DUBAI: Moroccan-British model Mariah Idrissi touched down in the UAE last week and it appears that the hijab-wearing fashion star is living it up in the country. The 27-year-old kicked off her trip in the UAE’s capital where she partook in various tourist activities, which she made sure to document on her social media. During her trip, Idrissi headed to Abu Dhabi’s desert, which she called “one of the best days” she’s had “in a while.” The London-based model posted a series of candid shots from the desert safari, which included snaps of her posing against the backdrop of the undulating sand dunes, petting a camel and getting up close and personal with a falcon. “Today was incredible, one of the best days I’ve had in a while. Thank God for this carousel thing because I would have flooded your feed with pics. Good times — more to come Insha’Allah! Sending positive vibes to you all, (sic)” she wrote on Instagram. Of course, it wouldn’t be a visit to the UAE without a trip to Abu Dhabi’s striking Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Idrissi posted a snap of herself at the venue and revealed that she “loved every minute of her experience in Abu Dhabi. “I can’t believe this was my first proper visit! I mentioned in my stories that visiting this mosque was such a beautiful experience which I got to share with new friends that I feel like I’ve known for ages,” she wrote to her 89,000 followers. Idrissi was one of the first women to open doors for hijab-wearing models in the fashion industry. When the then-25-year-old posed for H&M’s “Close the Loop” campaign in 2015, she made history as the first ever visibly Muslim model to pose in a global fashion campaign for a high-street powerhouse retailer, simultaneously cracking the lid open for the likes of Halima Aden, Ikram Abdi Omar and Kadija Diawara, who would all go on to walk on international runways. This is likely why she was chosen as the cover girl for American Dubai-based author Hafsa Lodi’s “Modesty— A Fashion Paradox” book. Idrissi joined the author and The Modist founder Ghizlan Guenez at the 2020 Emirates Literature Festival in Dubai for a panel discussion on Friday, where they discussed the paradox at the heart of the modest fashion movement and answered the audience’s questions, followed by a book signing.