Motor enthusiasts in the capital are in for a treat in the new year when Aston Martin, the British creator of the legendary luxury vehicle, opens its first full showroom in Abu Dhabi.
The firm yesterday announced that its “retail showcase” was up and running in Etihad Towers, as a prelude to the launch of a full-spectrum dealership in Abu Dhabi early in 2017.
It is currently under construction in the appropriately swanky AD location.
“Being in the capital is integral to our regional brand strategy,” says Christopher Sheppard, CEO of Aston Martin Mena. The “showcase” will whet the appetite of any car enthusiast reluctant to make the journey to Dubai, where Aston has been a force in the luxury car business for some time.
A variety of Aston merchandise is available, the firm says. I can tell you that Aston T-shirts are one of Dubai’s most in-demand fashion items, and change hands on the “secondary market” at a premium.
“Owning as Aston Martin is a beautiful experience,” Mr Sheppard adds.
I wouldn’t know about that, not having the spare Dh1 million that a top-of-the-range model can cost. But I can tell you that driving one is pretty darn good too.
I’m not sure whether it was as a taster for the AD showroom or as a present for my recent birthday, but the firm gave me the loan of a car for a weekend. Whichever, thank you Aston.
It was not my first time in the car that has been immortalised by James Bond, but I have to report it was the best.
I drove a Rapide S, which the company’s promotional literature describes immodestly as “the world’s most beautiful four-door sports car”. I wouldn’t disagree with that.
I’m not by any means an expert on the technical side of cars, but even I know that 6 litres of V-12 engine is enormous. It can get you from standing to 100 kilometres per hour in 4.2 seconds and deliver a top speed of 327 kph.
The model I had was a pearly white colour, with sumptuous tan leather interior, and as many gadgets as anybody would ever want to tweak. Seat a bit too hot? Just turn on the seat cooler.
All the rest of the interior electronics were of the highest standard, proof I guess that Aston is benefiting from its partnership with Mercedes.
But by far the best thing about the car was … other people’s reaction to it. I valeted it at one five-star hotel in Dubai while I went inside for a cup of tea, and came out to find it surrounded by tourists with selfie-sticks.
The valet shooed them away while I tried to maintain the superior air of an everyday Aston driver.
At the Dubai International Financial Centre, the guys who run the underground car park leapt to their feet as I came down the ramp, and ushered me into prime parking space nearest the exit. The valet at Zuma left it standing right in full view of all the other motorists using the fashionable restaurant.
All this was testimony to the car’s good looks, but the most telling evidence came from an undoubted expert: Hazem Younis, assistant manager at the Aston service centre in Dubai where I (sadly) had to return the car.
In the line of his duties, he has driven every car in the Aston range, but he told me that the Rapide S was his personal favourite. “It has comfort but is still beautiful,” he said. Again, I could not disagree.
fkane@thenational.ae
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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
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.
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
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
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Who are the Soroptimists?
The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.
The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Brief scores:
Manchester United 4
Young 13', Mata 28', Lukaku 42', Rashford 82'
Fulham 1
Kamara 67' (pen),
Red card: Anguissa (68')
Man of the match: Juan Mata (Man Utd)
U19 World Cup in South Africa
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE
UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Vriitya Aravind, Deshan Chethyia, Mohammed Farazuddin, Jonathan Figy, Osama Hassan, Karthik Meiyappan, Rishabh Mukherjee, Ali Naseer, Wasi Shah, Alishan Sharafu, Sanchit Sharma, Kai Smith, Akasha Tahir, Ansh Tandon
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 285bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: TBA
On sale: Q2, 2020
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5