Why Everyone From Bella Hadid to Lindsay Lohan Is Making Their Way to Dubai
Two weeks ago, the patron saint of Thanksgiving, Martha Stewart, began posting dispatches from Dubai. She visited the windswept sand dunes of the desert just outside the city; she made hummus; she sampled the cuisine at a historic teahouse. But Stewart isn’t the only one to have stopped in the United Arab Emirates’ biggest city recently—in the past year, no less than Drake, Bella Hadid, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, and Leonardo DiCaprio have also made their way to Dubai to take in its stunning cityscape that gives way to pristine deserts, and, of course, to sample its thriving culinary culture. Jennifer Lopez recently performed at the Dubai Airshow Gala, wearing multiple different Versace looks (and, fittingly, Donatella herself had previously stopped in town, accompanied by models Alessandra Ambrosio, Helena Christensen, and Natasha Poly). This week, a new crop of A-listers decended on Dubai for the annual Dubai International Film Festival and, simultaneously, for the opening of the new Bulgari hotel; see how the biggest names in music, Hollywood, and fashion do the luxury capital of the U.A.E., here.
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Bella Hadid with Fanny Bourdette-Donon, Rose Bertram, and Manon Bensaoud in Dubai, U.A.E., April 2017.
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Jennifer Lopez in Versace during a stay in Dubai, U.A.E., for the Dubai Airshow Gala, November 2017.
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Maddie Ziegler in Dubai, March 2017.
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Rihanna stopped by the Dubai outpost of Jamaican hotspot Miss Lily’s, February 2017.
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Leonardo DiCaprio was spotted at the Nusr-et steakhouse—the home turf of Salt Bae—in Dubai, U.A.E., February 2017.
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Demi Lovato made her way to the desert outside Dubai, U.A.E., February 2017.
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Jessie J posed on a boat in Dubai, U.A.E., captioning the image, “Taaaaa Daaaaa,” January 2017.
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Kim Kardashian spent some time in Dubai earlier this year for a beauty masterclass; here, pictured in January 2017.
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Before he found God again, Justin Bieber took to the beach in Dubai, U.A.E., May 2017.
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Mariah Carey managed to find the coolest spot amid the heat of Dubai when she visited earlier this year.
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Most recently, Martha Stewart spent Thanksgiving week in Dubai, U.A.E., before departing for Abu Dhabi.
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Martha Stewart stopped by a traditional Emirati restaurant, the Arabian Tea House, during her stay in Dubai, U.A.E., November 2017.
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The youngest members of the Stewart clan frolicked among the dunes in the Dubai desert, U.A.E., November 2017.
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Martha Stewart’s many images of her stay in Dubai contained small observations, like this one: “Dubai is growing and growing,” she wrote. “More skyscrapers More commerce Lots of activity.”
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Meanwhile, Dubai is also known for its thriving food scene (making it an understandably appealing destination for the likes of Martha Stewart and Gordon Ramsay). Here, food blooger Eman Naguib visits local outpost Tom&Serg, September 2017.
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Rita Ora visited Dubai on official, Adidas-oriented business, February 2016.
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Nicki Minaj visited Dubai, U.A.E., March 2016. During her stay, she wrote in the caption, the friend pictured in this selfie “helped us with everything. He was acting like the dudes in the hood,” she said. “He wanted a pic. Say cheese!!!!!”
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Wiz Khalifa also found his way to the Dubai desert, posing shirtless—with his cell—in front of the sweeping sand dunes, April 2016.
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Suki Waterhouse posted a behind-the-scenes image from a Burberry shoot for Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, April 2016.
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London grime performer Tinie Tempah walks a tiger in Dubai, U.A.E., April 2016.
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Joe Jonas poses amid the sand dunes at the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve—and shows off his tattoo in the process—outside Dubai, U.A.E., October 2016.
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Donatella Versace, Alessandra Ambrosio, Natasha Poly, and Helena Christensen in Dubai, U.A.E., November 2016.
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Rapper Big Sean with giraffes in Dubai, U.A.E., November 2016.
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Last November, Drake performed in Dubai, U.A.E., around the time of the city’s Formula 1 race, and he’s professed his love for the city in verse: “I want to move to Dubai, so I don’t never have to kick it with none of you guys,” he sang on “Free Smoke” off More Love.
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Luke Hemsworth in Dubai, U.A.E., December 2016.
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Andie MacDowell lounges by the water in Dubai, U.A.E., during the Dubai International Film Festival, December 2016.
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Melanie Griffith and Eva Longoria take in the sights of Dubai, U.A.E., during the Dubai International Film Festival, December 2016.
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Though it was Thanksgiving, and the menu for the American holiday is notorious, Martha Stewart made sure to sample the local cuisine while visiting Dubai, U.A.E., November 2017.
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Jon Kortajarena and Alicia Vikander, in Jonathan Simkhai, at the opening of the Bulgari resort in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 2017.
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Jasmine Sanders at the opening of the new Bulgari resort in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 2017.
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Actress Daniella Rahme at the opening of the new Bulgari resort in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 2017.
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Bella Hadid in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for the Bulgari resort opening, December 2017.
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Actress Olga Kurylenko prepares for the Dubai Film Festival in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 2017.
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Teyana Taylor, in Gucci, and musician H.E.R. in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 2017.
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Bella Hadid in Fendi at the opening of the new Bulgari resort in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 2017.
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Lindsay Lohan in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 2017.
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Luis Fonsi in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 2017.
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Gwen Stefani in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 2017.
