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From Dubai to Cannes: UAE-based stars and creators take over the 2026 red carpet
From Nadine Nassib Njeim and to Nidhi Kumar Malhotra, regional names are making their mark at this year’s Cannes Film Festival
- PUBLISHED: Wed 13 May 2026, 1:00 PM
The UAE’s presence at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival is impossible to miss this year, with Dubai-based celebrities, influencers and entrepreneurs stepping onto the French Riviera in couture, diamonds and milestone career moments.
Among the names drawing attention was Lebanese actor and beauty entrepreneur Nadine Nassib Njeim, founder and chairwoman of Nadine Njeim Beauty, who shared photos from Cannes in a dramatic black velvet gown paired with statement jewellery.
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“Not chasing the spotlight, simply walking through it,” she wrote on Instagram, adding: “Velvet nights and flashing lights”.
In another post, she described the Cannes experience as “magical”, while thanking jewellery brand Marli and stylist Maral Artinian.
Known through Arabic drama series including Al Hayba, 2020 and Salon Zahra. Beyond television, she has built a strong presence in the beauty and fashion industry through her cosmetics brand Nadine Njeim Beauty, while also becoming one of the Arab world’s most followed celebrities on social media.
Dubai-based digital creator Nidhi Kumar Malhotra also announced a major milestone ahead of the festival, revealing she would become the “first dance creator” to walk the Cannes red carpet alongside Brut India.
“On my 10th year of being NKD, this brand, the vision, the hard work,” she wrote in an emotional post shared on Saturday, May 9.
“From Dubai to India to Cannes to the World, we did it.”
In a video shared online, the creator reflected on a decade of content creation and community building. “Ten years of creating, 10 years of building something from nothing,” she said. “Building a community that shows up for you after a decade is not luck. It’s work.”
Meanwhile, Lebanese television presenter Raya Abirached, best known for hosting entertainment programme Scoop with Raya and interviewing some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, appeared at the festival’s opening ceremony in a shimmering white gown styled with Cartier jewellery.
The longtime Cannes attendee shared photos from the French Riviera while celebrating her birthday, writing: “Birthday girl ready for the Opening Ceremony Carpet of this year’s Cannes Film Festival.”
The growing presence of UAE-based creators and personalities at Cannes reflects how the festival is increasingly becoming a platform not just for cinema, but for fashion, digital influence, and global brand visibility.
Waad Barakat is a Special Correspondent covering security topics, from law enforcement to local courts. With a keen eye for human interest stories, she hopes to blend it all with unique Gen Z-inspired content.