Latest news with #Maalouf
Express Tribune
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Grammy winner Arooj Aftab is set to take over BBC Proms
Grammy-winning Pakistani-American singer Arooj Aftab is set to make her BBC Proms debut this summer in a performance at London's Royal Albert Hall. The concert, scheduled for July 29, will feature orchestral arrangements of music from across Aftab's discography, including selections from her albums Bird Under Water (2015), Vulture Prince (2021), and Night Reign (2024). Aftab announced the concert on Instagram on Tuesday, inviting fans to join her for the event: "Listen, you have to come to BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall with me. Get tickets without thinking. We will present selected tunes, the good sh*t from Bird, Vulture Prince and Night. The great Ibrahim Maalouf will be there with his own full set the same day. I am beyond crazed for this one, and so proud and ecstatic to share this iconic experience with you." The performance will be conducted by Jules Buckley, known for his work bridging contemporary music and classical performance. The BBC Symphony Orchestra will provide the symphonic foundation for Aftab's genre-defying sound, which blends jazz, folk, blues, and South Asian classical influences. Aftab will be joined on stage by her longtime collaborators: Greek bassist Petros Klampanis and American guitarist Gyan Riley. Also appearing is celebrated French-Lebanese trumpeter Maalouf, who will perform his own solo set before joining Aftab's ensemble. Known for his eclectic sound combining Latin American, Middle Eastern, and electronic influences, Maalouf describes music as "limitless", a sentiment echoed in the cross-genre spirit of the evening's lineup. The Royal Albert Hall's official programme describes Aftab as "breaking new ground with her captivating, eclectic melting-pot of influences." Her Proms debut promises a new dimension to her work, reinterpreted through full symphonic arrangements. The July 29 performance is part of the wider 2025 Proms season, which includes 86 concerts across venues in London, Gateshead, Bristol, Bradford, Belfast, and Sunderland. Also confirmed for this year's edition are performances by St Vincent, Angelique Kidjo, and one-handed pianist Nicholas McCarthy. Aftab's appearance at the Proms marks a significant milestone in her expanding international career, offering audiences a rare opportunity to hear her signature sound on an orchestral scale. Tickets are currently available via the Royal Albert Hall website.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
IHG: U.S. ‘Broadly Flat', China a Drag – But Keeps Profit Target
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) reported mixed first-quarter results Thursday, with global room revenue up over 3% but signs of weakening demand in some key markets. U.S. bookings flattened in recent weeks while those in China fell for the second straight quarter. London bookings were flat year-over-year. Marriott and Hilton recently trimmed their forecasts, but IHG said it still expected to meet its $1.25 billion profit target – it cited cost discipline and new revenue streams from credit card partnerships. Here's everything we learned from IHG's earnings report: 1) Momentum is fading in the U.S.: Revenue per available room (RevPAR) rose 3.5% in the Americas, but performance weakened as the quarter progressed. 'When we take the last 8 weeks in aggregate, RevPAR has been broadly flat,' said CFO Michael Glover. 2) Reduced government travel was a factor: CEO Elie Maalouf said this line of business represents less than 5% of revenues and dropped to 3.5% in the quarter. He added that this impact is expected to persist. 3) Summer travel could lift results: 'We already see on-the-books revenue ahead of last year for July and August,' Glover said. 4) China drag continues: Greater China's RevPAR declined 3.5% for the second consecutive quarter. 'Travel has been occurring in the same volumes as the prior year, which is reflected in the occupancy holding up, though the rate is down year-on-year,' Glover said. Performance in Tier 2-4 cities dropped 5.7%. 5) Maalouf's upbeat take: 'Things are steadying up in China.' 'The latest results we got for the May holiday, Labor Day holiday, were record travel, over 6% increase in travel from last year, over 8% increase in travel spending.' 6) EMEAA up: RevPAR rose 5% in the EMEAA [Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia] region. East Asia and the Pacific led at 6.8%, followed by the Middle East (6.2%) and Continental Europe (5.6%). 7) Maalouf linked part of that growth to Chinese travelers: 'The higher-end traveler mostly left China, and so that took some rate off, but demand was good.' He added, 'China to Asia Pacific is again up double-digit from last year, and inbound into Europe from Asia is up again." 8) Performance in the U.K. lagged: 'London within that was a small negative,' Glover said. 'Outside of London, we were slightly positive.' He noted that London's decline was primarily driven by a difference in the number of major events held in the first quarter compared to the previous year. 9) Development surges, led by conversions and Ruby Hotels: IHG opened 14,600 rooms globally in Q1, more than double the same period last year, and signed 25,800 rooms across 158 hotels, including over 5,000 from its Ruby Hotels acquisition in February. 'This level of signings was also well ahead of last year and led to a closing pipeline of 334,000 rooms [2,265 hotels], which is 9% more than a year ago,' Maalouf said. 10) Nearly 40% of signings were conversions: 'It was 30% higher in the U.S., in the Americas. It was double China... we're optimistic about good growth signings and openings in the Middle East for the rest of the year,' Maalouf said. The expansion of conversion-friendly brands like Voco, Vignette, and Garner continues to be a key part of IHG's development strategy, as Maalouf outlined earlier this year. 11) A new U.S. co-branded credit card and increased loyalty point sales are key to that outlook: 'The incremental profit on the loyalty point sales and from the new U.S. co-brand credit card agreements should add around 130 basis points to our fee margin expansion,' Glover said. He also noted cost discipline: 'We grew fee revenue by 6% last year with overhead costs only growing at 1%.' Maalouf said pricing remained steady and that IHG hadn't seen a shift in consumer behavior. 'We're not seeing any price resistance. Occupancy continues to be good.' He said IHG's portfolio mix makes it resilient in a choppy economy: "The upper luxury segment is pretty resilient due to the insensitivity or lack of sensitivity of people to that wealth bracket, and our mid-scale segment is resilient because of essential travel." IHG CEO Elie Maalouf will appear onstage at Skift Global Forum in September in New York City. Get breaking travel news and exclusive hotel, airline, and tourism research and insights at Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Miami Herald
07-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
The Paris Court of International Arbitration Elects Dr. John J. Maalouf as Its New President
Press Releases The Paris Court of International Arbitration Elects Dr. John J. Maalouf as Its New President The Paris Court of International Arbitration is pleased to announce that Dr. John J. Maalouf, Senior Partner of the Wall Street law firm Maalouf Ashford & Talbot, LLP, has been elected as the new President of the Court. President of the Court, Dr. John J. Maalouf The PCIA Board of Directors issued the following statement: "We are delighted to announce that Dr. Maalouf has agreed to serve as the PCIA's new President. John is one of the world's leading authorities on international arbitration with over thirty (30) years of experience in the field, both as an attorney and as an arbitrator, and he brings to the PCIA not only a wealth of experience and knowledge, but also unparalleled leadership abilities". Dr. Maalouf said on his appointment: "I'm honored to have been elected to serve as President of the Paris Court of International Arbitration, of one of the world's most respected and prestigious centers for global dispute resolution. The PCIA's Roster of Arbitrators includes many of the world's leading experts in the field of international arbitration, and I'm looking forward to working closely with each of them". About the Paris Court of International Arbitration The Paris Court of International Arbitration is one of the world's leading institutions for global commercial dispute resolution. The PCIA provides efficient, flexible and impartial administration of arbitration and other ADR proceedings, regardless of location, and under any system of law. PCIA arbitrators deliver effective, timely and cost-effective resolution of disputes, so that companies can get back to doing what they do best, running their businesses. For additional information, please visit About Dr. John J. Maalouf The President of the Court, Dr. John J. Maalouf, is Senior Partner of the Wall Street law firm Maalouf Ashford & Talbot, LLP, and is a globally recognized expert in the areas of International Trade & Finance Law, International Arbitration & Litigation, Banking Law, Corporate Law, Business Law, Oil & Gas Law, Shipping & Maritime Law, Mining Law and Mergers & Acquisitions. Dr. Maalouf has been ranked as one of the Top 10 International Trade & Finance Lawyers in the United States for the past 19 consecutive years by the United States Lawyer Rankings, 2006 - 2025 Editions, being named to the No. 1 position for the past eight (8) successive years. Dr. Maalouf was first admitted to the Bar in 1993. He has over 30 years of experience representing clients in connection with large cross-border disputes as an attorney, and over 20 years of experience resolving complex international commercial disputes as an arbitrator. In addition, Dr. Maalouf is a member of MENSA, the International High IQ Society. Media Contact admin@ SOURCE: Paris Court of International Arbitration
Mid East Info
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Mid East Info
Musical Debut: Amanda Maalouf Unveils Signature Song
In a performance that blended emotion, elegance, and East-West harmony, Lebanese-French singer Amanda Maalouf on Wednesday gave a select UAE audience a stirring preview of the upcoming musical Once Upon A Time in Dubai , set to premiere in December 2025. The exclusive showcase featured Maalouf performing 'Habibi,' one of the show's signature numbers, at an invite-only preview attended by media, partners, and cultural stakeholders. The song—a poignant blend of Arabic influences and Western theatrical arrangement—earned enthusiastic applause, offering a glimpse of what producers are calling 'a new kind of musical for a new Dubai.' 'Dubai is more than a setting—it's a character in this story,' said Stéphane Boukris, co-producer of the musical. 'This project is about cultural unity, artistic innovation, and shining a spotlight on a new generation redefining identity in the Middle East. We're proud to bring this bridge between France and the UAE to life.' For Maalouf, whose performance marked the first public taste of the show, the moment was deeply personal. ' Habibi is a song that speaks from the heart—it's a journey through love, self-expression, and identity,' she told reporters after the performance. 'Performing it here in Dubai, where East and West meet so beautifully, is a dream. This is just the beginning [of great things together].' The team behind Once Upon A Time in Dubai says the musical is more than entertainment—it's a cultural project designed to showcase Dubai as a city of stories, voices, and future-forward artistry. The production is backed by Universal Music and features a cast and crew with international credentials, with more previews and announcements expected soon. A collaboration between a visionary French team and Universal Music, the musical tells the story of a young generation rising in the heart of Dubai, navigating identity, ambition, and tradition in a rapidly changing world. With original compositions by renowned composer Nazim Khaled and set against the backdrop of the UAE's global crossroads, the show promises to be a landmark moment for original musical theatre in the region. The story, told through original music and dance, will premiere later this year, with full production details expected to be announced over the coming months sudha
The Guardian
01-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘The grapes won't wait': Lebanese winemakers fight to survive as war rages
In September Elias Maalouf and his father were sitting in Chateau Rayak, the family winery in the Bekaa valley in Lebanon, when they decided to head home for a lunch break. Five minutes later an Israeli jet dropped a bomb on a house across the street, crushing the three-storey building and destroying much of the winery. 'If we hadn't left we would have died,' said 41-year-old Maalouf, sitting in the winery as repair workers replaced a shattered television five months later. The doors had blown in from the force of the blast and shattered glass had rained down on the table where he now sat, the wood of the furniture still pockmarked from shrapnel. An hour after the bombing, Maalouf returned to the winery and started repairs. He swept up broken bottles, some of them more than 20 years old, removed a severed foot that landed in front of his storage room and collected broken equipment in his distillery. 'All I could smell was wine. You always enjoy the smell of your own wine, but that day it was the worst smell I could imagine. It was the smell of my loss,' he said. Maalouf lost about 40,000 bottles and £158,600 in damages. He had to leave 60 tons of grapes to wither on the vine. An increase in fighting across the Lebanese border between Hezbollah and Israel started on 8 October 2023, after the Iran-backed group had launched missiles into Israel 'in solidarity' with Palestinians following the 7 October Hamas-led attack and the start of Israeli bombing of Gaza, kicking off 13 months of war. So far, the fighting has left more than 3,900 people dead in Lebanon, displaced more than 1million people and left parts of the south, the Bekaa valley and the capital, Beirut, in ruins. For Lebanon's winemakers, the war has been catastrophic. The country's wine industry is one of the oldest in the world and produced 7m bottles a year before the war, including the famous Chateau Musar. But it relies heavily on tourism, with many of the small boutique vineyards that have popped up in the last 15 years dependent on visitors and events for their livelihoods. Maalouf has little hope of receiving compensation from Hezbollah, which promised funding to those affected by the war but, as an Islamist group, would not fund the reconstruction of a winery. Unknown to him, the building Maalouf had seen across the street was a Hezbollah drone production facility, a prime target for Israel. It is not the first time that war has interrupted Maalouf's winemaking. The same land whose rich soil suffused his wine with flavour and the same country whose rich history inspired his craft had, at times, also jeopardised it. His family history is intertwined with the grapevines that they have cultivated for more than five generations in Rayak. His wines reflect that history: one is named Station after the Ottoman-era railway station that used to be in Rayak, another is titled The Good Old Days', bearing the pictures of Rayak's 1950s cinema on the bottle. That history was interrupted only once before, during Lebanon's 15-year civil war which plunged the country's many sects into a cycle of retaliatory violence. Maalouf returned to Lebanon and resumed work at the winery in 1997, with the guidance of his 92-year-old grandfather. Despite the danger, Maalouf was determined not to allow his family's wine to stop flowing for a second time. 'I'm here to stay,' he said. 'When you see your winery, your dreams broken, then you know you can't give up.' Roland Abou-Khater, who runs Coteaux du Liban in the city of Zahle in the Bekaa valley, also refused to let the war stop him from producing wine. In recent months, when he heard the bombing stop, he would raise a white flag on his truck, race to the vineyard, and begin to harvest. He transported the grapes in trucks which had their roofs removed, so that Israeli drones could see that the vehicles posed no threat – a trick he had learned from his father in the 2006 Lebanon-Israel war. 'He used to tell me that the grapes will never wait for the war to end, and that we couldn't just leave the grapes on the vine,' said 29-year-old Abou-Khater, who runs the vineyard along with his wife, Tamara Gebara. The vineyard produces about 150,000 bottles a year, mainly for export to Europe. Although both Abou-Khater and Gebara were trained in winemaking techniques in France, they insist on using grape varieties indigenous to Lebanon. Their bottle of 2024 Obaideh, named for the eponymous Lebanese white grape variety, reflects the hard ground it is grown in – the minerality of the wine a product of the high limestone content of the Bekaa's soil. Sign up to Observed Analysis and opinion on the week's news and culture brought to you by the best Observer writers after newsletter promotion Despite their best efforts, they still lost 30 tons of grapes. They were unable to bottle some of their wines on schedule during the war, as they had a shortage of imported corks. Air freight was stopped along with all other flights to Lebanon, with the exception of the national carrier. 'We had to ferment without knowing if we could ever sell. The grapes would not wait, the wine will not wait,' said 33-year-old Gebara. In south Lebanon, closer to the border with Israel, winemakers had to contend with widespread environmental destruction. Up to 2,192 hectres (5,414 acres) of vines were burned by Israeli munitions, tens of thousands of olive trees were razed and thousands of livestock killed, according to the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research. In addition, environmentalists fear that the widespread use in south Lebanon of white phosphorus munitions, which produce a thick, toxic smoke, will have a long-lasting effect on the environment. The sticky, black tar-like remnants of the munition can can reignite upon exposure to oxygen. In a study, Lebanon's ministry of environment found elevated levels of heavy metals and 900 times the amount of phosphorus in soil hit by artillery and white phosphorus bombs. Scientists are still testing the soil in south Lebanon to see if there are any long-term effects that could pose a danger to public health and agriculture. Although their Les Vignes du Marje vineyard was not directly hit by any Israeli bombs, Carol Tayyar Khoury and her husband Imad Khoury did not use any of the grapes from their plot in Marjeyoun, a town 8km from the Lebanon-Israel border. 'None of the land was hit by white phosphorus but just in case, we didn't use any grapes from Marjeyoun, because we were afraid of people asking if white phosphorus affected the wines,' said Carol. To protect their wine from being shaken in their tanks from nearby bombardments, the Khourys transferred the liquid to a second location away from the border in July 2024. The bottles had to be transported very slowly under cover of darkness, as exposing them to sunlight and shaking could spoil the contents. Israel and Hezbollah were more active in bombing at night, so the journey was not without its risks. Keeping the wine still throughout the journey meant that they had to drive painstakingly slowly, turning what should have been a two-hour journey into more than four hours, as the threat of bombardment loomed overhead. 'This was the longest night of my life,' Khoury said. With the war over after a ceasefire in November and a partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from south Lebanon, Lebanese winemakers are rebuilding and looking forward to better days. Maalouf is already working on a new bottle of wine, named Juliana, after his wife, who he proposed to in the first 10 minutes after meeting. The bottle will be his latest volume on the history of his family and the town they come from, the loves they have had and the wars they have seen, all told through the wine they drink.
