Balqees, the Arab world’s rising star, entertained visitors to Mall of the Emirates with her latest hits last weekend.
Mall of the Emirates, which is owned and operated by Majid Al Futtaim – the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia – hosted the award-winning Emirati singer at a public concert where she delighted the crowd with her chart-topping numbers. The concert was part of Dubai Summer Surprises programming at the mall. Fans from across the country gathered to cheer their favourite star whose playlist included the famous tunes ‘Majnoon’ and ‘Arahenkom’
The 28-year-old soprano and social media sensation, who was appointed the first UN Women’s Planet 50-50 ambassador for the Arab States Region, a role that aids Arab women and girls to reach their full potential, made her debut with the album ‘Majnoun’ in 2013 and went on to release her record-breaking second studio album ‘Zai Ma Ana’ in 2015 and more recently the album ‘Arahenkom’.
Majid Al Futtaim’s shopping malls have been delivering great moments in music hosting a total of ten international and regional stars from the likes of the formidable Jessie J, global superstar Omi and regional popstars Nancy Ajram, Elissa, Zendaya, Najwa Karam, Meriam Fares, Fayez Al Saeed, Diana Haddad, Ramy Ayach and Saad Lamjarred. The malls were the first in the region to launch the ‘fashiontainment’ concept which combines fashion and music with stars performing their most famous tracks on the catwalk.
Every year, companies spend months creating their price and promotion plans in hopes of driving better results. However, intensifying pressures from today’s increasingly competitive marketplace are causing systemic shifts in the effectiveness of the current planning process.
For many, they are finding that the best laid plans are often outdated by the time they hit the trade desk. With this, an important question emerges: Has the traditional planning process become obsolete? Many signs within the industry point to “yes.”
