PEOPLE OF INFLUENCE TAKING ON THE MISSION OF SUSTAINABILITY IN THE UAE AN ITP MEDIA GROUP PUBLICATION21 NOV - 4 DEC 2019 VOLUME 17 ISSUE 815 AED 12 BHD 1.5 KWD 1.2 SAR 15 OMR 1.5 INCLUSIVE OF VAT 3 ITP Media Group PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 444 3000 www.itp.com CEO Ali Akawi MANAGING DIRECTOR Sue Holt PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Vidhya Thiagarajan Editorial Editor Andre Neveling andre.neveling@itp.com, +971 4 444 3133 Art Art Director Amjad Ayche amjad.ayche@itp.com, +971 4 444 3234 Project Manager Jessica Combes Sub-editor Shalaka Paradkar Photography Senior Photographers Adel Rashid, Efraim Evidor Staff Photographers Aasiya Jagadeesh, Ajith Narendra, Fritz Asuro, Jessica Samson Ahlan! Group Advertising & Consumer Digital Advertising Manager Dalia Sufian dalia.sufian@itp.com, +971 4 444 3297 Marketing & Circulation Circulation Manager Vanessa DSouza vanessa.dsouza@itp.com, +971 4 444 3136 Distribution & Warehouse Manager Praveen Nair praveen.nair@itp.com, +971 4 444 3498, Production & Distribution Group Production & Distribution Director Kyle Smith Production Manager Denny Kollannoor Image Editor Jemima Joy ITP Group CEO Ali Akawi CFO Toby Jay Spencer-Davies The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for errors or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review. Published by ITP Media Group FZ - LLC © 2019 Welcome to the Hot 100 – celebrating people of influence in the UAE. Not only do our Hot 100 lead the way in fitness, entertainment, fashion, food, beauty and business, they’re also frontrunners in the fight for sustainability. This year, we decided to do things a little differently. That’s right – the hottest list in town has gone green. In fact, you’re even reading this special issue on recycled paper, so more reason to celebrate the list and less reason to feel guilty. Unless you’ve been living under a rock (which is more eco-friendly, come to think of it), 2019 raised a lot of questions about the state of the environment and what we’re doing to protect it. From headline-making environmental activist Greta Thunberg to the planet practically losing a lung during the devastating fires in the Amazon, sustainability is finally starting to get the much-needed attention it deserves. About time, too! ahlanlive.com /AhlanMagazine @ahlanmagazine @AhlanLive Fortunately, it turns out our chosen 100 are not only making a difference in their fields, but to the environment, too. In this very special issue, our eco-friendly Hot 100 share insights into the steps they’re taking, no matter how big or small, to make our country more environmentally friendly. Let’s all take inspiration from these eco- warriors, and increase our own efforts. Share your thoughts with us on social media using #ahlangoesgreen, and let’s give the UAE, and the planet, the love and attention it deserves. After all, plastic is SO 2000-and-late. Andre Neveling Editor ANDRE.NEVELING@itp.com HOT 100 GOES GREEN4 HOT 1OO 2O19 CONTENTS THE CREATIVES 8 Jacqueline Fernandez 9 Nayla Al Khaja 10 Layla Akil 11 Waleed Shah, Sleiman Dayaa 12 Phil Griffith 13 Butheina Kazim 14 Hollaphonic, Khalifa Nasser 16 Laura Anderson 17 Jade & Nugget, Bill Bragin 18 Sumi Cosplay, Saud Al Hazzani 19 Omar Borkan 20 Aylissa Boyce 21 DJ Bliss, Amr Nassouhy 22 CnRMafia 23 S1 24 Dukkan Media 25 Mohamed Karim, JJ Thompson 26 DJ Megatronic 27 Diva Dee Aka Danya 28 Danny Aridi 29 Vandaleye, Basil AlHadi 30 Layla Kardan THE TASTEMAKERS 32 Huda Kattan 33 Nina Ubhi 34 Louise Nichol 35 Rawan Bin Hussein, Reya S 36 Mona Kattan 37 Rosemin Madhavji, Nazanin Fara 39 Ameni Esseibi, Dr. Leandro Junqueira 40 Hanan Sobati 41 Michael Cinco, Jannat Miranda 42 Sonia & Fyza THE PIONEERS 44 Hazza Al Mansoori 45 Rania Masri El Khatib 46 Basma Al Fahim 48 Alex Hirschi 49 Fatma Hilal, Mariska Nell 50 HE Shaikha Noora Bint Khalifa Al Khalifa, Elissa Freiha 51 Omaira Farooq Al Olama 52 Oweis Zahran 53 TG from Dubai, Natalie Banks 55 Briar Prestidge THE ADVENTURERS 58 Khalil Tawil 59 Chef Reif Othman 60 Chef Izu Ani 61 Kamilla Omarzay, Nooran Al Bannay 62 Zahra Abdullah, Gbemi Giwa 63 Joey Ghazal 64 Talal Alrashed, Sam Chui 65 Naomi D’Souza 66 Mr White Dubai THE HEALTH HEROES 68 Badou Jack 69 Kirsteen Thain 70 Zahra Lari, Petrina Vos 72 Marcus Smith, Eric Akoa 73 Nelita Villezon 74 Peter Barron 75 Nadine Du Toit and Ricardo Vargas 76 Michelle Kuehn 77 Raha Moharrak, Abeer Alkhaja 78 Team Angel Wolf 79 Manal Rostom 80 Bahij Kaddoura 81 Ghida Arnaout, Rami RasamnyThe magic of the night sky inspires a festive feeling at Pandora this holiday season W rapped in an iconic shade of night blue and elevated by the sparkle of crystals, the Holiday 2019 collection from Pandora evokes magic, wonder and nostalgia. Delicate angel wings, asymmetrical shooting stars and shining details are bound to remind you of your important place in the galaxy. Not sure what to get your mum, sister or best friend this festive season? Then you’re in luck. Created with mixing, stacking and layering in mind, the coordinating styles and matching pieces of Timeless Elegance and Pandora Celestial are ideal for meaningful holiday gifting. Completing the celestial theme of the season is the new Pandora Zodiacs collection in sterling silver. The astrological symbols style seamlessly with the holiday collection’s other styles. Wear your zodiac sign proudly or show your loved ones that you know them by gifting them their star sign. Contemporary designs and updated stone settings compliment the celestial expression. Raised stones increase the brilliance and sparkle of the stone, and Pandora has even introduced a healing heart cut on select pieces. It’s a perfect expression of love in time for the season of giving. That’s our festive season gifting sorted, then! INFO: Available at Pandora stores nationwide Out of this world jewellery Promotion by gifting igns and gs stial e , then! ores 5 7 ARTS, CULTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT STARS THAT MAKE THE UAE A MORE COLOURFUL PLACE THE CREATIVESHOT 1OO 2O19 | THE CREATIVES 8 My highlight of the year is undoubtedly my first OTD project with Netflix. Another big highlight for me was becoming the very first female celebrity on KSA billboards with Splash. I was born in Bahrain and grew up in the Middle East, so I understand the culture very well. My parents live in the UAE and I love spending my free time there. I don’t waste electricity and I recycle. I also watch my diet; I eat meat-free meals and organic food. Life itself is my biggest inspiration: to live well and hard, no matter what phase of life one is at. As a creative person, my travels inspire me; working on different projects and different characters also inspires me in my work. Many of us are trying our best and working hard towards sustainability, but on a wider scale we need to put an end to the use of plastics. We still need to do more. In 2020 I am looking forward to many more new beginnings and adventures – in love and in life, and to move one step closer to create a better environment for every living being. JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ The Bollywood actress broke boundaries in 2019 9 THE CREATIVES | HOT 1OO 2O19 This year has been spectacular. I got a career break from the accomplished producer Rita Dhager, who is embarking on a journey with me towards making my first feature film. We also shot a 15-minute teaser and did a very successful fundraiser this year at VOX Cinemas. We are very eager to get the ball rolling for 2020 and shoot the first horror feature film directed by an Emirati woman. This is really exciting for women working in the industry, as the statistics show only 5% of women specialise in the suspense/horror genre. My team and I have been reducing water and plastic usage in the workplace. Recently, I have installed water saving devices that reduce water footprint by 30 percent in my own home. There are many people that I look up to, but my mother especially. My mother has always been very brave and her perseverance in life is very inspiring. My mother is a person who would dedicate 10 to 15 years to a craft to prove a point, which some people may view it as stubborn but I see it as someone who doesn’t give up on her dreams. As a UAE national, this is my home country. I was born and raised in the UAE and witnessed the country turn from a desert to an incredible cosmopolitan city. It is a country full of life and I can’t wait to capture it on film and share it with the rest of the world. NAYLA AL KHAJA The first female film director/producer in the UAE and CEO of Nayla Al Khaja FilmsNext >