Esquire Saudi – the first international men’s title in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – revealed its debut cover across its social channels ahead of its March 2021 launch. The cover features Saudi music artist Hamza Hawsawi – who poses with his arms outstretched, basking in the glory of NEOM – a $500 billion city being built as a part of Saudi’s Vision 2030 initiative.
The launch of the new Saudi title will also go hand in hand with a series of “exclusive private events” that will occur throughout the year – including dinners and fashion workshops moderated by global experts.
With its enhanced focus on supporting Saudi creative talent, Vision 3030 has given Esquire Saudi the opportunity to lead the Kingdom’s fashion and luxury industries to a bright new chapter through its quarterly publications.
Esquire GCC’s Editor-in-Chief Matthew Baxter-Priest shares his thoughts on the magazine’s debut:
“With a new edition dedicated to the Kingdom we are humbled and honoured to be able to help tell its stories and champion its people. It is an honour to be able to play a part in such a historic moment—not just for Esquire, but for culture in Saudi and beyond. With your help, we promise to tell the stories from the inside out; to raise voices that need to be heard; to celebrate talent that needs to be seen; and to support changes that need to occur
At Esquire we speak to those who are accomplished, but remain ambitious; for those who want their content to be sharp, witty, intelligent and relevant; and for those who want to work together to make sense of this new world and change it for the better. Because right now the future is all of all of ours, and together we can reach some pretty remarkable milestones”.
In an interview with Esquire Saudi, Hawsawi reveals that singing R&B in English has helped him stand out in the Kingdom:
“I’d say that it actually helped make my career. Being from Saudi and singing in a genre that isn’t mainstream in a minority language—I think it made me stand out”.
A music revolutionary in his own right – Hawsawi – who also won X Factor Middle East in 2015 – is a perfect fit for Esquire Saudi’s debut cover.
Moreover, NEOM – which is being designed to reduce the Kingdom’s dependence on oil and to diversify its economy – also fits the debut cover’s narrative of pioneering new beginnings.