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Woven back to life: the women reviving a traditional Bedouin craft

13th November 2013

In a few isolated towns in Abu Dhabi’s remote western region, women weavers are reviving a craft that was once central to Bedouin culture. Helena Frith Powell meets them and explains how, with the help of the Khalifa Fund, they are honing traditional s …

Intriguing secrets of Lady Luxe

8th December 2012

When an online novel, Desperate In Dubai, hit the internet last year, it immediately attracted thousands of dedicated readers, all even more desperate than its characters to know what happens next. Helena Frith Powell talks to its anonymous author abou …

Cherie’s new brief

13th November 2012

Cherie Blair, the wife of Middle East envoy and former British premier Tony, is a power in her own right. A high-flying lawyer, she is now dedicating more time to her foundation, which helps women in the region achieve their potential. Helena Frith Pow …

The Diving Force

8th November 2012

At 15 years old, the British diver Tom Daley is already a world champion and is the face of the 2012 London Olympic Games. Helena Frith Powell met the young star when he visited Abu Dhabi for the Laureus World Sports Awards. Tom Daley is a diving sensa …

Tim Butcher, writing war’s wrongs

8th November 2012

Tim Butcher has joined a project that draws attention to the plight of young women across the globe by writing a story of abuse and degradation in Sierra Leone – where he went to banish some of his own demons. Helena Frith Powell reports. “Do you know …

Lewis Hamilton: the drive to succeed

8th November 2012

Lewis Hamilton is a driven man, and knew when he was a young boy that he wanted to race for McLaren. The rest is history. Helena Frith Powell meets him When Lewis Hamilton first met Ron Dennis, then the team principal of the McLaren Formula One team, h …

Life Lessons: Henry Blofeld

8th November 2012

The legendary cricket commentator Henry Blofeld is president of the Emirates Palace Gentlemen’s Cricket Club. He was here last week to cover a match between local England and Australia sides competing in their own Ashes at the Emirates Palace cricket g …

Mona tells a story

13th October 2012

She is one half of Egypt’s cinematic power couple, but Mona Zaki tries to shy away from the spotlight. Helena Frith Powell sits down for a rare interview with the national film star. For a woman who has become famous this year for being beaten by her h …

Desert island books: Ines de la Fressange

21st September 2012

Inès de la Fressange, the former French supermodel, shares her literary choices with Helena Frith Powell   Inès de la Fressange was the original French supermodel. Born in the Var region of France in 1957, Inès Marie Lætitia Églantine Isabelle de …

Women shifting up a gear: changing family roles

13th September 2012

Whether by choice or necessity, more women are reversing roles with their husbands to become the main breadwinner for the household. Helena Frith Powell examines how the changed job landscape in the UAE has affected family dynamics.   Ask practica …

Life Lessons with Sir Ronald Harwood CBE

11th April 2012

Sir Ronald Harwood CBE, 77, is a playwright, author and screenwriter who is most famous for his screenplays of The Dresser, The Pianist (for which he won an Oscar) and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. He was in the UAE last week for the Abu Dhabi Fes …

Seven powerful women at the top of their own fields share their secrets

3rd March 2012

What does it take for a female to reach the pinnacle of her profession? And how does she handle the pressure once she’s there, plus balance family and career? With International Women’s Day coming on Thursday, we talk to seven success stories from arou …

Desperate in Dubai: popular blog becomes a novel

17th February 2012

Ameera Al Hakawati’s Desperate in Dubai, a novel that’s been both banned from and reintroduced to the nation’s bookstores in recent days,reimagines the world we live in as a glossy chick-lit landscape. It’s hard to see this as our precise world – it is …

Mandarin Oriental, Munich: British and Asian hints in a German setting

4th February 2012

The welcome Sadly, I arrived at the side door, so I stood outside like a moron for a few seconds thinking, “How does this door open?” (I have definitely been living in the UAE too long), before the freezing cold drove me inside. If you go to the main d …

Desert Island Books: Ken Hom

1st February 2012

Ken Hom shares his Desert Island Book choices, with Helena Frith Powell Ken Hom is regarded as the world’s leading authority on Chinese cookery. The Chinese-American chef, author and television presenter learnt to cook from the age of 11 when he starte …

Why the UAE works for our families

30th January 2012

We meet six spouses who have given up careers to follow their partner to the UAE.   Expat life is challenging for couples, perhaps more so for spouses who give up a career to follow their partner. Lisa Burke meets six who have done just that and f …

Tried and tested: Skin tightening

25th January 2012

A unique and revitalising treatment at a top cosmetic clinic   WHAT I TRIED Skin Tightening at the Kaya Skin Clinic. WHAT I EXPECTED Another day, another skin treatment. Surely if these things really worked no one would age at all? And skin tighte …

Roger, More: Why Federer won’t quit yet

24th December 2011

The world’s greatest tennis player on why he won’t be hanging his racket up anytime soon By Helena Frith Powell Much has been made of Roger Federer’s grace on court. He has been admired for his elegance since he burst on the tennis scene in 2003 by win …

Life Lessons: Sir Rocco Forte

14th December 2011

Wisdom from one of the world’s leading hoteliers Sir Rocco Forte, 66, is one of the world’s leading hoteliers, with 13 hotels and resorts around the globe. The native of Bournemouth, England was in the capital this month for the launch of the Rocco For …

Marilyn: beyond the myth

10th December 2011

As a new feature film about Marilyn Monroe’s 1956 London sojourn premieres at the Dubai International Film Festival this week, Helena Frith Powell examines her legacy When I was 10, The Sunday Times magazine serialised Norman Mailer’s biography of Mari …

Life lessons: Robert Karlsson

30th November 2011

 The Swedish professional golfer shares his life’s wisdom The golfer Robert Karlsson was born in Sweden in 1969. He has won 11 European Tour titles and in 2008 became the first Swede to win the tour’s Order of Merit. He will defend his crown in the sea …

What’s in your fridge?

19th November 2011

  We all know there’s a wide range of high-end restaurants to enjoy in the UAE, but who doesn’t also love home cooking? Five Abu Dhabi residents who know their way around the kitchen tell us what food products they keep on hand and what dishes the …

For king and country

13th November 2011

Thirty-eight years ago, Randa Habib landed an interview with King Hussein of Jordan, a meeting that would change the course of her life. The veteran AFP news bureau chief talks to Helena Frith Powell about her life and her book on Jordan’s royal family …

Women of duty: female police in the capital

8th November 2011

The number of female applicants to the Abu Dhabi police has doubled after a recruitment drive started in October. Helena Frith Powell gets rare access to see the latest cadets at their training school. Emirati women are perhaps not renowned for their l …

Life lessons: Noura Al Kaabi

7th November 2011

The head of human development at Abu Dhabi media hub twofour54 offers her philosophies on life 1. Try to learn from all those around you, from the driver in your company to your colleagues, as well as the young. At some stage we all reach an age where …

Desert island books: Wilbur Smith

2nd November 2011

The best-selling author’s choices are peopled with deeply conflicted characters taking on epic adventures, from the high seas to herding cattle across America   With his books averaging sales of three million copies each, Wilbur Smith is one of th …

Life lessons: Luca Bassani

26th October 2011

The founder of Wally, the luxury yacht and motorboat manufacturer, shares his wisdom with M magazine Luca Bassani, 54, is the founder of Wally, the luxury yacht and motorboat manufacturer. A keen yachtsman, he has owned 25 boats and has been sailing fo …

The Men Who Stop Traffic

22nd October 2011

An unlikely pair in Mysore, India, have taken up the fight against human traffickers and abusers By Helena Frith Powell Sitting across a table from these two softly-spoken, unassuming middle-aged men it’s hard to imagine them picking fights with pimps …

Grand slammaster Rafael Nadal

8th October 2011

Rafael Nadal is already one of the all-time greats of tennis. As he prepares to play here in Abu Dhabi, Helena Frith Powell speaks to the world No. 1 about winning and losing, and how his solid home base in Majorca makes him the most grounded of sporti …

Paul Smith: ‘I literally fell into fashion’

1st October 2011

As his Dubai shop prepares to celebrate 10 years of business later this month, the designer Paul Smith talks to Helena Frith Powell about how he started in fashion, the Arab Spring, what makes a snappy dresser and why he almost refused a knighthood …

Tried and tested: Wipe away wrinkles

21st September 2011

Say goodbye to fine lines with Dysport Treatment WHAT I TRIED Dysport Treatment, an injection a bit like Botox, that wipes away wrinkles and frown lines. WHAT I EXPECTED Having already experienced the miracle that is Botox, I wasn’t expecting much from …

Style file: Jeremy Guscott

21st September 2011

The former England rugby star reveals a few of his favourite things and places to Helena Frith Powell Jeremy Guscott, a former England rugby player, is considered one of the most thrilling centres ever to grace the game. His smooth running style and sp …

The Instant Expert: How to survive sending kids back to school

24th August 2011

Helena Frith Powell on how to survive the ordeal of sending the kids back to school. FEELING STRESSED? The American novelist and editor Edgar W Howe once said: “If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane a …

M’s top 25 favourite summer reads

13th August 2011

Curl up with a good book this summer with some of M’s top literary choices 1. APPALOOSA (ROBERT B PARKER, 2005) Although the Boston author was more renowned for his Spenser series of detective novels, his terse, Hemingway-like prose and crackling Chand …

Montenegro’s exclusive island escape is hard to leave

15th July 2011

Once the haunt of movie stars and royalty, the tiny island of Sveti Stefan off Montenegro’s coast has just reopened its doors to well-heeled guests. Helena Frith Powell explores   In Norman Lewis’s Voices of the Old Sea, he recounts how a small Ca …

The region’s women to watch

8th July 2011

From a media mogul to a jet pilot, M profiles 10 diverse, career-minded women from the UAE and across the region who have raised eyebrows excelling in their fields, challenging inequalities as they chart the course for a generation of educated and ambi …

Life Lessons: Cheryl Parsons, yoga instructor

8th July 2011

Cheryl Parsons moved to Dubai from the UK in March 2005. After working as a radio news presenter for three years, she decided to become a yoga instructor. Since completing her training in India in 2008, Parsons has been teaching with Dubai’s Zen Yoga s …

Living past terror

6th June 2011

Five years ago, Dianne Reed barely survived a militant attack on her compound in Saudi Arabia in which 22 others died. Helena Frith Powell meets the American who moved back to the Middle East to prove that peace can win over violence What would you say …

Life Lessons: Sylvie Guillem

25th May 2011

The French ballet dancer Sylvie Guillem CBE was a member of the Paris Opera Ballet and the Royal Ballet in London before branching out into contemporary dance. She shared her wisdom with us when she was in Abu Dhabi performing at the Abu Dhabi Festival …

A creative bond

13th May 2011

Helena Frith Powell meets the young female Emirati artists who have a keen sense of commitment to their nation and their history.   Take six young women, all beautiful and clever, but with two things in common that may be even more crucial in shap …

High tea amid desert dunes

8th May 2011

We had planned tea at the Qasr al Sarab. Happily the Swiss contingent was in charge of most of it, we just had to make a chocolate cake The rendezvous was at 11am outside the Grand Mosque. “At the VIP entrance,” said our Swiss friend. Not being a VIP, …

The Instant Expert: Charlotte Bronte, literary legend

22nd March 2011

Float through any social event with M’s fast facts. This week, Helena Frith Powell looks at the life and works of the author Charlotte Brontë, who died on March 31, 1855   THE BASICS An English novelist and poet, Charlotte Brontë was born in 1816 …

This Lady knows how to do a party

11th March 2011

Fifty years on, Lady Elizabeth Anson’s party planning business remains an A-list choice, and no wonder. As Helena Frith Powell learns, the down-to-earth aristocrat, who is in the UAE to organize the Rolls-Royce Ball, is organised, animated and full of …

Soak up the spring in Switzerland

10th March 2011

With its designer spa and pretty Alpine setting, the Tschuggen Grand Hotel in the scenic resort town of Arosa is the perfect place for a rejuvenating break, says Helena Frith Powell   A few hours into our Swiss holiday and I am beginning to feel l …

The Instant Expert: George Eliot

8th December 2010

Float through any social event with M’s fast facts. This week Helena Frith Powell tells us more about George Eliot, the English feminist author who died on December 22, 1880 WHO IS HE? Er, I think you mean, who is she? George Eliot is the pen name of t …

A spiritual journey to Islam

8th December 2010

As Christians around the world celebrate one of the holiest days of their year we talk to three western women who have embraced Islam and how it has given them a fresh perspective on life. As Christians around the world celebrate one of the holiest day …

Directions aren’t my strong suit

8th November 2010

There are only three roads out of Abu Dhabi. How hard can it be?” I told my husband and ferals happily as we left home one Friday morning aiming for the seaside town of Mirfa in Al Gharbia. “I think we head towards Mussafah and then we’ll see the road. …

Taking a leap of faith at Aquaventure

8th November 2010

A day out with children at the Aquaventure water park at the Atlantis hotel in Dubai requires more than one leap of faith The first, and best-known ride, is the Leap of Faith water slide that involves climbing to the top of a ziggurat and launching you …

Life Lessons: Ronald Perlwitz

8th November 2010

Ronald Perlwitz, 39, is the director of studies for international languages and business, at the Paris-Sorbonne University, Abu Dhabi. Originally from Germany, he has lived in the capital for four years. He also gives the pre-concert talks at the Abu D …

Life Lessons: Dr Jamal R Saadah

8th November 2010

Dr Jamal R Saadah is a consultant physician at the department of emergency medicine, Mafraq Hospital. Originally from the West Bank city of Ramallah, he is a US citizen and has been living in Abu Dhabi for a year, prior to which he lived in Dubai. …

Life Lessons: Ali F Mostafa

16th October 2010

Ali F Mostafa, 29, was born in London and grew up in Dubai. A writer, producer and director, he made short films before his 2009 feature debut, City Of Life, broke box office records for an Emirati movie. He is now working on a new UAE-based film. No o …

The Instant Expert: Christian Dior

8th October 2010

The life and times of the French fashion designer and founder of one of the world’s top fashion houses THE BASICS The French fashion designer and founder of one of the world’s top fashion houses, Christian Dior, was born in 1905 in Granville, a seaside …

Janes on the wane

13th September 2010

The expat ladies who lunch are feeling the credit crunch. With ‘hubbies’ losing their jobs, these women face losing their privileged lifestyles. Helena Frith Powell goes looking in the old haunts for the last of this endangered species.   Never mi …

Cranking up the volume

8th September 2010

A flourishing literary scene and a revolution in the way books are published have awakened the world to Egyptian writing. Helena Frith Powell goes to Cairo to meet Hamdy el Gazzar, one of the many young Arab authors riding on the crest of the wave. Wal …

More than a soupçon of success

13th August 2010

The French designer Agnès b has one film company, two art galleries, over 200 shops and 2,000 employees. But, she tellsHelena Frith Powell, her international triumphs are merely a means to more compassionate ends. Agnès b is wearing green. I am surpris …

Swimming with sharks and ferals

8th August 2010

Sometimes when travelling with your children they ask questions that make you truly proud. This was not such an occasion. Helena Frith Powell visits Atlantis with her family Sometimes when travelling with your children they ask questions that make you …

Children in charge at KidZania

8th August 2010

We decided to let the ferals loose on KidZania for a day at Dubai Mall while we browsed around the bookshop and had a long lunch ‘One of the things about travelling with kids,” said my husband, “is that once in a while you’ve just got to get rid of the …

Scuderia 250 Supercar Club

13th July 2010

  Helena Frith Powell tests the Scuderia 250 Supercar Club, the first and only high-end sports car club in the Middle East WHAT WE TRIED: The first and only high-end sports car club in the Middle East. For info, email info@scudiera-250.com or visi …

Designs from the heart

13th March 2010

Charming personal embroideries by rural Pakistani women that now adorn chic handbags and purses will be on display at Al Bastakiya Art Fair in Dubai. Helena Frith Powell reports. The embroidery is flawless and the image charming. It is of a little girl …

The labour of love

14th February 2010

Finding a partner for life is a formidable task. But help is at hand, whether from your closest relatives, singles groups or even the Merchant of Marriage.   He calls himself Dubai’s celebrity matchmaker, the one and only “Merchant of Marriage”. W …

Amit Chaudhuri: ties that bind

8th February 2010

Amit Chaudhuri has earned acclaim for his novels about family and belonging. Helena Frith Powell visits him in his home base of Kolkata, the focus of his next work. Amit Chaudhuri does not much like travelling. He finds the day before he is set to leav …

Life Lessons: Ria Haffar

6th February 2010

Ria Haffar is an interior designer turned yoga teacher. She is half-Lebanese and half-Czech and has lived in Abu Dhabi for 14 years with her daughter Iona. 1. Live life without expectations. This is the most important thing I have learnt. If you expect …

The princess who works hard for her money

13th December 2009

Princess Michael of Kent has several jobs, including author and gallery representative. Helena Frith Powell meets her in Abu Dhabi to talk art, family and trial by tabloid. Princess Michael of Kent has an eye for art. “I studied art history,” she says …

Melting the ice

13th November 2009

Helena Frith Powell meets Henning Mankell, the Swedish crime writer, ahead of his visit to the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair and explains what lies beyond doom and gloom that characterise his books. The Swedish language consists of a relatively sma …

The best of both worlds

13th November 2009

Thirty years ago, women in the UAE would have hardly left their homes. Times have changed. Helena Frith Powell meets some of the women making the most of both their careers and family life in a careful balance between opportunity and tradition. The thi …

Rebel with a cause

17th October 2009

Imprisoned, exiled and accused of blasphemy, Nawal el Saadawi’s fighting words have for decades polarised opinion in her Egyptian homeland. Helena Frith Powell talks to the writer about a lifetime spent pressing for equality and pushing the traditional …

Fine designs

13th August 2009

In a rare interview, Dolce and Gabbana speak to Helena Frith Powell about their pursuits of perfection and the ‘real women’ they design for   Fashion duo Dolce and Gabbana, possibly the most famous ever, has been making stars look like stars for o …

On the road back home

13th August 2009

The National Rehabilitation Centre offers those with drug and alcohol problems a chance to transform their lives. Helena Frith Powell reports on how a new facility is helping the fight against addiction in the UAE. Hidden away behind a bakery somewhere …

Pre-teen preening

13th July 2009

Businesses offering to make you look your best are more popular than ever, but, how young is too young to enter into salon culture? By Helena Frith Powell   My stepdaughter Julia’s first visit to Abu Dhabi was a great opportunity for a manicure. N …

Shake, rattle and sway

13th April 2009

There is something compelling about wrapping a scarf with jingly bits around your hips – the minute you tie the knot you are overcome with an overwhelming desire to wiggle. There is something compelling about wrapping a scarf with jingly bits around yo …

French dressing

6th March 2009

While the clothes of Paris Fashion Week are the topic on every fashionista’s lips,, Helena Frith Powell explains how to get in touch with your inner Frenchwoman. There is an expression used to describe French women when they really are perfect: French …

Faking it

17th November 2008

One of these bags costs Dh2,650, the other just Dh120 – the decision should be easy. But what would a cheap imitation say about you? Helena Frith Powell reports. For three weeks Claire has been waiting to buy a new handbag. She finally gets paid and, n …

Many twists and turns for a dance

13th November 2008

Mark Twain, the American writer, was rarely at a loss for words. But the sight of a belly dancer named Little Egypt in full flow at the World’s Fair in 1893 did not just render him speechless, it led to a suspected heart attack. Thankfully for both of …

Many twists and turns for a dance

27th October 2008

Mark Twain, the American writer, was rarely at a loss for words. But the sight of a belly dancer named Little Egypt in full flow at the World’s Fair in 1893 did not just render him speechless, it led to a suspected heart attack. Thankfully for both of …

Food for thought

3rd October 2008

Can chewing really change your life? Doctor Harald Stossier thinks so. Sitting in his consulting room at the Viva Mayr clinic on the shores of Lake Wörthesee in southern Austria, he explains that just by chewing more (and making another few simple chan …

50 novels you should have read

12th March 2001

M magazine presents its list of 50 novels – some classic, some offbeat, some old, some new – that, should you devour them all, will allow you to call yourself truly well-read ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN (1884), MARK TWAIN WHY The author uses authent …

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