Vogue Arabia

Colombian Emerald Briolette earrings, Jacob & Co; dress, Roksanda. Photo: Phillipp Jelenska
Since its establishment in 1986 by Jacob Arabo, Jacob & Co. has not only captured the attention of customers across the globe but has redefined the boundaries of haute joaillerie, seamlessly merging impeccable craftsmanship with groundbreaking watchmaking techniques. For Jacob & Co., every creation is akin to art – bracelets, necklaces, rings, earrings, and watches take on a new dimension, effortlessly fusing timeless design sensibilities with avant-garde flair. The Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond Necklace with its array of rare yellow diamonds or the iconic Billionaire watch are only two of the many examples of this trailblazing fusion between art and fashion.
Rare Touch collection earrings and necklace, Jacob & Co; dress, 1309. Photo: Phillipp Jelenska
Borrowing from this tradition of extravagant and masterful collections, Vogue Arabia showcases a selection of sure-to-be-coveted pieces from Jacob & Co. Saudi. As one of the few brands creating high and fine jewelry as well as high-end watches, each piece is a testament to impeccable craftsmanship and finely chosen gems. The 38mm Brilliant rose gold watch emerges as a feminine timepiece combining gem-set beauty with high watchmaking while a pair of Colombian Emerald Briolette earrings exude opulence.
38mm Brilliant rose gold watch, Jacob & Co; dress, Roksanda. Photo: Phillipp Jelenska
A GIA-certified Riviera necklace, bracelet, solitaire diamond ring, and earrings capture the eye at once representing Jacob & Co.’s penchant for regalia. Pieces from the exquisite Jezebel and Rare Touch collection or the circular agate earrings offer an even greater testament to the brilliance of Jacob & Co.
Circular Agate earrings, and rings, Jacob & Co; dress, Michael Kors. Photo: Phillipp Jelenska
Earrings, GIA certified Riviera necklace, bracelet, solitaire diamond ring, Jacob & Co; dress, Bottega Veneta. Photo: Phillipp Jelenska
Style: Mohammad Hazem Rezq Hair and makeup: Manuel Losada Model: Anthi Fakidari Producer: Rama Naser On-ground production: Mustafa Al Amasi Photography assistant: Adam Al Rhal 

Adriana Lima and Abdel El Tayeb photographed by Hassan Hajjaj for Vogue Arabia January 2022
The January issue of Vogue Arabia launches the year with a bold celebration of creativity, joy, and fresh talent, with four covers shot on location in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
The first edition of 2022 sets the tone with vibrant color and flair. Sudanese-French designer Abdel El Tayeb and supermodel Adriana Lima were photographed by Moroccan artist Hassan Hajjaj in Doha, mere hours after the young designer accepted his debut talent prize at the 2021 Fashion Trust Arabia awards. Meanwhile, in Jeddah, Moroccan photographer Mous Lamrabat shot Saudi film producer Mohammed Al Turki with rising star actors Fatima AlBanawi and Mila Al Zahrani on the auspicious occasion of the first Red Sea film festival.
“We are proud to be a platform that empowers young regional talents, so we are dedicating this issue to the creatives who are shaking things up in fashion and entertainment in the Arab world,” says editor-in-chief Manuel Arnaut. In fashion, Fashion Trust Arabia debut talent award-winner El Tayeb is creating a stir with his master artistry resulting in distinctive designs that hark back to his Sudanese heritage. The talented young designer is also inspired by his mother, calling her his “ultimate icon,” as well as the traditional craftsmanship of his homeland. Having honed his craft at Isabel Marant, Balmain, and Maison Margiela, before launching his own label in El Tayeb Nation, the young designer is set to soar. “I grew up with a number of cultural layers,” the designer explains. “These layers are clear in my designs. I also wanted to speak to all of us who carry these layers of coming from more than one world, and create a nation of our own.”
The second cover story salutes the burgeoning cinema scene in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with the industry flowering with new talents and international releases. The Kingdom also recently hosted the first edition of the Red Sea film festival, with cover star and festival director Mohammed Al Turki saying, “I have this vision for our festival in the coming years, with its potential to become one of the most important cinematic events in the region. I hope that it will be a strong factor behind placing Saudi and Arab cinema on the map, globally.” The pioneering film festival is further celebrated in the issue with a glamorous portfolio shot by Amina Zaher of the event’s biggest stars, including Hend Sabri and Youssra. “Saudi has witnessed many recent reforms resulting in cultural changes, while at the same time keeping its core identity intact,” Sabri told Vogue Arabia. “The festival will encourage Saudis and fellow Arabs to tell their stories, knowing that there is an important platform through which they can be heard. The fact that it is taking place in Jeddah defies the stereotypical view on the region.”
The January issue further celebrates creativity in all its forms, including an incisive exploration of the GCC’s growing global role as the new fashion and art capital of the world. The art scene in the Kingdom is also blossoming, as we find out from Saudi abstract artist Lulwah Al Homoud: “I am so happy to have my city open to the world, in terms of culture, art, design – everything,” she says in an exclusive interview about Riyadh Art and the many initiatives around it. We also spotlight originality behind the camera, meeting the young new Arab makeup artists creating eye-catching looks for stars including Mona Zaki and Dorra Zarrouk.

Adriana Lima and Abdel El Tayeb
Photography: Hassan HajjajMakeup: Emmanuelle Geoffrey for Dior BeautyHair: Abed Almostafa at Tony Sawaya SalonCreative direction: Manuel ArnautProduction: Ankita ChandraProduction assistant: Naheed Ifteqar With a special thank you to M7, Qatar

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Saudi, we have arrived! The Middle East’s most iconic fashion publication has just come a whole closer to its readers in the Kingdom. Saudi fashion and culture enthusiasts can now pick up copies of Vogue Arabia from within the country.
Starting today, Vogue Arabia — alongside the biannual Vogue Man Arabia and Vogue Living Arabia — will be available in over 250 of your favorite bookstores across Al-Ahsa, Al-Kharj, Dammam, Jeddah, Jubail, Mecca, Medina, Qassim, Riyadh, and Taif. This means that whether you are awaiting the interview of your favorite artist, designer or celebrity, or just need your monthly dose of style and beauty, you can count on Vogue Arabia to always be at hand.
Winnie Harlow and Shahad Salman shot by photographer Dan Beleiu for Vogue Arabia June 2019
Since its launch, Vogue Arabia has been at the forefront of championing the immense talent of Saudi Arabia, including traditional artisans, globally renowned designers, and pioneering women in various fields. Strongly believing in representing the region in the best, and most inclusive way possible, many of Vogue Arabia’s key moments have come to life in the Kingdom. Who can forget the groundbreaking inaugural Saudi issue in June 2018, which became the first Vogue edition to be dedicated to the Kingdom?
Saudi models Amira Al Zuhair, Sophie Alshehry, and Domie wearing Amira Al Zuhair. Photographed in NEOM by Txema Yeste for Vogue Arabia December 2020
From the Sadus village to the bustling city of Riyadh, the magazine has traveled all around the country with the help of local, established as well as emerging creatives. Vogue Arabia was also the first publication to bring a top model to the Kingdom as Winnie Harlow fronted our June 2019 issue with rising Saudi model Shahad Salman, and the first to shoot covers at the historic site of Diriyah and the futuristic NEOM.
Read Next: Inside Our Saudi Issue Starring the New Faces of the Kingdom’s Cultural Renaissance and its Pioneering Icons

Saudi star models Shahad Salman and Abdulrahman Alammar, dressed in bespoke pieces by designer Arwa Al Banawi. Photographed by Hayat Osamah and artwork by Lulwah Al Homoud
The June 2021 issue of Vogue Arabia celebrates the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with two cover stories where fashion and art meet, giving rise to a symbiosis of creative synergies.
The first cover dives deep into the universe of internationally renowned Saudi artist Lulwah Al Homoud, who honored Vogue by creating the bespoke cover artwork, faithful to her unmissable style where calligraphy and geometric patterns coexist. Al Homoud’s work can usually be seen on the walls of some of the biggest museums and galleries around the world, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the collections of the British Museum. Interviewed by leading Saudi curator Mashael Al Rushaid, the artist states, “Art can definitely be a mechanism for change; it does open healthy dialogues between people,” further adding, “National branding is through art.” This English cover is fronted by Saudi star models Shahad Salman and Abdulrahman Alammar, dressed in bespoke pieces by designer Arwa Al Banawi. They represent the strength and uniqueness of the Kingdom’s new generation of creatives.
In the same creative context, the second cover is a gathering of two generations of Saudi singers: newcomer Tamtam and the legendary Abadi Al-Johar. They pose on a set that celebrates the work of rising talent Abdulaziz AlAbdulaziz and his unmissable kaleidoscopic world, wearing bespoke looks by Hadeel AlHussain. Al-Johar holds a hand-painted oud. “I am happy to be a part of this work and to collaborate with a male artist who has been a source of inspiration for many past and present generations, and a young female artist with a global presence,” says AlAbdulaziz. Al-Johar states, “Bringing together artists from all over the Gulf states and urging them to cooperate in developing Gulf music will raise the profile of Gulf art. This is because art in the region is built on individual pursuits rather than cooperative collective ones.”
The issue also features Saudi’s most exciting young fashion talents, along with legends of the Kingdom’s creative industries. In a rare media appearance, Adnan Akbar opens up about his groundbreaking career and future projects, and speaks proudly of his home: “Makkah has always been, and still is, the crossroads of cultures and civilizations.” We also meet octogenarian female poet and journalist Thuraya Qabel, an activist who played a pioneering role in carrying the banner of women and breaking unjust traditions. She advises: “Don’t forget that you are a Saudi woman and that you are the daughter of a country that is the Qibla of the nations, and this means this is a great and holy position.”
Saudi Arabia’s energetic creative scene is represented throughout the June issue. A fresh cohort of designers is affirming the strength of Saudi Arabia to grow into a leading power of great design: meet Dania Shinkar, Hadeel AlHussain, Nouf Alhazmi (RealSelf), Raghad A Alhogail (Ragail), and Yazeed (UnasTokyo), who are focusing on sustainable innovation.
Moreover, Vogue Arabia meets dancer Samira Alkhamis, tenor and composer Marwan Fagi, countertenor Mohammed Khayran Al-Zahrani, and soprano Sawsan Al Bahiti. These four Saudi artists are raising the bar of high art in the Kingdom. They are shaping the landscapes of their respective fields and challenging artistic and cultural expectations through their distinct talents.
Also in June, the spotlight is turned on women from across the Kingdom who are excelling in their fields as artists, writers, humanitarians, pilots, and lawyers. These include the three generations behind Help Center Suad Al-Husseini Juffali, Maha Juffali-Ghandour and Dania Ghandour Alyan; aerospace engineer and rocket specialist Mishaal Ashemimry; lawyer and the first female founder of a Saudi law firm, Sofana Dahlan; and Mashael bint Mansour Binsultan, founder of the Equestrian Union initiative. These trailblazers are creating a new narrative of what contemporary Arab women represent.
An interview with social activist and the Kingdom’s first UN Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador, Muna AbuSulayman, brings forth her moving message on female empowerment, which will also be highlighted in a new book. The Saudi issue further features Jeddah-born Amy Roko, who has carved out a creative space without ever revealing her face. With 1.5 million followers on social media, the Saudi humorist opens up about her choice to wear the niqab, stating, “The stereotypical image of a woman who covers her face is of someone who is timid, submissive… I’m offended. I’m not timid and I’m not quiet. I’m bold.”
Read Next: Looking Back on Vogue Arabia’s Previous Saudi Issues and Their Landmark Achievements

Photographed by Txema Yeste for Vogue Arabia December 2020
Shortly after its first anniversary, Vogue Arabia made history by becoming the first-ever Vogue edition dedicated to Saudi Arabia. The June 2018 issue starring HRH Hayfa bint Abdullah Al Saud had been the first of many annual editions to come that would celebrate and spotlight the immense talent of the Kingdom.
As the region gears up for the reveal of Vogue Arabia’s latest Saudi Issue, we look back on the previous editions and their landmark achievements.

June 2018, starring HRH Hayfa bint Abdullah Al Saud
Photographed by Boo George for Vogue Arabia’s June 2018 issue
One of the publication’s most groundbreaking covers, and the first-ever Vogue edition dedicated to Saudi Arabia, it pictured HRH Hayfa bint Abdullah Al Saud in the driving seat during the month when Saudi lifted the driving ban on women. The artist and princess was shot by photographer Boo George in the desert outside Jeddah, marking the debut magazine cover for the daughter of the late King Abdullah.
“People often ask me what made me want to be on the cover of Vogue,” said HRH reflecting on the cover a year later. “There were two significant reasons that compelled me to accept the invitation. Firstly, I am a Saudi female artist, and Vogue Arabia is a prominent, well-established media brand with a wide reach. I am excited about the work I’m doing, and I saw it as a great opportunity to celebrate and share my paintings with an audience that is already familiar with me as a public figure within my country. Secondly, the specific edition of the magazine was exclusively focused on Saudi Arabia. Given my strong sense of patriotism and allegiance to my homeland, I felt that the timing was right to be involved in an exciting publication celebrating the Kingdom.”
June 2019, starring Winnie Harlow and Shahad Salman
Winnie Harlow and Shahad Salman shot by photographer Dan Beleiu and styled by Katie Trotter
In yet another world exclusive, Vogue Arabia flew top international model Winnie Harlow to Saudi Arabia, where she modeled alongside rising star Shahad Salman for the June issue, themed “women standing for women.” Photographed by Dan Beleiu in Riyadh’s Sadus heritage village, cover stars Harlow, from Canada, and Salman, from the Kingdom, shared their touching stories of success, notably pointing out how vitiligo – a skin condition caused by the lack of melanin – hasn’t stopped them from achieving their dreams.

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It didn’t take long for the distinctive cover shot in Saudi Arabia to grab global attention as it appeared on one of the biggest TV shows in the US. When Harlow appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, in September 2019, the television host took the opportunity to discuss her work with the magazine. “I thought this was a cool thing. You’re on the cover of Vogue Arabia,” said Fallon. Harlow proudly chimed in to discuss the shoot, saying, “That’s my first Vogue. This is the beautiful Shahad, she is gorgeous. I really wanted to do something powerful for my first cover with Vogue Arabia. I’m really close with the people behind the scenes there. We’d been having discussions for about a year about what would be really powerful and we found her on Instagram, and she’s a friend of mine.”
December 2020, starring five young Saudi women, next star Saudi models, and couturier Ashi with muse and model Cindy Bruna

The December 2020 issue of Vogue Arabia celebrated the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a five-cover special edition dedicated to the country and its people. For the first cover, the special project was lensed by Hayat Osamah and curated by historian Dr Layla AlBassam. It stars five young Saudi women from across the country dressed in their respective regional dress. The calligraphy reads, “In the heart of Saudi.” In brilliant contrast, the second cover draws the eye to the next star Saudi models, shot by photographer Txema Yeste with surrealist effect against the smart city of NEOM. International Saudi couturier Ashi, who has dressed Beyoncé, Cardi B, and Billy Porter, is also featured on a cover alongside model and Ashi muse Cindy Bruna.
HRH Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud photographed by her daughter, Princess Sarah bint Faisal Al Saud
The issue also included an exclusive feature by Saudi ambassador to the US, HRH Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Photographed for Vogue Arabia by her daughter, Princess Sarah bint Faisal Al Saud, she penned a letter to Saudi women, stating, “Whatever the future holds for the Kingdom, young Saudi women will be at the front of the line, integral to the process of shaping it. And that means, very soon, we will no longer refer to the ‘first’ Saudi women this or the ‘first’ Saudi woman that – because the presence and contribution of Saudi women in every job, occupation, career, and sector will simply be commonplace and unremarkable.” Princess Reema added, “The time has come to be judged by our capabilities and accomplishments and not by our gender.”
Read Next: Some of Vogue Arabia’s Most Special Moments Created in Saudi Arabia