Rather than answer any questions, Thomas Lundgren would first like to take his big fluffy dog outside for a wander.
"He's been inside all day," the Swedish founder and chief executive of THE One furniture store casually explains as his faithful hound Max sniffs around in the garden.
Fluffy dog, interviewer and interviewee then do a lap of THE One's Jumeirah villa-turned-office, before putting Max in the back of a black sedan to be chauffeured home.
Mr Lundgren, 50, then walks back into the funkily decorated house and grandly introduces his wife Ewa.
The full 20-minute introductory scene feels a little staged, as if Mr Lundgren has planned it all beforehand just to ensure he portrays a relaxed, cool persona.
Wearing Converse-style trainers, scruffy jeans and a loose-fitting top, he succeeds in doing so.
But he then sits behind an imposing wooden desk and launches into a well-rehearsed sales and marketing pitch.
"Choose a card," he says - not about to do a magic trick, but instead offering four different coloured business cards, each with a unique message.
"Love, Live, Dare and Believe, these are the core values everyone in my company has to live by, otherwise they have to leave," he says, elongating the word "leave" in manner that indicates no one really ever leaves.
A Jimi Hendrix-style character is pictured on the card and Mr Lundgren explains that "The Guru" will email me in the next few days to explain the meaning of my decision to Dare.
"These are tickets, not cards, because we don't have stores, we have theatres, and we don't sell products because we sell feelings," he says.
It is a familiar line to anyone who has read anything about Mr Lundgren and THE One stores.
Another well-told tale is that he had a dream in 1993 in which an angel came to him with a mission to "save the world from Ikea".
One more yarn is that he prefers the term chief emotional officer or creative empowerment organiser to the traditional title of chief executive.
Mr Lundgren will also tell you he has about 20 rejection letters framed in the office reception from banks and financiers who would not back his idea for a quirky, high-end furniture store.
He is a public relations and marketing master and he has been interviewed so many times that it is almost off-putting to give him more publicity.
But he is uniquely and immediately engaging.
"I think there's a lot of [bad things] that's going to happen in the world," he exclaims of the economic outlook for this year. "I think you'll find some woodworms coming out. I think there's going to be some bad things happening this year. And I think it's a huge opportunity for us. I'm very optimistic for THE One."
The statement might seem contradictory on the surface, but Mr Lundgren explains that his furniture and household accessories are bought by wealthy individuals who are always looking for something unique.
"There's always people who have money but people will become more careful where they put their money," he says. "The way I'm banking is that these people are more careful and choose THE One."
Mr Lundgren started THE One in 1996, having finally managed to secure US$2.5million (Dh9.1m) in funding from two investors, Rashid Al Mazroui, the chairman of the Al Mazroui Group, and Shakir Abal Sadeq, a businessman from Kuwait.
Before he set up the business in Dubai, Mr Lundgren had been working for the very furniture company he set out to dramatically save the world from - Ikea.
Having left school and initially worked as a photographer, he replied to an advert in the newspaper and started as a decorator for Ikea in the Middle East in 1983, first in Saudi Arabia then in Kuwait.
After nearly 20 years at the global furniture giant, Mr Lundgren decided to go it alone and grew his business successfully until the financial crisis, which he says taught him a few things. "I loved the crisis, by the way. I loved it because it really kicked us in the [pants]. It kicked me in the [pants]," he says. "Before the crisis we weren't that good. It didn't matter, we sold anyway. I lost interest in designing anything. We didn't work very hard on the systems: how you grow in the company and how you measure people."
Having honed his human resources team and opened improved stores, Mr Lundgren feels he and the business are in better shape.
Sales fell dramatically in 2009 during the financial crisis, but increased by 6 per cent last year to just shy of $100m. THE One now has 13 stores, or theatres, in the Middle East, with more planned for Lebanon, the UAE, Sweden and Japan.
But getting information on the business is not easy when talking to Mr Lundgren, as he becomes easily bored by the nuts and bolts of financial issues and instead prefers to chat about more interesting topics, such as the compilation albums he mixes for people to listen to while sitting on THE One's furniture.
The popular CDs are produced at Abbey Road studios in London and sold in THE One stores.
He talks about three of his most recent albums, which are called Weast (a mixture of western and eastern music cultures), Eargasm and Love your neighbour but always have cooler music.
"I'm dyslexic so I can make up my own words," he proclaims. "My whole company is my toy shop."
That toy shop includes creating what Mr Lundgren believes was the best PR event ever in Dubai - sponsoring a Robbie Williams concert in 2006 to mark 10 years of THE One.
"It was the right time and the right place. Dubai was on the brink, it was not spoiled with big acts, so when he was going to come it was the biggest thing on the planet, everybody in Dubai knew about it," Mr Lundgren says.
Quickly moving on to other points of interest, he casually throws in that he had open-heart surgery in "2002, 2003, I can't remember".
He became worried because he was feeling continually tired for no reason in particular, so his friend Thomas Bjorn, a professional golfer, referred him to a doctor who diagnosed a heart murmur.
"I would have been dead within seven years unless the doctor had found that. Then two years later I did the operation. It's not a big thing but it's an interesting thing in your life," he says, casually, succeeding in keeping his quirky cool.
rjones@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
Company%C2%A0profile
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Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
The%20specs
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VERSTAPPEN'S FIRSTS
Youngest F1 driver (17 years 3 days Japan 2014)
Youngest driver to start an F1 race (17 years 166 days – Australia 2015)
Youngest F1 driver to score points (17 years 180 days - Malaysia 2015)
Youngest driver to lead an F1 race (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest driver to set an F1 fastest lap (19 years 44 days – Brazil 2016)
Youngest on F1 podium finish (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest F1 winner (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest multiple F1 race winner (Mexico 2017/18)
Youngest F1 driver to win the same race (Mexico 2017/18)
Specs%20
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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
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 178hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 280Nm at 1,350-4,200rpm
Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh209,000
On sale: now
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- Margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars
- Energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- Infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes
- Many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts
Zombieland: Double Tap
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Stars: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone
Four out of five stars
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Company%20profile
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Racecard
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