongside the London-based Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. The program will also feature a 70-member all-female choir.

“I’m incredibly humbled,” Kahawaty wrote to her 1.8 million followers on Instagram. “As storyteller, I’ll be weaving history, memory and meaning into the musical experience in a one-night tribute celebrating the iconic women of the golden era of Arabic music.”

“I cannot wait to see you all there,” she added.

Kahawaty is also an entrepreneur. She co-founded fine jewelry label Kahawaty Jewels with her father, master jeweler Ghassan Kahawaty, launching the Dubai-based brand last year as a continuation of the family’s longstanding craftsmanship tradition.

“I grew up watching my father in his jewelry trade. I saw how happy he made people when he created these beautiful pieces,” Kahawaty previously told Arab News. “I’ve always wanted to continue my father’s legacy and my grandfather’s trade. I felt like this is the perfect time to launch Kahawaty Jewels in Dubai, which is a city I’ve been in for over 13 years.”

Kahawaty and her mother are also behind UAE-based food delivery business Mama Rita. In July last year, the pair expanded the venture with the launch of a cookbook, which featured a cover endorsement from Hollywood actress and producer Courteney Cox.

Writing on Instagram at the time, Kahawaty said: “The moment we held the Mama Rita cookbook in our hands for the very first time … after two years of pouring our hearts into it. And we’re beyond thrilled to share a special surprise on the cover — a quote from the one and only (Courteney Cox). Her iconic role as Monica in ‘Friends’ — the talented chef, perfectionist and loving control freak — mirrors so much of the dynamic between mum and me. And her true persona is even more beautiful, warm and generous.”