Harper’s Bazaar Arabia recently sat down with Janet Jackson’s mega-upgrade from J.D.,
business man Wissam Al Mana to chat about him mostly, and her a little bit. Here’s
what he had to say about Joe & Katherine’s daughter. Or his maybe his next girflriend.
Who is your dream woman: I think a man’s dream woman changes as he goes through
different stages in his life. I’m fortunate to be dating my dream woman now. Yikes.
Good thing Janet knows how to keep re-inviting herself. And buys good gifts. What is
your dream boy’s toy: Ha! That’s funny because my girlfriend [singer Janet Jackson]
just bought me the most amazing gift; a 1964 Lincoln Continental convertable with
suicide doors… and it’s in mint condition. That’s my ultimate boy’s toy. By the way,
if you were wondering how much Wissam is worth… Career in a nutshell: I work in
a family business founded by my late father over 60 years ago. Today our group
comprises over 50 companies in the Gulf region in real estate, automotive distribution,
engineering and construction, retail, food services and media, and is managed by my
two brothers and I. In 2004 I wanted to expand our retail division into luxury. Today,
our luxury division comprises of over 40 stores in the Gulf, representing brands such
as Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Hermès, Balenciaga, Chloé and Roberto Cavalli.
We have also developed two Saks Fifth Avenue department stores, one in Dubai and
the other in Bahrain, with plans to open more. How did you pick your career path:
I spent many years growing up in London where I developed an early love of fashion
and remember applying for a job at every fashion boutique on the Kings Road. At 14
I finally found a weekend job at a multi-brand store. I really enjoyed it and began to
acquire an insight into the world of retail that would prove crucial for my career…
