Blow-dry bars are not the only booming business models in the world of hair and beauty. With the global appeal of beards, new barbershop concepts are also gaining popularity in the Middle East, where male clients are often just as particular about their appearance as women are.
Nidal Rafiq Malaeb has been a barber for 15 years, and works at the new 1847 VIP Room in Jumeirah Emirates Towers.
“It has become culturally acceptable [for men] to take pride in their looks just as much as women,” he says. “Not only is there a religious and cultural aspect as it is seen as a sign of maturity, but it is fashionable to have a well-groomed beard in a cool shape … first impression is everything.”
Dressed in a black T-shirt and grey skinny jeans cropped just above the ankle, his face framed by round glasses and a substantial, but by no means unkempt, beard, Leith Matthews radiates cool, hipster vibes.
It’s a style movement that has steadily grown around the world.
Many view this to be a trend, and thus, a temporary fixation, but Matthews insists there’s nothing fad-like about men grooming and growing their beards.
“We don’t like to think of this as a trend: we look at it as more essential than that,” he explains.
In September of 2015, Matthews opened Akin Barber & Shop in Dubai. When he first moved here, he took advantage of the city’s inexpensive barbershops.
“Dubai has got a really well established street-level barber shop culture, where it’s really affordable, it’s very much authentic, and I found myself going to these sort of street-level places for my beard trims.”
But he quickly noticed these barbers were accustomed to dealing with a very particular type of beard.
“They, for a long time, have been catering to a primarily Emirati market, which is a very precise beard, with lines which sometimes they use a ruler to get the precision and corners,” he explains.
Matthews opened Akin to create a new brand identity that speaks to the no-longer-niche community of artistic, independent individuals who seek out hair services and products that are convenient and personalised.
“We’re the first ones in Dubai that can help you grow your beard, and get you through that awkward in-between stage of a shorter beard and longer beard. We think about what products are required to give health and shape to the beard as it grows longer,” adds Matthews.
He explains that beard oils and balms are necessary to keep beards from looking too wiry or dry. “They’re almost like conditioner for the hair and the skin. They smell good, and help you to shave better and not look as wild, which is really important once you get to any sort of length, otherwise you just look feral,” he adds, also highlighting the importance of wax, which is especially useful for keeping moustache hair from sitting on the lips.
One brand stocked at Akin is Dubai-based Organic Beard Co, which was founded early last year by Paul Wagenaar, who started the business when he couldn’t find any products in the UAE to soothe the itchiness he experienced during his first week growing a beard.
The company specialises in 100 per cent organic beard oils, which are sourced abroad and bottled here in the UAE. Of the five different fragrances: oud, mint, lavender, manuka and wood, the latter is his bestseller.
“After a shower, dry off your beard, and apply one to two pumps of the oil, depending on the length of your beard,” advises Wagenaar.
“Massage it into your beard all the way to the roots – really get in there, don’t just apply it to the top layer of your beard. Then, comb it out to help with oil equal distribution and styling.”
According to Malaeb, his 1847 VIP Room clients often ask to emulate the beards of famous actors and athletes.
“George Clooney is quite popular for a clean shaven look, David Beckham for a natural beard and Brad Pitt for the goatee look,” he says.
Matthews adds that Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds are other celebrity inspirations. “Especially with the Instagram culture, guys have references now, for hair and for beard,“ he says.
Abu Dhabi-based Emirati Mohamed Alzarooni has lived in the UAE for most of his life, and only started growing his beard 18 months ago.
The 31-year-old explains that for Arabs, beards have cultural and religious connotations, and are not simply fashion statements.
“The Prophet always kept a beard and so with that it carried on in the Arab world,” he explains.
Alzarooni visits his barber weekly. “I prefer not doing it myself since I have messed up a few times, and then had to remove it all.”
For beard enthusiasts, the prospect of shaving it all off, after the hard work it took to grow it can be heartbreaking.
Alzarooni admits that if somebody played a joke and shaved his beard off while he was sleeping, he wouldn’t be happy.
“But I’d live to grow it another day,” he says optimistically, reflecting the attitude of many beard-growers – that it isn’t necessarily about the final, flawless image, but about the journey to grow, nurture and maintain it.
------------------------------------------------------------
Room to grow
Make a booking for your beard in one of these cool UAE barbershops:
Akin Barber & Shop
Burj Al Salam, Dubai, akinbarbershop.com
Urban Male Lounge
The Galleria Mall, Abu Dhabi, urbanmalelounge.com
Gentlemen’s Tonic
Emirates Palace Spa, Abu Dhabi, gentlemenstonic.com
Chaps & Co
JLT, Dubai, chapsandco.ae
1847 VIP Room
Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai, 1847uae.com
hlodi@thenational.ae
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Wonka
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
LUKA CHUPPI
Director: Laxman Utekar
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Cinema
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Aparshakti Khurana
Rating: 3/5
Guardians%20of%20the%20Galaxy%20Vol%203
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The specs: 2018 Jaguar F-Type Convertible
Price, base / as tested: Dh283,080 / Dh318,465
Engine: 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 295hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.2L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Teams
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
Company%20Profile
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Company%20Profile
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FIXTURES
Thursday
Dibba v Al Dhafra, Fujairah Stadium (5pm)
Al Wahda v Hatta, Al Nahyan Stadium (8pm)
Friday
Al Nasr v Ajman, Zabeel Stadium (5pm)
Al Jazria v Al Wasl, Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium (8pm)
Saturday
Emirates v Al Ain, Emirates Club Stadium (5pm)
Sharjah v Shabab Al Ahli Dubai, Sharjah Stadium (8pm)
Klopp at the Kop
Matches 68; Wins 35; Draws 19; Losses 14; Goals For 133; Goals Against 82
- Eighth place in Premier League in 2015/16
- Runners-up in Europa League in 2016
- Runners-up in League Cup in 2016
- Fourth place in Premier League in 2016/17
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
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MOTHER%20OF%20STRANGERS
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The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
The team
Videographer: Jear Velasquez
Photography: Romeo Perez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Models: Meti and Clinton at MMG
Video assistant: Zanong Maget
Social media: Fatima Al Mahmoud
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now