Bella Hadid attends star-studded fashion awards show in Qatar

Bella Hadid led a host of celebrities attending the Fashion Trust Arabia Prize ceremony in Doha, Qatar on Wednesday amid controversy surrounding human rights in the country. 

The model, 26, who has been vocal about social justice issues, attended the event alongside her father Mohamed Hadid.

The event comes just weeks ahead of the Qatar World Cup, with the country facing growing criticism over its treatment of women, migrant workers and LGBT people.

In recent weeks, Bella has spoken out on social media about the current protests in Iran, following the death of a young woman who died after being arrested by the morality police.

She shared several posts from human right activist and designer, Celine Semaan Vernon including her own impassioned message.

Since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was revealed, women across the Islamic Republic have been burning their hijabs, the head covering mandated by the Iranian government, and cutting their hair.

‘Our sisters are being murdered for the right to be. The right to exist in all their freedom, she wrote, ‘The freedom of choosing of their sovereignty over their own bodies. Unarmed, facing with police and their weapons. How can women make a militarized dominant majority so threatened and insecure?’

‘The control of our bodies is the same need to control our lands our earth. Patriarchy is the disease.’

Bella has also been vocal about her opinions on the geopolitical conflict between Israel and Palestine on social media in the past.

In one post, she said: ‘I feel a deep sense of pain for Palestine and for my Palestinian brothers and sisters today and everyday. watching these videos physically breaks my heart into 100 different pieces.

‘You cannot allow yourself to be desensitized to watching human life being taken. You just can’t. Palestinian lives are the lives that will help change the world. And they are being taken from us by the second. #FreePalestine.’ 

Bella wore a navy figure-hugging dress at the event which she paired with eye-catching silver earrings.

Also in attendance at the event was Poppy Delevingne who opted for a sleeveless white dress with a feathered detail along the chest and a light grey dot print.

The model cinched her waist with a gold strap while she added height to her frame with a pair of heels.

Olivia Culpo opted for a sleeveless champagne dress with a plunging neckline that highlighted her incredible figure.

The garment also featured a pleated hemline and a bejewelled embellishment while Olivia added tok her outfit with a pair of diamond earrings.

Fellow model Neelam Gill turned heads in a gold strapless gown with a cinched waist and a dramatic train.

The star also carried a dark brown handbag while she styled her raven locks into loose waves.

Ed looked dapper in a white blazer which he wore with a matching shirt, along with black trousers and bow tie, while Leomie Anderson looked incredible in a light green gown with a sheer detail and dramatic train.

Elsewhere R&B legend Janet Jackson wore a pair of black leather trousers along with a matching blazer with a sheer train. The singer also sported a chinky black belt and added height to her frame with a matching pair of boots. 

The event comes just weeks ahead of the Qatar World Cup, which has faced growing criticism over its treatment of women, migrant workers & the LGBTQ+ community. 

The decision by FIFA to hold the World Cup in Qatar has been surrounded by controversy – not least because the Arab state’s extreme summer temperatures have resulted in the tournament being pushed back to the winter for the first time in its 92-year history. 

Qatar has faced intense scrutiny of the physical and contractual conditions for hundreds of thousands of migrant workers in the tiny emirate since the World Cup hosting rights were won 12 years ago.

It is yet to be seen how much time World Cup broadcasters will spend highlighting the allegations against the Qatari government, which include 2013 claims by The Guardian that workers were denied food, water, and were stripped of their passports.

Some allege they were not paid, or if they were, the payments were minimal and long overdue. A 2019 Daily Mirror investigation found that 28,000 workers were paid roughly $1 an hour over a 48-hour week.

Most damning, The Wall Street Journal reported in 2015 that over 1,200 workers died building the infrastructure for the tournament. Last year, The Guardian put that figure at closer to 6,500.

Qatar also punishes homosexuality with imprisonment and considers men to be the guardians of their female relatives.

It also has strict laws on alcohol, drugs, public intimacy, relationships outside marriage, dress codes and swearing.

In March, FIFA president Gianni Infantino claimed Qatar has been progressive on labor rights: ‘I am pleased to see the strong commitment from the Qatari authorities to ensure the reforms are fully implemented across the labor market, leaving a lasting legacy of the FIFA World Cup long after the event, and benefiting migrant workers in the host country in the long term.’

Some campaigners have urged celebrities to boycott the World Cup, with Robbie Williams and David Beckham both coming under criticism for associating with the competition.

Robbie was recently unveiled as one of the music acts set to play at the Qatar Live concerts during a press conference in Doha.

Meanwhile, David agreed a £10million deal to become an ambassador for the country over a decade, which has resulted in him being the face of the World Cup 2022.