Yasser Sharaf, the managing director of the eponymous electronics store, was holidaying in Australia when he stumbled across a concept he believed would be perfect for Dubai.
It was Anaconda, Australia's largest outdoor and adventure store. Three years later, Mr Sharaf launched Adventure HQ, a local version of the concept, last month. He hopes to attract adrenaline junkies of all stripes, whether they are into camping, kite surfing, diving, rock climbing or falconry.
Video: Adventurers apply here
Adventure HQ aspires to be one-stop shop for adrenaline junkies around the UAE.
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Adventure HQ has a 9-metre climbing wall where enthusiasts can try products before they buy, and a chiller room at minus 25C for shoppers to test their skiing attire.
Although Dubai has many stores selling similar types of goods, no others have such a wide range in one place or offer a recreational element. "We saw a similar concept called Anaconda in Australia and saw that we did not have something like that in the market," says Mr Sharaf. "If you want camping gear or kite surfing gear, you have to go to many stores. We thought Dubai needs something like this."
Mr Sharaf sought the help of a recruiter to headhunt one of the Anaconda team and was introduced to Sam Whittam, then the company's operations and buying director. Mr Whittam was given the responsibilty of turning Mr Sharaf's beliefs into reality.
"The store is two and half years in the making," he says. "In October 2008 I started on the business model.
"What we are trying to do is make people aware that all these activities are here on your doorstep. We're here to shake people up."
Mr Whittam has spent that time developing a back office IT team, hiring staff, deciding on pricing and looking at suppliers. The store uses a combination of local and global suppliers to offer a range of prices in each product category.
"Be it kite surfing or mountain bikes, we cater for first-time users to mid-level enthusiasts to the high-end, accomplished adventurer," Mr Whittam says.
The Sharaf Group has invested wholly in setting up the store, but Mr Sharaf would not disclose how much. Mr Whittam expects to give Mr Sharaf a return on his investment in two to three years.
"We foresee opening more of these, but we have to wait and see and then decide where is the next step," says Mr Sharaf. "Depending on the uptake, that's our plan."
Charging Dh50 (US$13.60) for half an hour, the climbing wall will not be a huge revenue earner for the store, but is designed to be an attraction to get people through the doors. The store is targeting schools, corporate parties and birthdays to entice customers to climb the wall during the week.
"We're not going to generate huge revenue from [the wall], we're just trying to generate interest and excitement and give reason for people to come to the store to do something rather than just shop," Mr Whittam says.
Located in Times Square Mall, Adventure HQ is not in one of Dubai's shopping hotspots, but this is not a concern for Mr Whittam. He says he is expecting enthusiasts, not casual shoppers. Besides, he says the outlet is well-positioned.
"The location is bang on Sheikh Zayed Road, central between old and new Dubai," he says. "It's convenient to get here."
rjones@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 2.5-litre, turbocharged 5-cylinder
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 400hp
Torque: 500Nm
Price: Dh300,000 (estimate)
On sale: 2022
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
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
MO
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreators%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Amer%2C%20Ramy%20Youssef%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Amer%2C%20Teresa%20Ruiz%2C%20Omar%20Elba%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
Company%20Profile
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TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%208
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Results:
Men's 100m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 15 sec; 2. Rheed McCracken (AUS) 15.40; 3. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 15.75. Men's 400m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 50.56; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 50.94; 3. Henry Manni (FIN) 52.24.
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
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
