Sarah Taibah stars in campaign for US luxury jewelry house
Updated 22 September 2025
Arab News
DUBAI: Saudi Arabia actress and filmmaker Sarah Taibah has nabbed a role in a social media campaign for US luxury jewelry house Tiffany & Co.
The actress shared a post on her Instagram account, in which she goes about her day adorned in various pieces by Tiffany & Co.
“Sketchbook in hand, eternal sunshine of a stormy mind, and days rarely slow down. Absolutely in (love) with HardWear by @Tiffanyandco, it’s been my little talisman throughout,” she captioned the short clip.
The HardWear collection draws on a design from 1962, according to the brand.
“HardWear is an expression of love’s transformative strength. Like New York, the city in which it was born, the collection embodies an enduring resilience and ability to be free,” the label wrote on its website.
The collection features necklaces, bracelets and earrings with interlocked links, veering into a more industrial aesthetic than the dainty jewelry the house is known for.
Taibah shows off a pair of diamond encrusted earrings, along with a necklace and watch from the collection that was handcrafted in Switzerland.
Taibah shot to fame for her show “Jameel Jeddan,” the first local production that was wholly created and starred in by a Saudi Arabia woman.
The plot of the 2022 release was anything but typical. Strong-headed Jameel wakes up from a five-year coma and is forced to finish her last year in high school and rejoin an unfamiliar society.
As a coping mechanism, she begins to experience glitches in the form of an animated alternative reality.
Taibah is working on an offbeat Saudi romcom “A Matter of Life and Death,” which she wrote. The film is being directed by Anas Batahaf and will star Taibah and Yaqoub Al-Farhan.
Her collaboration with Tiffany & Co. is not the first time she has worked with a global luxury brand.
In February, Spanish fashion house Loewe unveiled a Ramadan campaign directed by Lebanese-Sudanese auteur Dana Boulos and starring Taibah and Saudi Arabia Olympic rower Husein Alireza.
The cast included Omani artist Mays Almoosawi, Kuwaiti visual artist Najd Al-Taher, Emirati film director Sarah Al-Hashimi, Kuwaiti DJ Cascou and Bahraini contemporary artist Salman Al-Najem.
Saudi traditional meal anchors Al-Balad’s culinary scene
Slow-cooked sheep’s head is drawing new generations and visitors to Jeddah’s historic district
Updated 14 December 2025
SALEH FAREED
JEDDAH: In the streets of Al-Balad, where centuries-old buildings frame one of Saudi Arabia’s most storied districts, culinary heritage continues to draw visitors as powerfully as architecture.
Among the area’s enduring attractions is Al-Shadwy for Sheep Head Meat, a family-run restaurant that has served one of the Kingdom’s most traditional dishes since 1958, turning a once-necessity meal into a symbol of Saudi food culture and hospitality.
Tucked into Baba Makkah, Al-Balad’s historic core, Al-Shadwy began as a modest corner table before becoming a landmark destination for locals, food enthusiasts and tourists seeking an authentic taste of the past.
Eating sheep’s head has long been rooted in Arab culinary traditions, shaped by the principle of using the entire animal and avoiding waste. (AN photo)
Now run by the third generation of the Al-Shadwy family, the restaurant remains devoted to a single specialty; sheep’s head, slow-roasted over charcoal using a recipe unchanged for decades.
Eating sheep’s head has long been rooted in Arab culinary traditions, shaped by the principle of using the entire animal and avoiding waste. In Saudi Arabia, the dish evolved into communal meal associated with generosity, warmth and social gathering.
Sixty-five-year-old owner Ghalib Naji Al-Shadwy, who inherited the restaurant from his grandfather and father, remains a familiar presence at the restaurant, overseeing the service and greeting customers.
FASTFACTS
• Al-Shadwy for Sheep Head Meat is a family-run restaurant in Al-Balad that has served one of the Kingdom’s most traditional dishes since 1958.
• It began as a modest corner table before becoming a landmark destination for locals, food enthusiasts and tourists seeking an authentic taste of the past.
He told Arab News that the dish has been central to Saudi culinary culture for generations.
“The sheep’s head has been a staple in Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries culinary culture for centuries,” he said. “Traditionally, it was a meal served during cold winter mornings to provide energy and warmth. In many regions of Saudi Arabia, the sheep head (is) always on the top of the main plate for guests, and families festive holidays gather in restaurants or at home to enjoy the sheep’s head, making it a social and festive occasion.”
In Saudi Arabia, the dish evolved into communal meal associated with generosity, warmth and social gathering. (AN photo)
Speaking about its significance in hospitality culture, he added: “Serving it to guests is considered an act of generosity and care.” Rich and filling, it is most commonly eaten as breakfast or an early morning meal.
Preparing sheep’s head is a slow, careful process. According to Al-Shadwy, the heads are cooked at low temperatures to soften the tendons and connective tissue, resulting in tender meat and deep flavor.
The preparation includes curing and slow cooking, a method that has remained largely unchanged at the restaurant for more than six decades.
Being a family-owned restaurant here for so many years makes us a part of Jeddah’s history.
Ghalib Naji Al-Shadwy, Al-Shadwy for Sheep Head Meat owner
“I’ve cooked many sheep heads a while back and I still enjoy it,” he said. “Most of the customers actually prefer the head and the brain.”
Despite its small size and somewhat tucked-away location, the restaurant’s popularity is unmistakable. Long queues form outside each morning, often guiding first-time visitors to its door. A sign reading “Al-Shadwy Mandi” in Arabic marks the entrance, while the steady crowd confirms its reputation.
Over the years, the restaurant has attracted officials, celebrities and social media figures, with photographs of notable guests lining the walls. Al-Shadwy said the steady attention reflections Al-Balad’s growing appeal as a cultural and culinary destination.
He said that interest in sheep’s head is no longer limited to older generations. Younger Saudis, he said, are increasingly curious about traditional dishes, while tourists often see it as an adventurous experience.
“For many visitors, trying sheep’s head is considered ‘extreme food’ or a challenging dish,” he said. “But it gives them a sense of adventure and a unique story to tell.”
Inside the lively restaurant one morning, longtime customer Abu Samer Al-Sulami, who has been dining there for 40 years, described it as a rare example of authentic Saudi cuisine.
“I am a regular customer here and always come early in the morning because when you eat the sheep’s head it really gives you energy for work,” he said.
Demand is highest in the early hours, particularly on Fridays. Al-Shadwy said the restaurant often sells out by mid-morning, making early visits essential.
“The number of sheep heads our restaurant sells daily varies but it reaches around 200 heads,” he added.
As he works alongside his two sons, Al-Shadwy says preserving the family legacy is as important as serving the fish.
“Being a family-owned restaurant here for so many years makes us a part of Jeddah’s history,” he said.
