Saudi

Photo: Courtesy NEOM
The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, announced the designs and plans for Saudi Arabia’s proposed smart linear city, The Line by NEOM, on Monday. The Line, which is currently under construction, is envisioning a future free of cars and roads, making for zero carbon emissions while promising an unprecedented urban lifestyle in its midst. This city has been part of Saudi Arabia’s 2030 Vision project for quite some time now, and finally, with the Crown Prince’s final word on the designs of this defining district, the project is taking off.
From the designs revealed in the Prince’s announcement, the most notable highlights are that The Line will be only 200 meters wide, 170 kilometers long, and 500 meters above sea level. Upon completion, the city is set to accommodate 9 million residents in its quarters, all built on a footprint of 34 square kilometers, reducing infrastructure footprints and creating efficiencies that have never been seen before. What’s more, the exterior of The Line will be entirely reflective, allowing it to blend in with its surrounding nature. Within its mirror-like facade will be “extraordinary experiences and magical moments,” the Prince shared.

What if we could start again?THE LINE rethinks everything we know about how people live, work and play. A 170 km-long vertical city, designed around people, rather than cars. A revolution in urban living. A city that delivers new wonders for the world.#TheLINE #NEOM pic.twitter.com/Op6HyO5gEi
— NEOM (@NEOM) July 25, 2022

“The Line will be created by a team of world-renowned architects and engineers, led by NEOM, to develop this revolutionary concept for the city of the future,” Prince Mohammed Bin Salman shared recently. The royal also explained that the design will clarify the internal structure of the smart city while addressing the issues of conventional cities. As per the Prince’s statement to the Saudi Press Agency, he is aiming at finding a satisfactory middle ground between urban living and preserving our endangered nature through this visionary project.
This project was initially launched by the Prince in January 2021, where he laid out his visions and ideas of the smart city headed on its way to redefine urban living and development for what it is today. With The Line, His Highness dreams of revolutionize what cities of the future will look like. The vertically layered designs for will put the traditional style of horizontal flats up for a challenge. As per the plans, the city is set to run entirely on renewable energy, prioritizing people’s well-being over fascinating infrastructures – a norm that is currently not being followed by most conventional cities. If everything goes as planned, The Line will be preserving 95% of NEOM’s land with its extraordinary design.
Below, take a look at what the proposed model of The Line by Neom is likely to look like by 2030.
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Some clothes are a whisper, others are proverbially loud. The new collection from Hindamme – self-taught designer Mohammed Khoja’s streetwear brand – hits a sweet spot. As the spring/summer transition happily dictates, the colors are fresh and with a bite. Lime green, tangy orange, and dégradé sunsets are featured across wide lapel jackets; with cool Scandinavian blues or pulsating oranges, there’s a view of the sky no matter the location. There’s also a swirling mass in gaslit colors. It’s in fact the science of color theory with integrating motifs highlighting Mother Nature’s beauty. “Season 5 is autobiographical,” states Khoja. “It investigates the deeper connections in life – our relationship to our families, communities, and planet.” Padded nylon shirts, hoodies, a Tencel bowling shirt, and wool cashmere varsity jacket bring eye to earth, while a striped mesh and velvet dress is a sensual nod to the animal world.
Photo: Courtesy of Hindamme
Photo: Courtesy of Hindamme
The name Hindamme references an Arabic term meaning, “To possess perfect form in harmony in aesthetics.” Ideas are ever evolving. Khoja continues his quest with each collection. He aims to create a narrative to Middle Eastern design that is universal and contemporary. He also isn’t afraid to look back to move forward. His last collection, Al Ula, in collaboration with Saudi music and arts festival Winter at Tantora, featured a fabric story that dove into the ancient desert Kingdom belonging to the Nabataean civilization. It rendered cloth in silk velvets, with golden pleats and Greco-Roman style embroidery. Khoja’s wider team of textile experts created custom brocades and embroideries illustrating inscriptions and art of the ancient Nabataean civilization bringing them into the here and now.
Photo: Courtesy of Hindamme
Originally published in the June 2022 issue of Vogue Arabia
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Photo: Instagram.com/aliciakeys
A known advocate for women’s rights, Alicia Keys‘ humanitarian work was recently recognized by a Saudi-based non-profit enterprise during her trip to the Kingdom. After her performance at AlUla, the organization named Namat gifted the musician with a beautiful bag strap created with the aim of encapsulating everything she stands for.
Photo: Courtesy of Namat
Inspired by her hit song ‘This Girl is on Fire’, the bag strap was presented to Keys at the Women to Women event at AlUla’s Town Hall. The women that work with embroidery and design at Namat interpreted the song in their own words and chose the paragraphs and sentences that resonated most with them. The words of the song reflect and represent the aim of the company’s project through the employment of women and focus on their empowerment, which Keys was very appreciative of.

Soon after, the singer took to Instagram to personally thank the women who created her bag strap. “To the ladies who designed this beautiful piece for me from Namat, I just wanted you to know I got it and it is so stunning,” she said. “And literally the translation, the words, the energy, you captured it. You captured the meaning. You are the meaning which is why you captured it. You mean so much to me and I just wanted to tell you that I adore this and this is a very special gift to me and thank you for blessing the world.”
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Discover how, the whirlwind Saudi marketeer that is Nojoud Alrumaihi, winds down in style.
Nojoud Alrumaihi wearing a Remain outfit with shoes from Sergio Rossi and a S’uvimol bag

ALL IN THE DETAILS
Saudi marketing specialist Nojoud AlRumaihi is one half of a burgeoning event management company that she founded with her husband, Abdullah Al Rasheed. “Upbeat KSA is named after my husband’s character. He is an exuberant person with more than 10 years of experience in the events industry. He was the driver behind it, and I came in as the marketeer and content creator. Together, we want to create events that are full of life and experiences,” she says. With a degree in business management and marketing from Riyadh’s Al Yamamah University and a master’s in international marketing from London’s King’s Business School, it’s easy to see how her education has influenced her latest venture. “Understanding people’s psychology, how they behave as consumers, and how everything has an effect on communication, made me want to dive deeper into the field,” she says.

SET THE TONE
Alrumaihi in a dress she created with Saudi designer Hadeel Al Hussain and a Bottega Veneta bag

“Abayas are a world that I absolutely love,” says AlRumaihi. Her collection includes everyday ones as well as formal, floor-sweeping robes. “I love wearing Nouf AlSudairi abayas. They’re so easy to style as they are minimal with excellent fabrics that go with everything,” she says of the Saudi brand’s signature linen pieces. Her closet also includes artful tie-dye abayas by Dye Down, tailored overlays by Alanoud AlSalem, and embroidered designs by Nihad Bakhrebah. She has a tonal approach to piecing together her looks. “I love to style abayas in a monochromatic way, so I focus on basic wear underneath and neutral colors,” she says. Her single-color habits go back to her first memory with fashion. “My family took us on a trip to Mecca for Umrah, and I remember being mad at my mom for not matching my hijab to my shoes. Horrible, I know, but I was a child who loved coordinating my clothes.”

OWN THE NIGHT
In a dress from 16Arlington, wearing her Bespoke wedding jewelry, as well as a Chaumet ring and Cartier bracelet

When it comes to eveningwear, AlRumaihi lights up a room with her repertoire of dresses drenched in beadwork and jumpsuits that make for an instant statement. “I have a Ralph Lauren dress that I love. I couldn’t resist not getting it when I saw it on the runway. It was a golden dream – the length, the straps, and the femininity in it is just astonishing,” she says. A black feather-trimmed 16Arlington dress shares closet space with a striking Alex Perry orange jumpsuit. “It’s so bold and chic. No one does shoulders like Alex Perry,” she adds. A closet filled with an ultimate supply of glamour, her fringed Hamda Al Fahim cocktail number and a powder blue Razan Alazzouni tulle gown mingle and shine in her wardrobe with Ashi Studio, Rami Kadi, and Maison Yeye pieces.
RHYTHM IN ROUTINE
Nojoud AlRumaihi

AlRumaihi’s personal style and signature makeup share a common thread: effortless and polished. “I’m drawn to brown, earthy tones and lots of mascara. Light lipstick on the lips, so the focus can be on the eyes,” she says. However, her winning formula for a radiant complexion starts skin deep. “I’ve been using Sisley for two years now, and I can’t get enough of it. I use the Black Rose collection, and I do mean all of it: the face oil, moisturizer, and eye cream.” She credits SkinCeuticals for clearing up her skin, and using her cold ice rollers that she keeps in her freezer every other night of the week remains an essential part of her beauty routine.
OFF THE GRID
Christian Dior shoes and bag

To unwind, AlRumaihi switches to airplane mode. Instead of scrolling through social media, she incorporates a digital detox in her day. “Tossing my phone aside for a while is the best mental escape for me,” she explains. To further relax, AlRumaihi slips into a Daily Sleeper dress or a silk MaxMara loungewear set and indulges in the calming and therapeutic properties of aromatherapy at home. “I have a ritual of unwinding at the end of the day with an air diffuser and essential oils such as lavender and lemongrass. Sometimes I’ll combine it with a massage, which does wonders to relieve stress,” she says.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Nojoud Alrumaihi

Between building a successful startup, being tapped by Christian Dior to front a campaign in her home country, and press trips with Van Cleef & Arpels and Hermès, AlRumaihi is a mother to her three-year old daughter, Lulua. “I don’t think the perfect balance exists, unfortunately. Something has to give,” she shares. “Sometimes I have so much work that keeps me from spending time with my daughter, and sometimes I put everything on hold just to talk to her, or take her out. That’s what I do to find balance.” AlRumaihi calls her daughter every two hours and has a rule not to work past 8pm so she can tuck Lulua in for bedtime. “In my line of work, there’s a lot of traveling involved and that’s when I feel miserable the most as a mother. I’m so thankful to have a family that are so loving and supportive, so I know she is in good hands, safe, and sound.”
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Originally published in the December 2020 Issue of Vogue Arabia