Nicole Saba is no stranger to juggling responsibilities.
She’s a singer, with a new single set to drop on or after Eid; an actress, with her latest Ramadan show Far’e Al Taw’eet proving to be a hit; a mother, having given birth to her daughter Nicole just a year ago; and a family woman, married to revered actor and heart-throb Yousuf Al Khal.
Now, she adds another title to the mix by tackling the role of ambassador for UAE clothing brand Splash. Saba has become their first ever Arab face — and she’s ready for the challenge.
“I’m one of those people who are obsessed with fashion, and at the same time, I like to be cool, I like to be stylish, I like to be trendy,” she told tabloid! over the phone from her hotel in Mumbai. There, she was shooting a campaign for the brand with Bollywood mega-star and fellow Splash ambassador Salman Khan; she called their first ad together a success, describing it as a thematic display of love and passion with an Indian-meets-Mediterranean aesthetic.
Asked what her personal style was, she insisted that it differs from situation to situation.
“The most important thing is to know what to wear for the particular occasion and to know what works for me,” she said. “Don’t just wear something to follow a fashion trend — wear something that suits you.”
Saba started her career in the entertainment industry in 1998 as a member of Arab girl group, The 4 Cats. She remained with them until 2001, and two years later, cinema veteran Adel Imam changed her fate when he chose her to star opposite him in the 2003 film The Danish Experience. It was her first acting role, and the transition was so steep it was nearly impossible to follow.
“Adel Imam is a legend, and people dream of closing out their careers in a role opposite someone of his stature, so for me, it was difficult to start my career opposite someone so big,” she admitted. “It was hard for me to continue afterwards — to pick other roles and movies to be in — but thankfully it worked out.”
In the ten years since, Saba has taken on many a talk show, television series and film project, always up for trying something new and breaking the mould.
“I don’t like to be pigeonholed into one category,” she said. “I like to diversify. Actors have to do that, so that audiences can see them in a different light. Audiences have to see the actor’s ability to always bring something new to the table and not remain within one role.”
Of course, flitting between roles is a skill that Saba has had to perfect in order to strive — both in the industry, and in her personal life.
“I’m used to, like they say, carrying a hundred melons in one hand,” she said with a laugh. “The idea of motherhood in and of itself is difficult, and the idea of making the institution of marriage work isn’t an easy one – not to mention your career. Of course there’s going to be pressure, a big load and responsibility, but so far, thank God, we’re doing fine – and hopefully we’ll continue this way.”
Part of her success comes down to being in an understanding relationship with husband Al Khal, who is as familiar with the demands of the entertainment industry as Saba is.
“We inspire each other, we support each other, and we have a double mission, because both of us, we have the same career, the same responsibilities – we have the same balance to maintain together,” she said. “Our matching careers are a plus, not a setback – they don’t involve the silly things people talk about, like career-envy and whatnot. On the contrary, we take it as a positive, because we understand the difficulties of it, we understand how to extract the good from it while avoiding its pitfalls.”
The pair have a daughter together, though Saba said that God-willing, she would like to grow her family into a bigger one.
“The idea that you’re creating a human life is in and of itself an incredible process, and something that is truly impossible to fathom. You can’t believe that you’ve given birth to this creature,” she said. “It’s like a computer system, and how you have to enter data into it and grow its mind and introduce it to things in this life.”
Whether talking about family or work, Saba is clear on her convictions, her goals and her path, fitting into her image as a strong female figure in the industry – something that she says is a necessary characteristic for any and all Arab women.
“Today, Arab women are able to work in many fields – she can be a pilot, a lawyer. Why do we subscribe to this idea that, because we’re a patriarchal society, we won’t give her her rights? She has to take her rights. I think how it is today is better than how it was in the past, by far. [The Arab woman] is reaching new heights and her voice is reaching further than ever before.”
