Nine years in, and Vogue Arabia continues to celebrate the region through the people and stories shaping its present and future. For this anniversary edition, we begin high above Dubai on the helipad of Jumeirah Burj Al Arab, where we shoot Lindsay Lohan for our cover against one of the city’s most recognisable views. Having made the UAE home more than a decade ago, she speaks about motherhood, her marriage to a Kuwaiti and her comeback, but also reflects on the challenges she previously faced in Hollywood. “Now I look back and wonder, ‘Why didn’t anyone just go and take me out of there, protect me more?’ You don’t know how to do that yourself when you’re a teenager,” she says.
March is also our annual deep dive into the spring/summer 2026 collections. Designers embrace bright colours, offering fashion that feels joyful and full of life. From Loewe and Prada to Balenciaga and Dior, the message is clear – this is a moment for bold expression. In Hyderabad, Indian couturier Tarun Tahiliani marked 30 years of his eponymous label with a sweeping retrospective and fashion show at the historic British Residency. The man behind the concept sari took us through decades of craftsmanship and evolution, revisiting silhouettes that have reimagined Indian occasion wear for a global audience. Born in Geneva and raised between Lebanon, Qatar and the UAE, runway star Nour Rizk modelled the season’s boldest looks for this issue. Her co-stars? The impressive horses at the recently opened Abu Dhabi Royal Equestrian Arts, the first classical horse-riding school outside Europe. A fitting way to ring in the Year of the Fire Horse, the story brings fashion and equestrian spirit together in powerful motion.
Beyond the runway, fantasy finds another expression in this month’s high jewellery shoot. Playful yet precious, maisons transform animals into bejewelled works of art. In beauty, we celebrate the work of celebrity hairstylist Ilham Mestour, who marks 30 years in the industry. Reflecting on her journey from Casablanca to the world’s biggest stages, she shares, “Be proud. Proud of your roots, your texture, your uniqueness. Learn how to care for your hair, embrace it, carry it with confidence. Your identity isn’t something to hide, it’s your strength.”
In Qatar we visited a dazzling royal palace, decorated by celebrated French interior designer Jean-Louis Deniot. It’s a place where Moorish architecture meets museum-worthy treasures. From an ornate Louis XIV Boulle desk dating back to the 1700s to 17th-century Damascus pottery tiles and finely carved woodwork crafted in Lebanon, the residence balances scale with extraordinary detail.
We also revisit Hatta, where the late Ali AlSayed Ibrahim Khalifa AlSada transformed a stretch of the Al Hajar Mountains into a vast stone village born of his love for stonecrafting and art. Built from locally sourced rock, the site stands as a lasting tribute to the UAE and its landscape.
Women – inspiring women – are at the centre of our March issue. From Tunisia, tennis champion Ons Jabeur shares the news of her first pregnancy with Vogue Arabia, inviting readers into a new personal chapter. “It’s a journey full of surprises for both of us, but we’re excited. We will create great memories with him from day one,” she says. She also reveals that her plans to return to sports are on hold for now. “I want to give myself the time to see how my body reacts. I don’t want to rush into it,” she explains.
The Arabic pages also spotlight Lebanese model Yasmina Zaytoun, who steps into her first lead acting role in the series B5 Arwah, marking a new phase in her life beyond the Miss Lebanon 2022 title. “Fame has not changed who I am at my core. Instead, it has made me more aware, more passionate and more responsible towards the young women who see me as a role model. That’s why I strive to keep my message clear.”
Meanwhile, Aya Al-Bakree reflects on building cultural continuity in Saudi Arabia as CEO of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation. “When a country invests in culture at this scale, it is really saying that culture is not decoration, but a part of how society understands itself,” she notes, framing the Kingdom’s transformation not as reinvention, but articulation.
