Amira Al Zuhair On Her Love For Saudi, The Importance Of Family, and Having Gratitude In Your Life
She might be one of the most famous Saudi models in the world, but that is only one chapter in the story of this inquisitive, insightful and impressive woman
Amira Al Zuhair jumps on our Zoom call looking laid-back and fresh-faced. She is relaxing outside in Paris as the late summer sun warms her cheeks and a light breeze lifts wisps of her hair in a way that somehow looks cinematic. A natural, statuesque beauty, she smiles easily, leans in when she feels especially passionate about a point she wants to make, and is just as curious about my backstory as I am about hers.
But it’s Amira’s origin story that we are here to discover, and in some ways, it’s a classic. She was a lanky 15-year-old having lunch in a Paris bistro with her mum when she was approached by a scout from Elite who asked if she had ever thought about being a model. “It was something that was always in the back of my mind,” she admits with a smile, “and my family was so supportive of the idea”. She signed with Elite and the rest, as they say, is history. Now, seven years later, she has worked for some of the biggest names in fashion, from Prada, Burberry and Dolce&Gabbana to Elie Saab, Tiffany & Co., and Brunello Cucinelli.
But, in the beginning, Amira’s modelling career was a bit of a slow burn as it invariably took a backseat to her pursuit of higher education. “I’ve always enjoyed school and I really thrive in an academic setting. I just loved everything about it, from science, philosophy, and biology to politics and chemistry. I truly enjoyed all aspects of school,” she declares about her time in academia. Last year she graduated with first-class honours from King’s College in London with a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy, politics and economics.
I ask if she had to pick just one of those disciplines which would she choose. She takes her time answering, thinking long and hard about the question. Deciding, in the end, that she doesn’t agree with the premise. That there is no valid reason why she would ever have to make that call.
“When it came time for me to make my degree choice, what I really enjoyed about PPE [philosophy, politics, economics] was how interdisciplinary those fields are. These three subjects are at the nexus of our world and how everything works. You can’t do anything without having a deep understanding of the philosophy and the social aspects of how to manage society, how to integrate morals into policymaking, and how to make sure that every part and every political cleavage of society is represented. This, of course, then leads to politics, where all of these things, the policies, come into being. It’s where you learn how a coalition works, how to compromise with other policymakers to learn all about the different political ideologies,” Amira says with serious conviction.
After an answer like that, the obvious follow-up question has to be about any plans to go into politics, or to run for office. To my surprise, Amira already has. At the ripe old age of 14 she ran for a seat in the UK Youth Parliament in London – and won. “It was a two-year term. We did so much and I am very proud of the changes we made,” she recounts. “We promoted inclusivity for disabled people and introduced counselling in schools for people who are bullied. Also greater representation for the youth in policymaking. And we had a meeting once a year in the House of Commons, she adds with a huge smile. “That was really incredible.”
When pressed, Amira allows that the idea of pursuing a career in politics in the future isn’t something that she is opposed to doing. She certainly loved running her campaign when she was a teenager. But for now, it’s an abstract objective. “I think it’s really hard to project myself very far into the future. Just by the nature of my profession, everything’s very fast-paced. Opportunities arise, and everything can change for me in a moment,” she explains. That being said, Amira has been profoundly impressed by the women she sees taking up leadership roles in Saudi. “I look at all these powerful and strong women that are now part of the Saudi political scene and I admire them so much. I think it would be great to one day be part of that world as well,” she reflects.
If Amira does decide to go into public service, she certainly has a strong support system at the ready. She was born in Paris to a French mother and a Saudi father and counts seven brothers and sisters on her father’s side and another sister on her mother’s side. All of the siblings are very close and Amira admits that even though she has travelled the world, lived in various countries, grown up with a multicultural background and can easily adapt to many different places, it is when she is with her family that she truly feels at home. “I know it’s a bit cheesy to say but home really is where your heart is, and my heart is always with my family.”
Amira is also acutely aware that being a Saudi woman working as a model gives her a singular opportunity to be both a role model and a barrier breaker. With her unique perspective of having grown up in Paris, London and Riyadh she appreciates how each aspect of her heritage has enriched her life. “I feel deeply attached to my Saudi culture. It’s a big part of my identity. Not only through the culture and what it represents, but also my religion. Being a Muslim is central to who I am,” confirms Amira. And she is particularly inspired by the current evolution and transformation going on in the Kingdom.
Back in the early days of her modelling career when Amira would tell people she was Saudi, they would pepper her with uneducated questions like why wasn’t she wearing a burqa, or why was she educated – the sheer number of misconceptions about Saudi stunned her. Thankfully those sorts of queries are few and far between these days, a clear sign of a shift in understanding about the Kingdom. “We have such a rich history, so much culture and so many amazing stories to share with the world. I’m just proud to be part of that movement in my own small way,” she says.
Speaking about movement, Amira’s life is now one of constant motion. With her Bachelor’s degree firmly in her back pocket, she is laser-focused on working as a model full-time while using the opportunities her job gives her to help educate the world about her multicultural background. One interesting way she is broadening those horizons is by learning new languages. Already fluent in French, English and Arabic, Amira has set her mind to speaking Spanish next. “There’s something special about communicating with a person in their language. It makes them feel seen. And it’s really enriching for me too,” she says while also revealing that her real goal is to speak at least five languages fluently.
Amira’s career as a model also just happens to be perfectly suited for her constant thirst for knowledge. “I really need to be continuously challenged,” she confesses. “What I love about modelling is that it’s not monotonous. Every day is different. And you can’t get bored of it. I mean, you meet new people, have adventures, travel to different places. You get to dive into different people’s lives to see what drives them, what motivates them and it’s all just really inspiring.”
So with all this constant frenetic movement is there anything that Amira does to take a beat, and reflect on the whirlwind life she is leading? Yes and no. Her place of Zen can also be found in perpetual forward motion – underwater. A lifelong swimmer, Amira appreciates how swimming makes her focus inward, on her breath, on her strokes, on her body. It stills her inquisitive mind and makes her feel as if time is, for once, standing still.
If Amira has one regret it would be that her father isn’t here to see her thrive. He passed away when she was just eight years old, and the thought of not being able to share with him this joyful time in her life brings her to the edge of tears. “I would love to spend even just one more day with him,” she says. But she is grateful for the time they did share. And it is this sort of gratitude that Amira tries to cultivate in her everyday life.
“I think gratitude is very important because it really grounds you. If you don’t have gratitude, you can’t really enjoy life and appreciate the present moment. If you are always worried about the future you miss what is happening right in front of you. You need to take a second to look around and be thankful for what you have in your life today,” she says.
With a career that she loves, a close-knit family just a phone call away and a deep-rooted curiosity about the world around her, Amira certainly has much to be grateful for.
Photography: Esra Sam. Fashion Direction: Anna Castan
Group Editor in Chief: Olivia Phillips. Model: Amira Al Zuhair. Hair: Jean-Luc Amarin. Make-Up: Mabs Khakwani. Nails: Audrey Chéri at B.Agency. Executive Producer: Jean-Marc Mondelet. Stylist’s Assistant: Gabriela Cambero.
From Harper’s Bazaar Saudi’s Autumn 2023 issue