Forever honest, one thing about Ebraheem Al Samadi stays consistent through any medium, his endless transparency.
With the joint launch of yet another business endeavour and the new woman in his life, it’s safe to say the Dubai Bling star has had a big year. GRAZIA sits down with the successful entrepreneur and reality TV star for an open conversation on the recent happenings in his life.
From his unapologetic fashion choices to his decision to keep his marriage private, to his controversial new cafe. Ebraheem didn’t shy away from any of our questions.
Ebraheem Al Samadi On Marriage, Business And More
He instantly smiles the moment we mention his new wife Hamda Al Hamly, and what life with her has been like. “It has ups and downs, its plus and minuses, like every relationship,” he explains. “A lot of people ask me, ‘Why didn’t we get to see her in Dubai Bling?’, and what people don’t understand is that in this part of the world, there are a lot of families who are very conservative.”
It’s true that the marriage created quite a buzz across social media. And while the snippets of the wedding on Dubai Bling season 2 were simply mesmerising, it left the fans wanting more. “It’s actually what made me attracted to her,” he says about his wife’s modest values. “Being on social media I’m amongst influencers who are always out there, and when I see someone who that doesn’t mean anything to, it seems like this person doesn’t care about all these materialistic things, she doesn’t care about showing the world what she’s got.”
“I have something special,” he concludes.
However, he does add that if Hamda decides to venture into social media, “with some limitations, of course,” he would be in support of her. Maybe the Dubai Bling fans have something to look forward to after all.
The Besties Cafe Launch
As well as his personal life, it’s been an exciting year for Ebraheem business-wise, too. He officially opened a new venture with best friend and fellow Dubai Bling co-star Danya Mohammed.
“Besties Cafe actually happened,” he laughs, as if he’s just as excited as we are. What stirred up considerable drama this season was the joint project of opening a cafe with Danya. “It’s not just two best friends, it’s also a male and a female,” he starts. And while DJ Bliss, Danya’s partner, and his wife both felt comfortable in the business partnership, there were still some risks.
“I understand the controversy,” he begins, “but me and Danya were very clear about the rules of this partnership.”
“If any issues happen whatsoever we will sell the business. We must remain as friends,” he says, so matter of factly you forget he’s talking about an entire company. “Written in fine print, actually ingrained into the contract is a plan to transfer ownership of the cafe if it starts to jeopardise the friendship. “It’s also part of our practice as Muslims, we write things down so that we don’t have issues in the future.” He confirms that above all, what he prioritises in this endeavour is his longstanding friendship with his costar, even at the cost of a sure-to-be-successful business.
The Bold Fashion King
Unapologetic in his personality and fashion, Ebraheem has made some noise with his Dubai Bling outfits. In a scene with his mum, we see him with his head in her lap and they reflect on some of the negative comments he had to overcome his school days. From his fashion choices to his bold personality, everything about Ebraheem is a testament to his unyielding authenticity. “When I saw the first season and how everyone was bringing fashion, I saw that it was competitive, so in season 2 I bring it.”
From vibrant vintage Dolce & Gabbana tops to shorts that didn’t get rave reviews from his father, he was consistently bold. “There’s nothing I won’t wear,” he told his team before the season commenced. “Dubai Bling is also about fashion because people want to know what’s Ebraheem’s style, what’s Safa’s style,” he lists. “It’s funny, because everyone always has something to say about someone’s style, because everyone has different taste.”
Thoughts on the Gaza devastation
“It definitely changed me as a human being,” he says during his sit-down with GRAZIA on the Gaza devastation.
Though he doesn’t speak on politics, he does speak about humanity, and as the death toll surpasses 20,000 in Gaza, raising awareness is as important as ever. “Being an Arab, it was my duty to speak out,” he says about the initial stance in support of Gaza, even flying to London to stand in solidarity with Palestine. “In the past 55 days I haven’t had proper sleep because of this, I haven’t spent that much money either, because every time I go to buy something, I ask myself is it really necessary?”
“I just pray to God that things get better and the world wakes up from this nightmare,” he breathes. A statement of faith and strength as from Ebraheem Al Samadi, as he holds out hope for a better tomorrow.
