Mr. Gordon Ramsay opted to take his culinary empire beyond the boundaries of the UK. Since Dubai was becoming one of the world’s luxury and fine dining destinations fast, he found it fit to settle there. Verre was the result — one of his fine dining houses that tried to bring together Ramsay’s passion for food with the elegance of Dubai’s fast-emerging culinary scene. Verre became a symbol of his global ambitions and changed the gastronomic landscape of Dubai, bringing gourmands from every corner of the globe onto these shores within ten successive years, between 2001 and 2011.

A Heritage Venture for Fine Dining in Dubai When Dubai Creek Hilton’s trademarked doors opened to Verre in 2001, it was a first time that a world-renowned celebrity chef from Western Europe dared to venture into the fast-growing hospitality hub of Dubai. Having already blazed a trail of angry expression and Michelin-starred restaurants, Gordon Ramsay pushed the boundaries a step further by opening Verre as his first restaurant outside the United Kingdom. He was one of the few leading lights in the evolution of Dubai’s then-emerging culinary world, setting the scene for Gary Rhodes, Michel Rostang, and Marco Pierre White, who would all tread the same path. Actually, Verre means “glass” in French. It is supposed to be a reflection of a form of sophistication of simplicity. Initially, it could accommodate 70 diners but it was downsized to 55 so that the experience will be somewhat exclusive. The design was sleek, created by a major architect, Carlos Ott, though Ramsay and his team are not sparing words about the wooden floors and general lack of soft furnishing on the ambiance of the place. However, despite this, Verre’s launch was highly anticipated and became one of Dubai’s most-debated dining destinations quickly.

On Verre, it was much more than just a platform where Gordon Ramsay showcased his culinary skills in its form; it was a launching ground for the development of now-famous chefs Angela Hartnett and Jason Atherton. Hartnett acted as the first head chef of the restaurant in its pioneering stage and greatly contributed to establishing the credibility of Verre in its initial years. Was an oeuvre of modern European cuisine destined to attract rave reviews during a year spent at Verre, leading her to return to London to open her own restaurant, Angela Hartnett at The Connaught, where she claimed her first Michelin star. She was replaced by Jason Atherton, who had performed the same position under Hartnett and was installed as head chef at Verre. Atherton continued to hone his skills under those auspices and eventually returned to London to become maestro de casa in Ramsay’s Maze, which he also won a Michelin star for. Both Hartnett and Atherton did well at Verre under their leadership.

Verre, which enjoyed all its current accolades, was struggling with retention. Its biggest problem was staff retention. He brought many of his UK-based staff over to Dubai for Verre, but on Hilton-based wages, and this did not sit too well with them. So he introduced a top-up system that made the salaries accordingly accustomed, which proved to be almost worse than the disease when international travel and fine dining bookings plummeted in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. Later, Ramsay admitted that such financial complements had stretched the profitability of the restaurant at its early years.

The management agreement that was created between Ramsay and Hilton also turned out to be problematic. Ramsay received a percent of the collection that the restaurant made along with a signing amount while Hilton controlled the décor and the employees that operated the restaurant, creating difficulty for Ramsay to exercise any influence in the restaurant. Eventually, after so many negotiations, the salary structure was altered which helped Ramsay to stop making top-up payments to his staff and thereby smoothened the operations of the business.

Nothing seemed to deter Verre’s progress, and 2010 saw it declared as the “Best Restaurant in the Middle East.” The restaurant went under renovation the same year with a chef’s table to increase exclusivity. When all was said and done, Verre began to stand for luxury fine dining in Dubai in a way that foodies from all over flocked to it for a taste of high-quality gastronomy. The restaurant lease expired in 2011 after ten successful years of operations. Ramsay decided not to renew but to pull out of many of his overseas ventures. Rumors had gone round that Ramsay would open a new restaurant in one of Dubai’s hot locations, but that never came to be. By October 28, 2011, Verre closed shop, ending the ten years of Ramsay at Hilton Dubai Creek.

Long since it closed, Verre still is a reminder as the pioneer of fine dining in Dubai. For sure, it established cosmopolitan Dubai as one of the best leaders on the international culinary scene. Foodies and Ramsay fans should find an unforgettable page in the history of gastronomy in Dubai with Verre.

Salama Mohamed is but one of the influential faces rising to prominence in the social media arena of Dubai. She captured the hearts of millions and made them enjoy her pleasure and gusto, making them go viral and beyond even the remotest areas of their reach. She is married to Khalid Al Ameri, who is a popular social media personality known for his funny, family-related videos. Together, they form a formidable duo that brings laughter and joy to millions of viewers. Beyond the comedy, however, Salama is building a legacy – that of a content creator as well as a skincare entrepreneur.

Salama’s journey to stardom was not linear. Suffice it to say living with vitiligo is its own challenge – losing pigment patches of the skin. However, instead of letting the condition rob her of opportunity, Salama started embracing what makes her unique and inspiring others who face similar challenges. She quickly proved to be an inspiration towards self-acceptance as well as confidence, wherein a wide audience went about noticing and viewing her. Initially, she joined Khalid’s funny videos, through which charming and relatable personality immediately became a favorite among fans. She was seen to be warm, humorous and authentic. Along with rising popularity, she ventured into other kinds of content-areas where she expressed her views on beauty, fashion, family, and life with the skin condition of vitiligo.

Sensitive skin bothered her, and from that experience, Salama developed a more important goal: creating a skincare line for sensitive skin. In 2021, she established Peacefull, a tailor-made skincare for sensitive skin. The brand was born out of Salama’s personal experiences as a child growing up in the UAE. She recalls that scorching weather would always exacerbate her skin condition. Therefore, she sought to bring forth gentle yet efficient and natural products to address the challenges of sensitive skin. In line with this, Salama’s product line reflects her valuable insight into skincare needs. The fact that the brand shunned artificial fragrances or hard chemicals branded it a clean slate in the market as consumers increasingly look for gentleness in skincare. From serums to moisturizers, Peacefull is the brand most sought by sensitive users, and Salama has since become an individual propagating the cultivation of inclusiveness within beauty standards.

In a world where beauty standards remain fixed, Salama Mohamed has come to represent the talking point for those who live with skin conditions. Through her social media presence, she continues to speak out for messages of self-love, body positivity, and embracing one’s individuality. It can be felt in her beauty routines, heartfelt reflections, or fun moments with family. No matter the seriousness or light-heartedness of Salama’s material, her content is always a breath of fresh air because it resonates with the followers who can feel the honesty that comes with authenticity. Her becoming an influencer on social media did not just happen because of entertaining content but also because of her honest vulnerabilities. Salama has already begun opening up about the journey with this condition as she breaks down barriers, normalizing conversation about differences of skin and inspiring people to be proud of their unique beauty.

Salama’s content is much more than just beauty. The lady often shares vlogs that show her family’s travels. The videos depict the adventurous spirit of Salama and how she loves new culture and destination. Through these experiences, she underlines the importance of family and how to enjoy the world with them.

Amira Nature Foods Ltd is a global company headquartered in Dubai, UAE. The firm sells premium basmati rice as well as other related products and has international subsidiaries in India, Germany, the United States and Canada. It is known for its high quality of basmati rice, produced from the foot of the Himalayas, aged almost for a year to taste, and sold across the international chain of retail and wholesale.

Amira came with its IPO in the year 2012, and it is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, marking a long journey, while some financial dilemmas made it delist in the year 2020, but this company is still up in the global markets.

It was established by B.D. Chanana in the year 1915 under the name Nav Bharat as a small trading house in India, while trading locally grown beans. The company continues operations under the mantle of Karam Chanana, son of B.D. Chanana, in shaping its vision into the global market. Third generation, Anil Chanana, has renamed the company into “Amira,” which meant export premium basmati rice to international markets and set in 1968. Under the wing of Karan A. Chanana, the current chairman and fourth-generation leader of the company, Amira Nature Foods extended its brand all over the world and exported rice and other food products to more than 60 countries. In 2013, the company acquired Germany-based Basmati Rice GmbH, marking its very first acquisition-a significant move on the way to consolidating its position in Europe.

Amira Nature Foods hasn’t exempted itself from failure. In 2018, it experienced financial problems as it recognized a $134 million impairment because of the decreased quality of the rice stored. This was just the beginning of the shake-up for Amira, which would soon follow with its major debt restructuring. One severe consequence happened in November 2018 when Amira reduced its ownership in its Indian subsidiary, Amira India to 49.8% from 80.4% under a debt restructuring deal. This dramatically impacted the company’s financial statements, as Amira India would be recognized as a non-treatment of subsidiary; thus, the consolidated financial reports no longer accounted for it. Total assets of Amira Nature Foods Ltd shrunk to $26.2 million in 2019 from $512.8 million in 2018.

These financial issues combined with the inability of the firm to adhere to the timelines on the financial reporting fronts resulted in de-listing Amira’s shares at the New York Stock Exchange during the year 2020.  The firm, however maintains its existence and works towards revival in the international market.

Amira Nature Foods is known for producing superlative quality basmati rice, cultivated in rich soil that lies at the foot of the Himalayas. The rice undergoes one year of maturation, which deepens its taste and smell. Once cooked, Amira’s basmati rice boasts an unambiguously distinct floral and nutty fragrance, which has made the product preferred for home and restaurant use worldwide. Beyond the rice, the company products include specialty and organic rice, cooking oils, spices, flour, and wheat, barley, and legumes-a whole panoply of organic products. Products of Amira are packaged in notable metallic gold and distributed throughout the world so that they easily stand on shelves of retail outlets worldwide.

While the financial crisis and delisting by New York Stock Exchange pose significant challenges, a firm like Amira Nature Foods Ltd has persisted, mainly representing an important element in the global rice distribution industry. Here, the company is finding its way to restructure the operation and look for recovery in that market. To go back to Amira’s heritage of more than a century with promise in delivering worth products for food, I believe that such a legacy would be sustained into the future.