Rami Malek, Yara Shahidi to celebrate International Women's Day in Dubai

Rami Malek is scheduled to turn up at the Women’s Pavilion in collaboration with French luxury brand Cartier. AFP
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Updated 07 March 2022
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Rami Malek, Yara Shahidi to celebrate International Women's Day in Dubai

DUBAI: Expo 2020 Dubai has world-class attractions for International Women’s Day on March 8 including the Middle East’s biggest female-led music festival and the appearance of top celebrities.

US actress Yara Shahidi and Egyptian-American star Rami Malek are scheduled to turn up at the Women’s Pavilion in collaboration with French luxury brand Cartier.

Meanwhile, the two-day music event has been taking place at the Festival Garden ending March 7. The performances are part of the collaboration between “Dignified Storytelling,” the Expo 2020 Dubai Women’s Pavilion, and Cartier’s campaign “We, The Women.” This is in line with the 2022 theme of International Women’s Day “Break the Bias.”

The artists were picked for their contribution to culture, diversity, and the promotion of gender equality. The performers include Les Amazones d’Afrique, a musical group from Mali, East African retro pop band Alsarah & The Nubatones, Algerian singer Souad Massi and Egyptian musician Dina El-Wedidi.

The concerts will be supplemented with a string of panel talks and forums that will feature a group of celebrities, including Lebanese actress and director Nadine Labaki, who will appear alongside several notable women including Sheikh Hasina, prime minister of Bangladesh and Dr. Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president.

Rounding off the celebrations is a guest appearance from Oscar-winning Malek, who will hit the stage at the Al-Wasl Dome for a ceremony to celebrate the day, also organized by Cartier.

Slam poet Emi Mahmoud and the orchestra of renowned composer Thomas Roussel will also perform during the ceremony on March 8.


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.”