Dubai-based jewellery brand OFA Jewellery has carved a unique space in the market with its signature sword motif and designs that blend contemporary elegance with traditional inspiration. The brain behind the brand is founder Hala Abdullah, a trained architect-turned-designer who brings her passion for gemstones and her Saudi heritage to every piece. Her new collection, Selene, is the latest evolution of her designs. 

“It started with me wanting to create something spontaneous and in motion,” explains Hala. “It’s an open project that can always be added to, something that reminds me of how I discovered jewellery as a child and first started loving stones.” This personal connection to her craft is deeply embedded in the new collection, which continues the brand’s signature use of the sword symbol. “I wanted it to be the next step, another take on the core collection,” adds the artist. 

The Selene collection doesn’t stray far from OFA’s iconic design. In fact, Hala was mindful of her clientele’s attachment to the original pieces. “We started four years ago, and a lot of people already have this design, so they’ve been asking for it to be introduced in new colours,” she notes. “This design has become iconic, so I didn’t want to manipulate it too much. I wanted it to be another family of the same shape.”

With its 21 pieces, including earrings, necklaces, and bracelets, Selene draws inspiration from water and its free-flowing properties. “It’s a symbol of fluidity, of emotion, and it takes us back to the beginning of humanity,” says Hala. 

One of the collection’s standout features is its vibrant use of colour. “I love the natural colours of the stones and the unpredictability of how they work together,” Hala shares, hinting at her intuitive approach to design. 

Other inspirational elements look as if they will also soon have their moment to shine, as Hala admits there is a real possibly of broadening her collections to include the other three elements (earth, fire, and air) in future to “capture people’s emotions and allow them to have a closer connection to pieces that resonate with them”.

Reflecting on the significance of her brand’s winning sword motif, a symbol rich in cultural significance, Hala says, “In Saudi Arabia and the Arab world in general, the sword is a key symbol. It’s not about violence, but strength and pride. We even dance with it at weddings.”

The sword, however, is often seen as a masculine symbol, something the designer wanted to get away from. So, she set about reinterpreting it in a way that resonates with women. Her twist on the sword design focuses on the cross hilt, where, as far back in history as the Ottoman period, stones were often placed as decoration. In Hala’s hands, this symbol has been given a modern, feminine edge, while still paying homage to tradition.

After training as an architect in Los Angeles, the designer discovered her passion for jewellery and began talking about gemstones and jewellery design on her social media platforms, as well as hand-making her own pieces. 

In 2018, the aspiring designer’s online following began to grow, and she noticed a lot of attention coming from the UAE. So, in 2020, she decided to move to Dubai and start her own jewellery brand. “Everything is manufactured locally in the UAE. I work with a really talented team,” she explains. “The factory does most of the sourcing for me from all over the world. We work to keep it as ethical as possible. Our staff are paid very well – it’s the best factory in the UAE, and we don’t compromise on quality.” 

Now, four years on, Hala is further navigating the region, expanding beyond the brand’s online sales platform into stores in the UAE and Saudi Arabia with the arrival of the brand’s products in Harvey Nichols Riyadh and Harvey Nichols Dubai. 

“With jewellery, the clients need to know you are established. People will go back and forth on a piece, ask questions, and think about it for a while, and then, one day, they will go and buy it. If it’s a big investment, they need to trust the brand. That’s why we are happy to be present at Harvey Nichols, so our clients can touch, feel, and see the pieces,” says Hala. 

The designer feels that her connection with her clients is crucial to building trust and transparency around the brand. “People can see me, they know me, and I think putting that face to the brand is very important. We have amazing conversations. I feel so connected to them, and I hope they trust me,” she notes. 

With the brand’s expansion now well underway, Hala has no intentions of slowing down – quite the contrary, in fact. “There is so much to do,” she admits with a smile. “I want to create a world of OFA. I want people to imagine it as a whole experience – looking at it, smelling it, eating it – a 360 universe.” 

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