This Week in Dubai: AIBAGULF and the Biggest Star-Studded Events

The first-ever AIBAGULF is in the books, drawing more than 100 stars to Dubai last week. A-listers were certainly busy, attending a bevy of other events as well, including the grand opening of Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s new Dubai restaurants and the Al Noor Training Centre’s Annual Gala.

AIBAGULF

Bollywood’s biggest stars graced the golden carpet at the first-ever Arab Indo Bollywood Awards (AIBAGULF) on May 29. Karan Johar and Manish Paul hosted the main event, while Neha Dhupia hosted the Golden Carpet Ceremony.

Bad boy Salmon Khan’s performance was the grand finale of the night, and he received much fanfare, although Priyanka Chopra’s appearance was the highlight of the evening. She made her grand entry into the venue perched precariously on top of a hot air balloon. She took home the AIBAGULF award for Best Actress.

Photo Credit: www.vbollywood.com

According to the Khaleej Times, Khan was supposed to make his entry via the hot air balloon. His fans left disappointed, but Chopra seized the opportunity to put the crowd in awe by taking his place on the balloon. She shared the Best Female Actress prize for her role in Mary Kom with Kangana Ranaut for her role in Queen.

Other big winners from the AIBAGULF awards included Shahid Kapoor, who took the prize for Best Male Actor for his role in Haider; PK, which won for Best Film; Kriti Sanon for Best Female Debut; and Tiger Shroff for Best Male Debut.

JEAN-GEORGES VONGERICHTEN OPENS RESTAURANT IN DUBAI

Photo Credit: Great ChefsCelebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten opened up his newest restaurants on Thursday at the Four Seasons Dubai. The world-renowned chef has restaurants all over the world where foodies savor his Mediterranean dishes and fusion of French and Asian cuisines. The Four Seasons Dubai will be the home of two dining options from Vongerichten. JG Dining Room is a fine dining restaurant, while the other, JG Kitchen, is more of a casual affair.

Photo Credit: Four Seasons DubaiThe triple Michelin-starred chef attracted a crowd of A-listers to the exclusive invite-only event, including Bollywood starlet Nargis Fakhri, who’s taken the leap to Hollywood and is starring in the film Spy. Baywatch star David Hasselhoff and Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger were also in attendance at the red carpet event, according to Gulf News. Schwarzenegger’s latest film is Maggie, in which he plays a father whose daughter is transformed into a zombie.

AL NOOR GALA DINNER

The Al Noor Training Centre for Children with Special Needs will host its annual gala dinner Friday night at the Al Johara Ballroom in Madinat Jumeirah. The event always attracts big stars and representatives from the most haute brands, like L’Oreal Middle East, which sponsored the gala last year.

The event typically attracts as many as 750 of Dubai’s biggest celebrities and personalities. Pop and R&B star Princess Bee was the organization’s international brand ambassador last year, while baseball star Tom Urquhart conducted the live auction at the event last year. This year’s live auction features a wide array of celebrity-signed items and exquisite pieces up for sale.