HERITAGE, HOTELS AND BEAUTY
What is beauty? For the people featured in Silvia Radan’s story on page 20, it’s defined by the possession of a big, drooping lower lip, dark hair on the back and large feet. Her insight into the world of camel beauty contests – for, of course, I am speaking of the devotees of the one humped dromedaries that roam our deserts – is fascinating.
While I knew of the existence of camel fairs and beauty contests, and the mindboggling amount of money that changes hands at these events, I did not know the details of the prized camels’ care (which rivals the regimes detailed in our regular, human beauty pages) and simply how beloved these animals are.
That story takes us into the UAE’s history, and out into the sands of the Western Region, but if you want to venture into the future of the UAE, simply turn to page 48, for Shreeja Ravindranathan’s second annual look at the new hotels coming up in the country this year. Not a fan of staycations? I hear you – after all, there’s that extra cost attached to going out in 2018, although I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about the Mandarin Oriental Jumeira giving you a pack of tissues in lieu of small change. But many of our lives in the UAE do involve hotel visits, often far more than we would in other countries: For a dinner, a meeting, a baby shower or an afternoon by the beach, you probably visit a hotel. Bored of the old options? You’ve got lots to look forward to this year, then, because there are some incredible new brands and properties (with some cool
I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about fancy hotels giving you a pack of tissues in lieu of small change
restaurants attached!) on their way.
Speaking of VAT and small change, we want to hear about your experiences of the newly implemented tax – share your thoughts in our weekly Story Tellers feature by emailing us or commenting on Facebook. This week, readers gave their travel list for 2018 – turn to page 10.
We were lucky enough to have British model Mariah Idrissi stop by the Friday studio late last year, and she graces our cover this weekend, not only with her beauty, but also with her fascinating insight into the world of modest fashion, of which she has become something of a spokesperson. And she had a lot to say to Lindsay Judge – find out on page 26.