AUTUMN 2026 Soft power and the unapologetic female gaze In A New Light2 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture/Interiors Autumn 2026 IMAGE: SUPPLIED ACTING EDITOR IN CHIEF NATASHA FARUQUE EDITOR EMILY BAXTER-PRIEST ART EDITOR LEANNE BOTHA CONTRIBUTORS SAMIR ALHASAN, MARGUERITA CHRISTOFORIDIS, ROSALIND ERSKINE, CÉLINE GRASSY, AASIYA JAGADEESH, JULIET MURPHY, I NGRID RASMUSSEN, LYDIA TAMARA, AYESHA SHEHMIR-SHAIKH, CLARA STRAMBIO, GORG STUDIO, ODELIA MATHEWS, AISHA ZAMAN EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES TEL: +971 (0) 4 444 3000 EMAIL: HARPERSBAZAARINTERIORS@ITP.COM NATASHA.FARUQUE@ITP.COM ADVERTISING GROUP BRAND DIRECTOR NADIA MUSA NADIA.MUSA@ITP.COM / 052 437 0893 SENIOR KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER RABAB HASAN RABAB.HASAN@ITP.COM / 052 638 2479 PRODUCTION PRODUCTION MANAGER GIJO THOMAS SENIOR IMAGE EDITOR EMMALYN ROBLES IMAGE EDITOR JEMIMA JOY DISTRIBUTION & CIRCULATION CIRCULATION EXECUTIVE MARALINE MELITON ITP PHOTOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER EFRAIM EVIDOR ITP MEDIA GROUP PO BOX 500024 DUBAI UAE. TEL: +971 4 444 3000 WEBSITE: WWW.ITP.COM The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error 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 reader’s 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 and distributed monthly by Licensee ITP Consumer by permission of Hearst Communications Inc, New York, United States of America. AUTUMN 2026 ITP MEDIA GROUP CEO ALI AKAWI MANAGING DIRECTOR, LUXURY GROUP MARNE SCHWARTZ DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR, ITP LUXURY GROUP FARRAH TAYLOR ITP GROUP CEO ALI AKAWI CFO TOBY JAY SPENCER-DAVIES HEARST MAGAZINES INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT OF HEARST MAGAZINES INTERNATIONAL JONATHAN WRIGHT SVP/GLOBAL EDITORIAL & BRAND DIRECTOR KIM ST. CLAIR BODDEN GLOBAL EDITORIAL & BRAND DIRECTOR ELÉONORE MARCHAND INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS ARABIA, AUSTRALIA, BRAZIL, CHINA, COLOMBIA, CZECH REPUBLIC, ECUADOR, FRANCE, GERMANY, GREECE, HONG KONG, INDIA, INDONESIA, ITALY, JAPAN, KAZAKHSTAN, KOREA, LATIN AMERICA, MALAYSIA, NETHERLANDS, POLAND, QATAR, SAUDI, SERBIA, SINGAPORE, SPAIN, TAIWAN, THAILAND, TURKEY, U.K., UKRAINE, UNITED STATES, VIETNAM Published by ITP MEDIA GROUP FZ-LLC © 2026 ©2026 by Hearst Communications Inc. Rey dining chairs, Dhs3,280 each, THE BOWERY COMPANYIMAGE: SUPPLIED 3 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture/Interiors Autumn 2026 Step into a new season of design, with homes shaped by intention to inspire rest, renewal and fresh starts Oslo rug, Dhs25,000, RUG’SOCIETY4 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture/Interiors Autumn 2026 Th is page: Th e Orion Outdoor sofa set by Minotti at Aati has all the hallmarks of warm, winter days spent entertaining outside. Opposite page: Decodiva dining table, POA, Covet House IMAGES: SUPPLIEDThe LATEST 10 Editor’s Essentials 13 The List 22 24 Hours With Architect Tarlan Vaziri Farahani 24 Watch This Space 25 Modular Synergy 26 Space Invader 27 Are You Being Served? 28 In Pursuit Of Tomes The FEATURES 30 Creative Spark 32 Design Doha Biennial 36 Artistic Exchange 37 A Fresh View 44 Expert Advice: The Art Of A Well Designed Home 54 The Hidden One 56 A Bridge Between 62 Art In Motion 64 A Soft Touch 70 The Layers Beneath 76 Table Manners A FASHIONABLE LIFE 80 Strength & Serenity 88 House of Couture 94 Character Study 100 Top Tables 102 Escape News 104 My Design DNA On the COVER Kamelia Zaal wears Kristina Fidelskaya at home in Al Barari. Photography by Aasiya Jagadeesh. Creative direction by Emily Baxter-PriestPOETRY in MOTION The Onda armchair in Bouclé Sauvage and bronzed metal headlines the new-season designs from ELIE SAAB MAISON. Its design traces the rhythm of a wave, transcending function to become a sculptural expression. A work of art and a caress, all in one. Th e Onda armchair, POA, Elie Saab Maison at Aati 6 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture/Interiors Autumn 2026 IMAGE: SUPPLIED Editor’s PICKSIMAGES: AASIYA JAGADEESH. ŽIGA MIHELCIC. ITP 44 80 Top to bottom: Kamelia Zaal's contemporary sanctuary in Th e Nest, Al Barari; Industry experts off er advice on curating the perfect home; Discover new regional voices at Design Doha Biennial EMILY BAXTER-PRIEST EDITOR Autumn marks a pivotal time in the design season, particularly here in the Middle East, as we welcome back Dubai Design Week, NOMAD Abu Dhabi and Doha Design Biennial (page 30). Th is issue focuses on what the coming months hold in terms of exhibitions, exclusive showcases and community events. What I enjoy most each year is the introduction to new creatives and learning how each individual interprets design through their own lens. At its core, design should be made, seen and appreciated with joy, not regulation, and these fairs truly celebrate that. It’s less about breaking the rules than about there being none to break, because creativity shouldn’t conform to any predetermined parameters. In these pages we celebrate the people, places and products that best exemplify this sensibility. Our cover star Kamelia Zaal designed her Al Barari home on her own terms, centred on feminine energy and balance, to mark a new chapter in her life (page 80). In London, Ahmad Almarei imbued his Portman Square residence (page 56) with design codes derived from Kuwaiti family tradition, not trends. And in Beirut, Lebanese couturier Zuhair Murad restored his Gemmayze penthouse following the port blast, breathing in fresh energy to better refl ect his state of mind (page 88). Spaces guided by intention, unbound by convention. We also bring together some of the industry’s greatest minds to off er advice on the art of curating a home (page 44). Whether you’re starting from scratch or transforming a much-loved space, the most consistent piece of advice is to know why you’re choosing something, be it wallpaper, a piece of furniture or the design of a room. As the founder of Maison Yoca, Sarah Bilgrami, puts it, “A home should never be a refl ection of trends; it should be a refl ection of the people who live there.” Be bold in your thinking, take risks with what you invest in and let unbridled self-expression be your north star. Remember, when it comes to design, in all its multidimensional glory, there are no rules. 32 Fresh VISION Editor’s 7 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture/Interiors Autumn 2026 LETTERNext >