Last night, the scintillating skylines of Dubai Festival City witnessed spectacular red-carpet moments as DIAFA, in its 7th edition, celebrated global and Arab achievers belonging to various fields. Known to follow a tradition of paying tribute to unconventional artists that redefined industry norms, DIAFA 2023 was dedicated to the iconic Arab cinema legend, Faten Hamama.
The glittering ceremony was organized in collaboration with the Dubai Festival City Mall, Sobha Realty, and 7 Production, along with Dubai Cares, one of Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s global initiatives that collected donations benefiting the children of Gaza and their families through the “Tarahum for Gaza” humanitarian initiative.
The Red Carpet started at 06:00 PM until 08:00 PM, Hosted by Sally Saeed, Ibrahim Ustadi and Saim Ali. The Red Carpet live TV Broadcast included a special collaboration with Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, launching the “Bazaar Spotlight” segment, hosted by image consultant Mayssa Assaf with stylist Nour Bou Ezz, and fashion designers Fatma Bou Chiba and Boudi Dib.
DIAFA 2023 had its spotlight on distinctive personalities from 18 countries with a selection of actors, singers, success stories, directors, journalists, and achieving personalities. Awardees were selected for their distinctive contribution and outstanding achievements throughout the year and lifetimes, in their respective fields. Some of this year’s honorees were Turkish actor Burak Deniz, journalist Adnan Al Kateb, Lebanese actress Maguy Bou Ghosn, Lebanese actress Pamela El Kik, Egyptian actress Nadia El Gendy, Egyptian actress Mona Zaki, Kuwaiti actress Huda Hussein, Egyptian actor Amir Karara, abstract artist Fatima Lootah, model and American actress Nargis Fakhri, Algerian rapper and singer Soolking, Indian actress and dancer Aditi Rao Hydari, Emirati film director Nayla Al Khaja, Indian actress and model Jacqueline Fernandez, Lebanese singer Carole Samaha, Moroccan singer Saad Lamjjared and Saudi actress Elham Ali, the DIAFA 2023 Falcon of the Year in Journalism Asmaa Ibrahim, Iraqi singer Mahmod Al Turky, Lebanese actor, author and director Georges Khabbaz, Pakistani singer Ali Zafar.
The star-studded evening witnessed mesmerizing live performances that kept the audiences enthralled and entertained throughout the event. While, Lebanese singer Carol Samaha crooned some soul-touching lyrics, performing the opening performance of DIAFA 2023 with her song “Oughniyat Al Toufoula” or “The Song of Childhood”; the region’s much-loved content creator and entrepreneur Noha Nabil and Virgin Radio Dubai star and ‘Dubai Bling’ fame Kris Fade kept the engagement levels high throughout the show, hosting the awards ceremony and ensuring the audiences have an unforgettable experience.
DIAFA 2023 was broadcast live on 10 TV stations and streaming platforms all over the world, in addition to the exclusive coverage on social networking site “X”.