The Luxury Network KSA Magazine Issue 05

For nearly 60 years, Abercrombie & Kent has been creating inspiring luxury adventures on all seven continents in the world’s most remarkable locations, sharing rare encounters and unique cultures.

Now more than ever, as the world starts to reopen, our top priority is you. With more than 55 o ces in over 30 countries, our extensive global network sta ed by a family of dedicated professionals, is here to help you navigate the new world of travel.

Our worldwide portfolio includes the eternal travel favourites — Kenya, Peru, Italy and Egypt — as well as more o -the-beaten-track, emerging destinations that are utterly captivating and full of intrigue such as Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Iceland and Sri Lanka.

This is luxury travel redefi ned – exquisite, creative, courageous and enriching – taking travellers out of their comfort zones, in comfort.

So, whether you’re seeking a Small Group Journey in limited company to Central Asia or Southern Africa, a Luxury Expedition Cruise to Antarctica, an air safari through outback Australia or a tailormade journey through Europe, our travel consultants are poised to help.

unforgettable, every time, choose A&K with confi dence.

We build something remarkable into your travel experience. You.

KSA Interview

interview with

Ajmi

Hamdi

Exclusive Interview: Richard Leopold, Bentley’s Regional Director

the Middle East, Africa, India

Hotel Paris

Raising the bar: Bang & Olufsen introduces Beosound Theatre

launch of The Hotel Show exhibition in Riyadh under the auspices of

Company as Strategic headline sponsor

Charity Suhour by TLN KSA for AlJazira Bank

Red Sea International Film Festival

at the Heart of Arab Cinema

Incredible Women

Luxury Network

Awards

with Exceptional Success

EXTRAORDINARY EXPEDITIONS

THE ART OF ARI LANKIN

WHERE

ROYAL OAK FROM 50 YEAR OF INNOVATION

A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

Upon release on April 15, 1972, the Royal Oak designed by Gérald Gen ta created a stir with its large body of hand-finished stainless steel, its octagonal bezel secured with visible hexagonal screws, its high ly stylised integrated steel brace let and its extra-thin selfwinding mechanism. Inspired by the cul tural and industrial revolution of the 1970s and launched in the early years of the quartz crisis, this watch combining sportiness with ances tral know-how heralded the begin ning of a new fine watchmaking era in tune with changing lifestyles. Over the years, the Royal Oak gave rise to a full-fledged collection with new sizes, materials, styles and movements. 50 years on, over 500 Royal Oak models have been cre ated, turning this iconoclast into a cultural icon within and beyond watchmaking. Let’s look back at some of its highlights.

CONTROVERSIAL BEGINNINGS

In 1970, three of Audemars Piguet’s distribution agents perceived cli ents’ new sensibilities and chal lenged the brand to respond.

Brilliant Bijoux

Georges Golay, Audemars Piguet’s then Managing Director, gave this challenging task to Gérald Genta, a trained jeweller and experienced watch designer, with the brief to design a sports watch in stain less steel never seen before. Gen ta drew the Royal Oak sketch in one night, taking inspiration from diverse sources beyond the div ing helmet he remembered from his childhood. While Genta’s cre ation continued in the footsteps of Audemars Piguet’s unconventional wristwatch designs debuted in the 1930s, it also resonated with the cultural groundswell sweeping the worlds of contemporary art, de sign, architecture and music in the 1960s and 1970s.

An extraordinary collaborative process with the industry’s best watchmakers and artisans fol lowed: Stern Frères worked on the guilloché Petite Tapisserie dial, Fa vre & Perret on the steel case and Gay Frères on the integrated steel bracelet. The watch was so com plex to craft in hard steel that the

first prototype was made in white gold, a softer material.

The integrated bracelet alone comprised 154 components, in cluding 20 tapering links, making it one of the most intricate steel bracelets in watchmaking history. In addition, the alternation of sat in-brushed and polished surfaces adorning the steel case and brace let was so elaborate that the final finishing touch was done in the Manufacture’s workshops.

“The Royal Oak was conceived in 1970, at the suggestion of general agents who had res ervations about the marketing value of gold alone for the pro motion of high-prestige time pieces – a view which I believe is no longer valid. They did ask us to design a stainless steel wristwatch more in tune with the way we live today. We had

to invent a model both sporty and stylish in spirit, suitable for evening wear and for the daily activities of today’s man of taste.”

Georges Golay Interview from 1982

In April 1972, the most expensive steel watch on the market1 was presented at the Basel Fair where it caused a sensation, stirring a range of strong reactions including crit icism. Between sceptical clients and the difficulty of manufacturing and delivering the watch’s first ex amples, the early days were tough. Nonetheless, sales reached 490 units as early as 1972 – a record for Audemars Piguet that marked the beginning of a steady commercial success.

For four years, Audemars Piguet cautiously produced this single reference only – the now famous 5402. It was not until 1976 that the first women’s Royal Oak in 29 mm (Model 8638) designed by Jacque line Dimier was launched. As ear ly as 1977, these two models were both reinterpreted in yellow gold, white gold and a two-tone combi nation of steel and yellow gold, giv ing rise to a collection. The brand also added a 35 mm intermediate size, Model 4100, which asserted itself as the new benchmark for men’s watches. No longer an outli er, the Royal Oak had a promising future waiting ahead.

TESTING NEW GROUNDS

The Royal Oak revealed an adapt ability in the 1980s that was as un expected as it was extraordinary.

Moving further away from Mod el 5402, the brand explored new aesthetic possibilities for the Royal Oak with new sizes and materials.

White gold, yellow gold and twotone models (yellow gold and steel) were soon complemented with versions in platinum and pink gold. These precious timepieces were often accompanied by a gemset dial or bezel.

Diversifying the collection also meant exploring new possibilities in terms of movement. In tune with its time, the Royal Oak witnessed the introduction of quartz mecha nisms in 1980. While originally re luctant to use this technology in the Royal Oak collection, Audemars Piguet gave way to the market’s de mand after testing this technology on a closely related line – the socalled “Quartz” (Model 6005) de buted in 1978 –whose transgressive character lent itself well to this dis ruptive technology. Although this watch borrowed some aesthetic elements from the Royal Oak, in cluding the geometric case and the integrated bracelet both finished with satin-finishing and polished chamfers, its bezel was neither oc tagonal nor punctuated by eight

hexagonal screws. In ten years, at least 59 Royal Oak models were created, equipped with six differ ent quartz movements and ranging from 26 to 36 mm in diameter.

While the brand experimented with quartz technology, it also played a crucial role in the revival of classic complications. In 1983, the Manu facture released its first day date Royal Oak model (5572) presented in a 36 mm case available in four variations: steel, yellow gold, white gold, as well as a two-tone com bination marrying steel with yel low gold. This watch with multiple calendar functions was followed in 1984 by Model 5554, the first Roy al Oak equipped with the world’s thinnest selfwinding perpetual cal endar movement with central ro tor of its time, Calibre 2120/2800, which the Manufacture had re vealed in 1978 in Model 5548.

In 1986, Audemars Piguet expanded its offering with a Royal Oak Per petual Calendar Openworked ver sion (Model 25636). This 18-carat

yellow gold timepiece introduced the first Royal Oak openworked design, as well as the collection’s first sapphire caseback to give cen tre stage to the record-breaking mechanism it contained. Appealing to lovers of fine watchmaking tra dition, these early Royal Oak Per petual Calendar models ushered in a new era of reinvention for the Royal Oak.

A DECADE OF EXTREMES

The proliferation of Royal Oak styles, diameters and movements continued well into the 1990s, reaching new technical and design milestones as the decade unfolded. On the occasion of its 20th anni versary, the Royal Oak took more radical turns, announcing the rest of the decade. 1992 not only saw the first limited edition (Model 14802) paying tribute to the socalled 39 mm “Jumbo” Royal Oak from 1972, this time fitted with a sapphire caseback. It also wit nessed the first Royal Oak on leath er strap – a controversial 36 mm timepiece (Model 14800) developed extra-muros by independent Swiss designer Jörg Hysek. Its case mid dle was hollowed out in the centre so as to attach the strap by means of mobile pivot bars. Interpreted in nearly 20 material and dial variants, this atypical Royal Oak took even greater liberties in the years that followed.

The Royal Oak reached another ex treme in 1993 with the launch of the Royal Oak Offshore – the em bodiment par excellence of the ex treme lifestyles taking precedence in the 1990s. Imagined by Emman uel Gueit, this sturdy and muscu lar reinterpretation of the Royal Oak in a dramatic 42 mm case size quickly appealed to a younger gen eration which saw in the “Beast” an ideal accessory for an adventurous

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lifestyle. This new take on the Royal Oak quickly followed its own path and gave rise to a collection unto its own.

While the Royal Oak expressed its masculine side more freely in the 1990s with an array of more extreme designs, women’s mod els equally bloomed with creativi ty. The first openworked women’s models made their debut in the ear ly 1990s with the historic ultra-thin Calibre 2003SQ, measuring just 1.64 mm in thickness. Gemset mod els similarly gained ground, culmi nating in 1998 with the Royal Oak High Jewellery Openworked time piece (Model 15073). The 18-carat white gold case, bracelet and hands of this 30 mm model were entirely paved with 446 brilliant-cut dia monds whereas the hour-markers were made of emeralds (~4.64 car ats). Blending Haute Joaillerie and Haute Horlogerie traditions with contemporary design, this mod el ushered in a new wave of high jewellery timepieces in the ear ly 2000s. The women’s Royal Oak

reached another extreme in 1997 with the Royal Oak Mini (Model 67075), the smallest Royal Oak ever made. This quartz-driven yellow gold timepiece measured a mere 20 mm in diameter to sit comfortably on the slenderest wrists.

In addition, the 1990s consolidat ed the establishment of complica tions within the collection. In 1997, the Royal Oak Tourbillon saw the light of day on the occasion of the watch’s 25th anniversary in a lim ited edition of 25 pieces in steel. Pink gold, platinum and yellow gold variations were also issued in limited editions of five watch es each. Fitted in a 40 mm case, Model 25831 was equipped with Audemars Piguet’s second genera tion tourbillon movement, Calibre 2875, slightly visible through the stylised octagonal tourbillon cage at 6 o’clock. In addition, in a nod to Audemars Piguet’s pioneering selfwinding tourbillon wristwatch released in 1986, this model fea tured the winding system on the caseback.

The Manufacture also launched its first Royal Oak Chronograph (Mod el 25860, 39 mm) in 1997, as well as the very first Royal Oak Grande Complication featuring a minute repeater, a perpetual calendar and a split-seconds chronograph. This movement of 648 components was fitted in a massive 44 mm white gold case which provided a stark contrast with the Royal Oak Mini unveiled the same year.

From 1972 to 1999, Audemars Piguet created some 300 Royal Oak mod els, almost 200 of which were pro duced during the highly creative 1990s.

NEW DIRECTIONS FOR THE ROYAL OAK

The Royal Oak entered the third mil lennium with a new 39 mm version, Model 15202, which marked a turn ing point in “Jumbo” history. This timepiece reinterpreted the Royal Oak’s aesthetic codes with more freedom, with new dial colours as well as the return of the sapphire caseback. It also incorporated the new guilloché Grande Tapisserie dial, which was introduced in the collection a year before. Composed of larger pyramid bases (about 380 for a 39 mm dial vs approx. 700 for the Petite Tapisserie dial), the Grande Tapisserie quickly became a new favourite across the Royal Oak collection at a time when the taste for larger watches had be come more prevalent following the release of the Royal Oak Offshore in 1993. Indeed, the diameter of the Royal Oak’s core collection reached 39 mm in 2005, compared to 36 mm in the 1990s and 35 mm in the 1980s. A repository of tradition and modernity, this version enjoyed re newed popularity and became one of the most highly coveted Royal Oak models.

However, more than a return to the origins, the 2000s was before all characterised by cutting-edge de sign and micro-mechanics in tune with the new millennium. Both the Royal Oak Concept, launched in 2002,2 and the Royal Oak Tradi tion d’Excellence N°4 (2004) tes tify to the avant-garde and futur istic vibe of the early noughties. Debuted in 1999, the Tradition d’Excellence cross-collection se ries went beyond the framework of classical watchmaking by com bining complications innovatively. The Tradition d’Excellence N°4 (ref. 25969PT) couples a chronograph and a tourbillon in a 44 mm Roy al Oak platinum case. This limited edition of 20 pieces was endowed with a remarkable 10-day pow er reserve thanks to its pioneer ing double barrel, visible through the partially openworked dial. The avant-garde dial also incorporat ed two power-reserve indications (10 days and last 24 hours) in addi tion to the tourbillon cage and the chronograph’s minute counters.

Last but not least, the Royal Oak took on a more human face in the 2000s with the rise of Royal Oak limited editions in collaboration with athletes and personalities. While the first collaboration dates back to 1990 with Nick Faldo’s Roy al Oak Championship, other limited editions followed in the late 1990s and early 2000s, such as the Roy al Oak City of Sails (1999) in part nership with Alinghi, the Royal Oak Sachin Tendulkar (2008) or the “Oak Leaves” featuring a model in collab oration with Michelle Yeoh (2005). Drawing inspiration from fields as diverse as sports, art, culture and architecture since its inception, the Royal Oak has greatly inspired in its turn the people who have be ing wearing it. Over the years, col laborations have come to play an instrumental role in conveying the

youthful and creative spirit of this iconic timepiece.

INTERWEAVING DESIGN AND MASTERY

The bulkier and futuristic look of the 2000s slowly gave way to more refined models interweaving the watch’s original codes with highly contemporary aesthetics and ev er-more performant mechanisms. For the Royal Oak’s 40th anniversary in 2012, the Manufacture present ed a selection of watches animated by the same daring spirit that saw it rise. Among the highlights was a new 39 mm “Jumbo” 15202 model, which created a tidal wave among lovers of the brand, accompanied by an openworked version powered by the new Calibre 5122. By 2012, a vast majority of men’s Royal Oak models presented a larger diame ter than 39 mm, which enabled the new 15202 timepiece to become the sole model offered in this emblem atic size. Its rarity has since played a fundamental part in its unwav

ering success. The same year, the Manufacture also revealed a 41 mm hand-wound Royal Oak Extra-Thin Tourbillon (Model 26510) in stain less steel or 18-carat pink gold, also available in an openworked 40-piece limited edition (Model 26511, Calibre 2924SQ).

This blend of refined aesthetics and technical mastery permeated throughout the decade, notably with the Royal Oak Double Bal ance Wheel Openworked launched in 2016. Conceived by Audemars Piguet watchmakers, the patented mechanism it houses improves a watch’s precision and stability. By incorporating two balance wheels and two hairsprings assembled on the same axis, the system oscil lates in perfect synchrony. Visible on both sides of the case, the dou ble balance wheel also confers a rare glimpse of the watch’s beating heart. This timepiece, first released in a 41 mm steel or pink gold case, has since been reinterpreted in an additional 37 mm size as well as in

Bijoux

different materials including white gold, yellow gold and black ceramic.

The 2010s witnessed another tech nical breakthrough with the Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Cal endar Ultra-Thin (26586), whose prototype presented in 2018 is also known as RD#2. With a movement of 2.89 mm in thickness and a case of 6.3 mm in height, this watch became the world’s thinnest au tomatic perpetual calendar wrist watch of its time. To reach this remarkable thinness, Audemars Piguet engineers merged the per petual calendar functions, normally arranged on 3 levels, into one sin gle layer. Paving the way for a new generation of complicated watches balancing refined aesthetics, opti mum ergonomics, ancestral savoirfaire and contemporary lifestyle, this timepiece brought down the curtain on a decade brimming with aesthetic and technical evolutions.

FOREVER YOUNG

Paying tribute to 50 years of un wavering innovation, the latest

Royal Oak models mark yet another milestone in the development of a collection that has crossed eras and trends. The 2022 offering brings the collection to new creative and technical dimensions with an array of refined and ergonomic aesthet ics, materials, dial animations and latest generation movements.

Audemars Piguet kicked off the Royal Oak’s 50th anniversary with a new generation of 39 mm Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin models, ref. 16202, powered by a new selfwind ing extra-thin movement, Calibre 7121, conceived to seamlessly fit in the 8.1 mm Royal Oak “Jumbo” case. Replacing the historic Calibre 2121 which had equipped the Royal Oak since its origin, Calibre 7121 brings increased performance, reliability and contemporary movement de sign to the Royal Oak collection. This movement has simultaneously been entirely openworked (Calibre 7124), as showcased in the newly released 16204 models.

Another notable turning point for the Royal Oak collection is the

introduction of the Royal Oak Ex tra-Thin Selfwinding Flying Tour billon – the Manufacture’s first ever flying tourbillon housed in a 39 mm extra-thin “Jumbo” case. Blending avant-garde with tradi tion, this watch plays with the Roy al Oak’s original codes. Its stainless steel case is complemented with a Petite Tapisserie dial in the icon ic Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 hue, and a printed Audemars Piguet signature at 12 o’clock. With an eye to the fu ture, its flying tourbillon cage of fers a glimpse at the cutting-edge technology ticking within.

Developed in parallel of Calibre 7121, Calibre 2968 met the added challenge of combining a selfwind ing mechanism and a flying tourbil lon without altering the propor tions of the iconic “Jumbo” case. To do so, the teams completely rethought the tourbillon cage of Audemars Piguet’s existing 41 mm models. The result? A selfwinding flying tourbillon movement mea suring a mere 3.4 mm in height, whose refined micro-mechanics has owed the watch the nickname of RD#3.

Pushing the envelope further, this 39 mm flying tourbillon model will soon be complemented with an ad ditional Royal Oak Extra-Thin Self winding Flying Tourbillon in a 37 mm diameter – yet another first for the Manufacture!

It is this ability to constantly rein vent itself while retaining the es sential aesthetics of the original watch that has enabled the Royal Oak to reach the status of cultural icon within and beyond watchmak ing. Only 50 years young, this col lection promises many more sur prises in the years and decades to come.

GRAFF HIGH JEWELRY COLLECTION: TRIBAL

“Deep in the desert, a girl danced around a night fire...”

“Taking some glowing embers, she threw them high up into the air...”

Striking, sculptural motifs define the collec tion — a contemporary reimagining of uni versally understood symbols that surround us in nature.

Motifs New Dawn

An explosive sunburst symbolic of life, ener gy and power, the New Dawn motif harnesses the power of the blazing sun.

Graff Gateway

Emblematic of new beginnings and new po tential, the Graff Gateway is a contemporary vision of timelessness linking the past and the future, the Earth and the stars.

Night Moon

A perfect half-moon symbolic of clarity and reflection, this modern reimagining of an iconic motif shines bright in jewels that en chant with their talismanic beauty.

“...where they magically transformed into stars, illuminating the pitch-black night, like diamonds in the sky.”

Khaled Al Ajmi has held numerous executive positions in diplomatic organizations and international foundations and serves as board member and advisor in diverse charity organisations and govern ment committees involved in tourism, non-profit sectors, investment, and sustainability issues. He is a champion for domestic tourism and heritage preservation and is chairman consultant for investment at the Camel Club, a governmental entity promoting Saudi heritage.

Khaled is passionate about cars and race-driving, is an amateur art col lector and often speaks about his love for all things equestrian.

• Please talk us through your distinguished and very intriguing career

It’s been a long journey, with so many lessons learnt along the way. I have had the privilege of working in diverse fields such as real-estate, industry, the luxury sector, and contributed on numerous committees and have taken on prominent roles charitable organiza tions and ultimately the Saudi Camel Club.

• You have a wealth of experience in the diplomatic arena, how important is it to maintain strong interna tional bonds?

I consider myself a proud and loyal Saudi citizen who has many friends globally from different backgrounds and experiences. It is my strong belief that all Saudis should be representing their country in the best pos sible way and demonstrate this in their actions. To build and maintain positive and lasting international bonds we should always portray the right image of our country and depict who we are as a people working in harmony with our international peers. If we can

do this, we will gain the right international exposure, strengthen international relationships, and maintain our rightful place in the global context.

• Have you experienced hurdles in your career so far, and what have you learned from them?

I believe, there are ups and downs in any journey and you learn from the mistakes and move forward. In the same vein we celebrate the accomplishments and use these as a platform to continue growing. My own ex periences both positive and otherwise have taught me patience and to stay humble and always grounded.

• You are a very accomplished and successful businessman, which achievement are you most proud of to date?

I am proud of my journey so far, with many triumphs along the way, however what I feel the most satisfying have been my endeavours relating to the charitable sectors. The overriding principle is to always remem ber to give back, and this provides the most gratifi cation from a personal point of view. Furthermore,

joining the Saudi camel club fills me with immense pride and I believe there are further exciting develop ments to take place soon.

• With Saudi booming with mega-projects, what do you envision for the next decades in the Kingdom?

With the vision of HRH The Crown Prince and what is happening in the Kingdom across all sectors in both social and economic spheres is unprecedented in the Kingdom, and even beyond. I think the future is go ing to be magical. There is no other word to describe it! It is fascinating, what is happening in Saudi Arabia before our very eyes and I envision greatness and suc cess, God willing.

• What are some of the key lessons you have learned throughout your career?

As a businessman who works 18 hours a day, I have learnt many lessons, to mention a few, have patience in all undertakings, apply dedication in your endeavours and work with a good team as well as achieving the goals comes through continuous work, and by working hard you gain success, and the real investment is the investment of the children. These are some key les sons I have learned along the way and still guides me even as I move forward in my career.

• How do you strengthen and promote partnerships with international organizations?

Saudi Arabia has strong business potential and global and multinational entities are striving to be part of this market. I take pride in the opportunities I have been given to represent my country in building partner ships with international organizations to achieve fur ther growth within the Kingdom and work diligently to achieve success in this role.

• How do you hope to pave the way for future genera tions to emulate your achievements?

HRH Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman is already paving the way for our future generations, and we as businessmen are a very small part of this and thus, we look forward to having the next generation influenced our actions and commitment as well.

• You are very involved in preserving Saudi identity and heritage through your involvement with the Camel Club, tell us more about this?

The camel is part of our culture and history and repre sents strength and being part of the Saudi camel club excites me fills me with immense pride. We have a long-term plan to spread awareness and knowledge of the camel, the culture it has given rise to, and its links to Saudi heritage. We aspire to develop the econom ics of camels and their future and to strengthen and promote partnerships with relevant internation al organizations. We have many creative ideas such as camel polo and hosting global exhibitions so look out for interesting devel opments in this space.

• How does your passion for art came about? Art comes in many forms and allows a freedom of expression. I have had an artistic interest and vi sion early on in life and anything around me can inspire me. Art is a way to describe things without necessarily using words and this ability to com municate creatively en abled me to develop my passion over time.

• What is one piece of advice that you received and live by? Who gave it to you?

The best advice was given to me by my mentor and businessman Majid Al Fu taim and that is to always

to stand by my word. It not only gives a good impres sion to others but makes my life easier.

• Cars and more largely race driving are very close to your heart, tell us more about how your love for auto motive plays out.

It’s a passion that I have. I am a luxury car enthusiast and collector. Same as my passion for art I take an ar tistic view on cars generally and this is reflected in my collection.

The Leader

• What role do you play in the Kingdom National Vision 2030?

My role is to continue representing my country and deliver outstanding achievements on its behalf. I am committed to standing by the vision that is planned for our beautiful Kingdom because I know it has Saudi Arabia’s best interests at heart.

• How do you hope to be a role model for future generations in Saudi?

My goal to show current and future Saudi generations to be consistent in their endeavours, unwavering in their focus and be dedicated to their interests and as pirations. Even in times of hardship it is important to stay the course and not give up.

Interview conducted by Narges Raiss

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH SULTAN HAMDI

1. How long have you been a car enthusiast? How was it started?

When the current easiest for the last for the last while actually, since I was probably 12 maybe even be fore I started out with my dad, he had the same two season for auto motive and mechanical technolo gy We started out in motorbikes a sport called motocross and these are the off-road the motor bikes something they’re racing them at the age of 11 and they got the over all and I got a good result was the second overall for that season

2. Do you have favourite car brands?

Favorite car brands. Yes or no I be lieve that all factories have great cars. Great models, great designs, great ingenuity, great technology. There are a few brands that do that say stand out. For example Porsche Pagani Bugatti and also BMW they have their own. Let’s say style of cars that grab my attention with

technology and performance, and great handling, and just the pure enjoyment of driving and owner ship.

3. Do you have an old-timer? How did you get it?

Old-timer or Classics yes I do I have my own 2002 Corvettes that is con sidered to be a modern classic. We have also a 1967 Grand Am Pontiac we have a 1982 silica we have a 1996 Alpina B8 we have a few Classics that we owe and or we shared be tween me and my brother is cause this love for cars is not on the my self it’s me and the whole family so even my mother owns a few cars believe it or not and also Sport Car and my brother may be owns 20 cars.

4. We are shifting to electri cal cars, do you fancy these cars?

Very interesting question that you just opened electric cars are the future and electric cars are what

is making today’s engines of your making today’s internal combus tion engine. Still be alive now with the technology of EV or hybrid or plug in cars. They are there to bal ance between the electrical use or the EV use of cars and internal combustion engines but for me the best technology nowadays is the EV hybrid cars. These I think are the best for the near future we have hydrogen powered we have many other concepts of power or concept of fuel to be used to power the cars but right now the best is the hybrid system.

5. Tell us more about social entity and what is your role as Ceo?

Social Entaty is a PR marketing company. It just runs and uses the social media as its main platform for the reach and to help highlight the brands

6. You are multi talented, What motivates you and in spired you?

What motivates me is winning?

This is what motivates me what motivates me is that I have to be the best , I am very competitive in every way many people see it as a joke, but I mean every word of it. This is what motivates me to be the best, and as they say second place is the first loser.

7. What was your greatest accomplishment as an auto motive champion?

My greatest accomplishment in the automotive industry as sports on the sport side is getting the title of the Middle East rally championship in 2004.

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BATTLE THE ELEMENTS WITH EXCLUSIVE EXTENDED WARRANTY OFFERS AVAILABLE ON THE BMW F 850 GS AT MOHAMED YOUSUF NAGHI MOTORS

Get ready for the ultimate rush of adren aline as Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors (MYNM), the official importer of BMW Group in Saudi Arabia, have announced their lat est offer for the BMW F 850 GS, the ideal bike for an off-road experience of a lifetime.

For a limited time only, customers can avail the exclusive offer of complimentary 5 year warranty on the BMW F 850 GS, from August until the end of September and while stocks last.

With summer nearly coming to an end, Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors is providing customers the ideal opportunity to explore the Kingdom in the cooler months at an attractive price of SAR 59,513 (inclusive of VAT). Riders can visit their local Mo hamed Yousuf Naghi showroom to avail extended warranty offer, with multiple branches across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

With its 21-inch wheel, multiple modes to tack le any terrain or weather conditions, and top speeds of over 200 KMPH, the BMW F 850 GS al lows riders to venture into unknown territories and discover all that the Kingdom has to offer.

The four innovative Pro riding modes include ‘Rain’ to tackle wet roads, ‘Road’ for drier ter

rains, ‘Dynamic’ when acceleration on asphalt is key, and lastly ‘Enduro’ for rougher and rockier tracks. Additionally, the model comes equipped with off-road tyres, Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), an adjustable windshield, Pro Gear Shift Assistant for riders to shift gears smoothly with out the use of a clutch, and a number of custom izable features to make each adventure effortless.

On the Road

For more information on the exciting of fer as well as the thrilling model, head down to the nearest showroom with multiple branches across the Kingdom of Saudi Ara bia, specifically at the Automall in Jeddah, Sulaimaniya in Riyadh and Khobar or visit www.bmw-saudiarabia.com.

On the Road

TLN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

RICHARD LEOPOLD, BENTLEY’S REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR THE MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA, INDIA

TheLuxury Network magazine had the opportunity to meet Richard Leopold at the stunning Bentley showroom located in the Pearl. Bentey’s Regional MEA & India director talks to Narges Raiss about consumer demands, the new language that will define Bent ley’s future range of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), and why Bentley is ready for its revolution.

Bentley has made quite a big state ment and commitment on the sus tainability front. As Richard Leop old says: ‘Our aim is to be nothing less than the leader in luxury sus tainability, but we absolutely see the need for change and reconfig ure the whole company including products to become that leader. On the product side we have said that we will migrate fully to electric, we are already this year in Qatar are launching the Flying Spur in hybrid which is quite a luxury performance with a surreal driving experience

–that’s our first step in the region with the BEV, plug-in hybrid. We will offer it in all of our range with ing two years by 2024. Then, 2025 we will launch one fully electric ve hicle every year for the following five years. By the time, we get to 2030 we will have rejuvenated the whole portfolio with fully electric. That does not mean that we disre gard combustible engine based, we are looking to overlap’

Talk us through the process of Bent ley to transition to BEV’s and still keep a part of its DNA?

One of the great virtues of Bentley is that all the Bentleys are pro duced in one facility in Crewe, in the UK. ‘We have just secured the approvals and the funding for 2.5 billion euros to have a dual pro duction line: the existing produc tion line for the current vehicles and the new one, which we call the Dream Factory - a virtual line

where robots are essentially trans porting through a space factory. With this new autonomous line, it will allow more bespoke, more personalization and flexibility. You can mix the different body types of a car – thanks to AI, all the parts would come to that space. It is a very impressive system and be cause of that, it will allow us to ca ter to the combustible and electric vehicle alike. We know that every body is heavily investing in electric but how quickly would that be a marketed option in place in Qatar –nobody really knows. We got that flexibility to continue to build our current portfolio alongside intro ducing the new models.’

Tell us more about Qatar market specifically?‎

Qatar has been our 3rd largest market across the Middle East, rel atively stable, always 3-digit per formance. What is unique about this market in terms of the con sumer demand is the level of be spoke and individualization – that is what sets this market apart. Qa tar specifically is our worldwide leader in terms of bespoke content. We have a division called Mulliner and they do the body, chassis, they do everything from exterior/inte rior colours, trims, engraving…etc.

Have you seen a shift in the demographic of your clientele?

We are currently building a young er clientele, more diverse and we are very proud to count amongst our client more and more wom en who are choosing Bentley. We have that development as I saw a report just last week that places us in one of the younger brands in the market especially for the GT and Bentayga for instance. Bentley has always been more understat ed as a brand compared to others, more subtle. We have huge mile ages on our cars, so they are being driven because they are practical,

comfortable, and usable car that’s why it is often seen a rational lux ury purchase which is justified be cause of the use.

What are the key characteristics for Bentley in the future?

We are not worried about the per formance as electric car are very quick, we can easily get more pow er than the car we have today. The acceleration and the excitement will remain.

The sound character will not be there in the same way, but we are looking at various factors indicat ing that customer preferences are changing. Things like wellness, well-being, interiors, comfort, even so much as the car looking after you in a way as the car can sense what you need.

route. We are also looking into re mote diagnosis of the car, potential ly services, a kind of concierge like offering. The digital personal assis tant is also expected at some point. For Bentley, the fusion of extreme, beautifully handcrafted (stitching, leather, material…) combined with the innovation with all the screens that you require, the latest in terms of graphics… Very progressive, it’s not going to be an evolution but more a revolution I believe, in terms of where we go with electric vehicle but when you sit in the car you’ll still feel like in Bentley.

Bentley Motors is the most sought-af ter luxury car brand in the world. The company’s headquarters in Crewe is home to all of its operations including design, R&D, engineering, Mulliner and production of the company’s five model lines: Continental GT, Con tinental GTC, Flying Spur, Bentayga and Bentayga EWB. The combina tion of fine craftsmanship, using skills that have been handed down through generations, alongside engineering expertise and cutting-edge technol ogy is unique to UK luxury car brands such as Bentley. It is also an example of high-value British manufacturing at its best.

An example that I can disclose al ready is a wellness seat in the new Bentayga that’s coming in Q4, that has a wellness seat, an intelligent seat that can sense your tempera ture, body movements, adjust i t and simulate slight motions to avoid fa tigue. It’s those type of innovation that we are looking into to have in an electrical environment. We are definitely going down the wellness Interview conducted by Narges Raiss

GENESIS’ FLAGSHIP LUXURY SEDAN, THE G90, MAKES ITS MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA DEBUT

• Flagship luxury sedan features the most elegant interpretation of Genesis’ design identity

• Advanced technologies including Multi-Chamber air suspension and Rear Wheel Steering offer the comfortable, quiet driving ex perience of a flagship luxury sedan

• A new automated experience enabled by features like EasyClose guides drivers at every moment of their journey – from boarding to driving

• The G90 offers a personalized space that goes beyond a means of transportation, with new features like Virtual Venue and Mood Curator that meet drivers’ emotional and aesthetic needs

Genesis Middle East & Africa HQs has today launched its flagship sedan, the G90.

The G90 brings the first full mod el change in three years following its facelift in 2018, representing the most elegant interpretation of the brand’s luxury design identity. The model introduces a bold new di rection that premium cars should pursue, with advanced assistance features that make driving easier, along with a variety of new technol ogies that add value to passengers’ journeys.

The G90 features the Genesis line up’s most elegant exterior and in terior designs yet. Driving specifi cations offer the utmost in terms of comfortable mobility along with many new features designed to en hance the experience for drivers and passengers of the G90.

• Genesis’ most elegant exterior yet

The G90’s front includes a new Crest Grille and sleek Two-Line headlamps, which are designed to resemble the brand’s emblem. The Crest Grille at the front takes the model’s luxurious image to the next level with its Layered Architecture design, comprised of two G-Ma trix patterns layered on top of one

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another to create a three-dimen sional effect.

The Two-Line headlamps, located on both sides of the grille, are the thinnest on a Genesis model yet. The headlamps’ slim design was made possible by intercrossing the lens of the DRLs (Daytime Running Lights) with the turn signal, the high beams and the MLA (Micro Lens Array) technology-powered low beams. The low beams in par ticular combine roughly 200 micro optic lenses per module with ultra precise technology. The resulting lenses are smaller than those of legacy projection lamps, but pro vide the same level of light inten sity – further reinforcing the G90’s high-tech image.

The G90’s status as a best-in-class sedan is further strengthened by its Clamshell Hood. The Clamshell Hood design features a single panel that combines the hood and fend ers to eliminate panel gaps, lending the G90 its definingly sleek design. In addition, the Guilloché pat terned emblem, which is nearly 80 percent thinner than the previous version, adds a finishing touch of class and distinction to the luxury sedan image.

When viewed from the side, the Parabolic Line design starts from

the hood and flows seamlessly along the bottom of the window to the trunk. Once more, the vehicle’s refined and voluminous body has been highlighted with the Athletic Power Lines on the fenders around the wheels, revealing its power and dynamism.

The DLOs bordering the first and second rows of the vehicle are har monized by thick C-pillars. This allows second-row passengers to enjoy an open atmosphere and pri vacy at the same time, ultimately coming together to complete the sedan’s best-in-class image.

At the vehicle’s rear, as key elements of the Genesis design language, the Two-Line rear combination

lamps are elongated with the trunk, giving the model a strong and well-balanced image, with the Genesis lettering emblem concise ly positioned between them.

Functional elements like the license plate, various sensors, and the re verse lights have been lowered to complete the clean, luxurious im age of the G90’s rear design.

• An interior that perfectly harmonizes new technologies with analog sensitivities

The interior of the G90 is designed to satisfy both customers who take the wheel themselves and those who are driven by chauffeurs.

The driver’s seat brings to life Gen esis’ interior design ethos of the Beauty of White Space, harmoni ously combining the feeling of a high-tech device with new tech nologies together with the luxuri ous details that come with analog sensitivities.

Drawing attention at the front of the vehicle’s interior are slim air vents that, combined with the wing-like shapes and the next-generation in fotainment system – the connected car Integrated Cockpit (ccIC) – in tegrate the cluster and navigation into a panoramic display, cement ing a high-tech look.

The center console carefully uti lizes glass and aluminum materials to express luxurious analog sensi tivities. In addition, the electron ic dial-type Shift-By-Wire (SBW) component and a dial-type Central Control Panel (CCP) are differen tiated to enable drivers to intui tively distinguish between them while driving. In particular, the SBW prevents maloperation by vi brating when the driver shifts into reverse.

Furthermore, the two panoram ic sunroofs located above the first and second rows can be controlled separately. In addition, the mood lamps installed on the left and right ends of the sunroofs are linked with other mood lamps in the vehicle to add a sense of luxury.

The rear seats of the G90 feature the highest quality materials to ensure that the flagship sedan of fers passengers comfort and con venience. The left and right seats in the second row can be reclined separately for passengers’ comfort. The G90 also provides a new expe rience to customers with thought fully designed storage spaces such as an independent tray for maga zines and books in the C-pillar area of the second row.

New garnishes made possible thanks to new processing methods have been applied to the G90’s cen ter fascia, to the backs of the frontrow seats, and to each seat’s door trimming. Genesis’ philosophy of sustainable luxury is well reflect ed in the G90’s use of Newspaper Crown Wood and Newspaper Stripe

Wood. The material is made utiliz ing a new method that minimizes its impact on the environment by reprocessing wastepaper from dai ly life, including newspapers.

Used here for the first time in a Genesis vehicle, the metal inlay garnish is a detail that is rooted in the traditional Korean ‘sanggam ’ (or ‘inlay’) crafting technique. The garnish maximizes the sense of luxury by inlaying the Two Lines and the G-matrix pattern onto real metal, ash wood, and forged carbon surfaces.

The G90 comes in a choice of 12 color options. Brand new col ors such as Hallasan Green, Capri Blue, Bariloche Brown, Valencia Gold, and Maui Black are exclu sive to the G90. The model will also be available in Makalu Gray, Vik Black, Tasman Blue, Seville Silver, Uyuni White, Makalu Gray Matte, and Verbier White. The Hallasan Green color in particular is named after Hallasan, a shield volcano on Korea’s Jeju Island, a decision that reflects the brand’s pride in its dis tinctive Korean identity.

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The vehicle also offers a selection of interior colorways, with a total of five combination choices: Obsid ian Black/Mono-Tone, Bordeaux Brown/Obsidian Black Two-Tone, Glacier White/Urban Brown TwoTone, Modern Gray/Galaxy Black Two-Tone, and Dune Beige/Velvet Burgundy Two-Tone.

• The comfortable and quiet driving performance you expect from a flagship sedan

The G90 is equipped with a gaso line 3.5 turbo engine and an eightspeed automatic transmission, which features a maximum output of 375 horsepower and a maximum torque of 54.0 kgf·m.

The 3.5 turbo engine achieves a combined fuel efficiency of 9.3 km/ℓ with a Dual Fuel Injec tion system injecting the optimal amount of fuel to meet driving con ditions, and a Water Cooled Type Intercooler improving acceleration responsiveness by quickly lowering the temperature of air inflow in the engine (figures based on 5 seater model in RWD with 19-inch tires).

To support its strong engine power and torque while ensuring efficient cooling of the brake discs, the G90 utilizes multiple cooling mecha nisms, including undercover guide hole, dust cover hole, and wheel guard cooling vanes.

It also features a new Brake Mode, “Chauffeur,” allowing drivers to control braking force. It’s one of three built-in brake modes that drivers can utilize to suit their preferences and driving conditions.

Genesis has outfitted the G90 with new suspension technology that offers a smoother ride and better handling performance. It also in cludes Preview-Electronic Con trol Suspension (Preview-ECS) as

a basic feature, which optimizes control of the suspension by uti lizing a front camera and data from the navigation system to recog nize road conditions and provide a smooth riding experience in any driving environment.

For added driving stability, the G90 also features Multi Chamber air suspension, which alters air pres sure in the air springs. Three set tings are available depending on driving conditions. When driving at high speeds, the air suspension system lowers the height of the vehicle to reduce wind resistance, improving fuel efficiency and ul timately providing a more stable driving experience. When driving on rough or uneven surfaces, the feature heightens the car to protect its undercarriage and cut down on vibrations from the road. Also, the vehicle’s height can stay at a cer tain level regardless of changes in weight from passengers or luggage. This allows for a more comfortable ride while securing stable control of the vehicle.

The G90 also includes a feature that manages the air suspension according to road conditions, help ing drivers navigate speed bumps, ramps, and rough roads. This tech nology controls the damping and height of the suspension by iden tifying the environment in front of the vehicle with information gath ered from the front camera, pro viding customers with a comfort able ride.

If it detects a bump ahead in the road, 100 m before contact the vehicle elevates the front wheels 10 mm and optimizes the Pre view-Electronic Control Suspen sion (Preview-ECS). This reduces the shock so that passengers are not jolted as much.

In addition, using sensors, the car can elevate the front wheels when it’s going down a steep slope. This provides stronger suspension to prevent damage from contact be tween the flat road and the un dercarriage after the slope. When driving on rough roads, the feature heightens the car by 25 mm at both ends, the front wheels and the rear wheels, to protect its undercar riage from touching the surface of the road and ensure a stable driv ing experience.

Rear Wheel Steering (RWS) on the G90 steers the rear wheels to a maximum of four degrees in a low-speed counter-phase (moving them in the opposite direction of the front wheels) and to a maxi mum of two degrees in high-speed in-phase (moving them in the same direction as the front wheels).

This allows for easier maneuvering in tight spaces with fewer correc tions, and makes the turning radius of the G90 similar to that of a mid size car. It also improves corner ing stability and allows the vehicle to make agile movements when changing lanes or avoiding obsta cles at medium and high speeds.

The G90 boasts Genesis’ quietest ride yet, providing the interior se renity that drivers expect from a luxury sedan. It is outfitted with the brand’s most advanced noise can celing ANC-R (Active Noise Con trol-Road) system as a basic fea ture, which detects noise from the surface of the road and then sends opposite phase sounds through the speakers to cancel it out. The result is a quieter ride that elevates the G90’s driving experience.

To ensure that same quiet and lux ury for every seat in the vehicle, Genesis has measured and ana lyzed the sound sensitivity of each seat and tailored its sound cancel ing accordingly. Some parts of the system are reinforced with special materials to strengthen the car’s body, while various sound-absorb ing materials were used through out key sections of the car.

Meanwhile, laminated glass was used throughout the car, includ ing the second-row doors’ quarter glass, enabling the G90 to achieve a maximum level of quietness.

• New automation experience enabled by the most advanced convenience technologies

Genesis has given the G90 a suite of various cutting-edge convenience technologies to provide an all-new automated experience from the moment customers board the vehi cle until the moment they exit the car at their destination.

When a driver approaches the G90 with their smart key, Auto Flush Door Handles pop up to greet the driver. Once the driver enters the vehicle, the EasyClose system closes the door without passen gers needing to reach out and grab it. This feature is activated with a press of a button that is located in a number of easily accessible

places, including the first row’s center console, the second row’s armrests, and the door trims in both rows.

Additionally, the first-row driver’s seat doors can be set up to auto matically close when the brake pedal is used. When passengers exit the vehicle, they can touch the outside door handle switch or press the lock button on the remote con trol to close the door.

The G90’s Fingerprint Authentica tion System in the center console enables users to setup and select their customized user profiles, check recent destinations and access the infotainment system settings.

Customers can experience the advanced technology and conve nience of the G90 even when driv ing and parking. The G90 is the first model to feature Hands On Detec tion (HOD), allowing the vehicle to accurately detect when the driv er is holding the steering wheel. When driver assistance systems such as Highway Driving Assist are activated, HOD precisely deter mines whether or not the driver is holding the steering wheel, issuing warnings when necessary. Parking Collision-Avoidance As sists (PCA) analyzes the vehicle’s surroundings, including the rear, front and the sides, warning the driver when there’s a risk of col lision with a pedestrian or object while parking, and activating the brakes if necessary.

• An emotionally satisfying personal space that goes beyond transportation

The G90 offers various features that highlight the vehicle’s sensitiv ity, upgrading it from a mere means of transportation to a customizable personal space. Indeed, with the G90, Genesis is offering a glimpse at its vision for the future of mobility.

Genesis has equipped the vehicle with a host of intuitive features, in cluding Virtual Venue, Mood Cura tor, and an Armrest Touch System. ‘Virtual Venue’ is a virtual, 3D-sur round sound function. It recreates the sound characteristics of various spaces that are optimized for cer tain types of music using settings such as ‘Boston Symphony Hall’ or ‘Bang & Olufsen Home’, and delivers on that sound with an impressive Bang & Olufsen 23-speaker system. Virtual Venue monitors the interior through an in-car microphone and simultaneously creates signals that reproduce the sound field char acteristics of the selected space. Then, the system minimizes and stabilizes in-car noise according to the speed of the vehicle while deliv ering audio through its 23 speakers.

The G90 also comes with Acoustic Lens Technology (ALT), which op timizes sound quality through an electric pop-up tweeter located on the left and right side of the crash pad and headlining speakers placed in the middle of the ceiling between the first and second row, creating a 3D sound experience. Mood Curator enables integrat ed control of features like mood lamps, the sound system, the fra grance system (olfactory), massage seats, and electric curtains, lifting passengers’ moods. The car offers four different mood modes, each of which can be customized for a high level of personalization.

The G90 is also the first model Gen esis has equipped with a fragrance system, which disperses pleasing scents throughout the car’s inte rior. It offers three different aro mas: The Driver’s Awakening, The Great Outdoors, and My Favorite Place, which are all provided in re placeable cartridges. A maximum of two cartridges can be mount ed to the upper part of the glove box. The type and intensity of the

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fragrance can be controlled through the infotainment system, rear seat touch control, and ventilation panel. Scents are automatically preselected for different Mood Cu rator modes, but can also be ad justed manually.

To enhance the comfort of both drivers and passengers, Genesis has equipped the G90 with ‘ergo-relax ing’ seats. Each seat features 10 air cells on the seatback and two air cells on the cushion, supporting four modes of body massage, in cluding full body, waist, pelvis, and upper body, with three options for massage duration and strength.

Furthermore, for smooth transi tions when passengers are board ing and exiting the vehicle, the G90 removes air from the side bolsters (waist supporters), and returns to its original position after board ing. When the drive mode is set to Sport Mode or when driving at high speed (130 km/h), the side bolsters are automatically inflated to in crease lateral support.

For VIP passengers in the sec ond-row seats, the G90 offers a va riety of special features to ensure a comfortable journey. A speaker is

installed in the driver’s seat head rest to send out guide/warning sounds that only the driver can hear, shielding the passengers in the rear seats from hearing unnec essary noise. The VIP seat, located on the right side of the second row, features newly added leg supports and footrests that support heat ing/ventilation (air intake system) functions, allowing customers to rest in a more comfortable posture.

The 10.2-inch electric rear-seat touch screen monitors located in the back of the first-row seats can automatically adjust their angles depending on the seat mode. They also allow passengers to use media independently by connecting Blue tooth headsets to the left and the right monitors, respectively.

An 8-inch Armrest Touch Screen (ATS) located in the center armrest in the second row offers touch-type integrated operation. Passengers can set climate control modes, seat position, massage settings, curtain position, and adjust the lighting. The touch-screen display provides clear guidance and explanations with graphics and animations that are suitable for each function relat ed to the buttons.

• Antibacterial features & materials provide a safer, cleaner interior for passengers

Genesis has used antibacterial ma terials throughout the G90, with a UV light-sterilized armrest box in the second row and an antibacteri al filter to offer passengers a safer and cleaner interior.

Genesis coated the G90’s interior with an antibacterial Silver Zinc Zeolite material, which prevents the growth of bacteria and micro organisms on areas with artificial leather and car mats, such as the G90’s crash pads, door trim, and armrests. UV-C LED lamps are in stalled in the box of the second row’s armrests to sterilize items for passengers when driving. (based on the internal test result verified by the international certification In tertek. Result may differ depending on the actual use environment)

Air purifiers in the G90 are equipped with an antibacterial fil ter that blocks harmful substances in the air to provide a better indoor atmosphere.

ARMIN FLOSSDORF

THE LEGENDARY F1 ARTIST

TheLegendary F1artist who ex cels at capturing the cars’ speed and vibrancy on canvas with swift brush strokes. Armin’s extraordinary paintings are created on canvas using vivid acrylic paint and pencil.

Armin’s work has been associated with Formula One and Grand Prix for several years, notably while he was employed at the F1-Paddock Club. It took a remarkable turn when Bernie Ecclestone purchased a painting by Armin depicting himself and late Formula One great Ayrton Senna. Armin pursued his passion of being an artist by attending the Arts School in Aachen, Germany, and subsequently the Royal College of Arts in London. He has also worked as a Fine Arts lecturer in Germany.

His first encounter with Formula One occurred years ago in Germa ny, while watching the first race live at the Nurburgring; later, after studies... He was still captivated by the focus and extreme pressure of F1 drivers, and he believed that he could produce his paintings with the same energy and speed that goes hand in hand with fast driving.

Associating acrylic combined with pigments and oil pastels in his work,

Armin’s brush strokes are swift, and he paints straight on the canvas with out drawing first, giving his paintings the freedom and adrenaline inspired from the speed of F1. As the brush blends strokes and colors to por tray a legendary Grand Prix car or a sporting moment, the final outcome seems effortless perfection.

Armin was discovered by Jean Todt – the former Team Principal of Scu deria Ferrari and the most recently honored President of the FIA – and rose to prominence to become a legendary and well-known artist within the Formula 1-scene.

Now, Armin’s remarkable artworks are owned by F1 legends, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Jean Alesi, and Kimi Räikkonen. Armin also had the privilege of meeting HSH Prince Albert of Monaco and to create two art pieces for the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

End of 2021, Armin was honored with a German Stipendium, which recognized his creativity and in spired him to create a series of ten portraits depicting the world’s most influential heads.

This in mind, Armin created a mas sively powerful artwork portraying

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Qatar’s ruler, HH Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani. A 2m portrait that he painted live on the roof of Doha’s Marriott Marquis. A 2m portrait that he painted live on the roof of Doha’s Marriott Marquis. The first artwork in this series.

Armin exhibits his artworks in gal leries around the world and F1 plat form is an exclusive online destina tion to retail his incredible art.His studio is located in the middle of Michael Schumacher Private Col lection in Cologne.

“All Art takes a lifetime to get it where it belongs to.” - Armin Flossdorf

NEW DEFENDER HONOURS ITS LINEAGE WITH 75TH LIMITED EDITION

• Exclusive addition: Defender is marking 75 years of Land Rover with the new Defender 75th Limit ed Edition

• Heritage detailing: Grasmere Green introduced to the exterior and interior with unique 75 Years graphic – available in 90 and 110 body designs

• Still innovating: Equipped with the latest technology including 3D Surround Camera, Matrix LED headlights and Configurable Ter rain Response

• Electric performance: 75th Limited Edition available as P400e Electric Hybrid, in addition to P400 and D300 with advanced mild hybrid technology

• Exclusively yours: New Defender 75th Limited Edition is available to configure now at www.landrover. com or visit your local retailer to secure your order

In 1948 the Series I was introduced at the Amsterdam Motor Show. Land Rover is marking the anniversary with the Defender 75th Limited Edition.

Available in 90 or 110 body designs, the Defender 75th Limited Edition has an exclusive exterior design theme with unique detailing, fin ished in iconic Grasmere Green paint with complementing wheels and interior finishes.

The exterior finish introduces Gras mere Green to the Defender line-up

for the first time – a hue reserved exclusively for the 75th Limited Edi tion – with 20-inch alloy wheels also in Grasmere Green with matching centre caps. Completing the exte rior enhancements are a unique 75 Years graphic, Ceres Silver bumpers and Privacy Glass.

Defender’s durable and versatile interior has received similar treat ment, with the Cross Car Beam fin ished in brushed Grasmere Green Powder Coat and laser-etched de tailing on Cross Car Beam end caps.

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The seats are finished in Resist Eb ony, with the hockey stick on the centre console featuring Robustec material – the most robust fabric available on Defender.

Stuart Frith, Lifecycle Chief Engi neer Defender, said: “Since reveal ing the new Defender, customers around the globe have fallen in love with it and demand remains ex tremely strong. This new Limited Edition captures the spirit of the past 75 years, with its colour and detailing, and fuses it with innova tive new technology such as Hybrid Electric power, Configurable Ter rain Response, software over the air updates and unrivalled all-ter rain capability.”

The Limited Edition is based on the high-specification HSE, with com prehensive standard equipment. Innovative technology includes 3D Surround Camera, Configurable Terrain Response, Meridian Sound System, Matrix LED front lighting, 11.4-inch Pivi Pro infotainment sys tem, Head-Up Display and Wireless Device Charger.

All 75th Limited Edition models also feature a Folding Fabric Roof or the option of a Sliding Panoramic Roof, while superior comfort is provid ed by 14-way driver and passenger

heated electric memory seats, heat ed steering wheel and Three Zone Climate Control. An Electrically Deployable Tow Bar and All-Season tyres can be added as options for enhanced capability. Powertrain choices include the pow erful and efficient P400e plug-in electric hybrid (PHEV) on 110 mod els, in addition to P400 and D300 Ingenium petrol and diesel options*, both utilising Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV) technology to opti mise power delivery and fuel econ omy by harnessing energy normally lost under deceleration and braking.

The uniqueness of the Limited Edi tion ensures its place as a highly collectible Defender, revealed

alongside a new range of Land Rov er lifestyle goods celebrating this historic moment.

The Lifestyle Collection shares the Grasmere Green colour theme and features a comprehensive range of goods including a min imalist unique watch featuring two straps, a functional backpack and clothing with unique 75 Years graphics and detail.

Defender has won more than 50 global awards, including Top Gear’s 2020 Car of the Year, MotorTrend’s 2021 SUV of the Year and Autocar’s Best SUV 2020 as well as a 5 Star Euro NCAP Safety Rating.

Land Rover was born with the launch of a single vehicle. Today our family of SUVs is testament to the pioneering spirit of innovation that has characterised Land Rover for more than seven decades. Our Defender, Discovery and Range Rover brand families provide un rivalled capability, versatility and luxury – the perfect foundation for another 75 years of success.

New Defender 75th Limited Edition starts at £85,995 for the 90, and £89,995 for the 110. Available to configure at www.landrover.com or order now at your local retailer.

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FERRARI PUROSANGUE UNLIKE ANY OTHER

• The Prancing Horse’s first ever four-door four-seater, the Purosangue, was unveiled today

• The Purosangue is equipped with Maranello’s iconic naturally-aspi rated V12 which can unleash a mas sive 725 cv

• Vehicle dynamics inspired by the Prancing Horse’s most extreme sports cars make the Purosangue an authen tic Ferrari four-door sports car

• The Purosangue sets a new stand ard in the automotive industry, thanks to its innovative layout

After years of anticipation by the international automotive frater nity, Ferrari today unveiled the Purosangue, the first ever fourdoor, four-seater car in the

Prancing Horse’s 75-year history, in the magnificently atmospheric surroundings of the Teatro del Si lenzio in Lajatico (Pisa).

Since the marque’s earliest years, 2+2 cars (i.e. with two front and two smaller back seats) have played a significant role in its strategy. Many Ferraris have made combining benchmark performance with first class comfort one of the pillars of their success. Now, in the culmina tion of 75 years of leading-edge re search, Ferrari has created a car that is unique on the world stage: not only do performance, driving pleas ure and comfort coexist in perfect harmony, but it is also a peerless en capsulation of the Prancing Horse’s iconic DNA. Which is the reason why the name Purosangue, Italian for ‘thoroughbred’, was chosen.

To enable the company to achieve the ambitious goals set for this pro ject and create a car worthy of a place in its range, a completely dif ferent layout and innovative pro portions compared to modern GT archetypes (so-called crossovers and SUVs) were adopted. The aver age modern GT’s engine is mounted forwards in the car, almost strad dling the front axle with the gearbox coupled directly to it: this results in less than optimal weight distribu tion that delivers driving dynamics and driving pleasure well short of the standards of excellence to which Prancing Horse clients and enthusi asts have become accustomed.

The Purosangue, on the other hand, has a mid-front-mounted engine with the gearbox at the rear to cre ate a sporty transaxle layout. The

Power Transfer Unit (PTU) is cou pled in front of the engine to pro vide a unique 4x4 transmission. This delivers exactly the 49:51% weight distribution that Maranel lo’s engineers deem optimal for a mid-front-engined sports car.

The Purosangue stands head and shoulders above the rest of the market thanks to its performance and comfort. It is the only car with these proportions to sport a midfront-mounted, naturally-aspi rated V12: Maranello’s most iconic engine debuts in this brand new configuration to ensure the car un leashes more power than any other in the segment (725 cv) whilst guar anteeing the most enthralling Fer rari engine soundtrack. Further more, it can deliver 80% torque even at low revs for unique driving pleasure at all times.

The Purosangue’s aero development focused on making the bodywork, underbody and rear diffuser as effi cient as possible. New solutions include synergy between the front bumper and wheelarch trim which generates an air curtain that aero dynamically seals the front wheels, preventing turbulent transverse air flows being generated.

Ferrari has also given the Purosangue the very latest itera tions of the vehicle dynamic con trol systems introduced on its most powerful and exclusive sports cars, including independent fourwheel steering and ABS ‘evo’ with the 6-way Chassis Dynamic Sensor (6w-CDS). Making its world debut is the F.A.S.T. (Ferrari Active Sus pension Technology) system. This very effectively controls body roll in corners as well as the tyre con tact patch over high-frequency bumps to deliver the same perfor mance and handling response as in one of the marque’s sports cars.

The all-new chassis has a carbon-fi bre roof as standard to keep weight down and lower the centre of grav ity. Redesigning the bodyshell from scratch also meant the designers could incorporate rear-hinged back doors (welcome doors) to make in gress and egress easier while keep ing the car as compact as possible. The cabin has four generous heated electric seats that will comfortably accommodate four adults. The boot is the largest ever seen on a Ferra ri and the rear seats fold to increase the luggage space. Naturally enough, the Purosangue has a more com manding driving position than other Ferraris, but the configuration is the same as on every other Ferrari. As a result, the driving position is still in timate and close to the floor to pro vide greater connection to the car’s dynamic capabilities.

The Purosangue offers class-lead ing performance figures (from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.3 s and from 0 to 200 in 10.6 s); the driving position and the heady, naturally-aspirated V12 soundtrack deliver an entirely new yet also entirely Ferrari driving ex perience. The fact that a vast array of comfort-focused content is pro vided as standard, such as the Bur mester© audio system, and that the many optional extras including the brand-new Alcantara® upholstery,

derived from certified recycled polyester, make the PUROSANGUE the most complete four-door, four-seater in the segment.

POWERTRAIN

The Purosangue’s engine (codenamed F140IA) maintains the archi tecture that made the Prancing Horse’s most recent 12-cylinders so successful i.e. a 65° angle between its cylinder banks, a 6.5-litre ca pacity, dry sump and high-pressure direct injection. It was designed, however, to produce the highest amount of torque at low revs possi ble without losing the feeling of lin ear, never-ending power typical of Ferrari’s naturally-aspirated V12s. 80% of the maximum torque is on tap at just 2100 rpm and it peaks at 716 Nm at 6250 rpm. Maximum power of 725 cv is reached at 7750 rpm and throttle response is char acteristic of a real sports car.

Intake, timing and exhaust systems have been completely redesigned, while the cylinder heads are derived from the 812 Competizione. Huge attention was lavished on improv ing mechanical and combustion efficiency, employing Formula 1-in spired calibration concepts. The result is that the most powerful en gine ever developed by Ferrari for

a four-seater car is also the most powerful in its segment, as well as the only one capable of delivering that instantly recognisable Ferrari V12 soundtrack.

To guarantee maximum mechanical efficiency, the rotating masses have been redesigned. The nitrided steel

crankshaft was modified to length en the stroke and the internal oil passageways have been redesigned to improve oil flow to the big-end bearings. Lower bearing clearance tolerances improve consumption. The coolant and oil pump assembly was also redesigned focussing on the scavenge section to reduce fric tion and mass thanks to the adop tion of smaller diameter rotors and optimising the inlets and outlets as well as the rotor seals.

The valve train timing is all new, while the new finishing process for the camshafts has considerably re duced the surface roughness and the friction coefficient between the lobes, the shafts themselves and the hydraulic tappets.

To optimise the torque curve and ensure a continual increase across the rev range, the geometry of the intake ducts and plenums was re vised. The geometry of the exhaust system was also optimised to in crease permeability reduce back pressure. There are specific pis tons with a redesigned crown to increase combustion efficiency.

The engine’s direct injection sys tem comprises two high-pressure fuel pumps (350 bar) that deliver petrol to the injectors in the com bustion chambers. The ignition sys tem, comprising 12 coils and spark plugs, is constantly monitored by the ECU which has an ion-sens ing system that measures ionising currents to control ignition timing.

It has a single- and a multi-spark function to make the combustion as efficient as possible at all revs. The ECU also controls combustion in the chamber to ensure that the engine is always working at peak thermodynamic efficiency, thanks to a sophisticated strategy that recognises the octane rating (RON) of the fuel in the tank and adjust ing the advance to suit. The engine strategy includes a new patent ed function derived from Ferrari’s Formula expertise that optimises the torque during transient accel eration manoeuvres in the low and mid-range.

The F140IA’s soundtrack is a superb example of integration between the glorious symphony created by the engine’s combustion sequence and Ferrari’s ability to control the acoustics in the cabin. The equallength exhaust manifolds are tuned to guarantee the 12 cylinders are in perfect harmony. The new plenum with optimised intake duct accom panies the V12’s high notes with the body of the medium frequencies.

The two progressive silencers, the response of which is now included in the Manettino settings, cater for in-town and performance driving. The resulting soundtrack is typi cal Ferrari, with that unmistakable V12 harmonics that are present, yet subtle, until the driver accelerates hard: as the engine approaches the 8250 rpm red-line, there’s an en thralling crescendo that reaches its pinnacle at the kind of high revs only Ferrari’s engines can deliver.

The layout of the 8-speed, oil-bath dual-clutch transmission was opti mised through the adoption of a dry sump and a significantly more com pact clutch assembly, shaving 15 mm off the installed height in the car which, in turn, lowers the cen tre of gravity by the same amount. The new clutch’s performance is 35% higher, transmitting up to 1200 Nm in dynamic torque during gear shifts. Thanks to new-generation actuation hydraulics, clutch fill times are now faster so that total gear shift times have been reduced compared to the previous 7-speed

On the Road

DCT. New gear ratios mean that the spacings are shorter and very pro gressive, and a longer top ratio is geared for greater economy in mo torway driving. Down shifts have been calibrated to optimise smooth shifting with a specific focus on driving pleasure and emphasising the sound of the new V12 engine.

CHASSIS AND BODY

The Purosangue’s chassis is com pletely new and was designed from scratch with the aim of producing a structure of uncompromising rigid ity. The lower chassis structure is made entirely from high-strength aluminium alloy and draws on Fer rari’s enormous experience in the optimal use of these light alloys. Together with the structural ele ments of the upper body, it makes up a spaceframe chassis comprised of closed-section extrusions con nected by castings into which load-bearing aluminium sheet met al elements are integrated.

The chassis is thus lighter than Ferrari’s previous four-seaters’ de spite being larger. Improved tor sional rigidity (+30%) and beam stiffness (+25%) figures are both fundamental in improving NVH characteristics and thus comfort by smoothly and silently absorbing asperities in road surfaces as well as providing an exceptional feeling of structural integrity.

The extensive use of hollow cast ings with thin walls - made using internal cores - helped optimise the structure, maximising performance and guaranteeing improved con tinuity in the stress lines which, in turn, guarantees all-important occupant safety requirements. Furthermore, this particular tech nology improves assembly quality thanks to more precise integration,

fewer components and the conse quent reduction in weld lines.

The bodyshell is made from mate rials ranging from aluminium to carbon-fibre, with the introduc tion of high-strength steel in im portant areas and flanking the mechanical joins with structural adhesive. Combining these differ ent materials guaranteed maxi mum strength where required and also light weight in areas not sub ject to stress.

High-strength steel is used for the anti-intrusion bars, the reinforce ments on the main nodes and the B-pillar. Our meticulous attention to detail at the design stage also re sulted in the use of different mate rials within individual components. One example is the single rear door hinge: the fixed part is an aluminium casting while the mobile part is con structed from hot-stamped steel.

The single-shell carbon-fibre roof with integrated soundproofing is completely new and delivers ri gidity levels on a par with a glass roof while weighing 20% less than an aluminium roof with sound proofing. From an ergonomic per spective, we focused on offering as much ingress space as possible whilst still keeping the wheelbase compact. To do this, we opted for traditional opening for the front doors with a 63-degree opening (five degrees wider than on our other models) - combined with a brand-new electric, rear-hinged back door with a 79-degree open ing. Aside from referencing the bonnet opening on the Ferrari Monza SP1/SP2 and other leg endary Ferraris from the past, the Purosangue’s front-hinged bon net also allowed us to craft ex treme forms in the A-pillar area. The gooseneck hinge assembly for

the bonnet is made from alumini um for solidity and stability when being opened.

The aluminium rear hatch is elec trically activated: two electric Sta bilus tailgate lifters allow it to be opened to 73 degrees for easy ac cess to the boot, and to make load ing and unloading even the largest of luggage simple. The gooseneck hinge assemblies allowed us to craft unconventional aesthetic forms in the upper spoiler area.

AERODYNAMICS

The very different volumes and constraints of the truly unique Purosangue posed a completely new challenge for Ferrari’s aero dynamic department, so a radical

On the Road

rethink of both methods and solu tions was demanded. The extreme ly ambitious drag reduction target, the specific usability and acces sibility demands of this particular model, and the need to cool the imposing V12 and ancillaries de manded hundreds of hours in the wind tunnel and thousands of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations. The kind of develop ment work dedicated to the fastest and most powerful sports cars in the range, in fact.

The primary focus of the Purosangue’s aero design was the car’s centreline section, essential to both the air flow design and to re duce the drag coefficient (Cd), as well as minimising the frontal sur face area. The car’s front silhouette was designed to create the most seamless continuity of profile pos sible between the area of maximum curvature of the bonnet and the windscreen header rail. The rear area of the roof, the rear screen and the spoiler, on the other hand, demanded most work because it is fundamental to managing flow sep arations and pressure fields.

The best possible compromise be tween the need for the smoothest design possible for the roof-rear

screen line and the need to re duce the height of the tail itself was achieved by using two elements that complete the aero package for the rear of the car: the suspended spoiler and the nolder on the lip of the boot. While the suspended spoiler helps neutralise the curva ture of the roof downstream of the area over the heads of the rearseat passengers, the nolder, which is barely 7mm high, channels the wake vortices to create a slight rec ompression at the tail of the car.

Moving from the centreline section to the rear volume, a scoop can be seen starting at the rear of the roof and extending onto the rear screen which creates two crests, one on each side of it. This solution helps to maintain the headspace required for the rear-seat passengers whilst still correctly separating the flows from the upper part of the roof and those along the greenhouse area.

Also important to the aero develop ment of the Purosangue was the wake from the wheels: several aero solutions were implemented to tackle this issue, including inte grating louvres into the floating wheelarch trim front and rear. The most complex system, however, is at the front where both the bumper

and louvre work in synergy to cre ate a powerful air curtain that aer odynamically seals the front wheels, preventing the generation of trans verse turbulence. A duct has been created between the front bumper on the outside of the side air in takes and the vertical fin. This duct is calibrated to accelerate the flow towards the blown area in the lou vre and create an energised blade of air at an angle to the outer shoulder of the tyre. The outer surface of the

louvre then deflects the flow along the flank.

At the rear of the front wheelarch trim there is a further duct that is profiled to maximise air extraction from inside the wheel housing. The same solution is adopted on the rear wheelarches with a vent in the rear wheelarch trim. Its exterior surface has also been profiled to optimise the management of the rear de tachment point of the flow, which runs along the flanks and wheels.

The suspended wing on the bonnet, just ahead of the A-pillar, dubbed the aerobridge in reference to a similar element introduced on the F12ber linetta, plays a very different role to its namesake. While the latter’s aero bridge deflected the air flow from the bonnet downwards to boost down force, the one on the Purosangue is designed to reduce drag.

The air passing under the wing on the bonnet is energised locally to reduce the negative impact of the vortex at the base of the wind screen, and to accelerate the flow to increase the amount of air be ing evacuated from a vent hidden by the aerobridge, which is part of a complex system of air ducts fed by the intake located over

the headlights. This mass of air is channelled towards the front wheelarch. These flows coming from the front of the car are natu rally vented through the louvres at the top of the front wheel housing, and then continue on into the en gine compartment until they reach the vent under the aerobridge. Similarly, to reduce overpressure inside the rear wheel housing, a vent has been added just beneath the taillights (in an area of natural suction) that leads from a duct in side the rear wheelarch.

A blown channel from the lower part of the front bumper towards the underbody reduces the areas naturally under compression on the front bumper, maximising the quantity of air being channelled to wards the underbody, an element

already used on other Ferraris. In this case, however, it is put to a different use: the energised flow channelled along the underbody by the blown area meets the sur faces of the underbody specifically designed to generate suction near the evacuation point of the central radiators on the front underbody. This maximises cooling of the cen tral radiating masses as efficiently as possible and also allowed the design of a much smaller radiator intake. The Purosangue’s higher ground clearance means that the exposed area of the wheels makes a significant contribution to drag: as a result, negative ramps were inte grated ahead of the front wheels to maximise the car’s downforce.

The curves of the body’s surfaces were designed to fair in the front

On the Road

wheels and wishbones, thereby lim iting the amount of air entering the wheelarch as much as possible. Piv otal to this effect is a small flap fit ted on the lower suspension wish bone. The low pressure areas that occur naturally behind the front wheels were used to create two ar eas of evacuation that boost the ef ficiency of radiating masses by re ducing overpressure in the engine compartment and reduce drag.

The rear diffuser design is, once again, the result of in-depth opti misation that focused principally on the synergy between the dif fuser itself, the upper body and the rear bumper. The air flow that strikes the diffuser is gradually ex panded and controlled. At the end of this expansion, a subtle nold er detaches the flow after slightly recompressing it. This boosts the system’s efficiency, simultaneously maximising hot air extraction from

the area around the gearbox and exhaust system compartments.

The Purosangue doesn’t have a rear windscreen wiper, so the rear screen is cleaned by the air flow along the glass surfaces at the rear. The lower surface of the suspend ed spoiler is curved to guarantee the air flow is at the right speed and direct it towards the rear screen. There are two pairs of vortex gen erators at each end of the lower surface of the spoiler, which opti mise the uniformity of the scrub bing. These counteract the vorticity naturally caused by the C-pillar, and also work in synergy with the spe cific shape of the rear screen itself.

The unconventional location of the headlights made it possible to cre ate two air intakes above and be low the DRL. The upper one is used to channel air into the com plex blown system which vents

underneath the front aerobridge. The lower one, on the other hand, is used to channel air to the cooling system. The design of the vertical outside surfaces of both air intakes includes an airwhich maximises the quantity of air channelled through them.

Lower down are the intakes for the radiating masses. Seen from the front, the one on the right is the radiator for the active dampers, which guarantee superb occupant comfort even on very rough faces, while the one on the left feeds air into the radiator for the Power Transfer Unit (PTU) a torque vectoring electronic dif ferential. Lastly, the central intake cools both the condenser air conditioning circuit, to guar antee optimally comfortable cabin temperatures, and the iconic, nat urally-aspirated V12’s oil and cool ant radiators.

Need for Speed

ASTON MARTIN: THE NEW V12 VANTAGE ROADSTER

THE ULTIMATE EXPRESSION OF STYLE, SOUND AND SPEED IN A LIMITED PRODUCTION

Aston Martin is proud to introduce the new V12 Vantage Roadster – a uniquely exciting and ul tra-exclusive limited production model which combines the thrilling performance of the most pow erful Aston Martin Vantage ever made with the free dom and sensory stimulation of roof-down driving.

With production strictly limited to just 249 custom er examples globally, with all examples sold ahead of release, the V12 Vantage Roadster boasts a com pelling combination of dramatic widebody design, ground-hugging wide-track suspension and – for the first time in a Vantage Roadster - the mighty 5.2-li tre Twin-Turbo V12 engine. With searing straightline speed and the unfiltered howl of Aston Martin’s sonorous 700PS 12-cylinder engine, the V12 Vantage Roadster elevates the open-top driving experience to a scintillating new level.

Roberto Fedeli, Aston Martin Chief Technical Officer, said: “We have worked extremely hard to ensure the V12 Vantage Roadster possesses the same potency and dynamism that characterises the V12 Vantage, while surpassing it in terms of raw sensory excitement that

you only achieve with roof down driving. With more power and torque than any Vantage Roadster before it, a wide-track chassis with precisely tuned suspension calibration, and up to ten times the downforce of the series production Vantage Roadster, this is a breath taking machine created for our most enthusiastic cus tomers”.

Key to this exhilarating driving experience is the pow erhouse of the engine. Developing 700PS at 6500 rpm and 753Nm of torque at 5,500 rpm, the quad-cam 60deg 5.2-litre V12 is a true force of nature. With a pow er-to-weight ratio of 372PS-per-ton and an endlessly impressive delivery which combines effortless in-gear response with epic acceleration, every squeeze of the V12 Vantage Roadster’s throttle leads to an unforgetta ble adrenaline rush.

Accelerating from rest to 60mph in just 3.5sec and with a top speed of 200mph the V12 Vantage Road ster occupies the very highest echelon of open-top sportscar performance. With a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission and mechanical Limited-Slip Differen tial (LSD) mounted at the rear, the car possesses the

purity and balance of a front-mid-engined rearwheel drive layout. An optimised transmission cali bration minimises shift speeds and maximises driver interaction, while adaptive software in the transmis sion’s control system monitors operating conditions and driver demands to enhance the driver’s feeling of response and control.

Sharing the same suspension hardware as the V12 Vantage, but featuring a bespoke tune for its adaptive dampers, the V12 Vantage Roadster’s dynamics have been honed to the keenest possible edge. The steer ing calibration mirrors that found in the V12 Vantage, to offer maximum steering feel and quick response, improvements which bring the car alive through cor ners and can be felt with every steering input.

Like the V12 Vantage, the V12 Vantage Roadster fea tures powerful Carbon Ceramic Brakes (CCB) as standard. Measuring 410mm x 38mm the front discs are gripped by 6-piston calipers, while the 360mm x 32mm rear discs are paired with 4-piston calipers. With much increased stopping power and tremen dous resistance to brake fade at high temperatures, the CCB technology also makes a considerable 23kg of unsprung weight saving compared to steel brakes, benefitting steering response and ride quality.

In order to further reduce overall mass the V12 Van tage Roadster’s front bumper, clamshell bonnet, front fenders and side sills are made from carbon fibre, with the rear bumper and deck lid made from weight-sav ing composite material. Additional savings have been made with the adoption of a lightweight battery and a special centre-mounted twin-exit exhaus system

fabricated from lightweight 1mm stainless steel. Tuned to ensure the V12 Vantage Roadster has a rous ing voice to match its looks, this new system weighs 7.2kg less than the Vantage Roadster’s exhaust.

It's an indication of the V12 Vantage Roadster’s mon strous performance that its dramatic form is driven by function. For example, the formidable physique of the widebody design is necessary to accommodate the widetrack suspension, which is 40mm wider than Vantage. The new front bumper design, complete with full width front splitter generates additional downforce and aerodynamic balance, while increased cooling is achieved by the reshaped front grille, which is 25% larger, and the ‘horse shoe’ engine vent in the bonnet.

Aerodynamic performance also informs the new sculpted single-piece sills and rear bumper, which comes complete with integrated diffuser – the effec tiveness of which has been improved by the routing of the centre mounted, twin tailpipe, exhaust system. In contrast to the V12 Vantage, the V12 Vantage Roadster comes without the dramatic rear wing as standard, though it can be specified as an option. Those who choose the more understated look can do so in the knowledge that aerodynamic balance is maintained thanks to detailed management of underbody airflow.

Final visual touches come in the form of impressive 21in alloy wheels, which are offered in two finishes, satin black or satin black diamond turned. An option al lightweight forged wheel option is also available in both satin black and satin black diamond turned, which saves a further 8kg of unsprung mass. Michelin

Need for Speed

Pilot 4S high performance tyres – 275/35 R21 front and 315/30 R21 at the rear – are standard fitment on all rims.

As flagship of the Vantage range, the V12 Roadster is fitted with Sports Plus Seats trimmed in full semi-an iline leather and featuring ‘Wings’ quilt and perfora tion pattern as standard. A carbon fibre performance seat with exposed twill carbon fibre shell and manual 6-way adjustment can be had as an option for those looking for the ultimate in dynamic design and maxi mum support for high performance driving, also sav ing 7.3kg without skimping on occupant comfort.

V12 Vantage Roadster customers can further boost the exclusivity of their car by engaging the services of the marque’s bespoke personalisation service, Q by Aston Martin, for everything from striking exterior graphics and liveries to woven leather. With extensive use of exposed carbon fibre in its design, the V12 Van tage Roadster also lends itself perfectly to Q by Aston Martin: Commission’s range of tinted lacquers, which change appearance underdifferent lighting conditions

to make a spectacular feature of the hand-laid carbon fibre panels.

Marek Reichman, Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer, adds: "From a design perspective, V12 Vantage Road ster is a combination of living sculpture and physiol ogy, such as the functions of an elite runner or thor oughbred racehorse. On one hand, much like the way their systems are developed to handle the stresses of peak performance and trained to work together to in crease efficiency and power using oxygen, V12 Vantage Roadster was designed to maximize the benefits of air flow into, throughout and around the car. And on the other, for our Drivers, we created this explicit opentop sports car for those craving excitement and drama. The platform presented us with a design opportunity to make a contemporary visual statement of intent. The result is a living, breathing, driving sculpture with a level of control that sits at the fingertips".

Production of the V12 Vantage Roadster is due to commence in Q3 of 2022, with first deliveries sched uled to begin during Q4 2022.

BVLGARI

HOTEL PARIS

BRINGING A NEW SENSE OF HOTEL EXCELLENCE TO THE CITY OF LIGHT

General overview

Located on the Avenue George V in the ‘Golden Tri angle’, home to the French capital’s luxury and fashion excellence between the Seine and the Champs-Élysées, the Bulgari Hotel Paris is a new kind of hotel experience where Italian hospitality meets the jewelry heritage of Bulgari and the glorious history of the City of Light.

The interiors of the hotel, entirely designed by An tonio Citterio Patricia Viel Italian architectural studio, feature 76 rooms and suites, Including the Bul gari Penthouse, an exceptional private apartment of nearly 400 square meters with its own 569 square me ter panoramic roof garden with views of all the capital’s iconic monuments. The building and the façade of the Bulgari Hotel Paris have been designed and restyled by Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel in collaboration with the French architectural firm Valode & Pistre.

A dialogue of cultures

A sophisticated blend of uncompromising pu rity of line and subtle references to Italian Re naissance architecture - beginning with the two-storey windows - the façade brings a new graphic identity to join the elegant buildings of the Avenue George V. Internally, the Bulgari Ho tel Paris embraces the same color palette and textures that characterize its siblings in Milan, London, Dubai, Shanghai and Beijing: marble, silk wallcoverings, granite, tapestries and var nished eucalyptus woodwork create the per fect environment for designer furniture and art pieces.

The very best of Italian craftsmanship is en hanced by collaboration with the finest French artisan studios working in lacquer, parchment and straw marquetry in the style of famous French interior designer Jean-Michel Frank. For Patricia Viel and Antonio Citterio: “In this resi dential sequence of public spaces opening into a secret garden, the two capitals of Paris and Rome that have competed through history to prevail in creativity, style, history, fashion, cui sine and art find the key to an armistice.

Escape Diaries

But more than all these things, the Bulgari Ho tel Paris is a marriage between a sumptuous domestic environment devoted to artand cul ture, and an irrepressible Italian brio that never shines more brilliantly than when it is 5 gener ously shared on both sides of the Alps. With its own private giardino, a welcoming restaurant serves 58 covers indoors and 40 outdoors under the expert leadership of threestar Italian chef Niko Romito, a bar and a lounge.

The Bulgari Hotel Paris also boasts a 1,300 square meter signature spa with a 25 meter semi-Olympic pool, Workshop Gymnasium fit ness studio, Vitality Pool, 9 spa treatment rooms and a 65 square meter Spa Suite. Throughout the hotel, the style of service has been com pletely reinvented to be impeccable, authen tic and yet informal to ensure that the Bulgari Hotel Paris experience is one in which luxury is expressed as much through the smallest details of the building and its materials as through the unique personality of Bulgari itself.

ESCAPE THE CITY HUSTLE AT HYATT REGENCY RIYADH OLAYA

FOR A LUXURIOUS STAYCATION IN THE HEART OF THE CITY, PLAN YOUR RELAXING ESCAPE TO HYATT REGENCY RIYADH OLAYA

Panoramic views of the capital, five-star dining, luxu rious rejuvenation, poolside fun and a relaxed atmo sphere define a guest’s journey at Hyatt Regency Ri yadh Olaya. The everyday city hustle routine can get mundane and exhausting, especially when you don’t have time to focus on yourself and your needs. During such times, Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya is the perfect in-city escape in the heart of Riyadh to help you pam per and care for yourself amidst its luxurious facilities and services.

With its prime location in Olaya, you can discover the luxury and excitement of Downtown Riyadh, just steps from the city’s most splendid shopping mall, Centria Mall, and the city’s most vibrant scene at Tahlia Street. Based on a “Jewel of the Desert” concept, the archi tecture of this contemporary 257-room hotel is char acterized by natural patterns and classic opulence. Mashrabiya and palm tree designs are incorporated in the curved exterior design of the building. The con temporary interpretation of the local touches and de

Escape Diaries

sign elements, like the Saudi mashrabiya motif, can be experienced from the moment you walk into its lobby, and is reflected in its rooms and suites.

All guestrooms are equipped with the best technology. From a docking station to high-speed Wi-Fi, the hotel ensures that you are connected to what matters to you at all times. The hotel’s guestrooms regale guests with a Hyatt Grand Bed, 55 to 65-inch flat screen TVs, me dia hub and iHome docking station, and touch-panel room temperature and lighting controller. Guests also have the option to select a pillow of their liking from the hotel’s extensive pillow menu, created to ensure that guests can achieve the highest level of comfort. Admire panoramic views of the capital from the floorto-ceiling windows. Enjoy modern architecture, com fortable accommodations and loads of business and family-friendly amenities. Suite guests and World of Hyatt members looking for a very high level of person alized service and an array of additional amenities will enjoy the ‘hotel within a hotel’ concept of the Regency Club. Nestled on the 26th floor, the Regency Club, the highest lounge in the city, offers an exclusive space for guests to gather, work and relax.

Sokoun Spa and Fitness Center, for men and women, offers premium wellness facilities to help guests relax, rejuvenate and escape from the hectic city lifestyle. The spa features a whirlpool, a stunning ice fountain, a dry sauna, a wet sauna, an experience shower, a re laxing lounge and an exclusive members’ lounge. In addition, the men’s spa and fitness center consists of a temperature-controlled pool for men and their fam ilies.

The five-star spa offers exotic and traditional facials and body treatments. Treatments like Muscle Melt and Total Renewal assure stress relief and focus on men tal and physical well-being, which is important after a hectic week of work. Sokoun also offers exotic treat ments like the Hawaiian Lomi Lomi, classic Swedish massage, and Moroccan and Rhassoul Hammam. For women who want to feel a little more luxurious and pampered, the spa also offers a gold and caviar body treatment that’s perfect for a special occasion.

Amidst the peak season at work, travelling for au thentic international cuisine can be difficult; however, cravings know no bounds. Keeping this in mind, the culinary team at Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya offers

two distinct dining destinations for you to indulge in during your stay. Experience different journeys across the 50 vibrant American states at its award-wining, all-day dining restaurant, 56th Avenue Diner. Enjoy everything from an extensive international and local breakfast spread to delicious steaks and massive burg ers at this casual American diner. They also cater to vegan and vegetarian diets.

For a more luxurious dining experience that’s deep-rooted in the traditional southern Spanish fla vors, Spanish chef, Ramon Cantos, is delighted to offer a taste of his culture through a distinctive culinary tour de España, at the award-winning restaurant, Azure. Featuring authentic tapas, mouth-watering signature seafood paella and churros to satisfy your sweet-tooth, Azure aims to ensure your senses a Spanish escapade. The hotel has hosted several celebrities, actors, major influencers and VIPs, such as ambassador representa tives of various countries, and is a popular destination for these personalities during major in-city events. Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya also actively participates in multiple community health-related causes, like the annual blood drive and raising breast cancer aware ness.

We assure you a comfortable and relaxing stay at this award-winning luxury business and leisure hotel. To book your cozy, in-city escape, call +966-11-288-1234 or visit, www.riyadholaya.regency.hyatt.com.

Over 520 hotels in more than 90 countries to explore. The world awaits you.

THE NEWLY RELOCATED BOUTIQUE IN RIYADH, KINGDOM MALL

Dior has recently unveiled its relocated Riyadh store within Kingdom Mall in Saudi Arabia. This exclusive space features – for the first time in Saudi Arabia – the men’s lines designed by Kim Jones, such as the Dior Winter 2022 collection.

Also revealed in the exceptional setting are the ready-to-wear creations, accessories and iconic bags dreamed up by Maria Grazia Chiuri, along with pre cious timepieces.

An irresistible invitation to enchantment.

À La Mode

All

Beauty

THE ULTIMATE COLLABORATION

Since 1898, RIMOWA has stood at the forefront of German design and innovation. Now, it is proud to re veal the ultimate collaboration be tween two legendary German com panies with the RIMOWA x Porsche Hand-Carry Case Pepita.

RIMOWA and Porsche are natural partners. Known for their relent less pursuit of perfection, both RIMOWA and Porsche place func tional design, technical innovation,

and high performance at the heart of their business yet always stay true to their rich cultural heritage.

The RIMOWA x Porsche Hand-Car ry Case Pepita celebrates these for midable legacies with a special-edi tion piece that pays homage to the brands’ most iconic designs. Made in Cologne, Germany, the RIMOWA x Porsche Hand-Carry Case Pepita is crafted from RIMOWA’s signature grooved aluminum and draws de

sign cues from the first generation of the Porsche 911. An authentic Porsche Porsche crest proudly sits on the case’s front.

With only 911 numbered pieces pro duced, it’s an ideal piece for collec tors and design aficionados alike.

A RIMOWA x Porsche Pepita Sticker Set featuring a trio of retro stickers will be sold separately.

LOUIS VUITTON FLEUR DU DÉSERT: FRENCH GIANTS ANNOUNCE A NEW FLORAL RELEASE

Louis Vuitton Fleur du Désert is the latest release from the house, paying homage to the rich per fume history with the Middle East. Master Per fumer Jacques Cavallier celebrates Jasmine, Rose and Orange Blossom, three florals that have deservedly cre ated a name for themselves in the perfume industry.

Louis Vuitton’s packaging is universal across their fra grances, beginning with a cylindrical bottle shape and a cap reminiscent of an expensive bottle of gin. The grape purple juice protrudes through the glass bottle which holds the fragrance title and house name across the midsection, with the title engrained in gold font.

At the top, the cap is a midnight black which fits snug gly above a rim that bows outwards. A Gold Louis Vuit ton “LV” stamp is found on top of the cap in a matching gold font.

All Things Beauty

To properly create this fragrance, Cavallier spent time in the Middle East, experiencing two opposing scenes. On one side, the master perfumer felt the breeze of the sea across his sun-beaten skin. On the other end, Cavallier was scorched by the everlasting sun and felt the rising heat of sand beneath his feet.

This floral, woody fragrance is described as unisex by the house, featuring a few staple Louis Vuitton notes. It begins with decadent Honey and spicy Cinnamon at the top. Leading into the heart are the three classic floral notes: Jasmine, rose and Orange Blossom. Finally, it wraps up with Oud, musky Ambrette and Ambroxan.

AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH CHARLES NAHHAS, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF MONTEGRAPPA MIDDLE EAST

The Luxury Network UAE re cently welcomed Montegrappa as one of its recent members wherein they spoke to the manag ing director of Montegrappa Middle East, Charles Nahhas to get an in sight into the world of Montegrappa.

How would you describe the experi ence of owning a Montegrappa?

Montegrappa is the pen of the con noisseur. Owning a Montegrappa sets someone apart from the average and shows that they really under stand fine writing and penmanship.

Often when you use a Montegrappa pen, someone will congratulate you, either because they know Monte grappa and how special the products are, or else because the pen itself tells a story and can start a conver sation on its own!

In which factors or characteristics do you feel a Montegrappa piece stands out to any other similar luxury products?

All Montegrappa pens are made in Italy to a high standard refined over the company’s 110 year history. The company was established in 1912

and is still operating from the same factory, modernized of course, on the banks of the river Brenta in the picturesque town of Bassano del Grappa in the Veneto region of Italy. Some of the limited edition collec tions have been dedicated to great figures in history such as literary icon Ernest Hemmingway, political heavyweights such as Nelson Man dela, sports giants such as Pele, or other artists or creative genius es who have contributed to Italian culture such as the violin maker Stradivari, the artist Modigliani, the sculptor and architect Canova. On a more fun side, we have made a number of different collections for fans of fantasy culture such as DC Comics, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, the impressive Samurai and Viking statement pieces, as well as the collaboration with Sylvester Stallone on the “Chaos” pen which made an amusing appearance in his hit film ‘The Expendables’. Most re cently we have launched the FIFA classics pens dedicated to World Cup winning teams which have been very well received by football lovers. So, to answer the question, it is not only the quality and crafts manship that goes into a Monte grappa that is what makes it stand out in the industry, it is also the fun and ‘joie-de-vivre’ of a brand always seeking to creatively cele brate so many of the subjects that people love.

Is there any special piece or a collec tion which you find as the most treasured one, and if yes, why is it you find it so special?

Most of my favourite collections are the one we have created especially

for the Middle East, such as our Ar abic Calligraphy pen where the bar rel is deeply engraved with beautiful words. Interestingly this collection was created in 2015 and many years later the beautiful building of the Museum of the Future has been built in Dubai with a similar look! We are very proud to have anticipat ed this design! Another collection based on regional subject matter is the Khalil Gibran collection dedi cated to the renowned Lebanese / American poet and Philosopher who is much loved around the world. We will have a follow up to this collec tion next year as we celebrate 100 years since the first edition of his most famous book, ‘The Prophet’. But perhaps my personal top fa vourite is the Batman pen – it just is so outrageous and powerful. It ab solutely dominates the attention in any meeting when you pull this pen out of your pocket!

Apart from pens, would you like to tell us something about other Monte grappa products and accessories?

Montegrappa is still best known for its exclusive writing instruments and that category continues to be the main focus of the company, however, many people don’t realise that Montegrappa has a diversi fied product range including Swiss made timepieces, cufflinks and gen tlemen’s accessories, leather goods ranging from wallets to briefcas es and travel luggage, as well as a number of additional product cat egories made under license such as fragrances, eyewear (sunglasses and optical) and some menswear including a regional specific prod uct, the Shemagh – the Arabic head dress which is especially popular in Saudi Arabia.

How important is the Middle East market for Montegrappa as a brand and why is it so?

The Middle East is a major market for Montegrappa and our boutique in Dubai Mall is one of our flagship stores worldwide. Luxury pens are a popular choice of gift in this re gion where the culture of giving is still very strong. Because Mon tegrappa is so ‘niche’, and not as widely available as some of the al ternative brands, it is considered a more exclusive gift. Moreover, as a relatively small family owned busi ness, the company is flexible and ready to take on customisations and special projects for relatively small quantities, and the creative flair of Montegrappa’s Italian style and fun themes always appeal to our clients. We often work with

corporate clients to create special packaging and booklets to ensure that the objective of corporate communication on behalf of the gift giving company is achieved while still delighting the end user with an exclusive high value branded gift.

What is your vision and direction for the future of Montergappa Middle East?

The brand has been involved in many different sponsorships and projects in the region over the years, resulting in a strong brand aware ness in the region. Montegrappa has sponsored sporting occasions, such as the ongoing sponsorship of the Dubai to Muscat sailing race, and has also been involved in liter ary events such as the Montegrappa Writing Prize at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature which ran for 10 years and resulted in a number of new authors from the region being published internationally. In clas sical music, Montegrappa were a founding sponsor of the Emirates

Opera Project, and sponsored many other cultural events supporting lo cal community initiatives. In 2019 one of our pens was carried into space by astronaut Hazzaa Al Man souri on his inaugural mission to

the International Space Station, and then pen was then returned to earth and now resides in the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in Mushrif Park, we believe the only luxury fountain pen to ever travel to space and back.

We will continue engaging locally with interesting cultural projects. We have some fun new projects up our sleeve that we cannot talk about now, but watch this space!

We are also driving the online busi ness through our own site for the Middle East, www.montegrappa. me which is fully localized with Ar abic language, as well as on other partners platforms such as gifting website HADITI, and pen specialist websites. With the roll out of our online configurator, we are bring ing the possibility for every user to create a unique and customized pen, so our objective is to become the brand for the exclusive user who wants their own design. The online configurator offers millions of possible combinations of how to configure a pen based on certain starting configurations from our off the shelf products.

In terms of retail footprint, we are continuing to expand the brand presence into more countries in the region and we intend to expand our footprint in Saudi Arabia, with a plan to open enhanced boutiques in each major city (Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar) in the coming 2 years.

We believe in this region and are excited and proud to be part of The Luxury Network in the Middle East.

Freshly ground, not capsuled.

Roger Federer Swiss Tennis Icon and JURA Brand Ambassador

The Z10 for hot & cold speciality coffees: The new grinder, the Product Recognising Grinder (P.R.G.), automatically adjusts the grind to the selected coffee speciality. This makes it possible for the first time to prepare both hot and cold brew specialities with the espresso method. Experience a completely new way of coffee enjoyment now. JURA – If you love coffee.

RAISING THE BAR: BANG & OLUFSEN INTRODUCES BEOSOUND THEATRE

Crafted with the ambition to be the world’s most power ful and immersive soundbar, Danish audio brand Bang & Olufsen today announced Beosound The atre: an innovative and meticulous ly crafted high-end soundbar that delivers the power of a multi-prod uct home cinema, all in one singu lar product.

“Beosound Theatre completely redefines cinematic sound in the home. With its powerful sound, advanced technology platform and modular design, we bring the im mersion of a multi-speaker setup into one soundbar that slots seam lessly with any screen”, said Kris tian Teär CEO of Bang & Olufsen and continued:

“With Beosound Theatre we unleash the full potential of the high-quali ty streaming services now available to customers and bring the magic of the cinematic experience into the home. At the same time, it is built to last for decades due to its modular design, which allows you

to update, rather than replace, this beautiful soundbar”.

An entire cinema in one beautiful soundbar

To create the powerful and im mersive cinematic experience, Beosound Theatre comes with 12 speaker drivers, including two cus tom-made long stroke 6.5” woof ers and 800 watts of amplifica tion power, providing up to 112dB sound pressure level. Speech clari ty is managed by the custom-made centre channel, where the tweeter is mounted directly in front of the midrange. The alignment of these drivers ensures a better sound dis tribution elevating the quality au dio experience for everyone in the room, while directivity has been designed to optimize speech qual ity.

Building on the Beam Width and Beam Direction Control developed for Bang & Olufsen’s flagship Beo lab 90 speakers, Beosound Theatre introduces a new three-dimen

sional sound directivity due to the patent-pending combination of the direct, side- and up-firing speak ers. This means that all loudspeak er drivers are working together not only to produce sound, but to con trol its beam width and direction.

“We originally developed the Beam Width and Beam Directivity Control for Beolab 90 to reduce the effect of sidewall reflections at the lis tening position. Basically, to make the walls disappear. In Beosound Theatre, we are using the technol ogy to direct sound away from the listener, which increases the per ception of spaciousness and gives a much more immersive experience”, said Senior Technology Specialist Jakob Dyreby.

Bang & Olufsen TV experi ence designed for almost any screen

Bang & Olufsen is renowned for its unique approach to craftsmanship and design. Based on the princi ples of modularity, customers can

easily transform the soundbar into a complete wall-mounted or floor standing Bang & Olufsen TV expe rience, so it blends in perfectly and doesn’t take up more space than their existing TV*.

The modular design thinking also applies to the TV screens and the cover of the soundbar, which are both replaceable. The aluminium “wings” are also extendable for customers whose TV screens grow as they upgrade, proving that Beo sound Theatre continues to pro vide perfectly integrated solutions for greater longevity**.

“We know that our customers want to invest in products that last, which is why Beosound Theatre has been modularly designed to out last many TVs in its lifetime. We have made a solution that enables you to update your product rather than replace it, and a product that can evolve with you over time”, said Head of Product Circularity, Mads Kogsgaard Hansen. He continued:

“The Beosound Theatre interface bracket provides the possibility to dock almost any screen to the soundbar. This means that people don’t have to invest in a new TV or can simply choose what they be lieve is the best TV solution.”

The interface bracket is motor ized and forms a seamless connec tion between the stand and the TV screen. Cleverly hiding any clutter to present the TV as one integrated design, the bracket includes a com partment to fit smart TV boxes and to excess cables from view.

From soundbar to sound centre

Although Beosound Theatre is a powerful one-product solution, it can evolve to be used as a dedi cated sound centre, providing new opportunities to build your home cinema. Starting with seven builtin outputs and supporting up to 16 external loudspeakers it can be the heart of a full-blown Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 surround configuration. In this setup, Beosound Theatre functions as a centre speaker that merges the Dolby Atmos decoding and cus tom-tuned post-processing with Bang & Olufsen’s proprietary True Image algorithm to maximize the capabilities of all Bang & Olufsen loudspeakers.

In addition, Beosound Theatre comes with a new bass manage ment system that’s unlike anything else. Where other systems simply send the bass to the most power ful loudspeaker - usually the sub woofer - Beosound Theatre uses all Bang & Olufsen loudspeakers in

the system to work together as a single unit. This not only gives you the maximum potential of the en tire system, but also helps to con trol the resonance in your listening room, making sure that the various loudspeakers work with and not against each other.

“You can buy Beosound Theatre as a soundbar and later add a pair of rear loudspeakers such as Beolab 28 in a triangular setup that de livers an incredible spatial sound performance, while continuing the overarching aim of minimal prod ucts, mess, and compromise in your space. All you need to do is connect them. That flexibility also means that our customers are not limited by their initial purchase decision, which in turn helps us extend the lifetime of Beosound Theatre and increase the likelihood of multiple ownerships,” said Senior Technolo gy Specialist Jakob Dyreby.

Inspired by the grace of sail boats

Beosound Theatre continues the design philosophy of Bang & Olufsen’s much loved products, such as Beolab 8000, Beolab 18 and Beolab 28, which focused on mak ing a heavy volume appear to bal ance on a pinpoint.

Designed to reflect the effortless grace of sailboats, Beosound The atre’s keel-like design makes it ap pear as if it is resting on an alumin ium blade, floating in the air as one fluid form. This illusion was artfully created through the aluminium expertise at Bang & Olufsen’s Factory 5 in

Struer, Denmark. The middle-ex truded profile of the aluminium was polished and anodized with two end caps that were formed into a curved shape and split into four end caps. This enables the curved edge of the product to seamlessly fit the flat profile of the soundbar, creating one unified piece.

The solid oak lamella cover is made by a family-run factory in Den mark and perfectly matches Bang & Olufsen’s family of Beolab speakers, such as the Beolab 18, Beolab 28 and Beolab 50. The design of the lamel las that clip into place rather than glued means that they can be eas ily disassembled or replaced, while the fabric version is designed to be a visually softer solution that will easily blend into any interior setting.

Easy setup with new room sense technology

Beosound Theatre comes with Bang & Olufsen’s new setup technology called Roomsense. By placing the external microphone at the listen ing position, Beosound Theatre will work with the Bang & Olufsen App to measure the distance from the listener to the soundbar. But more than this, it will also assign a role for each speaker based on the dif ferent placements, carry out sound compensation for each speaker if it placed free standing, up against a wall or in a corner, as well as over all room compensation to avoid un wanted resonance.

“With Roomsense, everyone can make the perfect setup in a matter

of seconds. But just as important, it allows for all kinds of placements of the speakers, so people can dec orate their homes as they want –not based on the standard speaker placement”, said Jakob Dyreby.

Next generation listening –for generations to come

Not only does Beosound Theatre honour Bang & Olufsen’s legacy products with its timeless design language, the soundbar also comes with Bang & Olufsen’s own pro prietary software platform called “Mozart”, which continues the her itage of ensuring that the soundbar can connect seamlessly with prod ucts as far back as 1986, creating a cross-generational home audio setup.

“Products such as the Beolab 6000 and Beolab 8000 column speakers are loved by people who appreci ate design worldwide and we have made sure that they can use them with Beosound Theatre right out of the box. All you need to do is con nect them”, said Chief Design Offi cer Miklu Silvanto.

As well as respecting the past, the Mozart platform also anticipates the future. Because the platform is packed with processing power and memory, Bang & Olufsen can intro duce new features, capabilities, and connectivity over time to ensure an equally seamless experience with home audio settings of the present day and those in the years to come.

GUERLAIN: WHEN EAST MEETS WEST

The iconic Bee Bottle revisited by Inkman, an exclusive art piece museum-worthy.

It is an exceptional encounter, of the kind only Guer lain can orchestrate: the meeting of East and West. And the meeting of two arts: French perfumery, to which the House offered so many masterpieces, and Arabic calligraphy, an age-old art reinvented by a young artist for the 21stcentury. Ever since it was founded in 1828, the love of perfume and the love of art have been one and the same for Guerlain. Today, as ever, the House is proud to host new artists and craftspeople with exceptional skills, giving them a blank canvas to enchant its fragrances. In 2022, Inkman, a young Tuni sian calligraphy artist, has been invited by Guerlain to create the adornment of its iconic Bee Bottle. Inspired by Le Songe de la Reine, an exclusive fragrance offered in the one-litre flacon, this jeweller’s son has imagined an adornment that is both poetic and spectacular, be tween sculpture and calligraphy.

Voluptuous shapes, graceful curves, soaring lines... In a bold artwork that weaves stylised Arabic char acters with Guerlain’s “G”, Inkman has turned the emotion of the scent into a visual poem. To craft this exceptional piece, made to measure foreach bottle, the House has called on the legendary Parisian jew eller Goossens, a symbol of French savoir-faire. Like the calligraphic jewel that magnifies its bottle, the vibrant, luminous, and deep Eau de Parfum com posed by Guerlain Master Perfumer Thierry Wasser carries us off to the threshold of the East. Le Songe de la Reine, an exclusive composition, draws its in spiration from the Mediterranean world where the cultures of East and West have met for millennia. An olfactory and aesthetic masterpiece limited to26 pieces worldwide, Inkman for Guerlain is art in the service of art.

“Calligraphy is the language of the soul. We feel emo tions before understanding the letters. It is a portal to a magical world” says the Tunisian calligraphy artist.

Born in 1990, Inkman studied graphic design at the École Supérieure des Sciences et Des Technologies Du Design in Tunis. It was there that he discovered ty pographical design and started exploring the artistic expressions it could inspire. A practice he developed alongside poetry, which he has been composing since childhood. It was on the walls of his city that Inkman created his first “calligraffiti”. A match between the urban energy of street art and one of the most re fined aesthetic traditions of the Arabic culture: cal ligraphy, which turns writing into abstract art whose geometry verges on the sublime...With these openair creations accessible to all, the young artist mag nifies the architectural beauty of buildings he paints on, the rich history their walls hold, and the many civilisations that have shaped, over the centuries, the streets he adorns with his art. Shifting from walls to canvas, Inkman creates paintings whose voluptuous

lines interweave arabesques with Latin characters. On them, poems composed by the artist in English or French, bearing messages of tolerance, can be read in the form of Arabic calligraphy. Mediterranean at heart, anchored in his cultural roots, the artist has forged a formal vocabulary that crosses the barriers of cultures and language. From Tunis to Dubai by way of London or Doha, Inkman’s language is as universal and as emotional as perfume. Today, Inkman works in three dimensions: after murals and paintings, he gives body to his work through sculpture. The artist draws his inspiration from the sense of touch which transports the soul, the human feelings he perceives in people’s eyes, or his interaction with his environ ment. The practice of sculpture has allowed Inkman to revisit his roots. The son of a jeweller, he reinvents his artistic approach in the family workshops where he imagines, designs and crafts jewels as an ode to

beauty. A sensibility that enabled him to embrace the world of Guerlain, a House that is especially dear to him, since his wife wears one of its fragrances...

Sensuous and abstract, avant-garde and timeless, po etic and bold. For Guerlain, Inkman has created an art work whose beauty is undeniable. Dazzling. Absolute. A jewel that wraps around the body of the mythical Bee Bottle produced by Pochet du Courval, the historical glass maker of the House since 1853.And more than a jewel, a meeting between two of the creative worlds that are most emblematic of the East: calligraphy and perfume. To create his artwork, Inkman steeped him self in the scent of Le Songe de la Reine. His gleam ing calligraphic jewel reflects the voluptuous forms, graceful curves, and vibrant character of the fragrance composed by Thierry Wasser, Guerlain Master Per fumer. Like scented volutes, the elegant lines that embrace the Bee Bottle trace sinuous designs drawn from Arabic writing. Reinvented in golden arabesques, Guerlain’s “G” shimmers like a mirage... The eye los es itself endlessly in the abstract lines of this magnif icent composition, whose splendour is as tactile as it is visual. A genuine visual poem that celebrates the harmony of scent and beauty, of content and contain er. Here, two arts echo and magnify one another: the sculptor’s and the perfumer’s. “It is a highly contrasted fragrance that confronts the force and sensuality of woods with the vegetal vibration of fig-tree sap” says Thierry Wasser, Guerlain Master Perfumer.

An exclusive fragrance accompanies this excep tional creation: Le Songe de la Reine. The Queen’s Dream. An olfactory journey to the Mediterrane an lands where the cultures of the East and West met and mingled over the centuries. A land that is Inkman’s, born in Tunisia. And if the young artist was able to translate so brilliantly the olfactory writing of the fragrance into a calligraphic jewel, it is because both these artworks share a similar streamlined, yet sensual, aesthetic. The solar radi ance of gold. The fruits of the Mediterranean sun illuminate the top notes of the fragrance, like a vertical, soaring beam of light: sparkling mandarin, and Guerlain’s signature, glittering bergamot. The citrus fruit known as the « Green Gold » of Cal abria, sourced from the House’s partner for three generations, unfolds zesty, herbaceous, and floral facets made more vibrant still by the freshness of pink pepper.

The sensual delight of fruit. In the heart of the fra grance, the Master Perfumer has traced the gen erous curves of a fig accord picked in a Mediterra nean garden. The sinuous lines of its odorous leaf, underlined by a green, herbaceous note. The tender milky sweetness of its sap. The refined sensuality of the accord is magnified by the regal silhouette of a beautiful iris, a precious flower that is also one of

the House’s scented signatures. The streamlined elegance of woods. It is in the powdery trail of iris that Le Songe de la Reine reveals its Eastern roots with unctuous sandalwood – another of the House’s iconic ingredients. Native to India, it is now sourced in Australia. Produced from sustain able harvests since 2015, the essence of the leg endary wood was selected by Thierry Wasser for an outstanding olfactory quality that meets Guer lain’s exacting standards. In Le Songe de la Reine, the enveloping tendrils of this white sandalwood are underlined by a vetiver sfumato. Cedarwood frames the curvaceous note with its straight, clean facets. A sumptuous composition traced with bold strokes of noble materials, like a fragrant wind blowing from a Mediterranean garden to the lands of the Arabian Nights.

PIECECRAFTED BY THE ATELIERS GOOSSENS

To bring to life the calligraphic jewel imagined by Inkman, Guerlain has turned to a French house that masters the craft of goldsmithery to perfection: the Parisian jeweller Goossens. A House founded in 1950 by Robert Goossens, a visionary craftsman whose couture jewels marked their era. Still today, the House constantly pushes the limits of creativity, through an unexpected mix of shapes and materials, associating noble and raw materials to create unique jewels with subtle nuances. In the hands of the master craftspeo ple of the Ateliers Goossens, the twenty-six precious copies of Inkman’s sculpture are made to measure for each bottle, using finely tuned skills. The first, high-precision step is to laser-cut the elegant lines of the decoration designed by Inkman out of a sheet of brass. Each piece is then meticulously polished,

first with a bench polisher, then by hand, until every asperity has been perfectly smoothed. Then, the or naments are meticulously shaped by hand to embrace the curves of the majestic Bee Bottle. Each of them becomes a one-off, bespoke piece. Then comes the step that will turn them into couture jewels: galva nisation. Four successive layers of metal cover the piece. First, warm-hued copper. Then, noble white bronze and silvery nickel. And finally, gold, whose precious glow exalts the calligraphy imagined by Ink man for Guerlain. Before leaving the Ateliers Goos sens, the pieces are fastened to each bottle. Adorned with these dazzling jewels, the twenty-six Bee Bottles are then transported to the Ateliers Guerlain. The House’s fabled Dames de Table wind a fine golden thread around the neck.

The Bee Bottle by Inkman is a limited edition of 26 signed and numbered pieces worldwide.

FONDATION LOUIS VUITTON PRESENTS GRANDIOSE “MONET – MITCHELL” EXHIBITIONS

The Fondation Louis Vuitton is inaugurating the “Monet –Mitchell” exhibitions on Oc tober 5. The exhibitions run until February 27, 2023. This dialogue between 35 works by Claude Monet (1840-1926) and 25 works (25 paint ings and 10 pastels) by Joan Mitch ell (1925-1992) is joined by an exhi bition of 50 works by the American

artist. The result is a compelling poetic and visual dialogue between two exceptional artists.

Organized in partnership with the Musée Marmottan Monet, the dia logue stages a dialogue between the late period (1914-1926) of the Impres sionist icon, and the work of Amer ican artist Joan Mitchell, a seminal

figure in the modernity introduced by the Abstract Expressionism school in the United States.

Through a selection of emblematic paintings by the two artists, the ex hibition offers an enchanting journey that resonates with a retrospective of Joan Mitchell’s work, organized in conjunction with the San Francisco

Museum of Modern Art and the Bal timore Museum of Art.

Inspired by the nature and land scapes of Île-de-France, the greater Paris region, Monet and Mitchell shared an acute sensitivity to light and colors, the interplay of which figures at the very essence of their art. Closely observing nature and the landscape, his garden for Monet, the banks of the Seine for Mitchell they developed a pictorial approach that they articulated in similar terms, with Monet evoking “sensation” and Mitchell “feelings”. Transcending a

simple imitation of nature, both art ists explored sensations, emotions and memories through a studied juxtaposition of colors.

The exhibition culminates with two exceptional ensembles. Claude Monet’s Water Lilies (Agapanthus) triptych (circa 1915–1926) is dis played in its entirety for the first time ever in France, while ten masterpieces from Joan Mitchell’s cycle have been brought togeth er in spectacular fashion, several decades after some of them were shown in 1984.

Inspired since its inauguration in 2014 by a commitment to serving the public, the Fondation Louis Vuitton continues to make art and culture accessible to the broadest possible audience. Actively pro moting the arts both in France and internationally, the Founda tion hosts temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary art, presents works from its own col lection, commissions site-specif ic pieces from artists, and stages events across the spectrum of arts and culture.

SALONE DEL MOBILE MILANO

PHILIPP

PLEIN HOME collection has been released during the 60th edition of an annual event Salone del Mobile 2022 in Milan - the global benchmark event for the furnishing and design sector.

The synergy between PHILIPP PLEIN, Eichholtzluxury furniture, lighting and home accessories com pany based in Netherlands, and Zambaiti Parati a his torical Italian company and international leader in wallpaper covers, has developed a unique brand-new lifestyle living concept.

LIVING PLEIN

The PHILIPP PLEIN HOME collection includes sumptu ous velvet sofas with signature gold studding, theatrical, handblown glass lighting pieces, branded mirrors em bedded with NFTs, glossy dining tables with integrated golden palm trees, bold silk cushions, statement rugs and some key iconic outdoors pieces and much more. The new furniture collection is the perfect expression of the brand values, layered with playfulness, charisma, and a rebellious spirit.

Think outside the fridge.

Break the rules of colour with the Bespoke range from Samsung. Now you can choose colours like Glam Pink, Glam Navy, Cotta White and Cotta Charcoal. Create a stylish refrigerator that reflects your unique style.

AN MOU TO ENHANCE ARTISTIC COOPERATION BETWEEN THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA AND THE KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN TOGETHER WITH GALLERY 015 AND FOLK ART SPACE

To enhance the official efforts of arts and culture between the countries of the GCC and enable them through unofficial partnerships through the private sector, an agreement between Gal lery 015 and folk art space has been signed. To enhances joint work by providing quality projects, research and studies that reflect the Gulf identity Artistically and culturally, which coincide with the commis sioner’s efforts between the two countries, Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The founder of Gallery 015 H.H Princess Sara Al Saud, confirms that such partnerships highlight the arts and culture of the Gulf. Therefore, enhance its position and presence locally and globally, as well as a greater opportunity for artists to be present and prove the extent of their ability, identity, cul ture, and heritage that we are proud of Saudi and Bahraini. With the encouragement of our leadership

that believes in art and culture, along with the support of His High ness Prince Mohammed bin Salman and leaders in the Kingdom of Bah rain, every artist will find the op portunities have become greater to reach global markets, success, and stability in local markets.

The founding partners of Folk Arts space, Eng. Mohammad Jawad and

the curator Eng. Bushra Shbar con firmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Bahrain have succeeded in promoting joint work in several areas in the past and the present.

Therefore, partnerships will also succeed in supporting the efforts of privet sectors with the rein forcement and faith of leadership

in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

This indicated Executive advisor of Gallery 015 Eng. Mohammad Bin Odeh. Overcoming the obstacles to intellectual, economic, and social openness, which the region is ex periencing, thus will be reflected in its great role in the arts and culture sector at all levels.

The launch of The Hotel Show in the capital, Riyadh, under the auspic es of “ALTANFETHI” Company the leading of the field of hospitality, Which is responsible for managing and oper ating all VIP terminals at the Kingdom’s airports. With the participation of more than 250 commercial entities from 20 countries around the world, more than 15,000 visitors.

The three-day trade event has provided visitors and interested parties with a set of seminars and dialogue sessions on the future of the hospitality sector plus the repercussions of technical and civilized development on its growth and prosperi ty. The efforts of the pioneers in the field of hospitality in the Kingdom to keep pace with the latest international practices.

Sponsoring this global event achieves the vision and objectives of the “ALTAN FETHI” Company in bringing and applying modern international methods, systems and practices in the field of hospitality

LAUNCH OF THE HOTEL SHOW EXHIBITION IN RIYADH UNDER THE AUSPICES OF “ALTANFETHI” COMPANY AS STRATEGIC HEADLINE SPONSOR

THE LARGEST EVENT FOR THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR IN THE KINGDOM

to serve its customers in the various air ports of the Kingdom, based on the com pany’s values and being the first civilized interface for all visitors from different countries of the world.

In a statement to the CEO of “ALTAN FETHI” Company, Mr. Gelban Al Gelban about participation, he indicated that: This main strategic sponsorship of the exhibition comes within the company’s continuous endeavors to contribute to the development of the hospitality sector in the Kingdom and enhance the level and quality of services provided to guests, which will contribute to achieving the goals of ascending the hospitality sector to new levels, in addition to attracting global competencies, applying interna tional best practices and benefiting from previous successes in the industry. An outstanding modern uninterrupted expe rience for clients from all over the world.

On the sidelines of the hotel show; “AL TANFETHI” had signed agreements and memoranda of understanding with the most prominent brands in the field of hospitality and transportation, includ ing “BagPoint” which specializes in smart solutions in hospitality services, Plus “Floward” Through vouchers to visit Al tanfeethi terminals and travel through them, which can be used through the Floward application for all its customers.

It is worth noting that “ALTANFETHI” Company is the first and leading name in the management of executive and VIP terminals at the Kingdom’s airports, and was established as part of the efforts to privatize the air transport sector in the Kingdom, with broad experiences and distinguished competencies in the field of luxury hospitality. The company offers an exceptional service system that meets all the needs of its VIP guests and mem bers at all the Kingdom’s regional and in ternational airports.

RAMADAN CHARITY SUHOUR BY TLN KSA FOR ALJAZIRA BANK

It was The Luxury Network’s utmost pleasure to cohost Al jazira Bank Private Banking and Wealth Management’s Ra madan Charity Auction Suhour with proceeds directed to the noble cause of empowering less fortunate families through Alnahda Society.

It was a night of elegance, entertainment, and most impor tantly with a great cause.

The Event was held at the Ritz Carlton in Riyadh on the 18th of April 2022 and generated a generous amount of donation for Alnahda Society, with the presence of most noble personalities such as Her Highness Princess Moudi Bint Khaled Alsaud, Dr. Fahad Alalayan, Mr Mohammed Alfaris, Lojain Omran, Ghaliah Ameen just to name a few. One more success story to add to the list of many more to come by The Luxury Network.

EMIRATES OPENS NEW RETAIL SALES OFFICE IN JEDDAH

Emirates has opened a new retail sales office in Jeddah today, located in the presti gious Zahran Business Centre. The new retail office will offer more convenience to customers wishing to book their next trip with the air line.

The new office was inaugurated this morning with a special ribbon and cake cutting ceremony attend ed by The Consulate General of the UAE in Jeddah, His Excellency Nasser Bin Huwaidin Al Ketbi; Adil Al Ghaith, Emirates’ Senior Vice President Commercial Operations for Gulf, Middle East and Central

Asia; Jabr Al-Azeeby, Vice President KSA, senior Emirates commercial and sales executives, in addition to other government representatives, industry guests and corporate cus tomers.

Located at Prince Sultan Street in the Al - Salamah District, the new state-of-the-art office spanning 84 square feet, will offer services in cluding making flight reservations, travel advice and holiday book ings from Emirates highly trained staff. Significant investment has been made in equipping the new, conveniently located office, for a comfortable and more relaxed en

vironment for Emirates customers wishing to walk in, book their trav el, or speak to a sales agent to plan their next journey.

Adil Al Ghaith, Emirates’ Senior Vice President Commercial Operations Gulf, Middle East and Central Asia, who helped to officiate at the new office opening, said: “We connect customers in Jeddah to Dubai and onwards to over 130 destinations, and its important we ensure we ex tend them the best service where they can come and meet with our staff in comfortable surroundings, and have their destination and oth er enquiries answered in person.

The opening of the new retail sales office reflects our continued com mitment to Saudi Arabia, a destina tion we have been serving for over 30 years, and we look forward to other exciting developments in the Saudi market.”

Emirates has been facilitating tour ism and trade in KSA since 1989 when it launched Jeddah, its first destination in the Kingdom. Since then, the airline has been develop ing its operations to Riyadh, Jeddah, Medina, Dammam and today serves the four gateways with 67 weekly flights, including A380 services to Riyadh and Jeddah. The airline has also carried more than 25 million passengers to and from the King dom since the start of its services.

Recently, Emirates signed a Mem orandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) to boost inbound tourism into Saudi Arabia and attract new seg ments of travellers across the air line’s extensive global network.

The new agreement aims to raise awareness and amplify the Sau di Arabian experience across the Emirates’ network and encourage leisure travellers to come and visit the Kingdom’s unique attractions.

Emirates was also the first airline to touchdown with its A380 at Ter minal 1 in Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA), mak ing it the first airline to operate the double-decker aircraft to the King dom of Saudi Arabia’s latest aviation landmark.

SAUDI 100 BRANDS EXHIBITION DEBUTS IN NEW YORK CITY THIS SUMMER

The 100 Brands exhibition is part of a larger year-long program that aims to provide mentorship to the select ed Saudi designers by the fashion industry’s most experienced experts. Aimed at Saudi fashion designers and brands seeking to take their businesses to the next level, the Saudi 100 Brands professional development program offers masterclasses, one-on-one mentorship, and workshops covering design and innovation, sales strategies, and exhibi tions to bring about competitive business advantage.

Participants will learn from an international team of experts with experience from lead ing fashion houses including LVMH, Kering, Valentino Groups, Chanel Limited, Cal vin Klein, Tom Ford, Bulgari, Camper and Swarovski; as well as educational experi ence from Central St Martins, Royal College of Art, Bocconi, London School of Econom ics, Yale and Parsons.

The Saudi 100 Brands program is based on harmonizing the different needs of individ uals wishing to build their brands. It covers a wide range of topics including branding, conceptualization, sales performance strat egy, public relations and marketing strat egy, client identification, innovation and technology, and key leadership skills.

Burak Cakmak, CEO of the Fashion Com mission, said: “Saudi Arabia is on a growth path across all sectors, including fashion, and there are great opportunities for lo cal entrepreneurs to build new businesses across all parts of the fashion value chain. A robust fashion sector benefi ts from local creatives, design studios, marketing and communication agencies, manufacturers and retailers. And through programs like Saudi 100 Brands, we look forward to seeing Saudi designers take their rightful place on the global stage.”

The Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) and Vanity Fair have come together to cele brate visionary female talent both on and behind the camera who are shaping the film industry and cre ating extraordinary stories that reso nate with audiences around the world.

At a gala event hosted alongside the 79th Venice International Film Festival at the Palazzo Rocca, the RSIFF and Vanity Fair honoured six remarkable women working at the heart of the Arab film industry.

THE RED SEA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL CELEBRATES INCREDIBLE WOMEN WORKING AT THE HEART OF ARAB CINEMA VANITY FAIR HONOURS TALENTS HAIFAA AL-MANSOUR, AHD KAMEL, SUMAYA RIDA, KAOUTHER BEN HANIA,HEND SABRY AND RAZANE JAMMAL WHO ARE PAVING THE WAY IN THE FILM INDUSTRY

The gala event shone the spot light on a trio of trailblazing tal ent from Saudi Arabia including the acclaimed filmmaker Haifaa al-Mansour (Wadjda, Perfect Can didate, Mary Shelley) award win ning actress and filmmaker Ahd Kamel (Collateral, Honour, Wadjda) and exciting one to watch Sumaya Rida (Rupture, Rashash). They were joined by Oscar nominee Kaouther Ben Hania (The Man Who Sold His Skin, Beauty and the Dogs) and

celebrated actress Hend Sabry (Finding Ola, Noura’s Dream, As maa) both hailing from Tunisia and British-Lebanese actress Razane Jammal (The Sandman, Kira & El Gina, Paranormal, Carlos).

Haifaa al-Mansour explained: “I am incredibly honoured to return to Venice Film Festival for the Women in Cinema Gala. I am very thank ful to Vanity Fair for including me in this incredible event with all of

these extraordinary women. Venice has been my “home” festival since the launch of my first film ‘Wadjda’ here ten years ago. I was overjoyed to return to Venice for my follow up Saudi film, ‘The Perfect Candidate’, and hope to return with another Saudi film very soon!”

Shivani Pandya, Managing Direc tor of the RedSeaIFF, said: “The Red Sea International Film Festi val has an important role to play in

ensuring women’s stories are show cased to as many people as possible and providing a platform to ensure their voices are heard. We strive to establish ways for women to suc ceed as storytellers as they contin ue to shape our cultural landscape. Together with Vanity Fair we are celebrating women who are leading the way and inspiring a new gener ation of creatives.”

Mohammed Al Turki; CEO of the RedSeaIFF added: “I’m thrilled to see the rise of women filmmakers

making a mark on the world of cin ema and with our friends at Vani ty Fair we honour these brilliant women as they continue to take the industry by storm, breaking stereo types and bringing fresh narratives to the screen. We’re grateful for their amazing contributions and cannot wait to see what they do next.”

The second edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival will run in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from De cember 1-10, 2022.

THE LUXURY NETWORK INTERNATIONAL AWARDS 2022 CONCLUDED WITH EXCEPTIONAL SUCCESS

The Luxury Network Inter national has welcomed 300 VIP guests to this year’s awards gala dinner.

Last September 30, 2022, The Luxury Network Internation al Awards 2022 has successfully celebrated this year in awarding the world’s finest brands for their luxury products and exceptional services. This most sought-after annual occasion was hosted at the exquisite Shangri-La Bos phorus in Istanbul, where the evening saw over 300 invited VIP delegates from the world’s lead ing brands, which gathered to be recognized on stage for their outstanding efforts.

The Luxury Network commend ed their official partners, the night was also supported by a number of ambassadors and the embassy representatives in Is tanbul.

The Luxury Network is a private membership club, within which, premium companies work to gether for mutual business de velopment. Our goal is to create new business partnerships be tween luxury brands and facili tate their joint marketing activ ities. In the year 2007, they have launched their headquarters in London, United Kingdom.

During his speech on the awards night, The Luxury Network Glob

al CEO H.E. Fares Ghattas stated, “I believe that one of the best de cisions I’ve done for our group is conceptualizing The Luxury Net work Awards and bringing this momentous annual event to life. The Luxury Network Interna tional Awards is an international awards event recognizing luxury companies and brands across all the luxury sectors for their initia tives and achievements. Our glob al team’s mission this evening is to honour well-established compa nies and recognize emerging lux ury brands on international and local levels, as well as to create a networking platform providing new business opportunities to our esteemed guests.”

Spotlight

Through The Luxury Network Awards, all of the attendees were able to give back to the world through the fundraising drive for some philanthropic organiza tions such as the Aryana Health Care Foundation, the member ship group’s chosen charity part ner for this year’s awards.

This year’s gala dinner was pre sented by Ozge Ulusoy, Miss Turkey. Along spectacular per formances by Carole Samaha, Andy Madadian, Maria Philome na, Sibel Bilgiç and an amazing dance show.

“This beautiful evening will never be possible without the team who dedicated their time to work day and night to make our gala din ner look flawless. I would like to acknowledge The Luxury Network representatives from all over the world, thank you for being with us tonight,” H.E. Fares added.

Here is the list of The Luxury Network International Awards 2022 winners:

• Luxury Hotel of the year, Shangri-la Bosphorus

• Luxury Cruise Line of the year, Hapag Lloyd Cruise

• Luxury Private Jet of the year, Avante Fly

• Luxury Men’s Fashion of the year, Damat

• Luxury Crypto Platform of the year, Bitexen

• Luxury Chocolate of the year, Patchi

• Luxury Travel Freedom of the year, RIF Trust

• Luxury Jewelry Boutique, Mahain Jewelry

• Luxury Chess Platform, Chess Yes

• Luxury Fashion Designer of the year, Ziad Nakad

• Luxury Sustainability Award, Royal Emerald Pharmaceuticals

• Luxury Real Estate Award, The Water Way Developments

• Luxury Car of the year, Maserati

• Luxury Sunglasses Award, Vintz Luxury Sunglasses

• Luxury Cigar Club of the year, Cars and Cigars

• Luxury Digital Art Award, Barlowa

• Luxury Watch Award, Franck Muller

• Health Care Foundation Award, Aryana Health Care Foundation

The Luxury Network Inter national congratulated all the award-winners of the year 2022, who through their immeasur able passion and pure hard work to deliver their top-notch ser vices, have received those dis tinctions. Being awarded as an authentic luxury brand is not easy to achieve, it takes a dedi cated team of highly trained staff willing to fail, to learn, grow, and succeed – this is what it takes to get recognized as a bona fide The Luxury Network Awards winner. The management team hopes to continue this annual event as the key to giving back to the global community through the coming years.

The awards event will be broad casted on Fashion1 tv , Number1 tv, and radio coverage by Kiss fm.

Brands Directory

Abercrombie & Kent abercrombiekent.com

Bang & Olufsen bang-olufsen.com

Bank Al Jazira bankaljazira.com

BMW bmw-saudiarabia.com

Bvlgari bulgari.com

Dior dior.com

Emirates Airline emirates.com

Ferrari ferrari.com

Graff graff.com

Guerlain guerlain.com

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises hl-cruises.com

Jet Luxe jetluxe.com

Jura jura.com

Kwanpen kwanpen.com

Louis vuitton louisvuitton.com Lomar lomar.sa

Montegrappa montegrappa.com

Park Hyatt hyatt.com Patchi patchi.com

Philipp Plein plein.com

Red Sea Film Festival redseafilmfest.com

RL Fine Arts rlfinearts.com

Samsung samsung.com Seabourn seabourn.com

Select Property Group selectproperty.com

Small Luxury Hotels slh.com

Sotheby’s International Realty nzsothebysrealty.com

TLN Academy tln.academy

Fares

THE LUXURY NETWORK ACADEMY: AFFLUENCE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

The world’s leading luxury affinity marketing and business networking group; creating partnerships be tween the world’s most prestigious luxury brands, The Luxury Network Internation al, has officially launched The Luxury Net work Academy, an educational initiative for individuals who are keen on joining the growing community of the luxury industry.

The Luxury Network Academy was founded by the elite network’s Global CEO, Mr. Fares Ghattas. According to Mr. Ghattas, “Each individual who is willing to learn must have access to the rightful practices in the luxury sector. Our objective is to make the impossible possible for anyone with an internet connection, to be granted the opportunity to be skilled and to be able to learn from the greatest certi fied masters in the luxury industry.”

In times of downsizing, global unemploy ment, and never-ending quality pressures, the need for protecting high standards in marketing sectors is being compromised. Therefore, The Luxury Network Interna tional has launched a world-class learning website to bring professional training

videos from iconic professionals who con tributed to putting standards in their field and entrepreneurship in all sectors.

The Luxury Network Academy seeks to conduct self-study training or teaching courses that will be promoted and con ducted on the academy’s official website and promoted globally. The self-study courses will feature world-class iconic ex perts in various fields such as luxury sell ing, entrepreneurship, media, etiquette, fashion, brand management, travel, and many more.

Through rolling The Luxury Network Academy short training videos, young and expert professionals and entrepreneurs will be encouraged to learn more interest ing and knowledgeable topics which are the results of the professional experiences of the speakers. These exclusive videos are promised to be impressive, informative, inspirational, and impactful.

Access to these videos may be purchased by the public including the network’s offi cial members, global offices, and clients.

“People learn easier by listening to inspiring success stories.”

Explore Al-Nafoura restaurant at Park Hyatt Jeddah and enjoy dining with a spectacular view across the Red Sea and King Fahd Fountain.

Nafoura restaurant welcome its guests every Thursday to relish a selection of fresh seafood buffat for dinner. And also offers a delightful family brunch every Friday with a sumptuous spread of Middle Eastern and International specialties.

For reservation call us on :- +966 12 263 9666 or visit www.hyattrestaurants.com