Including the best spots for a dance and how to grow your Instagram.
In a city like Dubai that’s always packed with new openings, it can be hard to know exactly where is worth booking a table. You need to get the inside word.
Enter Hadia Ghaleb. The 24-year-old Dubai woman has over 907,000 Instagram followers, and she’s one of the stars of the soon-to-air reality show My Fabulous M.E. We’re thinking she knows her way around the city, so we got her top picks for everything from a night out to a new pair of shoes.
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For a weekend breakfast
“I like Tom & Serg [in Al Quoz] and Eggspectation in JBR,” Ghaleb says. “With Tom & Serg, I love the vibe. They’ve always got exotic, healthy options, but then they have the French toast too.”
“And Eggspectation is always better than the time before,” she says. We’d have to agree – both spots have reputation for fresh ingredients and great service.
For a weeknight dinner
La Petite Maison is a favourite, Ghaleb says, but you’ll also often spot her at Zuma in DIFC on a Tuesday night.
“I like that you can go for a full dinner or sit up at the bar and have something small or a drink,” she says. “I don’t drink but my friends do, so it’s convenient for both.”
For a good blow-out
Ghaleb mostly does her own hair for every day, but if she has a special event and wants to mix it up, she’ll call Blow Out & Go.
For cuts, she goes to La Roche Salon.
For a new outfit
“I work a lot with designers and PR agencies so if I have an event or a shoot I collaborate with them,” Ghaleb says, which sounds lovely. Of course, she’s not above a wander through one of the city’s malls. Ghaleb has a particular fondness for Level Shoes in The Dubai Mall.
Apart from that, it’s just about what catches her eye, Ghaleb says.
“If I see something in a window and I like it, I’ll go in. It doesn’t have to be a brand.”
One favourite local designer? Madiyah al Sharqi.
“I love her,” Ghaleb says. “It’s very unique and sleek and also conservative… My skin doesn’t have to show but I can still look unique.”
“Her styles are very refined.
For a night out
“Usually I like to go dance whenever I can to let off some steam,” Ghaleb says. “I like Stereo Arcade, or Base, or sometimes White Dubai.”
Ghaleb likes Stereo Arcade for its easygoing vibe.
“It’s very casual, I like that I can go without needing to get all dressed up,” she says.
As for the big outdoor super clubs, as a non-smoker, Ghaleb likes the fresh air.
“I don’t have to smell the smoke [since it’s open air], I love dancing where you can feel the wind,” she says.
How to grow your Instagram
It’s about working smarter, Ghaleb says. Here are her top tips.
“Be consistent. You need to post every day.”
“Keep up with the trending locations – agencies will be looking at those tags. Go to the events if you can.”
“If an event has a hashtag, use that as well as tagging to the location. Tags like #love, #friends and so on are irrelevant.”
“Try to be active across multiple platforms so your following on one can find the others.”
My Fabulous M.E. is an E! Channel production which debuts on December 26 at 10pm on OSN and Wavo.
Images: Instagram
