Manuel Arnaut, Vogue Arabia
The head of editorial content spoke of the magazine's responsibility to document and grow the region's cultural landscape.
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The Leader · Dubai
Middle East Culture: The First Vogue Arabia Ball Celebrates Regional Art, and a Cairo Jeweler Takes Its Design Prize
The first Vogue Arabia Ball, an Art Edition held at Delano Dubai on Bluewaters Island, gathered the region's leading figures in fashion, music and design on Friday evening. Its design prize went to the Cairo jeweler Youssef Karam Hussein for a necklace inspired by the mashrabiya.
At a glance
The First Vogue Arabia Ball at a glance
- Event
- The inaugural Vogue Arabia Ball: Art Edition
- Date
- Friday, November 13, 2026
- Venue
- Delano Dubai, Bluewaters Island
- Design prize
- Youssef Karam Hussein of Cairo, Creators of Craft Design Challenge
- Artistic direction
- Informed by the Emirati artists Shaikha Al-Mazrou and Dhabia Al-Qubaisi
Middle East culture
Middle East culture, in evening dress
The great charity balls of New York and Paris have long served as showcases for the art and design of their cities. On Friday, November 13, 2026, Dubai gained an occasion of its own when Vogue Arabia held its first ball, an Art Edition devoted to Middle East culture, at Delano Dubai on Bluewaters Island. The evening brought together designers, artists, musicians and actors from across the region, and it placed the work of Arab creators, rather than the guests, at the center of the stage.
The ball's artistic direction drew on the work of two Emirati artists, Shaikha Al-Mazrou and Dhabia Al-Qubaisi, and the evening was hosted by the Tunisian presenter Azza Slimene, with the model Jessica Kahawaty and the Jordanian presenter Mohanad Al-Hattab welcoming guests on the red carpet.
Necklace drawn from the mashrabiya
A necklace drawn from the mashrabiya
The most lasting moment of the evening belonged to a young jeweler. Youssef Karam Hussein, who works in Cairo, was named winner of the Creators of Craft Design Challenge for a necklace inspired by the mashrabiya, the carved wooden lattice that has shaded the windows of Cairo, Jeddah and Baghdad for centuries. He was one of five finalists from Egypt, Lebanon and the UAE whose work was displayed at the ball.
The choice of motif is telling. The mashrabiya is one of the most refined inventions of the region's traditional architecture, a screen that filters the fierce light of the region into soft patterns while allowing air to pass and preserving privacy within. To translate it into gold and stone is to carry an architectural tradition into the intimate scale of jewelry, and the prize recognizes exactly the dialogue between heritage and contemporary design that the region's best creators now pursue.
Who shaped the evening
Thomas Khoury, Condé Nast Middle East
The managing director observed that true patronage "does not end when the red carpet is rolled up."
Elyanna and Haifa Wehbe
Elyanna performed at the private dinner, and Haifa Wehbe, the magazine's November cover star, headlined the party that followed.
Art House Education Dubai
A partnership invites UAE residents to reimagine the November cover, with fine arts courses as the reward.
Things to do in Dubai for lovers of art and design
The ball is a private occasion, but the culture it celebrates is open to every visitor. Dubai's galleries, from the warehouses of Alserkal Avenue to the established houses of DIFC, are described in our guide to art galleries and auction houses in the Middle East, and the jewelers whose craft the evening honored are the subject of our guide to jewelers and watchmakers in Dubai.
Those who wish to see the region's design traditions at their source will find them in our guides to Arabic calligraphy and language and to the great museums of the Middle East. And for a stay in the spirit of the evening, our selection of Dubai's finest hotels will help in choosing where to stay.
Questions readers ask
When and where was the first Vogue Arabia Ball held?
On Friday, November 13, 2026, at Delano Dubai on Bluewaters Island.
Who won the design prize?
Youssef Karam Hussein, a Cairo-based jeweler, won the Creators of Craft Design Challenge for a necklace inspired by the mashrabiya.
What is a mashrabiya?
A carved wooden lattice screen, a hallmark of traditional architecture in the region, which filters sunlight, allows air to circulate and preserves privacy.
Checked on 11/14/2026. Prices and dates are approximate and can change. See our standard.