Best and Worst: Saudi style star Alanoud Badr  talks trends, travel and Taylor Swift

The Saudi style star is known as Fozaza on Instagram. (Getty Images)
Short Url
Updated 13 October 2023
Follow

Best and Worst: Saudi style star Alanoud Badr  talks trends, travel and Taylor Swift

DUBAI: The Saudi style star, known as Fozaza on Instagram, talks trends, travel, and Taylor Swift.  

Best TV show/film you’ve ever seen?    

I have two TV shows I think are gold. One of them is “Friends.” It’s one of those feelgood series you can watch over and over again. The other is “The Simpsons.” I love their witty humor and approach to real-life politics and societal issues. For films, I like “The Godfather,” it’s a classic! People still quote it to this day, it’s just so good! I also secretly like “The Abyss.” I’ve always been fascinated by the ocean and what humans still don’t know about its depths.  

Worst TV show/film you’ve ever seen?   

I don’t believe there is a worst because it’s a matter of taste. There are some TV shows that aren’t really my style that many people love, like “Stranger Things.” For films, I can’t watch anything to do with exorcism or the devil. It freaks me out and I think it’s super-sensitive in general.  

Best personal style moment?    

Whenever I’m on holiday. I really have fun styling looks when I’m traveling. It’s when I get to freestyle that I enjoy it the most. It’s easier to be creative when you’re traveling because you’re constantly being inspired by your surroundings and the local fashions.  

Worst personal style moment?    

High school. It’s fair to say I was still discovering my personal style. It’s scary to look back on. There are a lot of ‘What was I thinking?’ moments, which are fun.  

Best accessory for a little black dress?    

A statement pearl necklace, really nice boots and a statement clutch. Although it depends on the cut of the little black dress. A little goes a long way, but it’s always nice to pick one statement piece to complete the look.   

Worst accessory for a little black dress?    

There isn’t one. As far as I’m concerned, anything goes. I love personal style; we’re always being inspired by each other, so I don’t feel there is a right or wrong.  

Best fashion trend of 2023?    

Anything rich red, from a jacket to a bag, dress or boots. The color is taking over and I’m here for it. Also I love blazers, and boxy blazers are back — and so is Eighties business chic, which I love. So many great trends this year to choose from.  

Worst fashion trend of 2023?    

The Barbie craze. I genuinely can’t look at the color pink anymore, or anything related to Barbie. It was overkill. 

Best advice you’ve ever been given?   

“Opportunity often comes disguised in the form of misfortune or temporary defeat.” What feels like the end is often the beginning. Have faith.  

Worst advice you’ve ever been given? 

“Follow your heart.” It’s nice, but I wish I was told to use my head as well and not gamble on my heart too much. Balance is key. It hurts less to know more.  

Best thing to do when you’re feeling low?    

A hot bath with Epsom salts and a side of Netflix. Or my favorite escape is going to the beach with a good book around sunset.    

Worst thing to do when you’re feeling good?  

Overspend. When I’m happy I tend to want to make everyone around me happy, so I go on a shopping spree buying everyone I love gifts. It’s an expensive habit that I need to change. 

Best holiday destination?    

Cyprus is super-underrated. I always have the best time there. The weather, the food, the people, the beaches of Aya Napa are something else. Oh, you also get the most amazing long-lasting tan. 

Worst holiday destination?    

Everything’s an adventure. I don’t see it any other way. Even in the worst of situations, I always come out of it with the best memories and a lot of laughs. Nothing is perfect and sometimes you end up in a dump but it’s always about how you choose to see it. I like to make the best out of every situation, it really changes things.   

Best subject at school?    

Biology. I’ve always wanted to be a cardiologist. I’m fascinated by medicine and the human body. And geography, because I think we have the most beautiful planet and I hope I can discover it all one day.  

Worst subject at school?    

Math. Numbers stress me out. That’s why I don’t like baking. I like to cook because when you cook you cook with your senses, but when you bake you measure everything to the dot. I like to feel, then calculate, if that makes sense?  

Best thing to do to ensure you have a productive day?   

Go to bed early. Sleeping early is scientifically proven to give you greater energy and focus the next day.  

Worst thing to do when you’re trying to have a productive day?    

Overcommitting. You end up not getting anything done. I love accomplishing tasks, so I try to keep them to a realistic amount, so I’ll be done with it all by the end of the day. It’s not humanly possible to predict how your day is going to go, so I make sure I give myself proper time for backups.   

Best concert you’ve ever been to?   

Lauryn Hill. She’s a legend. Her concerts always have strong messages and her energy is contagious. I really want to go to a Taylor Swift concert too. They say it’s a game changer.  

Worst concert you’ve ever been to?   

I honestly haven’t been to one that I haven’t enjoyed yet.  


Review: ‘Relay’

Updated 21 December 2025
Follow

Review: ‘Relay’

RIYADH: “Relay” is a thriller that knows what its role is in an era of overly explained plots and predictable pacing, making it feel at once refreshing and strangely nostalgic. 

I went into the 2025 film with genuine curiosity after listening to Academy Award-winning British actor Riz Ahmed talk about it on Podcrushed, a podcast by “You” star Penn Badgley. Within the first half hour I was already texting my friends to add it to their watchlists.

There is something confident and restrained about “Relay” that pulls you in, and much of that assurance comes from the film’s lead actors. Ahmed gives a measured, deeply controlled performance as Ash, a man who operates in the shadows with precision and discipline. He excels at disappearing, slipping between identities, and staying one step ahead, yet the story is careful not to mythologize him as untouchable. 

Every pause, glance, and decision carries weight, making Ash feel intelligent and capable. It is one of those roles where presence does most of the work.

Lily James brings a vital counterbalance as Sarah, a woman caught at a moral and emotional crossroads, who is both vulnerable and resilient. The slow-burn connection between her and Ash is shaped by shared isolation and his growing desire to protect her.

The premise is deceptively simple. Ash acts as a middleman for people entangled in corporate crimes, using a relay system to communicate and extract them safely. 

The film’s most inventive choice is its use of the Telecommunications Relay Service — used by people who are deaf and hard of hearing to communicate over the phone — as a central plot device, thoughtfully integrating a vital accessibility tool into the heart of the story. 

As conversations between Ash and Sarah unfold through the relay system, the film builds a unique sense of intimacy and suspense, using its structure to shape tension in a way that feels cleverly crafted.

“Relay” plays like a retro crime thriller, echoing classic spy films in its mood and pacing while grounding itself in contemporary anxieties. 

Beneath the mechanics and thrills of the plot, it is about loneliness, the longing to be seen, and the murky ethics of survival in systems designed to crush individuals. 

If you are a life-long fan of thrillers, “Relay” might still manage to surprise you.