A top shoe designer has called for more investment in the country's fashion industry.
The Emirati designer Sultan Al Darmaki said the UAE should have its own fashion council to promote young talent as the country seeks to diversify its economy.
"We have a big pool of talent, but no support from the Government," said Mr Al Darmaki, who recently launched his "Darmaki" women's shoes line in London to capitalise on the city's presence in the global design industry.
The British Fashion Council could be a template for a similar entity in the UAE, he said. Fashion directly contributes £21 billion (Dh121.22bn) to the UK economy, according to the council.
While the UAE has become a key market for top global fashion brands, local designers struggle to gain recognition in an industry still governed by international names such as Alexander McQueen, Louis Vuitton and Chanel.
"We need to have an entity equivalent to the British Fashion Council that promotes young designers internationally," Mr Al Darmaki said. "At present, many find it easier to establish their brands in one of the big-four cities - London, Milan, Paris and New York - because the know-how and structure is already there. These designers could bring enormous export-import value for the economy in the future."
The British Fashion Council promotes designers in the global market. It is responsible for bringing international buyers to London Fashion Week to promote the country's fashion industry.
Abu Dhabi aims to diversify the economy to drive Emiratisation in sectors such as manufacturing, tourism, financial services and technology, but has not addressed industries such as design.
"The interest of the young generations has changed," Mr Al Darmaki said.
"There will still be UAE nationals who will fill the jobs in the oil, industrial, [and other] sectors, but there will also be others who want to venture into fashion."
halsayegh@thenational.ae
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
The%20Specs
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DUBAI%20BLING%3A%20EPISODE%201
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Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
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FIGHT%20CARD
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SPECS
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Company%20profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MATCH DETAILS
Chelsea 4
Jorginho (4 pen, 71 pen), Azpilicueta (63), James (74)
Ajax 4
Abraham (2 og), Promes (20). Kepa (35 og), van de Beek (55)
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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Company%20Profile
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Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
Director:Michael Lehmann
Stars:Kristen Bell
Rating: 1/5
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.