LLQ Lifestyle Issue 08

ISSUE N’08

AHMED SHARIEFI

THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AT Q-AUTO 1

Feast on the finest Levant cuisine and regional delicacies, which will be tempting you while specialty dishes are available à la carte during dinner.

Get a delicious taste of local culinary heritage, complemented by a generous serving of renowned Qatari hospitality.

Open from Tuesday to Sunday.

7:00pm to 11:00pm Msheireb Downtown Doha | Email: reservations.alwadihotel@accor.com | Tel: +974 4009 9999 2

Enjoy an authentic dining experience with the finest Levant cuisine.

TRADITIONAL TASTES, CONTEMPORARY CUISINE

MGALLERY. STORIES THAT STAY

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YOUR LUXURY SUMMERCATION Treat yourself and your family to a luxury SummerCation and benefit from QAR 200 resort credit * Offer Details: • Exclusive rate starting from QAR 1,000 per night • Includes breakfast for two • Special welcome amenities • QAR 200 credit valid in Kempinski managed restaurants, spa and watersports* • Early check-in and late check-out upon availability * Terms and Conditions apply Call 4035 5555 or WhatsApp 7479 0864

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De Chiringuito Enjoy selected tapas & paella with your choice of a grape bottle or a sangria pitcher Every Tuesday, from 5:00 to 11:00 pm

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Anahi Ortiz-Prieto –The Empowerment Coach on a Mission to Healing Bodies, Minds and Emotions

By Leslie Fernandez

14 How to Stay Chic and Stylish in Pandemic

By Leslie Fernandez

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Murwab Hotel Group – The Award Winning Luxury Brand by Katara Hospitality

Ferrari Roma La Nuova Dolce Vita

By Leslie Fernandez

By Elias Haddad

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2021 ISSUE N’08

PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ELIAS HADDAD MANAGING EDITOR LESLIE FERNANDEZ STYLE EDITOR JULIANA HEIDE FASHION EDITOR MARTA BEVIN BEAUTY EDITOR SAKSHI TEJPAUL PHOTOGRAPHER SMILE FOR PROFILE SHADIRA PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO PHACTORY BY PRADEEP GRAPHIC DESIGNER RAKIBUL ISLAM COVER IMAGE PHOTO PHACTORY BY PRADEEP If you want to get in touch with us, you can contact LLQ Lifestyle Magazine using the email addresses below. elias@llqlifestyle.com Advertising If you would like more information about advertising on LLQ, please email 

info@llqlifestyle.com

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Editor’s Letter Summers are here. And so does the pandemic. Since the vaccination process has been started all over the world, the battle against Covid-19 is hopefully about to end. However, it’s not over yet.

To conquer this pandemic, we have to stay safe, healthy, and follow SOPs. Now that we’ll be enjoying Eid ul Adha soon, let’s make our Eid gatherings, dinners, and barbecue parties safe for our loved ones.

Speaking of festivities, in the latest edition of LLQ Lifestyle we have given summer glam makeup details that would uplift your style this festive season.

You’d also get to know about the popularity of electric cars in the Middle Eastern region. We have covered all the aspects about this exciting trend from Ahmed Shariefi, the Director of Operations at Q-Autos LLC. In this latest edition, the wellness coaching benefits have been covered as Anahi Ortiz-Prieto, the award winning lifestyle coach, has shared why everyone must avail wellness coaching in their lifetime.

Happy Reading to you!

Leslie

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ETRO PRESENTS WOMEN’S PRE-FALL 2021 COLLECTION ETRO is delighted to present their Women’s PreFall 2021 collection. The collection showcases a range of free spirited, imaginative and effortlessly romantic looks that are brought to life with ETRO’s haute-bohemian flair. From paisley-printed garden party dresses to soft tailored pantsuits in plus velvet, each look is versatile yet stylist enough to be styled from day to night.

The inspiration of the collection stems from travel, a strong free-style ’70s vibe is seen across the collection and connects with today’s lust for unconventional self-expression. Some of our favourite looks include the shearling embroidered waistcoats paired with floral-printed frilly minidresses or worn over denim bell-bottoms.

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Heavenly Beauty is now OPEN at The Westin Doha!

Book your hair appointment transformation with Louise now call 4492 1682 Ground Floor, Heavenly Spa The Westin Doha Hotel & Spa

Scan QR Code to book your

appointment through WhatsApp 13

How to Stay Chic and Stylish in Pandemic

By Leslie Fernandez

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midst 2021, face masks and gloves have become a new norm. They aren’t just limited to healthcare professionals anymore. It’s Pandemic and we all are doing our part to stay safe and care for others while keeping our sanity.

Speaking of sanity, the lifestyle shift has also changed the way we used to style ourselves. Although, travel resumes and businesses are now slowly reopening after vaccination availability. Still, we need to continue to keep our safety on top.

LLQ Lifestyle reached out to the styling experts to answer the questions regarding staying safe and stylish during the pandemic. We want that looking good and dressing up isn’t just kept for occasions but become an important part of your regular style during social distancing.

From masks made out of unique fabrics to upgrading home casuals to casual chic for the sake of WFH –we have found multiple ways to adjust to the new normal and have improved style trends to make the pandemic fashion a unified, comfortable, and productive experience.

LLQ Lifestyle has gathered trending styling ideas to help you upscale your style game and keeping you safe at the same time.

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Stay Stylish and Safe with your Casual Chic Looks during Pandemic Become Trendy with Sustainable Fashion During the pandemic, we’ve seen many home-grown fashion brands that changed the trends to more sustainable and comfortable notes. You can experiment with more comfortable clothing that includes athleisure, loungewear, and casual chic. Using relaxed fabrics in your tops, bottoms, abayas, and scarves is a trend lately. You can style them to look smart for work, hangouts, dinners, zoom meetings, and basically everything.

While huge celebrations and parties were still muted this year, people tend to ditched all the fancy clothes during festivities and dressed up in more ‘comfortable ethnic outfits’ to celebrate and enjoy.

There are unlimited ways to style comfortably and look presentable, just think outside the box.

Experiment with Beautiful Scarves Scarves are an asset that Qatari women preserved over the years. You can experiment with scarves to make your fashion game strong as ever. You can style your scarves in multiple ways by checking tutorials on social media.

With innovative scarf styling ideas, you can be experimental, fusion, and festive at the same time.

Keep it Basic It’s pandemic and you shouldn’t be investing in dresses that are short-termed fashion trends. While 30% of middle-eastern women’s wardrobes are derived from what they see in magazines and in social media –it’s about time to switch to slightly classic.

Chic fashion is much more reasonable. Flared pants, jeans, and classic middle-eastern dresses are much more trending that not only look stylish but keep you safe from expending more on clothes.

Fashion experts advise people not to go for fast fashion. You can style few good pieces in your wardrobe and the right styling is all you need to look fab

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Fabric Masks for the Chic Look Masks are the essential code for going out in the pandemic. Since we’d be likely to wear masks for the near future, why not opt to coordinate them with your outfits.

You can invest in some basic colored reusable masks that come in quality fabrics. You can upgrade your pandemic style by mixed and matching colorful masks with your outfits. You can also opt to add custom initials to elevate your looks.

There are some denim and neon-hued masks that are too making a stir. Qatari influencers are in love with animal themes and fauna prints on their masks. Quilted prints, patchwork, and multicolored stripes are a big hit these days.

You can team up your fav sporting brand masks with activewear while going out to the gym. It’s all about looking chic and staying safe at the same time!

Mask Chains are a Must-have Since masks are a mandatory item to wear while leaving your house these days –we still didn’t get used to carrying them everywhere. To avoid the risk and keeping safe –here’s a stylish solution.

Mask chains! This chic accessory makes it effortless to carry your mask around and instantly upgrades your social-distant look.

The best thing is, you can double your mask chain as a sunglass holder, making them a multipurpose accessory. There are plenty of styles available online to find the ones that suit your style.

Wristlets and Waist Pouches are Trendy Going outside means gearing up for everything that keeps you safe from the Corona virus. And that’s why designer wristlets and waist pouches are best to stay trendy and safe during these times.

You can keep spare masks, sanitizers, other belongings, and mobile safely inside your waist pouch without touching them numerous times.

There are so many options available from designer waist pouches and wristlets, athleisure styles, embroidered numbers, and leather ones to opt for. Pick your style and keep your hands free from holding things while going out.

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Creative Stylist/ Photographer: Farhat Naweed Photography Model:Nica Jenner

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who is looking for objects that are distinctive in an open air environment as well as perfect for the city. The casual collection is inspired by soft and sophisticated hues and materials and offers a wide selection of leisure styles, together with a proposal of colorful and sporty trainers.

TRAMA is the modern highlight of Santoni’s distinctive craftsmanship: an intertwined motif created on calfskin, that reminds the texture of the alligator leather, giving a sophisticated tri-dimensional effect to the product. Modern shape and unique research mark a neat contemporary evolution of the formal.

For women, fine craftsmanship and a subtle study of the palette are at the center of the collection that, through a delicate play of details, create sophisticated and modern motives on sling-backs, loafers, sandals and sneakers, proposed in soft pastel colors, with vivid accents of color.

SANTONI PRESENTS A FILM ABOUT ITS ORIGINS AND SHOWCASES THE SS 2021 ORIGINI MENS & WOMENS COLLECTION LOOKING FOR THE SECRET FORMULA

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antoni creates beauty thanks to the passionate hands of its craftsmen, and the new SS21 men’s collection is once again a pure expression of Italian artistry.

For men, lightness and sophistication are the essence of the proposal that conveys a sense of effortless and relaxed attitude, conceived for the contemporary man

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E LY S I A N D E C O R A elysian_decora

Elysian Decora

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I AM A PALESTINIAN AND I CREATE MY DESIGNS FROM MY ROOTS, THE PALESTINIAN CULTURE, AND THE INFLUENCE OF THE ARABIAN HERITAGE

Neven El Kady Interview by: Bahaa Gharz Al Deen

Neven carried Palestine with here wherever she traveled and tried to reflect the Palestinian identity and its continuity through the most beautiful way, which is fashion.

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started with the Palestinian embroidery, to show its richness with a modern touch, and reached to the Arabian heritage to make unified designs. What made my designs popular is the strong attachment with the Palestinian and Arabian heritage and to presented with a modern appearance, as we have a lot of gorgeous things to show, especially that the Palestinian dress is full of deferent shapes which is rooted into our land and people.

All of my designs are made for the Arabian women and taken from our heritage presented in a modern style to preserve our identity and culture.

Neven alkady is a fashion designer, her mission is to preserve the Palestinian heritage fashion we would like to know about your beginning?

I started early when I use to watch my grandmother and my mother creating there dresses with embroidery and after that I started with Palestinian women association in Egypt where I learned techniques and I found that your creating an art peace on a cloth material even though I went to low university but my passion was for fashion design where I took courses in an Italian institute and from an early 20

age I found out that a women that spends so many months creating her dress as a women that cares about fashion and since my family owned a clothing retail shop I decided to make my own line of fashion for men which was a success under the name of vino, getting married got me away where I moved to Qatar and USA I hold my dream for my family and when my children became old enough I decided to come back to my dream . During my stay in different places, it created my awareness about different cultures and its perspective of fashion.

In a time that a lot of fashion designers try to get a name in so many ways you have chosen the hard way that depends on intellectual and cultural bases, why?

The way I was raised in a family with nation roots my father was a nationalist Palestinian figure and my association with the Palestinian women movement effected my thoughts and believes and I tried to but all of that in my fashion designs and the most important point to deliver the love of fashion to the new generation and my kids had the most impact on me to teach them about their heritage and culture.

In your opinion what is the relationship between fashion and culture?

Culture determines the type of fashion any nation where and reflects the way they live so environment dictate the fashion of each nation.

Your last collection [welada] which mean birth, birth of what?

Welada was during corona and Ramadan and taking the vaccine which gave us a new hope for a new start.

You started late in time which had so many challenges tell us more about difficulties that you faced?

Starting at this age was not easy a lot of people think its too late to start something like this specially in middle eastern society my personality and persistence I want to send a message to all women at any age there is no late time and you have to go after your dream and passion I was very lucky to get all the support I needed from my family my children and friends where my biggest supporters the hardest challenge I faced was in the market and the Arabic society which is tiled to western fashion to accept me and my designs into the fashion map and the new way of presenting traditional fashion what makes your designs different from others my designs has the spirit of Palestinian embroidery and Arabian heritage touch with an acnes.

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What your message to all women with unborn projects?

My message follow your dream listen to your heart and sharpen your tools.

How do you describe your relation with culture and design?

Is the relationship between passion with identity.

A dream you would like to accomplish To see the Palestinian fashion on the global stage our fashion is rich with beauty and our heritage should be presented to the world because we were deprived from showing our heritage to the world with my dream for the Arabian women to have to an amazing place in the in the global fashion map and I want to become and idol to any women that has passion and a Couse with message-+

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Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts Debuts in Qatar with the Launch of Banyan Tree Doha At La Cigale Mushaireb An exciting journey begins…

Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts debuts in Qatar with the opening of Banyan Tree Doha At La Cigale Mushaireb, an urban elegant sanctuary in the heart of Doha. This will be the group’s first property managed by Accor under the Banyan Tree – Accor strategic partnership in Qatar and in the Middle East.

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xquisitely designed by renowned interior designer Jacques Garcia, Banyan Tree Doha blends modern comfort and architectural marvels creating a tranquil haven for its guests to rejuvenate the mind, body and soul. The property features 126 luxurious guest rooms including 66 suites, 215 serviced residences, Banyan Tree Spa with its signature Rainforest hydrotherapy facility and delightful dining options.

Banyan Tree Doha will open its doors for guests looking to be among the firsts to discover the true essence of the Banyan Tree hospitality in Doha, offering them memorable moments whether they are looking for a residence, stay or a dining experience.

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The hotel’s guests can experience a stay in its spacious luxurious rooms offering a serene getaway from the busy city life. For those looking for a long stay and a home away from home, Banyan Tree Residences offer well-appointed serviced apartments bringing together the finest elements of a luxurious living experience from facilities to services of the most impeccable quality. Residents enjoy the true essence of “place” that inspire a unique living experience.

The beginning of the culinary journey in Banyan Tree Doha is marked by the opening of Saffron – the brand’s signature Thai Restaurant, Il Galante – an authentic Italian cuisine inspired by Il Cuoco Galante Cookbook and Panya Lounge – a patisserie with an Asian flare. Two more signature restaurants are scheduled to open at a later stage.

“The opening of Banyan Tree Doha At La Cigale Mushaireb heralds an exciting new era of hospitality in Qatar and we look forward to welcoming our guests to get a glimpse of our rooms, residents and currently operating restaurants. We are delighted to open this incredible property and I’m confident we will deliver outstanding service for business and leisure guests alike,” commented Mr. Aurelio Giraudo, Cluster General Manager, Banyan Tree Doha At La Cigale Mushaireb & La Cigale Hotel Managed by Accor.

Serene Stay Set in the heart of Doha, the elegant urban sanctuary is perfect for those who are looking for a relaxed yet luxurious stay in an awe inspiring atmosphere. Offering 126 rooms and suites, Banyan Tree Doha overlooks either the crystal clear waters of the Arabian gulf, the breathtaking views of a verdant garden or Doha’s old city.

Residences For a truly unique residential experience and a home away from home, Banyan Tree Residences offers an impeccable oasis of serenity at the heart of Doha; a unique blend of comfort, luxury and nature ranging from two-bedroom apartments to four-bedroom penthouses with state-of-the-art facilities and magnificent garden views. Residents enjoy complete access to Banyan Tree Doha’s verdant gardens, exclusive Spa and Health Club.

Extraordinary Dining In addition to the three operating restaurants, Banyan Tree Doha will be introducing additional concepts at a later stage to the Qatari niche market including Qalamkarri – an artistic culinary presentation inspired by the traditional Kalamkari Art, bringing together modern cooking techniques of India’s multi-faceted cuisines, and Vertigo – a panoramic lounge overlooking the entire city from above with mesmerising views offering an experience like no other with a creative beverages menu, mixology inventions and a pan-Asian cuisine with a Mediterranean twist in a lively set up and upbeat music.

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Banyan Tree Spa with Rainforest Hydrotherapy Facility In the near future, guests will be able to enjoy the Banyan Tree Doha’s signature Spa with its signature Rainforest hydrotherapy facility; an experience that truly offers a Sanctuary for the Senses – a place for physical, mental and spiritual renewal.

The spa will feature exclusive male and female spaces equipped with treatment rooms, heated beds, a vitality pool complete with a Jacuzzi, relaxation areas, brine steam room, herbal sauna and a rain walk. Couples will also enjoy a discreet enclave featuring rain showers, a soaking tub and two treatment beds.

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Meetings and Events The hotel also offers eight dynamic meeting rooms with a total area of 945sqm, including three versatile and state-of-the-art conference spaces.

The Location The property is located in the heart of Mushaireb, within the Doha Oasis project, one of the most fascinating destinations in the vibrant city, offering direct access to a signature department store, an indoor experiential theme park and an exclusive cinema multiplex.

Banyan Tree Doha At La Cigale Mushaireb offers tranquil haven to rejuvenate the mind, body and soul in awe-inspiring ambience, allowing guests to rediscover the true meaning of warm hospitality, while enjoying authentic and memorable experiences.

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Asian cuisines with its Thai, Indian and Italian kitchens. Guests can rediscover the true meaning of warm hospitality, while enjoying authentic and memorable experiences. Signature favourites and new dining concepts introduced by the hotel’s creative chefs are set to elevate Doha’s culinary scene. Each restaurant features a dining concept that will tantalise the senses and cater to local food aficionados as well as discerning travellers.

Chef Emmanouil Adam, Executive Chef at Banyan Tree Doha At La Cigale Mushaireb, is the lynchpin of this distinctive and ambitious destination along with his talented team. With extensive global experience in some of the world’s leading five-star hotels, Chef Emmanouil is a culinary veteran who specialises in European, Asian and international gourmet cuisines.

“We’re very excited to bring new additions to the incredible gastronomic scene of Doha. Our guests can expect extraordinary experiences, delivered in an inviting ambience. The culinary journey promises to be intimate, engaging and deeply personalised,” says Chef Emmanouil.

Saffron - Authentic fine-dining Thai cuisine Banyan Tree’s award-winning signature restaurant stays true to classic techniques used in the Kingdom of Thailand. Saffron offers guests a fine-dining experience with cooking methods passed down from generations, alongside the use of indigenous ingredients.

The restaurant’s innovative menu features authentic and refined flavours from Thai royal palaces, regional specialties and all-time favourites - served with a contemporary and artistic twist.

Banyan Tree Doha At La Cigale Mushaireb Introduces New Culinary Experiences Banyan Tree Doha At La Cigale Mushaireb unveils an exciting array of gastronomic and gourmet concepts with the launch of its luxurious restaurants.

IL Galante - An authentic Italian kitchen The hotel is one of the most-anticipated epicurean dining destination with distinctive venues, signature restaurants and lavish lounges and bars, all within the glamorous interiors created by acclaimed designer Jacques Garcia. With curated signature touches to evoke a poetic sense of place, each restaurant is complemented by the mesmerising views of Doha.

Nestled in the heart of Mushaireb, within the Doha Oasis project, the property offers unique dining experiences and delectable European and 28

Vincenzo Corrado was a maestro of cookery, a great gastronome and one of history’s greatest chefs, who distinguished himself between the 18th and 19th centuries in the noble courts of Naples.

His preparation of magnificent banquets and luxurious dinners earned him the nickname the gallant cook or ‘Il Cuoco Galante,’ which later became the title of his cookbook. He was the first cook to write about Mediterranean cuisine, and the first to extol the virtues of great regional Italian food.

Inspired by the authenticity of the Il Cuoco Galante cookbook, the restaurant features traditional Italian cuisine using the finest ingredients in an elegant setting.

Panya Lounge - A patisserie with Asian flair “Panya” is the Thai word for wisdom. It is a celebration of fresh flavours, balancing hot and cold, as well as sweet and salty. It takes strong influence from the culinary delights of East Asia infused with Western patisserie techniques.

From exotic Thai flavours, authentic taste of Italy to destination dining at Banyan Tree Doha At La Cigale Mushaireb, guests are invited to embark on a unique gastronomic experience.

In addition to the restaurants, the hotel will be introducing Vertigo later in the year, a panoramic rooftop lounge overlooking the entire city. Its mesmerising views will offer an experience like no other with a creative beverages menu, mixology inventions and a Mediterranean take on Pan-Asian cuisine - all in a lively setting with upbeat music.

Qalamkarri - The art of contemporary Indian cuisine Kalamkari is a type of hand-painted or blockprinted cotton textile, produced in southern India. Centuries ago, this form of painting was used as a form of storytelling by folk singers and painters travelling between villages.

Qalamkarri is inspired by Kalamkari art and the word ‘Qalam’, which means pen - combined to symbolise the crafting and artistic presentation of historic and modern India. The restaurant brings together the latest cooking techniques with India’s multi-faceted cuisine, offering a familiar yet innovative interpretation of one of the world’s great culinary experiences.

For further information, please call +974 4410 3333 or email: info.doha@banyantree.com

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Murwab Hotel Group The Award Winning Luxury Brand

by Katara Hospitality

By Leslie Fernandez

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Serving as the operating

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arm of Katara Hospitality, the Murwab Hotel Group manages a contemporary blend of sophisticated accommodations with luxury and personalized amenities.

Top 6 Reasons Why the Murwab Hotel Group is the most Successful Hospitality Brand in 2021

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urwab Hotel Group is a modern collection of upscale properties that offer tailor-made hospitality services. The group connects with the Qatari culture and traditions, and well-known for its exclusive services and unique offerings.

As part of its portfolios, Murwab Hotel Group also manages boutique and mid-scale properties in Qatar. Each property exhibits local flavor through its design, interiors, and unique layout. To our surprise, where other hotels aren’t going good so far during pandemic, the brand is stirring wonders during the current scenario – here’s how they are doing it right.

Ideal Locations Set at the ideal locations in Qatar and easily accessible from every locations in the country through major highways and modern roadways. Undoubtedly, these prime locations are a brimming pot of business hub and tourism attraction as they are also accessible from the World Cup 2022 stadiums.

Outstanding Hospitality Services Due to its personalized services, Murwab Hotel Group has been internationally recognized as one of the best hospitality services provider.

Demonstrating its core value of providing outstanding services paved the way for Murwab properties to secure prestigious awards in the Year 2020. One of their properties, Sealine Beach, A Murwab Resort became the regional winner for Middle East & North Africa in Luxury Private Beach Resort category by World Luxury Hotel Award.Their upscale hotel,The Avenue, A Murwab Hotel won Qatar’s Best 5-Star Business Hotels for 2020. Along with this, the hotel also bagged the 2020’s Traveler’s Choice Award by Trip Advisor and Traveler’s Review Award by Booking.com.

Excellent During and Post-Pandemic Initiatives As the world sees plunge in hotel sales after pandemic, Qatar is no exception. The huge drop in hospitality business has made several hotels to shut down due to financial recession. During these uncertain times, the Murwab Hotel Group successfully survived the pandemic without cutting off any of their services.

They came up with innovative mitigation plans that helped generating revenues. The group remained open to provide safest yet personalized services to its guests making the hotels a home away from their homes.

Excellent Staycation during Pandemic With the strict health and safety procedures in place, personalized amenities and excellent customer services, the Murwab Hotel Group generated excellent reviews and attracted families for to unwind the stress of pandemic with staycations. The positive reviews and recommendations became the powerful marketing tool itself for the Murwab Hotel Group.

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After the remarkable success in local market, the Qatar’s home-grown Murwab Hotel group is successfully competing with global giants in Hospitality industry. They are welcoming more corporate clientele on local and international upfront as the brand’s popularity is growing higher each day.

Persistent Improvement

High-end Amenities with Recognized Safety Certification

The success of Murwab Hotel group lies under a deeper connection to the Qatari heritage and delivering premium quality services. The group has worked on developing the brand pillars and revamped the entire infrastructure to put forth the tailor-made options for their clients and guests.

The Murwab Hotel Group has been established with a core value of serving with the best. To keep this trait, the group has been one of the first to be certified for Qatar Clean Program. This is the authenticity provided by the government after examining all the measures taken by the hotel group.

The brand’s first priority is the health and safety of its clients and employees. From high-end sanitary products to the close monitoring of health and safety checks – the Murwab group maintains a clean environment from arrival to departure.

The amenities offered by Murwab Hotel Group is nonetheless the best in town. Guests can enjoy a huge variety of amenities under one roof. From recreational, spa and salons, to food and beverage outlets, from business centers to 24-hours retail stores –the guests can have most amazing experiences in any of their properties.

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I developed my talents overseas as a Chef de Cuisine, with a focus on Western dishes – Italian, French, Spanish, and German.

The diversity of my culinary expertise has allowed me introduce innovation into the meals at Dante Restaurant; which is part of Hilton Salwa Beach Resort & Villas. Our authentic Tuscany concept with rich Italian dishes are prepared with a twist to suit the taste

Unfolding the Culinary Journey of the Famous Chef de Cuisine –Alfonso Ferraioli DANTE Chef de Cuisine talks about his inspiration, training, and working experiences with Salwa Beach Resort.

By Leslie Fernandez

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lfonso Ferraioli entered the hospitality industry as a young Italian chef with a keen passion of becoming the kitchen star. Since then, he hasn’t looked back.

Alfonso’s journey emanated with its fair share of obstacles, learning, innovation, and inspiration. Diligently working towards his goals, Alfonso is making his mark in Qatar’s hospitality industry.

Let’s learn about Alfonso Ferraioli’s successful culinary journey from him.

Being a Napoli Ragazzo

and preferences of our guests.”

The Secret of Signature Taste We asked Alfonso about the secret of his flavorful recipes. And to our surprise, it didn’t come from any high-end culinary school.

It derived from his own roots –his home!

His inspiration came from his mother and grandma’s cooking style.

“Growing up in the countryside made me appreciate the rich flavor and aroma of authentic Italian cuisine.” He told us.

“I would pluck tomatoes, herbs, and other vegetables from the farm and prepare the tastiest sauces with my mother. I still remember the joy of making homemade ravioli pasta and drinks with grapes from the mountains with my grandmother in the kitchen. It was fascinating preparing everything from scratch.”

We asked Alfonso about his childhood at Napoli.

“Napoli has a mesmerizing corniche and I had the best childhood memories there.”

Alfonso told us. “Our family’s farm is the best place to find the freshest ingredients to make flavorful meals. I lived in Napoli until I was 20 years old, and started my overseas journey as an Italian Chef.”

How it all started?

Alfonso briefly told us about the journey that led him towards becoming the Chef de Cuisine at Hilton Salwa Beach Resort and Villas.

“I completed my Diploma of Culinary Arts at Casanova Paritario in 2004. Mastered authentic Italian cuisine and also focused on the Western cuisine. Apart from being passionate in the kitchen, I’m keen to learn about other languages such as Arabic and Chinese.

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Dante is spreading the Love of Italian Cuisine in Middle East Dante is maintaining a fusion of Italian cuisine with Middle Eastern warmth and the locals are loving it. We asked Alfonso what Dante is doing to keep making its guests coming back.

Alfonso told LLQ Lifestlye with a smile on his face. “Italian cuisine is very famous around the globe, especially in the Middle East. At Dante, we have redefined Italian cuisine by introducing new flavors and combining that with the Italian touch and Hilton hospitality to create memorable experiences for our guests.”

Favorite Italian Ingredients?

Alfonso’s secret ingredients for his Italian cuisine is all about keeping the authentic flavors that came straight from Napoli.

“Tomato, basil, oregano, mozzarella, parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil are my best friends in the kitchen.” He said.

Is there a Chef Alfonso admires the Most?

We asked and got a totally unexpected answer.

“Absolutely my mother and grandmother.

They influenced me to produce all the basic and authentic sauces; highlighting my favorite ingredient – tomato.”

Implementing the Food Safety Rules Alfonso takes food safety as the most important thing to consider during meal production. We asked about his ways of food safety implementation in restaurant.

“Food Safety is our number one priority in the restaurant from meal production to service.

We ensure that all the raw products purchased are of high quality. With that we follow the First In, First Out rule which ensures that food inventory received first are used.

We follow strict Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) standards which guarantees we are able to effectively address physical, chemical and microbiological hazards in the kitchen.”

Involvement in Meal Development at Dante and HSBR The role of Chef de Cuisine is really important in menu development and introducing exciting flavors to the guests. On inquiring, Alfonso told us about his contribution.

“I am actively involved with the menu development for Dante. I work closely with my team to regularly review the popularity of items on our menu and modifying it based on the needs and preferences of our guests.

I also regularly review our menu pricing to ensure we are competitive and provide our guests with the best value for their money, while ensuring our food costs are within set targets.”

Working Experience at Hilton Salwa Beach Resort & Villas Alfonso has been in hospitality industry for quite a while. Working at a beach resort surely comes up as a different experience. On our asking, Alfonso gave a really interesting answer.

“With every challenge comes an opportunity to make a difference. I do not regard the experiences at Hilton Salwa Beach Resort & Villas as challenges but as an opportunity to learn more and put a smile on the faces of our guests.

Collaborating with the team in a diverse environment enables me to broaden my horizons about different cultures which molds me towards becoming a better leader.”

About the Dante’s Unique Menu The place surely has something for everyone.

We asked Alfonso how Dante creates such scrumptious offerings; he gave us the secret.

Dante’s Special Menu If we want a trade mark of Dante, what would you prepare for us that’s exclusively spring menu? We asked the chef de cuisine.

I will start off with a Bruschetta sharing option for the guests and top it up with our Lasagna Alla Bolognese. For desert, guests can enjoy the sweet flavors of our Panna Cotta with a twist or our Gelato!

Updating the Culinary Trends Innovation is the key of success. People like new things as it keeps up the excitement, especially when it comes to the food. How do Alfonso keeps up with the new trends?

“Well, by reading books, watching Master Chefs and Michelin starred Chefs to stay updated.” He told.

Quality Assessment of Ingredients High-quality ingredients are the key to provide a worthy menu. Alfonso described how they test the quality of their ingredients.

“At Hilton, we are committed to responsibly sourcing our products through our Travel with Purpose initiative.”

“We ensure that our meat, poultry, sea food and other food items are sourced by tested and trusted vendors and encourage each supplier to set goals and validate them through regular audits. Being part of such a global chain we benefit from the due diligence of vendors carried out at the corporate level to ensure responsible sourcing.”

“Dante restaurant has a sharing concept, with authentic Tuscan signature dishes such as the Crostoni Toscani which is seared chicken livers, served with charcoal garlic bread. We also have Panzanella salad which contains sliced cucumbers and heirloom tom berry tomatoes, served with Garlic crunchy bread.

Across our menu from the pasta, pizza, seafood, mocktails, each item is made with love and also with a vision to immerse guests in an authentic Tuscan experience to discover the taste of Italy.”

What to Expect at Hilton Salwa Beach Resort & Villas?

Alfonso’s Favorite Cuisine

Italian food lovers –here’s what you can expect at Dante –Hilton Salwa Beach Resort & Villas.

No, it’s not Italian! You’d be shocked to know what Dante’s chef likes to have for himself.

“Arabic cuisine excites my palate! It is rich in flavors and history.”

“Based on the region we operate, we have a number of Arabic and Qatari guests that visit us. It is important to understand their preferences; and to personalize their dining experiences based on these preferences.”

As one of the top Italian restaurants in Qatar, we offer our guests a sharing concept and a theatrical cooking experience with our open kitchen. Guests are guaranteed an authentic Italian experience and exceptional service like nowhere else.

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Alwadi Hotel MGallery Awarded Green Key Certification Alwadi Hotel MGallery Luxury Hotel in Doha receives prestigious Eco Certification following its Green Initiatives

Alwadi MGallery Doha has achieved the honorary Green Key Award for its relentless effort and commitment to sustainability and green hospitality. The hotel stated that it is delighted to be part of the “Qatar Green Building Council”.

Alwadi Hotel MGallery General Manager Mr. Hani Akkari said sustainability and environmental performance are key pillars for Accor Hotels.

This certification required a determined dedication from our team, which has demonstrated our commitment to what Accor calls “Positive Hospitality”,” Mr. Akkari said. “This commitment is embedded in everything we do at Alwadi Hotel MGallery, whilst supporting Qatar’s sustainability goals that are a key part of the Qatar National Vision 2030. We also uphold the values of Msheireb Downtown Doha, the world’s first sustainable downtown regeneration project.”

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“Obtaining Green Key demonstrates the establishment’s efforts to develop an environmentally friendly, sustainable and responsible business. We are delighted to continue the cooperation with Green Key through this global agreement and look forward to continuing to deliver sustainable luxury.”

Green Key is the world’s leading eco-label for hotels and other tourism facilities, with around 3,000 awarded establishments in almost 60 countries around the world. The Green Key award is based on compliance with a strict set of environmental management criteria, environmental awareness-raising and social responsibility. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) recognizes Green Key’s criteria for hotels.

Unveil the Best of Summer at Alwadi Hotel MGallery Alwadi Hotel MGallery offering sumptuous summer promotions

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uests of Alwadi Hotel MGallery, a boutique luxury hotel in the heart of Doha, will have the opportunity to unveil the very best of Summer with a range of offers designed to surprise and delight.

“As we have started phase one of the gradual lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, we are pleased to open our venues and invite our guests to enjoy the Summer seasons with us,” said Alwadi MGallery General Manager Mr. Hani Akkari. “From stunning staycations in our beautifully appointed rooms and suites through to the very best food and beverage offerings, we have worked around the clock to create special offers to ensure guests are not only safe, but also able to unveil the best of Summer.

“With our prime location in the emerging cultural icon of Mshereib and steps away from Souq Waqif, Alwadi Hotel MGallery is the perfect location for a staycation or to gather with family and friends this summer..”

Guests booking stays between 1 June and 15 September, 2021 30 percent off their stay with breakfast included.

There are also a range of exciting offerings in the hotel’s acclaimed restaurants, lounges and bars including: AtTeatude – Pause de l’après-midi – Summer Tea Write your own afternoon tea story with this enticing and whimsical summer tea. Offered daily from 3pm to 6pm for QR175 for two persons including beverage in our stunning tea lounge. Discover our handcrafted High Tea from 3pm to 6pm.

Le Colonial – M | Lifestyle Lunch With views of Souq Waqif, enjoy a healthy and wholesome and nutritionally powered three course lunch menu carefully crafted by our renowned culinary team for QE120 per person inclusive of one beverage.

This is offered every day from 12pm to 3pm.

Infinity – Havana Night Live large and soak up the best views of Doha with a Cuban cigar along with two signature cocktails or 2 aged rums from a selected list for QR250 per person every Tuesday from 5pm to 12am.

Infinity – Pink Thursday Slide into the weekend with Pink Thursday at Infinity complete with pink cocktails and rsoe wine. Ladies can enjoy free flow for QR150 from 5pm.

O’Glacée- Tiki Tuesday Island vibes and the tide is high every Tuesday from 6pm with Tiki style drinks and Polynesian style bites at our unique poolside restaurant.

O’Glacée- Brews and BBQ Chill out by the pool and pair it with brews and BBQ every Thursday.

This includes two hours of free flow brews for QR 150 per person and a special BBQ menu with prices on selection. From 3 June, 7pm to 9pm and 9pm to 11pm 37

Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha Appoints Mert Duran as Executive Chef and Alena Dmitrienko as Front Office Manager

Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha, the first Hyatt Regency brand in Qatar, has announced the appointment of Mert Duran as Executive Chef and Alena Dmitrienko as Front Office Manager.

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Mert, a Turkish national, carries more than two decades of culinary experience at Hyatt Hotels in Middle & Central Asia, Europe and the UAE. He also has extensive knowledge of banquet and outside catering.

His recent position was Executive Chef at Hyatt Regency Bishkek.

Mert will be responsible for all culinary operations and concepts, overseeing five dining venues, the hotel In-Room Dining as well as banquets and outside catering. He will be focusing on creating and implementation of different menus in all the outlet venues as well as different banquet offerings making sure to provide guests with memorable food experiences.

A Russian national, Alena Dmitrienko is a long-serving Hyatt hotelier with 10 years of experience in luxury hotel operations.

Her last post was Front Office Manager at the Luxury Five Star Hotel- Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow.

Carrying a vast experience on luxury hotel operations, Alena will be responsible for driving Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha’s seamless and intuitive guests’ experience making sure a stress free travel to all the hotel guests.

On the recent appointments, General Manager of Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha, Julien Gonzalvez, said, “We are very thrilled to welcome two of the key personnel to our Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha family. I am confident that Mert and Alena would help us in taking Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha to greater heights.”

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Anahi Ortiz-Prieto –The Empowerment Coach on a Mission to Healing Bodies, Minds and Emotions Interview by: Leslie Fernandez

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s 2021 draws to its mid, you’d likely be thinking about setting new goals and achieving new milestones in your professional and personal life. You may even be planning to kickstart a long-awaited self-love journey, committing to your self-care and wellness, or transforming your mindset into a more focused, peaceful, and healthy one.

This time of the year also brings about a chance for reflection. Perhaps, you are looking back analyzing the areas in which you fell short or missed milestones, evaluating what you want to commit to in order to achieve your goals by the end of the year.

Yet, deliberating on the things that aren’t successful or didn’t go as plan can make you feel overwhelmed or defeated.You might feel lost on how to turn things around, wondering what would work best for you –and what wouldn’t? That’s where you need professional help to activate your inner motivation and cut through the clutter.

Why everyone should get a Coach’s help at least once in Life!

Coaching works! Whether is to change your mindset, tackle health issues, set new goals or create a path towards your vision of life, bringing on the help of a coach can be a small action that creates lasting results with higher benefits and less struggle.

We have interviewed Anahi Ortiz-Prieto, a unique Wellness, Mindset coach in Qatar to learn about her style of coaching and how it can help you achieve your personal, professional and wellness goals.

In fact, with the right person supporting you, coaching brings unlimited positive changes to one’s life. Through these programs, people tend to eat healthier, become more active, reduce stress, discover self-sabotaging patterns and unlock their true Self with enhanced productivity and focus.

Being an Empowerment and Mindset Coach, holistic nourishment consultant, award-winning speaker, and international bestselling author –Anahi’s coaching can support an unfocused, overwhelmed and stressed-out person into becoming a more energetic, happy, health and successful one.

Research shows that with the help of coaching smoking quit rates drop more than 31%, and weight loss journeys can become easier with an average of 30 pounds lost in a year.

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Mind you, there was still a lot to learn and heal around my

relationship with food, my selfesteem, and my identity, but after achieving that, I knew I wanted to help others on their own journeys.

So, I studied to be a Health and Wellness Coach, a chef, and later on, a Nutritional Consultant, and a Mindfulness and Functional Nutrition practitioner.

At first, my work was all-around weight loss and recovery from autoimmunity, another issue I faced myself, but as I worked with more and more clients, I realized the scale was a poor indicator of health or wellness and that, instead, I wanted to have more tools to support people, especially moms, to heal their minds, emotions, and bodies so they could thrive in life.

Tell us about your coaching objectives?

An intro about your journey to becoming a coach I think it started as it does for most of us on a path to help other heal and grow – Our own journey through pain and struggles. For me, it began when I started losing weight in my mid-20s after being obese most of my life. 10kg were gone, then 15 and after 2 years, I’ve lost over 30kg and feeling like, for the first time in my life, I could understand my body.

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My biggest objective as a coach is to free my clients from the beliefs, thoughts, and stories that keep them from developing to their Vision of life, committing to their core values, and from that clarity, living in joyous alignment and integrity.

I used to say that my why was to ignite feminine empowerment to transform the world, one woman at a time. I think now I would add: “through Self-Love and mindfulness so we care for our full selves lovingly”.

What are some of the most significant goals that your coaching has helped clients to accomplish?

I love this question!

Through my work as a coach and mentor, my clients have: •

Understood their unconscious limitations and gained tools and resources to overcome them;

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Changed their inner dialogue to fully commit to self-care and self-love in a sustainable way;

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Created a clear and exciting vision of life with goals and milestones, which has led to sustainable actions towards their happiness; and

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Committed to dietary and lifestyle changes aligned with their goals and needs, which have supported them in their optimal wellbeing, weight management, and health.

Like it was for most people, I faced the loss of businesses, financial stability, and the process of re-thinking my practice to survive the global changes.

Each change, each challenge, and each struggle has served me to grow, learn new tools, and find new ways to serve the world, though, so I have no complaints.

What were some of the challenges you faced when you first started?

Personally, a ton! I started my coaching business as I was graduating as a mother, and when I had my first son, I developed post-natal depression plus was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Disease. In my first 3 years as a coach, I juggled motherhood, autoimmunity (with loads of physical challenges), a new career, and expat life. It was tough!

Later, a lot was around figuring out how to develop a sustainable practice, get my message out there and, eventually, create strategic partnerships with likeminded businesses and individuals so I could expand and grow–and then came 2020.

After finally getting away from babyhood with my sons, last year was a massive challenge for me as an entrepreneur, mother, and human.

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How have you been helping people with their weight loss journey?

How are you helping people in gaining back their wellness in the pandemic?

Now, this is tricky! Because despite my practice working a lot with using Keto and other amazing tools to help people manage their weight, weight loss hasn’t been part of my offerings for a while.

To start, by keeping myself healthy and focused. I think this is one of the most underrated ways we can help the collective through these challenges.

To be honest, my clients lose weight because, through our work on their mindset and values, they implement changes that make this possible without suffering. In general, I bring the following tools to them.

You have received the Ooredoo Sheroes award for supporting women going through Antenatal and Postnatal depression, do you think every woman should seek professional help for postpartum depression? How do you guide them?

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High Nutrition Ketogenic Diet with some elements of Carb Cycling when needed.

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Intuitive Intermittent Fasting to mindfulness in nourishing their bodies.

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Brainwork Recursive Therapy which helps with cravings, self-sabotage and impulsive eating; and

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Nutritional support to heal their guts and guarantee their bodies have all they need to feel at their best.

I always encourage anyone struggling with depression to seek professional help, whether with psychotherapy or psychiatric support to start, and later encompassing other complementary practices and modalities.

I do explain that I test many things and avoid dogma when it comes to weight loss and nutrition, as each body is unique and needs to be treated as such. So in the end, each client goes through their own exploration journey until we find what works best for them.

Whenever I have a client who is showing signs of depression, I refer them to a trained psychologist or psychiatrist for an assessment before we do anything else. In the end, I will support them on their journey no matter what and, having extra support, will mean we will reach their goals faster and better.

What methods have you found effective in your wellness programs and services?

I always explain that I don’t compete with a psychologist because therapy is a space of healing, whilst coaching is a space of growth.

In fact, when my clients work alongside psychotherapists, their changes and results are mind-blowing!

All the tools mentioned before are very effective in giving clients amazing results. However, they aren’t effective for everyone.

What advice would you share with someone who wants to become a coach?

unlock

For this reason, I believe the most effective method is bio-individuality, which means understanding that each client has different needs and goals, thus adapting the tools and strategies to get them the best results. This way, by remaining open-minded and mindful, I can support them the way they need and get them the results they seek.

What is your favorite part about being a coach?

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Moreover, I have continued expanding my practice and opening spots so I could work with more clients, as well as supported organizations so they could offer more tools to their employees too.

Absolutely! Depression is not a joke. Whether is chronic, seasonal, ante-natal, post-natal, or of any kind, depression kills.

To start, be super clear about why you want to become one, what do you wish to achieve for the world through it, and most importantly, who do you want to work with and what do you want them to achieve.

This is the key to really focus on serving others and, through it, empowering many with your work.

Photography: Photo Phactory by PRADEEP

Witnessing their journey. I don’t get tired of that!

Makeup and Hair:

Whenever a new client starts, I wonder where we will go together. It is an exciting path and being invited to join them as a fellow traveler is such an honor. In the end, I always close their cycles with infinite love and respect for them.

Sakshi Tejpaul Special Thanks: The Westin Doha Hotel & Spa

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In Conversation with Leatzi Gold –An Exclusively Hand-made Jewelry Designer

By Leslie Fernandez

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leading jewelry designer with a global fan following –Leatzi Gold started their signature jewelry label in 2017 on Instagram. The passion for converting precious elements into eternal masterpieces is the driving force for this exclusive brand. They impeccably filled the gap for the personalized jewelry shopping experience from the comfort of your homes.

LLQ Lifestyle met this amazing entrepreneur Lea for a conversation on her career and brand name.

Some Background Score We asked about the journey that landed her into the jewelry designing pool. Well, it was her childhood passion.

“I’ve always had a deep passion and appreciation for art and colors since childhood.

I’m someone who is in love with fashion and I genuinely enjoy creating new things with my own hands whether it’s paintings, crafts, outfit designs.” Leatzi told us.

“I get ecstatic whenever I transform something lifeless into a marvel.

After completing my high school here in Qatar I went straight to college back in my hometown in Lebanon where I graduated from the Notre Dame University of Louaize with a bachelor of arts in graphic design.”

“Seeking a fresh start, I headed back to Qatar to reunite with my family by the end of summer 2013. At first, I faced several challenges to find a job here but as time elapsed GOD rewarded me with a fulfilling job in a beautiful environment and with an amazing culture of people.”

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In May 2017, I started offering people customized jewelr y solutions in gold, diamonds, zircons, and all kinds of precious stones, etc.

This is how my journey as a jewelr y designer began and I am grateful to GOD for my brand’s growth. Above all, the biggest thanks go to my true friends and family who encouraged me, believed in me, and ordered my brand from the beginning.

The Secret of Being Unique Leatzi Gold has some outstandingly unique designs to offer. We asked Leatzi about her designing style and preferences. Here’s what she has to say about it.

“My main focus is on creating customized pieces that capture personalized moments of my clients for different occasions.”

“I do deep research on the requirements of my customers and creatively align it with a design vision.” She added.

Whenever I get the opportunity, I always aim to create signature pieces to show people that they can go out of the box and not be limited with what is displayed on the page.”

Life was good, however, I kept yearning to find my own getaway after work. So I decided to pursue my Zumba certification and started teaching it as a freelancer. Unfortunately, that didn’t last long enough as I suffered from a chronic knee injury that forced me to stay home in recovery mode for a long period.

My injury gave me time to reflect on my ambitions in life and I refused to give up on my injuries so I decided to invest in something that is less intensive physically but more rewarding spiritually.”

Inspired by my dad who was a Showroom and Boutique Manager for luxury jewelry brands, also determined to add value to society, I decided to create my own brand on Instagram from scratch (with no inherited income whatsoever).

It’s not just the quality that makes my collection unique. But also the way I deal with them and the trust that is exchanged between us from the very start.

Along with creating every piece with my personal love and care, I also love to socialize and make connections.

I even love to deliver my products by myself. This is because I enjoy keeping this warm feeling and personal connection with my customers. Also, it’s a delightful vision for me to see the live reaction of each person when they unwrap the piece.

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The Inspiration of making Statement Pieces

Exclusive Design Style

We asked Leatzi what drawn her inspiration to create such unique jewelry pieces. Here’s what she believes.

Leatzi described her designing style to be, ‘Simple with a fresh twist.”

This exactly one can clearly observe in her jewelry collections.

“There is no rule of thumb on where designers draw their inspirations from and this is one of the beautiful mysteries of human nature.”

We also asked about her design variations and signature styles. To which she replied.

When creating a piece for my customers, I draw my inspiration from the story or occasion itself which explains the reason behind my slogan “your jewelry your story”.

“As I mentioned earlier, we use all kinds of stones and we also have engraving services. So the majority of my pieces vary based on client’s taste and preference.”

“I typically follow the latest trends in the world of jewelry and accessories to stay up to date with everything around me and to ensure my customers are getting the newest ideas.”

“I recently started with all the chain orders as I always like to keep an extra piece of chain with a dangling tip as my signature. You can always discover what the shape is when you order your next piece.”

Leatzi Gold gave her special message to us. “Keep Walking and Keep Believing in what you do no matter what.”

That Special Favorite Piece “I don’t really have a favorite piece. I invest all my energy into making every piece so they are all special and satisfying at the end.

Check out her Instagram page Leatzi Gold to discover her unique collection.

In fact, when I look back at my creations, I remember 2 pieces that were technically challenging for me to produce.

The first one was for a customer who wanted to gift her mother a locket in loving memory of her late husband. The challenge lied in finding the right opening mechanism that fits perfectly with the beauty of the design intent without making the piece overly bulky.

When the piece was finally polished & packed, I recall she personally came over to pick it up and it was one of the most emotionally rewarding experiences I ever worked on. Not to mention that she completely fell in love with the end result!”

“The second one was my latest creation which I consider to be my first out-of-the-box piece called “The Elements”. It was a combination of natural Diamonds and raw Gemstones: Citrine, Gold Sandstone, Tourmaline, Red Agate, and Amazonite.

Citrine carries the power of the sun which is light, warmth, comfort, energy, and fuels life.

The Gold Sandstone is called the stone of ambition and is known to reduce tension and encourages a positive attitude.

Tourmaline has been said to be a stone of reconciliation, that strengthens compassion and cools tempered moods. It also radiates energy that attracts money, healing, friendship, and is used to stabilize and reaffirm our Earth roots.

The Red Agate stone is used to visualize our goals in life. It can bring positive energy and clears out the negative ones.

The Amazonite stone is associated with money, luck, and overall success.

And last but not least, diamonds, which comes from the ancient Greek word “Adamas” which means unbreakable, or invincible.

All these are the elements that we need to survive our inspiring journey on earth, right?

But above all those natural elements that we need to survive comes one that I always use to bind my creations and that innate element is called LOVE.”

Photography: :Photo Phactory By Pradeep Location: Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha

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GHAND F I N E

J E W E L L E RY

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Photographer: Shadira Photography Model: Olga Komarova – Ivana Markovic Dresses: Ortensia Makeup: Lydia Hair: Makeup District

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hand is a fine luxury brand of jewelry based in Qatar, the jewelry is made of 18kt gold and they provide the highest certified 4c’s (color, clarity, cut, and carat). Precious stones are supplied from all over the world to ensure that using the best materials for the jewelry pieces. Quality is the crown jewel at Ghand where they have craftsmen specialists. Their exclusive designs are inspired by different cultures and the world around us. They can customize any piece that a lady can dream of with some Ghand’s elegant touch. Once she wears Ghand jewelry, it will look stunning and captivating. They specialize with some of their jewelry pieces with a technique that can be worn in different styles where it can last forever, as it will have a new and unique look.

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AMAL AMEEN LAUNCHES SOUL, AN EXCLUSIVE AND UNIQUE NEW FRAGRANCE INSPIRED IN MYKONOS

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he SOUL fragrance is a spiritual celebration in all its splendor, a free choice; a new feeling of freshness and newness without limitation that evokes a peaceful retreat after a long day. SOUL represents this calm moment of escape where our feeling of completeness and happiness is overwhelming.

A satisfying moment - all of our own- in which we find comfort and pleasure.

It is an aromatic version of life itself, made only using the finest and best oils and most exquisite natural ingredients. The delicate bouquet of oriental scents, blends the freshness of bergamot preciously with peach and orange blossom; that combine flawlessly with woody base notes and rich musk. Its essence captivates the tips of the soul and thrives through the deepness of nature, giving warmth with its pure floral and subtle clean notes and zesty composition.

The soft velvet feel black box, limited edition, represents elegance, mystery and sophistication. The fashionable package hosts a screen inside; where the story of SOUL is played. The bottle is cushioned with foam, and its white and black composition is evoking a timeless declaration of power; resulting from the experience of successful best sellers like La Boutique Blanche, Amici Di Moda or La Blanche perfumes.

SOUL is bold and international, it is cosmopolitan, elegant and self-confident. It rushes out like an explosion of feelings that brings back pleasant memories of paradise, of the beautiful island of Mykonos and its colors which served of inspiration. Conjuring memories of vacations in the sun, of deep blue skies, of salty waves, of breaths of pure air, SOUL is a liberating trip full of promise and possibilities.

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“Memories might fade away, but the scent of real feelings remains untouched”.

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The Summer Glam Makeup to Wear all Season Long

By Leslie Fernandez

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et’s talk shimmery eyes, statement lips, and bold brows! We love to wear makeup that enhances our features and stays on the place all day long. Summer makeup is all about pearly glow and fresh skin updated with some added shimmer and defined eyes.

This Eid, be prepared to see multiple variants of minimal makeup that embraces natural skin and highlights the facial features prominently.

Poised with statement lips, shimmered cat eyes, and bold brows, the Eid ul Adha makeup trend is what you can embrace the whole season.

The Eid Festive Look 101: Try The Summer Glam Makeup Created by LLQ Lifestyle In the festive spirit, LLQ Lifestyle looks forward to warmer, brighter days. Check out our guide to create this flawlessly beautiful makeup look to your Eid styles.

Skin Prep and Foundation Eating over the board during Ramadan is a norm that needs to be reconsidered. Practice mindful eating and stop before the hunger satisfaction signals are the traits you’ve to practice this Ramadan. This will put less stress on your digestive system and gives you more energy than gulping large food portions down into your stomach.

Keep small portions with short intervals of food to nourish your body and compensate the fasting stress with healthy options only. Add lean proteins, whole grains, fresh fruits, and salads with healthy fats (olive oil, coconut oil, and nuts) for a balance.

Bronze and Highlight We used Matte Bronzer to bronze our model’s face. Apply from the ears towards the center of the cheeks, sides of the nose, jawlines, and between the hairline and forehead to create defining lines. Blend them well to create the bronzed and contouring effect.

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Dust a shimmery highlighting powder to give that strobing effect to your look.You can use any highlighting palette or shimmer powder to get the effect. Try for a powder shimmer highlighter to avoid a sticky and caky look. Apply on all the high points of your face including Cupid’s bow, nose, the apple of your cheeks, and forehead. We never recommend skipping highlighter for summer makeup. It gives you a super soft, ethereal, and pearly glow.

Shimmer Eyes with Winged Liner This festive makeup look is more about shimmer and not about sparkle. It’s the signature Eid style that is all about natural summer glow where subtle shimmery eyes are the best choice that includes glitter.

We used gold and bronze palette to create this one. You can go with any palette with neutral shimmer shades in champagne, bronze, gold, and silver. Using neutral colors works better to achieve that subtle summer glow.

Apply base color in bronze to define the eye crease and corner of the eyes. Blend it peach shade throughout your eye crease. Then dab the shimmer shade on the eyelid with your applicator. Blend the corners well to avoid any harsh lines.

For summer makeup, waterproof eyeliners are best for the go. This handy tool allows you to draw a perfect line that can last all day long.

Hold your eye with one hand to avoid creasing. Draw the wing first and then join it towards the tear duck in small thin lines. Define your brows with gel pomade for a lasting effect. Curl your lashes with a lash curler and swipe them with waterproof mascara for perfect lashes. You can also use fake lashes for a more vivid sense. Use white pencil in your waterline to add some drama and achieve a complete look.

Nude Lips We used bullet matte lipstick for lips to give this look that ethereal definition. Outline the lips with an applicator with strong dab of color and blend it well towards the inner lips.

There you go! This shimmery makeup look is perfect to go for a pool party, barbecue gathering, or an Eid dinner. You can carry this look all day long and keep turning heads in awe.

Makeup & Hair: Myrna Rufin Model: Delisha Photographer : Photo Phactory By Pradeep

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Driving to the Greener Future: Q-Auto LLC’s Ahmed Shariefi Talks Electric Vehicle Efficiency Ahmed Shariefi, Director of Operations at Q-Auto LLC, shares his perspectives on introducing electric vehicles in the Middle East and the opportunities just up the road.

By Leslie Fernandez

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or the past 100+ years the automobile industry was relying on horsepower. However, the trend is changing as the future of the transportation industry lies in KW now.

Yes, you read that right! According to the latest report

by Bloomberg, 58% of global vehicles in 2040 will run on electricity.

The Arabic world is also switching to this latest trend where EVs are setting their hype across the Middle Eastern region. Although the EVs just started getting more attention, the EV industry is still on an upward route. Therefore, consumer demand would rise in the long run, and that’s evident in the recent developments.

To understand the future role of EV in the Middle East, we got in conversation with the director of operations of Q-Auto LLC. So, let’s get to know more about it.

The Qatar Auto Industry’s Game Plan for Electric Cars

The Ahmed Shariefi’s Perspective of Driving the Electric Vehicles in Qatar

With the entry of the E-Tron that falls into the first electric SUV category, Audi is becoming a player at having more options. While the Qatar government is working on building infrastructure to accommodate EV in the near future. This is something that excites Ahmed Shariefi too.

“In Qatar, the government is investing in the infrastructure, which will help bring more Electric Vehicles into the country’s vehicle market.” Ahmed said.

“If you think about it as consumers, they want to see infrastructure. Because today, if I try to convince you with an electric car, the first thing you’d be asked is where do I charge my car?”

Having a proper setup for charging on the roads will automatically increase the demand.

Ahmed further added, “By 2025, 30% of vehicles should be electric. Probably, we are a little bit behind because of consumer acceptance.

So this will gradually grow with more awareness. When customers see the infrastructure on the road with more visibility, they would be more interested in this option.”

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Electric Vehicle’s Fate in Qatar At the moment electric cars cost slightly higher compared to the petrol vehicles. But the difference is not that huge in comparison, however, this will diminish over time and electric cars will be just as affordable as petrol.

We asked Ahmed about the EV outcome on the Qatari roads. He told us; “Electric cars are introduced in smaller quantity. So most of the companies chose a strategy of top-down. Starting with the top end models and then they bring this technology down as they go along. Furthermore, the charging of EV would be cheaper as compared to the petrol-fueled vehicles.”

Ahmed added, “You can charge your electric vehicle with an absolutely normal 3-pin plug at home and 10 hours on normal 3-pin plug will be sufficient to cover daily average travel not to mention that it is cheaper by 70% from fuel. The maintenance cost is also minimal as compared to petrol cars.”

The Environment-Friendly features of the Electric Vehicles This is no secret that electric vehicles are by far the most eco-friendly transport in the current era. Ahmed agreed with us on that. He said; “With electric cars, you can check all boxes on the list that includes environment-friendly, low maintenance, comfort, luxury, space, range, safety, and performance. So it does create a winning combination between all these elements together in a car.”

The Emission-free Mobility Q-Auto LLC is aiming to speed up the process within 10 years. We inquired Ahmed about it.

“I think it’s going to be much faster.

Technology moves at a faster rate than we think. The work is in process for Vision 2030 in Qatar, I believe we will see the change very sooner than later. So we will see more EVs on the roads.”

He continued, “Q-Auto is into clean energy. This is why we are promoting electric chargers, electric vehicles and anything related to electric technology.

So these things will help in realizing this vision. We are working towards a cleaner and greener future for the children.”

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Consumer Acceptance and Charging Infrastructure in Qatar The country has to be well-equipped to launch EVs on its roads. Ahmed agreed on that and disclosed.

“The government, the private sector, and the infrastructure will go hand in hand to achieve 2030 vision” The consumer in Doha is really interested in learning and gaining information about e-cars. Since we have launched e-Tron, the demands are really high due to the interest in technology.

Acceptance requires a lot of education and information.

It’s all about removing the consumer barriers when it comes to electric charging technology itself. This will help push the technology further and gain acceptance.

On the other hand, the government is encouraging people for a greener future. They are imposing and working to provide access to EVs that would be affordable. The infrastructure would provide cheaper charging options so that people get encouraged to buy electric vehicles.

Aftersales Services for electric vehicles A local consumer would be interested in getting insights about the aftersales services provided for the electric vehicles. Would it be complicated to maintain an electric vehicle? We asked Ahmed.

“Unlike petrol vehicle that require oil, filters and other liquids on each service, there’s not much to change and check on EV the vehicle is less complex and contain less moving parts than its petrol counterpart.

So EVs are much easier to manage than petrol-fueled vehicles.

How Q-Auto made Audi E-Tron the best seller in the middle east” Undoubtedly, Audi is the most coveted international brand. However, introducing an electric vehicle is a 180 turn that needs a different level of promotion. We asked Ahmed how he managed to make it the most popular electric car in the region. This what he told us!

“We tried to introduce the Audi e-Tron in a different manner. One of the main success factors is the test drive. We understood that the test drive needs to be different than a normal car.

Unlike the regular half an hour test drive, we provided an extended test drive with a duration of a day or two. The concept is to build the confidence of the client. In addition, we trained our staff to provide complete knowledge to the customers about the car. We wanted them to really experience what it means to own an electric car. How to charge and see the performance by themselves.”

This is the basic reason we outsold the electric vehicle most in the region.

How Ahmed Shariefi Influenced the Company’s Growth Ahmed is behind the strategic development of Q-Auto LLC. He and his team created many innovative solutions for the industry including car care product lines, safe rental car services, leasing solutions and expanded the company to a whole new level during the pandemic by adding new departments and services to consumers.

Ahmed Shariefi’s Message “Honestly, I would say electric car is the future. Remove the barriers to what you think you know about electric cars. Come check the car itself.

Drive it and it’ll change your mind.”

Photography: Photo Phactory By Pradeep Special Thanks: Alwadi Hotel Doha MGallery

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FERRARI ROMA LA NUOVA DOLCE VITA

By Elias Haddad

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aestoso –the word to describe the gorgeous Ferrari Roma. The statuesque coupe that has been designed by Flavio Monzoni and Ferrari Centro Stile is named after the Italian capital – Rome. This grand touring showcases high-end tech with hardcore performance mechanics.

Ferrari Roma is a masterpiece, to say the least. Its 612-hp turbocharged V-8 engine is specially tuned to create a stunning rhythm. The components are lightweight like feathers and highperformance systems surely add pride to the cavorting horse badge.

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The Engine Transmission The turbocharged 3.9-liter that builds 612 horsepower and 561 lb-ft torque, this V-8 is mounted with a dual-clutch eight-speed automatic DCT transmission gearbox.

Since I had the opportunity to get behind the steering of Roma, it’s added to our ‘best cars 202’ list. For me, this beauty is perfect to enjoy an offhand cruise or raced on a difficult track.

The glorious V-8 makes revving rhythms while the DCT is adept at sharp gear-changes. I really appreciate the helm’s directness that is remarkable while the steering is light on effort.

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Fuel Consumption with Real-Time KPL Being a sports car with that heavily powerful engine, Ferrari Roma isn’t tricking anyone to be fueleconomic in any way. With a car that costs an arm and leg, you won’t even think about it.

The 2021 model is estimated to be easily making 8.5 KPL on the city roads and 9.78 on the highways.

To evaluate its on ground KPL for fuel economy, we had the opportunity to run the GT on our 75mph highway route. That’s the part of our extensive testing régime.

Spacious Cargo with Luxury Interior Swathed in faux suede, the unique layout is a mix of high-end materials and exceptional design. The front seat is enveloped by a comprehensive dashboard that swiftly runs across the center console to the doors. The enormous 16-inches digital gauge responds to the haptic controls on the steering wheel.

The rare seats make it a 2 + 2 coupe adjusted with a large center unit. Unlike previous models, you shouldn’t expect ample storage options.

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Infotainment and Connectivity Options Wearing the iconic horse logo –this vehicle is more of a grand tourer than a celebrated track wheeler.

That’s why it features more connectivity and infotainment options than the previous models.

To start with, the vertically mounted touchscreen and a separate screen for the passenger is something innovative. While the several advanced options for driver-assistance tech truly justify the ultra-expensiveness of this sports car. Some of the key safety features include; •

Blind spot monitoring

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Rear cross traffic alerts

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Adaptive cruise control

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Lane warning

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Side slip control 6.0

Exteriors The exterior of Ferrari Roma centers on minimalist design and absolute symbiosis with symphonic proportions and elegant volumes. The adaptive LED headlights are slopped by horizontal light strips –bringing a sense of rigidity to the entire circumference of the car.

Photography: Photo Phactory By Pradeep Location: Marsa Malaz Kempinski

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Maserati Tipo 61: the 60th anniversary of its triumph at the Nürburgring An anniversar y to remind us that good sporting DNA will always be victorious.

From racing roots to a new future on the track with MC20.

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n 28th May, Maserati celebrated a significant anniversary; exactly 60 years ago, the Tipo 61 achieved an amazing victory at the seventh edition of the Nürburgring 1,000 kilometres, the great endurance classic held at the Nordschleife in Germany which reached the height of its splendour and popularity in those very years.

With this success, the Maserati Tipo 61 driven by Masten Gregory and Lloyd Casner recorded a memorable double, winning again just one year after the victory achieved in 1960, with Stirling Moss at the wheel alongside Dan Gurney.

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The cars were customised with white and blue paintwork, the colours which inspired the Maserati MC12 Stradale, as a tribute to these victories. This supercar, which dominated the early 2000s, recently handed over the torch to the new MC20, renewing the racing spirit that has always been integral to Maserati’s DNA, and which is preparing the way for the Trident’s motorsports comeback.

The Tipo 61 was the best known of the series of five models designed by Giulio Alfieri, nicknamed “Birdcage” for its unusual chassis, an intricate structure containing about 200 tubes, combined in a complex assembly that resembled a birdcage. This construction method provided a more rigid chassis that was also lighter than the other racing cars of the time, making this two-seater barchetta the ultimate and best solution for front-engined, rear-wheel drive racers.

Maserati began building the Tipo 60 in March 1959, but by November of the same year it was already being transformed into the Tipo 61, to comply with the technical regulations required to compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours. The displacement of the fourcylinder engine was modified to 2,900 cc, while its power output became 250 hp at 7,000 rpm. Otherwise, the car retained the layout and solutions already adopted for the Tipo 60. Moreover, its weight increased from 570 to 600 kg and its top speed from 270 to 285 km/h.

In spite of its massive power output, fuel consumption was still fairly low, and this was vital in endurance races, where the Tipo 61 was able to reduce the number of refuelling stops.

In just three years of production, from 1959 to 1961, the Tipo 60 and the Tipo 61 reigned supreme on the international racing scene, with power and speed that led to a series of extraordinary wins, continuing the victorious tradition of Maserati which now, at the start of its new Era, is once again planning a future in motorsports, under the banner of the MC20.

Key technical features of the Tipo 60 - Tipo 61:

Engine : vertical straight four Displacement : 1,990 cc - 2,890 cc Power output : 200 - 250 hp Gearbox : Mechanical five speed + reverse en-bloc with the differential casing Chassis : birdcage Weight : 570 kg - 600 kg Top speed : 270 km/h - 285 km/h

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The new P300e PHEV powertrain combines the 200PS 1.5-litre threecylinder Ingenium petrol engine and a 109PS Electric Rear Axle Drive motor. Inside, customers benefit from the latest Pivi Pro infotainment, which provides intuitive control of the vehicle systems with simplified menus and enhanced connectivity, including Software-Over-The-Air updates.

NEW JAGUAR E-PACE DYNAMIC, ELECTRIFIED, AND CONNECTED 70

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Enhanced exterior

Beautifully crafted interior

A new grille mesh design with diamond detailing is influenced by the Jaguar heritage logo and features a contemporary Noble Chrome finish, while new side fender vents feature the iconic Leaper emblem. New allLED headlights feature ‘Double J’ Daytime Running Light signatures, which are available with optional Pixel LED technology, delivering increased resolution and brightness. Advanced LED technology is fitted to S models, while Premium LED headlights with Auto High Beam Assist feature on SE and HSE vehicles. The technology uses the forward-facing camera to automatically switch between high and low beam, to avoid dazzling oncoming drivers.

At the heart of the new interior is the integrated 11.4-inch curved-glass HD touchscreen at the centre of the dashboard, which controls the new Pivi Pro infotainment system. Driver touchpoints around the cluster are now wrapped in soft touch materials whilst the knee side contact area has been sculpted to provide improved luxury and comfort. The new Drive Selector – just one of the many beautiful details – is lower and wider and features an upper section finished with ‘cricket-ball’ stitching, the lower part being made of precision-engineered metal for enhanced tactility. A new steering wheel, which is influenced by the design in the all-electric I-PACE performance SUV, features hidden-until-lit switches and metal gearshift paddles.

I-PACE and feature Jaguar’s chicane graphic, showcasing the

Heightened attention to detail is provided by an embossed Jaguar Leaper on the headrests while ‘Est. 1935 Jaguar Coventry’ upholstery tags reference the history and heritage of the brand.

Additional beautiful details include Jaguar animal print pattern in the central cubby area and in front of the drive selector.

advanced technology and modernity of the overall design.

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Petrol

Chassis and transmission

The advanced 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine is the latest member of the modular, flexible Ingenium engine family, and is available in E-PACE with both PHEV and MHEV technology. The lightweight new aluminium engine – 33kg lighter than the four-cylinder – delivers strong performance and refinement with low levels of friction which contribute to excellent efficiency and fuel consumption. The exhaust manifold is integrated into the aluminium cylinder head, this contributes to the rapid warm-up times and minimises the distance from the exhaust ports to the turbocharger’s turbine wheel for improved responses. On both the threecylinder petrol, and four-cylinder petrol, the MHEV system uses a Belt integrated Starter Generator in the engine bay to harvest energy usually lost when slowing and braking, which is then stored in a 48V lithium-ion battery located beneath the rear loadspace. It is able to redeploy the stored energy to assist the engine when accelerating and delivers a more refined and responsive stop/start system.

With MHEV technology, the new 160PS 2.0-litre three-cylinder Ingenium petrol engine achieves CO2 emissions from 181g/km and fuel economy up to 35.2mpg . The new E-PACE is also available with the latest 2.0-litre four-cylinder Ingenium petrol powertrains, paired with MHEV technology, AWD and nine-speed automatic transmissions.

Significant updates to the body architecture of the new E-PACE deliver enhanced dynamics, comfort and convenience. The new Premium Transverse Architecture features new engine mounts, which contribute to an improvement in throttle response. The new architecture also provides improved front suspension attachment point stiffness, delivering a more comfortable ride while retaining trademark Jaguar agility. The new E-PACE’s AWD system utilises second generation ‘Standard Driveline’ technology, which automatically distributes the torque between the front and rear wheels to ensure traction is always maximised.

The latest powertrain features a selection of advanced engine technologies to enhance refinement and efficiency, including high strength steel pistons for the first time. The 2.0-litre four-cylinder Ingenium petrol engine is available in three power outputs, all featuring MHEV technology. Heading up the petrol engine range is the 300PS variant. The advanced powertrain features the latest engine technologies including intelligent Continuous Variable Valve Lift , which works alongside Variable Cam Timing technology supported by a twin scroll turbocharger for a strong combination of refined performance and efficiency.

For the first time, Standard Driveline features Driveline Disconnect technology. During steady state cruising, the setup disengages the AWD system, sending power only to the front axle, delivering increased fuel efficiency.

Exclusive to the 300 SPORT, Jaguar’s secondgeneration Active Driveline AWD system delivers accomplished all-wheel traction with trademark dynamic capability. Like the Standard Driveline setup, the Active Driveline AWD system is able to transfer torque between the front and rear axles.

All E-PACE models have Jaguar Drive Control featuring Comfort, Eco, Rain-Ice-Snow and Dynamic modes, which can be chosen manually by the driver based on the road conditions.The E-PACE uses Jaguar’s sophisticated Integral Link rear suspension concept.

The Integral Link architecture separates lateral and longitudinal forces, providing the optimum combination of responsive steering and handling with longitudinal impact absorption and refinement.

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The latest Pivi Pro infotainment technology is accessed through a new curved glass To enable almost instantaneous start-up, Pivi Pro has its own dedicated power source, so navigation is ready as soon as the driver is behind the wheel, while the embedded apps available – including Spotify, Deezer and TuneIn – provide full functionality even without your smartphone. Further connected features include Google and Microsoft Outlook calendar integration which enables the driver to view work diaries and even join important calls through the handsfree system. Pivi Pro connectivity is provided by the latest dual-sim technology with two LTE modems enabling the system to carry out multiple functions at the same time, such as streaming media and downloading SOTA updates, without compromising performance.

Advanced SOTA connectivity enables customers to download and install software updates without having to visit a Jaguar retailer.

Complementing the central 11.4-inch touchscreen is the latest 12.3inch HD Interactive Driver Display with enhanced graphics and a configurable layout which can show full screen navigation mapping with turn-by-turn instructions, digital dials, media, contact list or infotainment details. The interactive driver display works in conjunction

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with the latest generation full colour TFT Head-up Display which is brighter, with a larger information area and enhanced resolution. Cabin Air Ionisation improves interior air quality through Nanoe technology, which removes allergens and unpleasant odours. The advanced system features PM2.5 filtration, which captures ultra-fine particles – including PM2.5 particulates – to improve occupant health and wellbeing and is activated by pressing the ‘Purify’ button within the central touchscreen.

For enhanced convenience, the second-generation wearable Activity Key can be used to lock, unlock and start the vehicle without the need for the conventional key fob to be present in the vehicle. The system brings improved convenience by ensuring the driver has an unobstructed view of the road behind. The latest 3D Surround Camera technology delivers advanced 3D functionality using the latest camera technology to provide more detail and a choice of real-time viewing options when manoeuvring the vehicle. The technology uses inputs from thousands of data points, some of which are measured every one thousandth of a second – including steering, pedal inputs and general driving behaviour – to detect signs of tiredness.

300 SPORT On the inside, illuminated Jaguar treadplates, Meridian Audio, Ebony Suedecloth headlining and R-Dynamic Taurus Sport seats in Ebony, Cloud or Deep Garnet all help to set the 300 SPORT apart.

Model: Sarah Bouraoui Photography: Galya Smith Makeup: Rania Ali Fashion Brand: Amal Ameen / La Boutique Blanche

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Lexus Achieves Cumulative Global Sales of 2 Million Electrified Vehicles Milestone has contributed to a cumulative reduction in CO2 emissions of around 19 million tons

In 2020, 33% of Lexus models sold globally were electrified. Since 2005, the company’s electrified vehicles have contributed to a cumulative reduction in CO2 emissions of approximately 19 million tons – equivalent to the combined CO2 output of 300,000 passenger cars each year for the past 15 years.

“We are proud to achieve this remarkable milestone, which represents another important step in tackling environmental challenges and realizing our goal of a carbon-neutral society where people can enjoy a happy, healthy and sustainable life, with freedom of mobility,”

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Lexus announced recently that the luxury brand eclipsed the milestone of 2 million global sales of electrified vehicles at the end of April 2021. The company has been a pioneer of electrification in the luxury market since the launch of the RX400h in 2005, and has continued to expand its lineup of electrified vehicles to meet the needs of its customers and society.

Based on a philosophy of “right time, right product, right place”, Lexus aims to further develop its electrified product portfolio to make use of the diverse energy sources and infrastructure environments encountered around the world. Lexus now sells nine models of electrified vehicles, including HEVs and BEVs, in around 90 countries around the world.

commented Kei Fujita, Chief Representative, Middle East and Central Asia Representative ‎Office, Toyota Motor Corporation. “Lexus has the competitive expertise and know-how in the core technologies of electrification thanks to its experience in developing, producing, and improving major electrified components and many years of collecting feedback from markets around the world. I would like to thank our customers in the region for their loyal support as we continue to develop our electrification technologies in pursuit of our commitment to environmental sustainability.”

Under the “Lexus Electrified” vision announced in 2019, Lexus will evolve its electrification technology to realize enhanced vehicle performance characteristics and continue to provide customers with the fun and joy that the car brings. By 2025, the company will introduce 20 new or improved models, including more than 10 Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs). The future expectation is that sales of electrified models will exceed those of the pure-petrol variety. In addition, by 2050, Lexus aims to achieve carbon neutrality throughout the entire vehicle lifecycle, from materials, parts, and vehicle manufacturing to logistics, driving, and disposal/recycling.

In order to further accelerate the spread of electric vehicles, Lexus plans to introduce the first PHEV in a mass-market model in 2021, as well as a completely new model dedicated to BEVs in 2022. By utilizing electrification technologies such as motors, inverters, and batteries that Lexus has cultivated over the years in the field of HEVs, the company aims to create new value and a driving experience unique to Lexus electrified vehicles. These will feature a high level of dynamic performance that appeals to all five senses and is unmatched by conventional cars.

Cumulative sales of electric vehicles from 2005 to the end of April 2021

By Market

By Model

US: 540 thousand units

RX: 518 thousand units

Europe: 480 thousand units

ES: 384 thousand units

China: 387 thousand units

CT: 372 thousand units

Japan: 401 thousand units

NX: 285 thousand units

East Asia: 138 thousand units

UX/UXEV: 137 thousand units

Others: 74 thousand units

IS/LS/RC/LC and others: 324 thousand units Global: 2.02 million units 77

GAZOO Racing claims one-two victory with incredible finish at Croatia Rally Toyota extends its lead in the FIA WRC Manufacturers’ Championship to 138 points The GAZOO Racing (GR) World Rally Team claimed another one-two finish recently in a thrilling conclusion to the first-ever Croatia Rally held as part of the FIA World Rally Championship. In a final-stage decider that went right down to the final meters, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia raced to victory in the No. 1 Toyota Yaris WRC. They ended the race just 0.6 seconds ahead of their teammates Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin in the No. 33 Toyota Yaris WRC, making it one of the WRC’s closest-ever finishes.

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nly 10.4 seconds separated the top three vehicles going into the final day of the rally, with Ogier 6.9 seconds in front of Evans. In the opening two stages of the fourth and final day, Evans was the fastest driver in No. 33 Toyota Yaris WRC and took the lead from Ogier in the No. 1 Toyota Yaris WRC. The pair began the deciding Power Stage separated by just 3.9 seconds, and needed to push to secure the one-two result with only a narrow margin back to third place. In the end, Ogier was fastest through the stage and claimed the victory in the No. 1 Toyota Yaris WRC, with Evans finishing 4.5 seconds slower in the No. 33 Toyota Yaris WRC – the third closest winning margin in WRC history.

The result saw Ogier move back to the top of the drivers’ standings with a maximum points haul, while the team extended its lead in the manufacturers’ championship to 27 points.

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Akio Toyoda, President, Toyota Motor Corporation, commented: “I’m very proud that our crews delivered victory to the team in this new Croatia Rally. To Seb, Julien, and the team, congratulations! Elfyn and Scott also did great by finishing so close behind. It’s wonderful that we achieved a one-two finish. Led by Jari-Matti, the team shows its strength in every rally with all team members working together. To our fans, please continue cheering for the GR World Rally Team. We always appreciate your support and encouragement. Thank you very much!”

Sébastien Ogier, Driver of the No. 1 Toyota Yaris WRC, said: “It has been a real rollercoaster of emotions. I think everybody knows that I never give up and I tried to keep fighting until the end. I feel for Elfyn who did a good job during this race and was especially strong on the final day. But we had good pace and it’s nice to share the podium in another one-two for the team.”

Over the years, Toyota has been participating in many different forms of motorsports, including Formula One, the World Endurance Championship (WEC), and the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race.

Toyota’s participation in these events was overseen by separate entities within the

company until April 2015, when Toyota established GR, to consolidate all of its motorsports activities under one in-house brand. Representing Toyota’s belief that ‘the roads build the people, and the people build the cars,’ GR highlights the role of motorsports as a fundamental pillar of Toyota’s commitment to making ‘ever-better’ cars. Harnessing years of experience gained under the extreme conditions of various motorsports events, GR aims to forge new technologies and solutions that bring the freedom, adventure, and joy of driving to everyone.

The FIA World Rally Championship heads to Portugal for the first gravel event of the year. Based in Matosinhos near Porto in the north of the country, Rally de Portugal features classic stages on sandy and rocky roads. Grip can be difficult to find on the soft roads during the first pass through the stages, while rocks can be exposed and deep ruts can form during the second pass, creating a challenging weekend for the teams and an exciting event for motorsports fans

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Porsche Centre Doha unveils fourth variant of its all-electric Taycan

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ith the recent unveiling of the new rear-wheel drive model, Porsche Centre Doha, Al Boraq

Automobiles, completes the sports saloon model range, now offering four fully electric models in its Taycan range besides the Taycan 4S, Turbo and Turbo S variants. The new Taycan provides an entry into the world of sports luxury electric performance motoring from QAR 344,700 with the option of two battery sizes for added efficiency and performance to suit the individual’s need.

The new entry-level model features rear-wheel drive, is available with two battery sizes and delivers up to 408 PS (300 kW) with the Performance Battery or up to 476 PS (350 kW) with the Performance Battery Plus.

Welcoming its arrival, the Chairman and CEO of Porsche Centre Doha, Salman Jassem Al Darwish said that the Taycan now offers Porsche customers and performance car enthusiasts even more choice to enter the world of electrification with this latest model: “Porsche’s constant support and commitment to sustainability initiatives like 80

the Taycan continues to flourish as we move through 2021. Starting with the 4S, Turbo and Turbo S last year, this new derivative of Taycan will attract a new generation of customer to Porsche who are passionate about environmental initiatives, are tech-savvy and who are always looking to future trends and innovations for inspiration. Porsche has always been about innovation and engineering perfection and since Taycan was released last year, it has received global accolades including 50 international awards for its performance and green credentials.”

ON ALL LEVELS

Authentic Presence: Tough meets gorgeous.

The bold design embodies functional beauty, blending advanced ergonomics, intuitive operation and refined features to provide a truly engaging driving experience.

THE ALL NEW 2021

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