It’s that time of the year again when the region’s finest come together for the Vogue Ball of Arabia. Taking place on February 15 at Dubai’s Atlantis the Royal in partnership with Hongqi, Amaffi, and Komos, this edition of the event promises to be more spectacular than ever, with the theme, Mermaids of the Gulf. The ball will bring to life the magical phenomenon that has inspired the worlds of fashion and pop culture for generations while underscoring a serious discussion. This year, Vogue Arabia has partnered with Emirates Marine Environmental Group (EMEG), established in 1996 under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and leadership awarded to Major Ali Saqer Sultan Al Suwaidi. Using its ever-growing reach, the 2024 edition of the ball will dedicate itself to raising awareness about EMEG’s incredible efforts to preserve biodiversity in the UAE.
In the days leading up to the ball, Vogue Arabia enlisted three remarkable women to embody the mystical creatures behind our theme and visualize the phenomenon that continues to make waves in a special video. Shot in Fujairah, Deema Al Asadi, Jessica Aidi, and Enjy Kiwan came together in stunning looks by Jean Louis Sabaji and Michael Cinco for this ethereal project that made their shared childhood dreams of playing mermaids come true. “I watched The Little Mermaid over and over again, probably every day throughout my childhood,” says Kiwan. “We used to go to the beach and just stare at the ocean and dream of being a mermaid. Even as an adult, I have been gifted a big painting of The Little Mermaid by an artist because she knows how obsessed I am.”
The shoot also offered a chance for Al Asadi to challenge her abilities. “I don’t know how to swim and I have a water phobia so shooting under the water actually helped me overcome my fear for Vogue,” she says. “It was funny because the whole team knew that I don’t like to be in the water, but we did it. This whole shoot is definitely one to remember for me because one, it just reminded me so much of when I was a child obsessed with mermaids, and two, the mermaid glam is my kind of glam.” Aidi remembers the day on set as an otherworldly experience that did not feel like work at all. “Honestly, I felt like a goddess when we started laying on the rocks in the middle of the sea. The sun was warming us, the reflection of the sparkling dresses and the colorful makeup was mesmerizing and we were moving with the rhythm of the waves,” she recalls. “I always used to feel connected to the water and the sea, maybe because I am a water sign (Cancer).”
The Vogue Ball of Arabia will be hosted at Atlantis the Royal in partnership with Hongqi, Amaffi, and Komos.
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