Fresh News From The Region And Beyond, To Your Screens
١. Louis Vuitton Takes the Fast Lane
Louis Vuitton just decided that couture and horsepower do mix, becoming the new Title Partner of the FORMULA 1 LOUIS VUITTON GRAND PRIX DE MONACO™ 2026. After years of crafting those iconic trophy trunks for Monaco’s fastest (from Verstappen to Leclerc to Norris), the Maison is now steering the whole Grand Prix with Monégasque-red swagger. For 2026, they’re unveiling yet another bespoke Trophy Trunk—Monogrammed, bold, and stamped with a victorious “V” because subtlety is for speed limits. Trackside, expect LV signatures stretched, blurred and re-imagined at F1 velocity, dressing the circuit like a runway in motion. From the America’s Cup to the Ballon d’Or® to the Olympics, Louis Vuitton keeps proving one thing: victory travels, but only in a really chic trunk.
٢. Tokyo Drifts into Dubai at Beau
Dubai’s Beau Restaurant is going full neo-omakase, hosting a Japan-inspired pop-up curated by TWOARABMINDS, the creative studio and media platform founded by Sofiane El Bekri that’s been reshaping Arab visual culture online and offline. For the occasion, Michelin-starred chef Takuya Watanabe known for elevating sushi at Jin in Paris and Taku in London—brings his precise, kaiseki-inflected touch to Jumeirah, rewriting Beau’s chic burger DNA through a Japanese lens. Visual director CHNDY, the Dubai- and Riyadh-based multidisciplinary artist, goes sweeter than usual with a custom dessert that feels like one of his images you can actually eat. Opening on 11 December at 9 PM in Dubai and running until 23 December, the pop-up turns Beau into a temporary stage where food, image-making and Arab-Japanese storytelling share the same table.
٣. A New House of Wisdom Opens Its Doors
Led by the meticulous vision of Dalia Aldu, HIKMA introduces itself in London as a research library and living digital archive devoted to Iraq and the wider Mesopotamian world. Launching at Record 28 Books on 11 December, the project draws from the spirit of the original Bayt al-Hikma while reimagining it for today’s artists, scholars and visual thinkers. HIKMA brings together rare print materials and visual heritage from Babylon, Sumer, Assyria and Akkad, offering a space where the region’s complexity is studied with care rather than reduced to cliché. Its online platform, designed by Rotterdam-based Chris Boender with a distinctive identity by Moroccan-British designer Saadia Mebchour, blends contemporary design with the texture of the collection’s historical materials. Following the opening, the experience continues with a weekend takeover from 12–14 December, inviting guests to browse, listen, gather and discover. HIKMA positions itself as a place where knowledge is not merely preserved, but thoughtfully expanded an invitation to engage with Mesopotamia in its full depth and brilliance.
٤. La Hacienda Turns Up the Heat at Sole DXB
This year at Sole DXB, PATRÓN is slipping something new into the mix: La Hacienda, a cultural stage spotlighting the Middle East’s next sonic and visual wave. Co-curated with Sole, it brings together 15 standout artists, DJs and producers shaping what the region sounds like right now. The space goes beyond a stage: it’s a full architectural nod to PATRÓN’s Jalisco roots, reimagined with piña-shaped silhouettes, earthy palettes and glow-up stations ready for festival nights. Fashion steps in too, with a Badibanga x PATRÓN capsule blending Chicano cues with Dubai’s creative pulse. And for the industry heads, PATRÓN’s own Sara Quinn opens the door to how this whole concept came to life, alongside interviews with the artists taking over La Hacienda. In short: if you want to know where culture is moving at Sole this year, you’ll find it here — vibrating and unmistakably regional.
٥. Beirut’s Creative Pulse Finds a Home at Art Affair Volume III
This December, Art Affair Volume III reopens a long-silent Monot landmark, turning a restored two-floor apartment building into a living map of Beirut’s new creative wave. Curated by Jules Bakhos and Yasmine Saliba, the exhibition brings together a sharp cross-section of Lebanon’s visual culture — from illustration and photography to object design, fashion and contemporary art. Names like Jules Bakhos, Oscar Kraye Atelier, Ahmed Amer, Yasmina Hilal, Dia Mrad, Les Indisciplinés, Earth to Paola, Melissa Haddad, Hamza Mekdad and many more anchor the show’s energy, offering an intimate look at what Beirut’s next chapter looks and feels like. Opening night on 21 December features performances by Diva Beirut and a live painting by Ahmed Amer, while throughout the run, Fête à Tête hosts private dinners inside the building, extending the exhibition into a culinary enclave. More than a group show, Art Affair transforms an unused heritage space into a contemporary cultural forum, proof that Beirut’s creativity doesn’t simply persist; it renovates and reopens the room.
٦. Cloud Dancer Takes the Lead
Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2026, Cloud Dancer, finds its perfect match in Ludovica Mascheroni’s new chair design — a sinuous, ergonomic silhouette crafted from a maple frame and wrapped in refined leather. The piece flows in one continuous line from base to backrest, emphasizing material elegance and meticulous craftsmanship. With its soft, understated palette, the chair slips easily into both contemporary and classic settings, proving that comfort and sophistication can share the same curve.
٧. Atelio Enters a New Chapter with Joey M. Ghosn
Atelio has appointed Joey M. Ghosn as its new Executive Director, marking a natural rise for the Lebanese Brazilian talent who previously led Rimadesio UAE to become one of the brand’s top global accounts. With a background in Interior Architecture and nearly a decade shaping Dubai’s design landscape, Ghosn steps into the role with both commercial intuition and regional fluency. Reporting to CEO Ruggero Ottogalli, he will advance Atelio’s “DAC” vision — uniting Design Furniture, Art Advisory and Collectible Design — while expanding partnerships and rolling out new monobrand stores across the UAE and Saudi Arabia. As he puts it, 2026 brings “new showrooms, a home for Atelio, and THE A/P ROOM,” all aimed at cementing the group as the region’s reference for All Things Beautiful.
٨. Wynn Al Marjan Island Builds a Resort Around Art, Not the Other Way Around
Wynn Al Marjan Island has unveiled the blueprint for its museum-caliber art collection ahead of its Spring 2027 opening — a “Living Gallery” woven directly into the architecture of the resort. The collection spans everything from a 66-million-year-old Triceratops skull to a specially commissioned Light Into Life sculpture by Marc Quinn, alongside a 17th-century tapestry with counterparts at the Louvre and the Met. Major works from Wynn’s global properties also arrive in Ras Al Khaimah, including Jeff Koons’ 11-meter Tulips and a Jaume Plensa sculpture from his Secret Garden series. The resort reframes East–West artistic exchange too, returning 19th-century Orientalist works — by artists like Gustave Guillaumet and Rudolf Ernst — to the region that once inspired them. Contemporary voices join the conversation through newly commissioned pieces, including in-room works by Algerian artist Faïza Maghni. As Wynn puts it, this is not décor — it’s a resort designed around its art, where every guest moves through a choreography of scale, emotion and discovery.
٩. Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Voice of Hind Rajab Heads to the Golden Globes
Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Voice of Hind Rajab has officially been nominated for Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language at the 83rd Golden Globes®, marking another major milestone for the Tunisian filmmaker whose work consistently bridges cinematic craft with political clarity. The nomination places the film on the global awards map, amplifying its story, its urgency, and its resonance far beyond festival circuits. A powerful moment — for Arab cinema, for North African storytelling, and for a director who continues to expand the emotional and formal boundaries of the region’s film landscape.
١٠. Notorious Foodie Drops a French Onion Bomb with Junk Smash
Junk Smash Burgers is teaming up with Notorious Foodie for a one-month special that hits Dubai and London from November 15 to December 15: The French Onion Smash. Think two wagyu smash patties, brown-butter caramelised onions, double Gruyère, and a glossy beef-jus sauce spiked with demi-glace and pickles — basically French onion soup, but with swagger and brioche. Known for his viral cooking and no-nonsense flavour instincts, Notorious Foodie merges his signature richness with Junk’s stripped-back smashburger DNA. Priced at AED 59, it’s indulgent, clever, and precisely the kind of limited drop that turns a classic into culture. Dubai and London — consider yourselves warned.
١١. Maison Choukrane Brings AFCON Spirit to the Heart of Paris
Maison Choukrane is turning the opening of AFCON 2025 into a full community moment with a Watch Party at Quartier des Jeunes on 21 December. Expect a big-screen match, music, games, conversations on African football, and a warm buffet — all in the spirit of gathering, celebrating, and amplifying the cultures that make the tournament so electric. With free entry and an atmosphere built for every generation, the event reflects Maison Choukrane’s mission: creating spaces where the North African diaspora can meet, share, and feel at home in the city.
