Thursday, April 24, 2025 | Shawwal 25, 1446 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

The beauty of conscious celebration

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As Ramadhan draws to a close, a quiet sense of anticipation settles over our homes and hearts. These final days invite more than routine reflection. They call us inward, gently asking us to reconsider what truly holds value as we prepare for Eid. Across Oman, the familiar scenes unfold. Homes are polished, tables are set and gifts are chosen with care. It is a season rooted in joy and generosity, but also an opportunity to reimagine how we celebrate.


This time of year often invites abundance. New garments, shared feasts and meaningful gifts fill the days leading up to Eid. And while these traditions bring connection and delight, I find myself returning to a simple question. What does luxury mean today?


One evening after Iftar, I wandered through Muttrah Souq. The alleyways glowed under soft golden light and the scent of oud and frankincense drifted through the night air. Stalls were alive with colours and crafts. Silver ornaments, embroidered fabrics and delicate perfumes surrounded me. It was deeply familiar and full of memory. But as I walked, I felt something shift. Amid the beauty, I sensed the weight of excess. I was not drawn to buy, but to reflect. Celebration and consumption had begun to blur. And in that quiet moment, I wondered if we could reclaim one without being overwhelmed by the other.


Luxury, as the world once defined it, feels increasingly distant. It is no longer about accumulation or status. Today, I see luxury as something more considered. It lives in the thoughtful decisions we make, in the integrity of how things are made and in the intention behind why we choose them. True luxury carries meaning. It is rooted in care.


Ramadhan teaches us to pause. It asks us to recalibrate. To consume less, give more and live with empathy. These lessons do not need to end when the crescent moon appears. They can flow into the ways we shop, gift and gather. When we extend the spirit of Ramadhan into our celebrations, luxury becomes less about possession and more about presence.


During my recent collaboration with Swiss watchmaker ID Genève, I saw what this evolution could look like in practice. Their commitment to circular design and use of recycled materials did more than challenge industry standards. It affirmed something I had long felt. Sustainability, when woven into craftsmanship, becomes a form of elegance in itself. The watch was not just an object. It was a reflection of values. A product of conviction and intention.


As Eid approaches, this mindset can shape how we honour our traditions. We can choose gifts that are made to last. We can support those who create with purpose and respect for their craft. We can dress not only to impress, but to reflect what we value most. In these choices, celebration becomes an extension of meaning, not a moment of excess. In Oman, we have always known how to pair beauty with depth. Our heritage speaks through handwoven fabrics, natural fragrances and silver shaped by memory. These are not trends to follow. They are truths we have carried all along, passed quietly from one generation to the next.


A conscious celebration does not ask us to hold back. It invites us to be more intentional. To infuse our joy with meaning and our gatherings with grace. When we celebrate with thoughtfulness and presence, we do not lessen Eid. We enrich it. And in that quiet richness, we find a kind of luxury that is not fleeting. It stays with us.


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