Georgina Rodriguez touches down in Venice as Sofia Carson flaunts Elie Saab gown

Riyadh-based Argentine model Georgina Rodriguez touched down in Italy for the Venice Film Festival. (Getty Images)
Short Url
Updated 01 September 2025
Follow

Georgina Rodriguez touches down in Venice as Sofia Carson flaunts Elie Saab gown

DUBAI: US singer and actress Sofia Carson attended the amfAR Gala Venezia 2025 in a beaded blush gown from Lebanese designer Elie Saab’s Fall/Winter 2025 couture collection on Sunday as Riyadh-based model Georgina Rodriguez touched down in the Italian city.

Emblazoned with floral appliques, the gown boasted fine boning on the corset and puffed upper sleeves over fitted, cuff-length sleeves.




US singer and actress Sofia Carson attended the amfAR Gala Venezia 2025 in a beaded blush gown from Lebanese designer Elie Saab’s Fall/Winter 2025 couture collection. (Getty Images)

The event featured performances by Paris Jackson and Ava Max, while US actor Colman Domingo hosted the festivities. The gala is an annual fundraiser held on the sidelines of the Venice Film Festival by amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research.

Carson was joined by international celebrities, including US singer Halsey, Brazilian model Sofia Resing, US actor Jesse Williams, and English actor Jude Law.

At the event, Carson continued her streak of looks by Saab just over a month after she was spotted wearing an outfit by the designer while promoting her latest project, “My Oxford Year.”

Carson showed off a belted black blouse by the designer in New York in late July, and she completed the outfit with a nude pencil skirt and black leather gloves.

The actress and singer is known for her affinity for Lebanese labels and previously showed off a look by Saab in March while promoting the Netflix film “The Life List.”

Carson arrived at the “CBS Mornings” show in New York City as part of the press tour wearing a green dress from Saab’s Ready-to-Wear Fall/Winter 2023-2024 collection.

She also showed off several looks by the Lebanese designer during Netflix festivities in June. Ahead of “Netflix Tudum 2025: The Live Event,” the streaming platform’s celebration of global fandom and storytelling, Carson appeared in a white ensemble featuring a tailored blazer, wide-leg trousers and a matching shirt. On a separate occasion, she wore an all-black outfit composed of wide-leg trousers and a sheer top with cape-like sleeves. Both outfits were from Saab’s Ready-to-Wear Pre-Fall 2025 collection.

Carson’s latest look in Venice comes as Riyadh-based Argentine model Georgina Rodriguez touched down in the city for the Venice Film Festival.

Rodriguez, who recently announced her engagement to longtime partner Cristiano Ronaldo, hit the red carpet ahead of the Filming Italy Venice Award ceremony in a custom Roberto Cavalli gown paired with Pasquale Bruni jewelry.


Amr Diab and Sherine top Spotify list of 2025 MENA artists

Updated 17 December 2025
Follow

Amr Diab and Sherine top Spotify list of 2025 MENA artists

  • Egyptian stars and icon Fairuz continue to resonate in region
  • Artists shaping rap, mahraganat, hybrid sounds feature

DUBAI: Spotify has released its list of the Top Middle East and North Africa artists and songs globally, shaped by streams from listeners both inside and outside the region, offering a snapshot of how MENA music travelled in 2025.

Topping the global MENA artists list is Amr Diab, a mainstay of Arab pop. He also led Egypt’s Wrapped this year, while his catalogue — spanning both older hits and newer releases — continued to draw sustained global engagement.

The return of “Tamally Maak” to the global Top Tracks list underlines the lasting appeal of his music across generations.

Sherine is one of the year’s most emotionally resonant voices with four tracks in the global Top 10. Her classics “Kalam Eineh,” “El Watar El Hassas” and “3la Bali,” alongside her newer release “Btmanna Ansak,” reached listeners from Egypt to Germany and the UK.

Spotify data shows her catalogue maintaining a strong, personal connection with audiences throughout 2025.

Regional classics also featured prominently. Nancy Ajram’s early-2000s hit “Ya Tabtab Wa Dallaa” found renewed popularity in markets including Indonesia and Turkiye, while Khaled’s “C’est la vie” continued to cross borders, resonating with listeners from France to India.

Fairuz remained a fixture in daily listening habits, anchoring morning and coffee playlists across the Arab world and the diaspora.

Beyond pop, artists shaping rap, mahraganat and hybrid sounds maintained strong global visibility.

ElGrandeToto, Morocco’s Top Artist on Spotify from 2020 to 2025, continued to spotlight the evolution of Moroccan hip-hop, which in 2025 blended rai, chaabi and local rhythms with trap influences.

His collaboration with Spanish-Moroccan rapper Morad, “Ojos Sin Ver,” featured on the global MENA Top Tracks list, highlighting the genre’s cross-regional and European appeal.

Egyptian rapper Marwan Pablo also remained a prominent global presence, recognized for his introspective approach within the country’s hip-hop scene.

Mahraganat artists Essam Sasa and Eslam Kabonga appeared in the global rankings as well, underscoring the genre’s expanding reach beyond its local roots.

The global MENA Top Tracks list included “KALAMANTINA,” a collaboration between Saint Levant and Marwan Moussa that blends hip-hop and pop within a hybrid electro-shaabi sound.