French jewelry label Messika debuts Ramadan campaign

French jewelry label Messika debuts Ramadan campaign. Supplied
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Updated 04 April 2022
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French jewelry label Messika debuts Ramadan campaign

DUBAI: Renowned French jewelry brand Messika has launched its first-ever Ramadan campaign titled “Lailat Messika,” in collaboration with six well-known creatives from the Arabian peninsula.

Founder Valerie Messika has always felt a deep connection to the Middle East, having had fond experiences and developed strong ties with people living here. The Ramadan campaign is based on these forged relationships.




Founder Valerie Messika has always felt a deep connection to the Middle East. Supplied

The “Lailat Messika” campaign was lensed by award-winning Emirati director Abdulla Al-Kaabi and Tunisian photographer Moez Achour.

The campaign video stars Saudi actress Mila Al-Zahrani, Emirati singer Almas, Bahrani journalist Nada Al-Shaibani, Saudi chef Sama Jaad, Qatari artist Alftoon Al-Janahi and Kuwaiti actress Eman Al-Hussaini, who all sit around a table enjoying each other’s company during sahoor (and decked out in Messika jewels, naturally).

The six women then invite Messika’s founder to join their gathering.




The campaign video stars Saudi actress Mila Al-Zahrani and other Arab women creatives. Supplied

“It was a real honor to be invited by these women to share in the warmth of sahoor,” said Messika in a statement. “It was a special moment that helped me feel and better understand the love I’ve received from the region for many years.”

“It was a very touching, intense experience. I had the pleasure of spending it with inspiring women who are paving the way for future generations, each of whom embodies the spirit of our Maison in their own way. Freedom, sharing, passion, not to mention the spirit of entrepreneurship — these are all values that I felt by their side,” said the designer.




The campaign video stars Bahrani journalist Nada Al-Shaibani and other Arab women creatives. Supplied

Each of the guests were wearing iconic pieces from Messika, including necklaces, rings, head pieces and hand chains.


Mohammed Bakri, filmmaker who championed Palestinian cause, dies aged 72

Updated 24 December 2025
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Mohammed Bakri, filmmaker who championed Palestinian cause, dies aged 72

  • Bakri was known for his documentary “Jenin, Jenin” which denounced alleged Israeli war crimes in the Jenin refugee camp
  • The father of six also directed several socially conscious documentaries about the situation of Palestinian citizens of Israel

JERUSALEM: Actor and filmmaker Mohammed Bakri, a champion of the Palestinian cause, died on Wednesday aged 72, a hospital spokesperson said.
He was known for his documentary “Jenin, Jenin” and his commitment to the Palestinians, which led to frequent confrontations with Israeli authorities.
“Mohammed Bakri died this Wednesday at the Galilee Medical Center” in the northern Israeli city of Nahariya, hospital spokesperson Gal Zaid told AFP.
He died from heart and lung problems, according to his family.
Born in Galilee in 1953 into a Muslim family, Bakri was an Israeli citizen.
He appeared in leading Israeli films but was also directed by the French-Greek director Costa-Gavras and Italian filmmakers Paolo and Vittorio Taviani.
His role as a Palestinian inmate in an Israeli prison in the 1980s film “Beyond the Walls” earned him critical acclaim in Israel and around the world.
But his international renown grew with the release of 2002’s “Jenin, Jenin,” which denounced alleged Israeli war crimes in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank during the Second Intifada.
The Israeli Supreme Court upheld a ban on the film in 2022, deeming it “defamatory.”
The father of six also directed several socially conscious documentaries about the situation of Palestinian citizens of Israel.
Arab-Israeli radio station A-Shams published a tribute on its social media, describing Bakri as a “free voice.”
“From his early days in theater, art was not simply a pastime for Mohammed Bakri, but a tool for raising awareness and engaging in dialogue,” the radio station said.
“The legacy left by Mohammed Bakri will remain, reminding us that art can be an act of resistance.”