If you work outside the interior design industry, you may not have heard of Wilson Associates. For the uninitiated, it is the world’s fastest growing interior design company, it is currently designing the interiors of the Abu Dhabi Presidential Palace and it has just opened an office in Dubai.
The US-based company has also just invested 10 per cent of its gross annual earnings in building a corporate image to ensure people associate with Wilson as a brand.
The firm has designed the interiors of more than 3,000 of the world’s most iconic hotels, the Burj Al Arab and The One & Only Royal Mirage to name but two, and cites 20 of the world’s top billionaires as clients. So when it comes to luxury this company knows what’s what.
Olivier Chavy, the firm’s garrulous French chief executive, explains the feel they are currently creating for Abu Dhabi’s Presidential Palace.
“We are very proud to work on the Presidential Palace, it is a place where a head of state feels like a head of state. It will be more than iconic, it will be a signature,” says Mr Chavy. “It is two buildings of 90,000 square feet, each with the most luxurious interior design you can imagine.
“There is different positioning and aspects for both buildings. It’s the best of the best in terms of technology – technology of materials, technology of physical space [and it features] the highest-end pieces of furniture and materials. The quality of construction cannot be bettered.”
Mr Chavy says there are about 6,000 workers toiling through the day on the project and another 4,000 at night.
“It will be such a strong statement for us,” he adds. “We obviously have a lot of nondisclosure agreements, but it is slated for 2015 when all the heads of state come to the palace, and that will be a special time for Wilson Associates.”
Headquartered in Dallas, the firm first set up in 1971 and has since blossomed into a global player with offices in Singapore, India and Shanghai. Mr Chavy says that 55 per cent of the work done out of his three offices in the United States comes from this region (of 21 hotels being built in Saudi Arabia right now Wilson Associates are designing 19 of the interiors), making it hugely important to his business and creating a need to be in the hot spot: Dubai.
“Dubai and the Gulf area is the only place on earth I know where you have such a global clientele and all those clients have different backgrounds, different cultures, different levels of expectation,“ says Mr Chavy. “Dubai is the only destination on earth that can speak to all those people. Luxury can mean many different things to many people, and Dubai meets all expectations. Europe is old in many ways, especially in the way it treats the hospitality business. The Gulf, and Dubai in particular, has reached a new level. They understand globalisation and the clients. They know that Russians like to show off and shine, but the Japanese like a low-key environment, the Chinese travel all together and are noisy. Dubai understands all the cultural differences and has an offering for all.”
He sees Dubai, in regard to hotel design, three to five years ahead of the curve, with The Royal Mirage, which opened in 2001, being five to 10 years ahead. He adds that Dubai will continue to feature more and more iconic buildings rather than the cut-and-paste models that have sprung up as the booming hospitality industry rushes to keep up with demand.
“Some of the hotels have become bland and the new generation of operators are pushing boundaries in taste and delivery,” says Mr Chavy. “The essence will be open space, wet and dry areas in the bathrooms, more compromise and flexibility on privacy with screens inside and outside. More and more sophistication in technology of lighting – no aggressive lighting. The five senses will be fully utilised – smell, touch, sound, with sound systems following you, so that music can follow you up to your room.”
The new branding exercise the company has embarked upon comes at a time when it has partnered with one of the biggest architectural firms in the world.
At the beginning of the month, it joined forces with East China Architectural Design & Research Institute (Ecadi). The partnership hopes to fuse the expertise of two leading designers creating a dominant new force in the architectural design industry. Ecadi, the No 1 architectural firm in China, has completed more than 30,000 landmark design and consulting projects, including five of the world’s tallest buildings. It shows that Wilson Associates are reaching for the stars in more ways than one.
ascott@thenational.ae
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
JAPANESE GRAND PRIX INFO
Schedule (All times UAE)
First practice: Friday, 5-6.30am
Second practice: Friday, 9-10.30am
Third practice: Saturday, 7-8am
Qualifying: Saturday, 10-11am
Race: Sunday, 9am-midday
Race venue: Suzuka International Racing Course
Circuit Length: 5.807km
Number of Laps: 53
Watch live: beIN Sports HD
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
UAE%20Warriors%2045%20Results
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%0DMain%20Event%0D%3A%20Lightweight%20Title%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EAmru%20Magomedov%20def%20Jakhongir%20Jumaev%20-%20Round%201%20(submission)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-Main%20Event%0D%3A%20Bantamweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ERany%20Saadeh%20def%20Genil%20Franciso%20-%20Round%202%20(submission)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECatchweight%20150%20lbs%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EWalter%20Cogliandro%20def%20Ali%20Al%20Qaisi%20-%20Round%201%20(TKO)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBantamweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ERenat%20Khavalov%20def%20Hikaru%20Yoshino%20-%20Round%202%20(TKO)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFlyweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EVictor%20Nunes%20def%20Nawras%20Abzakh%20-%20Round%201%20(TKO)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFlyweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EYamato%20Fujita%20def%20Sanzhar%20Adilov%20-%20Round%201%20(submission)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELightweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EAbdullo%20Khodzhaev%20def%20Petru%20Buzdugen%20-%20Round%201%20(TKO)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECatchweight%20139%20lbs%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ERazhabali%20Shaydullaev%20def%20Magomed%20Al-Abdullah%20-%20Round%202%20(submission)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFlyweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ECong%20Wang%20def%20Amena%20Hadaya%20-%20Points%20(unanimous%20decision)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMiddleweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EKhabib%20Nabiev%20def%20Adis%20Taalaybek%20Uulu%20-%20Round%202%20(submission)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELight%20Heavyweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBartosz%20Szewczyk%20def%20Artem%20Zemlyakov%20-%20Round%202%20(TKO)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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HAJJAN
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Abu%20Bakr%20Shawky%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3EStarring%3A%20Omar%20Alatawi%2C%20Tulin%20Essam%2C%20Ibrahim%20Al-Hasawi%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
