For Rima Dardenne, the Dubai interior decorator behind the glamour of many special events at Burj Al Arab, Madinat Jumeirah and Grosvenor House, and the founder of the store Irony Home, the most glamorous entertaining accessory of all is not one you can buy: her best parties are all about the sky.
"At the first chance I take absolutely everything outside," she says. "It's so fantastic to socialise under the stars: I think of outdoors as just another room - which makes the possibilities for outdoor parties endless - it's glamorous, yet casual and comfortable."
Regarding outdoor space as another room - a natural extension of your home and its style - defines the new way of entertaining al fresco. It's a great way to add glamour and spice to an event - and the introduction of nature enables you to mix formal with informal, quaint with smart, old with new - knowing that somewhere in between the sky and the pool, it all comes together. With our climate we are, of course, lucky to be able to do this for five months of the year.
Entertaining outdoors is also an opportunity to imbue any occasion, from business dinner to family supper, with an instantly relaxed feel: as Dardenne says, the assumed informality of the outdoors is one of its biggest virtues when entertaining.
Julia Dempster, the managing director of the Dubai-based interior design firm Interior Motives, moves her evening parties (and lunches and breakfasts) outdoors at her villa on Palm Jumeirah as much as possible, as soon as she can: "We have guests staying constantly and friends over most weekends - it's such a luxury to spend evenings eating outside, near the pool, in reliably lovely weather."
Alfresco entertaining is hardly a new idea - but for more memorable parties, it's time to move beyond the barbecue.
Low-slung, close-to-the-floor-lounging style has been popping up at beach clubs from Amsterdam to Tulum for a few years now: think of canopied lounging areas, modular chaise-longues, and endless cushions, with a Miami-meets-Morocco feel. It's now finding its way into fashion-hungry homes everywhere, bringing with it that established essential for any hip hotel's poolside - the daybed. Dempster has a Gandia Blasco four-poster daybed by her 18-metre infinity pool, while Dardenne has a teak affair on her deck.
The daybed's lounge-y look and feel can easily be approximated with a few huge cushions strewn across the floor, on top of or around a rug. Big bean bags look as fun as they feel - buy children's ones, which are often adult-sized, or hire the oversized ones for a special event.
Entertaining in the great outdoors does not obviate the need for prettiness; it wholeheartedly embraces and enhances it. All the details usually vital for an indoor affair are just as important outside, points out Dardenne. This detail-heavy style is worlds away from the simple barbecue and standard plastic patio furniture of old (which may not be dreadful but is not exactly the coalface of chic).
Given the backdrop of the colours of the natural environment, an outdoor party is a great excuse for bold shades. Dempster has orange lanterns from Gandia Blasco around the terrace and on the dining table - a stylish contrast with her serenely white pool and its pale blue water.
Indian dress materials are a great way to transform any outdoor space - once given a hem, vivid sari silks work perfectly thrown over a large surface, from a sofa to a table. And if you have only a balcony, don't fret: fairy lights strung around it, sari material pinned to the wall or draped over the railing, votive candles at floor level or on tables - all will impart a magical effect.
Lighting, lighting, lighting is the buzzword for chic entertaining outside - it's what lifts a soirée into something more special. Dardenne raves about Ikea's simplest tealights, buying heaps and dotting them about every surface - "I'm not talking 20, 30 - I have absolutely heaps of them," she says. In her large pool she places floating candles to flicker away for as long as the guests are there, creating a dramatic after-dark focal point.
Morocco remains a great source for beautiful and interesting home accessories: the charms of hammered, antique-effect cutwork metal are many (and nothing else gives candlelight such a pretty edge). One new way of displaying Moroccan lanterns (seen in the North African-inspired courtyard of Hotel Costes in Paris) is to fearlessly group lanterns together - large, small and in-between, magnifying the reflections of the candlelight on their glass.
Could Oriental lanterns be the next frontier in outdoor lighting? The featherweight materials of Chinese and Vietnamese silk and paper lanterns, combined with their poppy colours, are dreamily sweet. Clash two or three colours, and shapes (anything from teardrop to the classic "squashed teapot" style). Like tealights, they work best as an army, rather than a sparse few - so think big and buy extra.
Marie-Inez Botha, an interior designer at Etcetera Living in Dubai, who catches "every and any opportunity" to entertain outside, is another bulk-buyer of tealights (for "huge" floor lanterns and for smaller lanterns hanging from trees) - and strings LED fairy lights in as many corners as possible.
For Dempster, lighting is "the key feature" - from simple candles to cutting-edge internally lit pieces, such as her four large illuminated pots from Desert River along the steps (which, in turn, have blue LEDs built in). She adds plenty of outdoor lights from Flos - from subtle low-level lighting and an oversized floor lamp to hanging pendant lights over her covered seating area. There's also an illuminated bar and drinks chiller which, she says, provide drama and a great talking point. She places tealights in lanterns throughout her sunken seating area too, and pushes them between pebbles along the paths between the house and pool.
If you have a parasol near your dining table, a tip from Martha Stewart is to hang a selection of tealight and votive holders from the spokes of the umbrella with ribbons and S-hooks, hanging them at different lengths to create a sense of movement.
The temptation to reduce food and drink served outdoors to a simple barbecue need not necessarily be resisted - the key lies in the styling and presentation, not the complexity of the menu. However, for Botha, food is all about colour: she collects all kinds of serving plates and dishes in whites and greys, mixing and matching them as a background to a chosen colour scheme executed through the food. "Outdoor food should be easy to carry, present and dish out," she says.
And who doesn't prefer casual, informal, dining - whether it's a buffet to the side, or, as Dardenne does, food arranged in the centre of the table from which guests help themselves? Stick to one large table wherever possible; don't divide the party up unless you want to make a feature of different areas with different functions - for instance, poolside, shade, eating area and a play area for children. Consider using charger plates - try gold or silver-detailed ones for swift and retro-themed glamour - so that guests can more easily walk with their supper and balance plates on their laps.
Cut flowers somehow seem extra-special when used outside. Dardenne piles fresh blossoms into a low vase or creates a tabletop centrepiece from seasonal plants and flowers ("remember to keep it beneath shoulder height so that guests can talk with ease"). If you're entertaining in the afternoon, create an arrangement that you can surround with votive candles as darkness falls. Botha always has a big bowl of floating candles in the centre of the table, surrounded by fresh flowers, petals or leaves and lots more candles.
There's something about the outdoors that inspires a dreaminess not found indoors. And since when was the temperature a problem? On cooler evenings both Julia Dempster and Marie-Inez Botha swear by their outdoor fires for a decadent and fearlessly glamorous touch - so much more a feature than just a function, they perfectly sum up the elegant fun of the new outdoor entertaining.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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
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)
The specs: 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Price, base / as tested Dh97,600
Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.0L / 100km (estimate)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press
Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
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"
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESmartCrowd%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiddiq%20Farid%20and%20Musfique%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%20%2F%20PropTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24650%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2035%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVarious%20institutional%20investors%20and%20notable%20angel%20investors%20(500%20MENA%2C%20Shurooq%2C%20Mada%2C%20Seedstar%2C%20Tricap)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
Fireball
Moscow claimed it hit the largest military fuel storage facility in Ukraine, triggering a huge fireball at the site.
A plume of black smoke rose from a fuel storage facility in the village of Kalynivka outside Kyiv on Friday after Russia said it had destroyed the military site with Kalibr cruise missiles.
"On the evening of March 24, Kalibr high-precision sea-based cruise missiles attacked a fuel base in the village of Kalynivka near Kyiv," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.
Ukraine confirmed the strike, saying the village some 40 kilometres south-west of Kyiv was targeted.
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
