Dubai Mall has just unveiled a friendship bracelet that could make even the most enthusiastic collector of festival wristbands blush. “The Thread,” the work of Dubai-based artist Kris Balerite (aka Dozign), has been installed inside the newly opened IQOS Boutique and promises to be both a cultural statement and an Instagram magnet.

The piece is woven with sadu-inspired patterns, those striking geometric designs that have been part of the region’s visual identity for centuries. The result is both playful and profound: a monument to togetherness that manages to look good in photos and still carry a hefty cultural punch.

Kris Balerite isn't your average creative director who spends late nights scrolling through stock images to meet a deadline. After starting out in the glossy corridors of a multinational ad agency, he quickly decided the copy-paste life wasn't for him. Five years into the business, he turned freelance, focusing on modern visual arts and graphic design, and dabbling in everything from illustrations and apparel to street murals.

Fast-forward to today, and Balerite is recognised as a visionary force in the advertising and design world. With over a decade of experience, he has helmed campaigns for Fortune 500 companies, led Balerite Studios into award-winning projects, and carved out a reputation for blending sharp storytelling with design that makes people stop scrolling. He is equally at home spray-painting a wall in Dubai as he is onstage at a conference, mentoring the next generation of creatives who want to do more than shuffle pixels.

In short: the man has range. And now, with “The Thread,” he has given Dubai something more permanent than a billboard and more communal than a logo refresh.

If “The Thread” looks familiar, that is because it is rooted in Al Sadu — the centuries-old weaving tradition of Bedouin women. In Arabic, ‘Al Sadu’ literally means weaving done in a horizontal style. Using natural fibres, women created tightly woven cloths on ground looms, crafting textiles that were as durable as they were beautiful.

The patterns, inspired by the desert, are pure geometry: diamonds, zigzags, and stripes flowing in rhythmic repetition. These designs, often livened with vibrant reds and oranges, brought warmth and colour into an otherwise stark landscape. Beyond their visual appeal, the weavings symbolised the role of women as both creators and transmitters of culture. Master weavers taught the craft within their families, embedding skill and artistry into the very fabric of daily life.

Today, Al Sadu is less about tents and camel trappings and more about heritage and continuity. It appears in workshops, exhibitions, and, in this case, a massive friendship bracelet in Dubai Mall — a reminder that tradition, when reimagined, can still surprise.

وهكذا تقف: "الخيط" لكريس باليريت، وهو سوار عملاق يربط بين الساحة الإبداعية العالمية في دبي وتقاليد البدو ولمسة من السخرية المرحة. سواء نظرت إليه كتحية ثقافية، أو كتصميم عبارة، أو ببساطة كأكبر ملحق رأيته على الإطلاق، فإنه بلا شك قطعة تربط — والآن في انتظارك داخل البوتيك IQOS في دبي مول.