Jazz, cocktails and Italian flair are back! Cucina, The Palm is bringing back its much-loved Jazz & Juice Nights, starting Friday, 3rd October, where live music, Italian dining, and vibrant energy set the scene for an unforgettable night.

Every Friday and Saturday from 7pm to midnight, Cucina comes alive with a dynamic three-piece jazz trio led by award-nominated arranger and composer Rudo Pieterse on upright bass and vocals, accompanied by Jose Roman Nunez on piano and Janelle Bernado on drums. Their soulful melodies and lively rhythms fill the restaurant with energy, immersing guests in the sounds of classic jazz and the warm ambience of an Italian piazza.  

Guest can enjoy two hours of unlimited beverages for just AED 165, featuring Italian classics such as the timeless Negroni and refreshing Aperol Spritz, alongside the Hugo Spritz and the restaurant’s signature Cucina Spritz – a mix of Martini Fiero, Martini Ambrato, berry shrub, sparkling wine, and chocolate bitters. Wine lovers can also explore Cucina’s unique wines-on-tap selection and savour an impressive selection of reds, whites and rosés.

For those seeking a complete dining experience, Cucina’s a la carte menu celebrates the essence of Italy. Guests can indulge in freshly made pasta, wood-fired pizzas, and other Italian favourites, all crafted with fresh ingredients and time-honored recipes. Each dish is designed to complement the live entertainment and drinks, transporting diners to the heart of Italy for a truly immersive experience. 

With the trio’s vibrant performances, Cucina’s lively yet sophisticated ambiance, inventive drinks offering and delicious à la carte options, Cucina’s Jazz & Juice Nights deliver the perfect weekend ritual – ideal for long evenings of dining, sipping and soaking up the atmosphere.

Sun Siyam today unveils a milestone transformation as it celebrates 35 years of Maldivian hospitality. More than a visual refresh, the brand (r)evolution introduces a bold new brand statement anchored in The Home of the Maldivian Spirit, reinforcing the group’s position as one of the Maldives’ most culturally authentic resort operators. The transformation elevates guest journeys with new Signature Experiences introduced across all six resorts and strengthens direct relationships with customers through Siyam Rewards. A single identity now unites the group’s five Maldivian resorts and its Sri Lankan retreat under The House of Siyam. To help guests and partners navigate the portfolio, each property is now grouped under three distinct collections: Luxury, Privé, and Lifestyle.

Luxury Collection: elevated by the elements and steeped in the sublime, this is the highest calibre of island indulgence. Sun Siyam Iru Fushi now leads the Luxury Collection, offering premium exclusivity and a perfect sun-soaked paradise.

Lifestyle Collection: vibrant, energetic and designed for dreamlike adventure. The Lifestyle resorts are Sun Siyam Olhuveli and Siyam World, brimming with entertainment, recreation, and a wide mix of experiences for families, friends, and couples alike.

Privé Collection: intimate barefoot hideaways where privacy and bespoke comforts come first. Sun Siyam Iru Veli, Sun Siyam Vilu Reef and Sun Siyam Pasikudah in Sri Lanka form the Privé Collection, romantic havens for travellers seeking soulful escapes.

Central to this evolution are a series of Signature Experiences, designed to go beyond the villa and bring Maldivian heritage and imagination into every stay. Guests can immerse themselves in Maldivian Roots, weekly culinary and cultural journeys celebrating heritage through story and flavour. They can book the Maldives’ first overwater photo studio, the Insta Villa, for envy-inducing moments in six-star surrounds. And they can join the island’s most vibrant scene at the Sun Siyam Beach Club, where afternoons of relaxed lounging turn into evenings of music and dancing under glowing tangerine skies. From the ceremonial Wow Welcome to Hidden Treasure Chests, the culinary journey of Plant Based Bliss and Moonlit Cinemas, each stay is enriched with unexpected moments of joy.

The brand (r)evolution also introduces Siyam Rewards, a digital membership programme that builds stronger direct relationships with guests. Members enjoy personalised itineraries, room upgrades, and optional carbon offsets, with rewards available from the very first booking. Every stay continues to support marine conservation and community projects through the group’s sustainability platform, Sun Siyam Care.

Reflecting on this milestone, Hon. Ahmed Siyam Mohamed, Founder, Owner & Managing Director, said: “When we founded Sun Siyam in 1990, and later opened our first resort in 1998, our goal was simple, to share the warmth of our islands and our people with the world. This transformation keeps that soul alive while giving us the space to innovate for the next generation of free-spirited travellers.”

Deepak Booneady, Chief Executive Officer, added: “This rebrand is not just about design, it is about experience. It is about cultural authenticity, purpose-driven hospitality, and creating moments that spark joy. With the Maldives’ widest choice of villas, the region’s most generous premium all-inclusive plan, and now our Signature Experiences, we are setting the stage for the future of island travel.”

The group selected the best experts in their fields to orchestrate the rebrand: JHAGGER&CO as lead brand advisors, driving a year‑long project that began with in‑depth audience research and an internal reset of vision, purpose, and values; Lee McNichol and Jose Rivero, Founders and Creative Directors of London based StudioSixty7, to refine, restyle and refresh interior environments; and Maldives hospitality pioneer, Dominik Ruhl, who helped the team to develop and implement new operational standards as well as signature experiences, embedding the new brand standards in the day to day service. With an incredible execution by the island operations team, General Managers and Resort Managers, led by VP of Operations at Sun Siyam, Abdulla Thamheed, as well as Sun Siyam’s brand sales, marketing, and public relation teams, the result is a warm, vibrant design system that retains its Maldivian soul while embracing a contemporary edge.

By: Rasha Al Mubarak, the visionary Founder & Chairwoman of Music Nation

1. Can you tell us a bit about your background and what drew you to the world of music rights?

I was fortunate to grow up in a family that deeply valued culture, justice, and humanitarian work. At the same time, I have always been passionate about music, art and storytelling as powerful ways to share our heritage. The intersection of these influences: law, humanitarianism, and creativity, naturally drew me to music rights, where I saw an opportunity to protect creators, empower communities, and ensure that culture remains accessible and celebrated.

• How would you describe Music Nation’s mission and the role it plays in supporting artists and the creative economy as a whole?

Music Nation was founded with a clear and compelling mission: to support music creators and rightsholders within the UAE by protecting and licensing their copyrighted works to businesses that use music, but also offering guidance on their career development throughout the music industry. We empower creators to understand the business landscape, cultivate meaningful industry relationships, and effectively monetize their work.

• Congratulations on Music Nation’s Collective Management Organization (CMO) permit award by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism. What does this milestone mean for music creators as well as the hospitality sector, and why is such recognition so important for all parties?

For me, this historic milestone is about recognition. It means that music creators in the UAE, and from around the world, now have an official, trusted body that protects their rights and ensures they are fairly compensated whenever their music is played. That sense of security allows them to focus on their craft, knowing their work is valued and protected.

At the same time, hotels, restaurants, and other venues also benefit from this system. Instead of navigating a gray area, they now have a clear legal framework to play music, while respecting the creators behind it. This creates a healthier, more transparent ecosystem where everyone wins: artists are rewarded, businesses have peace of mind, and audiences get to enjoy music in spaces that honor creativity.

• Your collaboration with global entities BMI and SoundExchange is notable. How do these partnerships enhance Music Nation’s capacity to meet international standards in rights management?

I’m grateful for the opportunity to work alongside our partners BMI and SoundExchange; organizations with long-standing, global reputations. BMI helped us build the foundation for public performance licensing in the UAE years ago. Their expertise ensures that songwriters and publishers are properly supported and compensated through proven technology and systems.Our partnership with SoundExchange has taken things further in the neighboring rights space. Their advanced technology, data tools, and administration capabilities are the best in the business, and these systems allow us to collect and distribute royalties for performers and producers/labels with speed, accuracy and transparency.

What this means for our artists is that they’re getting world-class rights protection and royalty distribution. For me, it’s a source of pride to bring these advanced systems home to the UAE, so that artists here benefit from fairness, clarity, and credibility that matches what creators around the world expect and deserve.

• It can be problematic when it comes to businesses playing music because of the complexity and legal risks involved. How does Music Nation simplify this process for restaurants, hotels, and other F&B operators?

In the past, music licensing was cumbersome and essentially ambiguous. Today it is just the opposite. Our leadership recognizes the positive impact of the UAE’s creative and cultural industries and has introduced robust copyrights legislation to protect and nurture our creatives and provide them with the opportunity to build sustainable careers through royalty distribution. The ambiguity of the past has been resolved through regulation, and using music today without a license is considered copyright infringement, carrying significant risks. With Music Nation, we facilitate all of that licensing officially, seamlessly and throughout the UAE.

Music Nation was built for this purpose. In the world of music copyright law, we have authors rights that protect the authors and publishers of a song  and we have neighboring rights (also known as related rights) that protect the performers and producers/labels of recorded music. In most other markets, a business would have to pay a license fee to one society for author/publisher rights and another fee to another society for neighboring rights. Music Nation is the one-stop solution for licensing all of these rights under a single umbrella. This simplifies things enormously, and we believe we are the first Collective Management Organization in the world to natively achieve this. Rather than juggling multiple contracts with multiple parties or risking unlicensed use, hospitality licensees like restaurants and hotels can now secure clear, legal access to music with one efficient license from Music Nation.

• Music is often seen as culture, but it’s also a powerful economic driver. How do you see licensed music contributing to the growth of the UAE’s creative economy?

I’ve always believed that music is both a cultural heartbeat and an economic engine. When music is properly licensed, it ensures that creators are fairly compensated, which in turn encourages more artists to invest their time, talent, and resources into making more music. This cycle doesn’t just benefit artists; it supports businesses, creates jobs, and attracts investment into the wider creative industries.

In the UAE, this has an even greater significance. The country has placed the creative economy at the center of its National Strategy for Cultural and Creative Industries 2031, aiming to make it one of the nation’s key growth sectors. Licensed music plays a direct role in that vision: it gives artists a reliable income stream, provides venues and businesses with legal clarity, and builds trust in the ecosystem.

• As a successful Emirati entrepreneur, what lessons have you learned on your journey that you would like to pass on to the next generation of women leaders?

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is to take the time to truly search for your passion. It’s not always obvious at first, but once you find what excites you, what gives you energy, that’s where your strength lies. And when you do discover it, I encourage you to think about how to turn that passion into something both innovative and meaningful, while staying authentic. Something that not only allows you to express your creativity but also benefits the community around you.

For me, combining my love for law, humanitarian work, and the arts led to building organizations that protect creators and give back to society. That balance is what keeps me motivated.