Ajwa Aljoudi shows off Saudi fashion at the Emmy Awards

Riyadh-based TV host Ajwa Aljoudi was spotted at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards in Hollywood in a look by Saudi designer Eman Alajlan. (AFP)
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Updated 16 September 2024
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Ajwa Aljoudi shows off Saudi fashion at the Emmy Awards

DUBAI: Riyadh-based TV host Ajwa Aljoudi was spotted at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards in Hollywood in a look by Saudi designer Eman Alajlan.

Aljoudi, who also has a post at the Saudi Film Commission, showed off a mustard gown by the eponymous fashion house which was established in 2003.

The column gown featured black bow-and-feather detailing on the back.

Meanwhile, Emmy-winning actress, comedian and writer Quinta Brunson showed off  a mermaid sculpted gown from Lebanese designer Georges Chakra’s Fall/Winter 2024-2025 couture collection on the red carpet.

TV’s top stars sparkled on the red carpet at the Emmy Awards, back in its regular September time slot after twin Hollywood strikes delayed last year's ceremony to January, AFP reported.

“Shogun” star Anna Sawai was ready for her close-up — she accepted her Emmy for best actress in a drama in a fire-engine red strapless Vera Wang gown with a flounce just below the hips. Actress Kurumi Nakata, the wife of “Shogun” star Tadanobu Asano, brought a touch of the show to the red carpet in a traditional Japanese kimono.




Anna Sawai won the Emmy for best actress in a drama in a fire-engine red strapless Vera Wang gown. (AFP)

Sofia Vergara, nominated for her performance as a notorious Colombian drug lord in “Griselda,” rocked a strapless ruched red Dolce & Gabbana gown with a plunging neckline and Ayo Edibiri, a winner at the last Emmys for her work on “The Bear” and a nominee again on Sunday, looked glam in a strapless printed red, black and yellow Bottega Veneta gown with a high slit.

Black is always on point for Hollywood events, but blue also was everywhere at the Emmys, according to a report by AFP.

Selena Gomez, a first-time acting nominee for “Only Murders in the Building,” wowed in a form-fitting Ralph Lauren black velvet gown with a glittering silver halter neckline and a train and Brie Larson, nominated  for “Lessons in Chemistry,” adopted the peplum trend in a beaded blue Chanel gown with thin sparkling straps, a full skirt and a sweet black bow at the waist.




Selena Gomez wowed in a form-fitting Ralph Lauren black velvet gown. (AFP)

Glittering silver and gold looks definitely felt like a trend on the red carpet.

Jennifer Aniston, once again nominated for best actress in a drama for “The Morning Show,” sparkled in a sheer silvery strapless Oscar de la Renta gown with intricate pearl beading while “Bridgerton” star Nicola Coughlan, a presenter at the Emmys, glimmered in an off-the-shoulder silver Prabal Gurung sequin gown with the on-trend sculpted peplum at the waist.




“Bridgerton” star Nicola Coughlan glimmered in an off-the-shoulder silver Prabal Gurung sequin gown. (AFP)

 


Review: ‘Relay’

Updated 21 December 2025
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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.