Few delicacies are as synonymous with luxury as oysters. Featured on the menus of top restaurants the world over, they are a food of celebration, often enjoyed together in moments of indulgence and joie de vivre.
Globally, an estimated two billion oysters are consumed each year. That’s a lot of shucking — and a whole lot of shells.
For many, it’s unlikely much thought is given to those shells once the Mignonette is sprinkled and the oyster swallowed. But around the world they are being given a new lease of life, including off the coast of Dubai. The Dubai Oyster Project is the brainchild of Joey Ghazal, founder of The Maine group, which across its three brasseries is one of the city’s biggest purveyors of oysters, selling more than 50,000 per month.
“Oysters are, in my opinion, the best way to start any meal,” Ghazal says. “We regularly feature more than 12 varieties from around the world, including Atlantic, Pacific, European Flats and local Dibba Bay Oysters.”
The project’s mission is to repurpose the shells of those oysters, putting them back into the ocean to create new reefs and habitats where wildlife, including the endangered Hawksbill turtle, can thrive.
Ghazal co-founded the project with long-time friend and keen environmentalist Fadi Abu Ghali. “Joey came to me and he said: ‘Listen, we sell 50,000 oysters a month, and these shells are going to waste. I would love to do something with that waste and to give back. And not only to give back, but also have our diners give back’,” Ghali says.
Ghali is a board member at Dubai’s The Arbor School, which teaches eco-literacy and environmental justice through a hands-on curriculum that often gets students out into nature. “I went and spoke to the board of the school and it was decided the oysters would be introduced into the school’s curriculum, bringing the shells in from The Maine restaurants and giving them to the students, who could then take those shells and put them into various contraptions, which are then planted back into the water as reefs,” Ghali says.
It is hoped these reefs, placed at Nakheel Water Front close to Jebal Ali, will become important ecological sites in Dubai’s waters. Oyster reefs not only create a habitat for fish and marine life, they provide the building blocks on which young oyster larvae depend, attaching to the hard shell substrate provided by reefs to grow.
“The students are then going back to the reefs to look at growth and look at what has worked and what hasn’t with the scientists and the educators,” Ghali says. “We are all learning, but you should see the look on the students’ faces when they are actually out in nature doing things that make a difference.”
Working alongside the Emirates Marine Environmental Group, it is hoped the project, which has been running for close to two years, will be expanded across the UAE and region, with both more restaurants and organisations wanting to be involved. “I’ve got restaurants and schools knocking on our door saying ‘please can we participate’,” says Ghali. “They are not only keen; they are super excited to get involved. It’s a feel good story.”
The Maine also ensures its customers know all about the project whenever they order oysters. “Our guests love the fact that the oysters they are consuming are finding their way back to the sea,” Ghazal says. “We have received countless requests from parents that want their own kids to be involved in this initiative. We hope to be able to get more children involved as the programme grows and evolves.”
And for Ghazal, the project is three-fold, not only promoting marine biodiversity and contributing to the education of future generations, but helping to tackle one of his industry’s biggest and most pressing issues – food waste.
“These shells would ordinarily end up in landfills, so the idea really started as a solution to tackle a waste problem,” he says. “We very much hope that by raising awareness for this programme we can inspire other restaurants and hotels to donate their oyster shells. We have already donated more than 400,000 shells from The Maine alone, so you can imagine how many more we can donate if all the restaurants and hotels were to get involved.”
For Ghali, the project is also poignant given the UAE’s rich history with oysters and pearl diving. “Oysters have always been important in the UAE, so it’s almost like it’s come full circle,” he says. “Until people stop eating seafood altogether, this is a way we can contribute. The goal in the end is to leave the ocean alone, but until we reach that, it’s good to feel like we are doing something.”
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
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Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike
They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users
Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance
They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians
List of officials:
Referees: Chris Broad, David Boon, Jeff Crowe, Andy Pycroft, Ranjan Madugalle and Richie Richardson.
Umpires: Aleem Dar, Kumara Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Ian Gould, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford, Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Sundaram Ravi, Paul Reiffel, Rod Tucker, Michael Gough, Joel Wilson and Paul Wilson.
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India squads
T20: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Chahar, Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Shivam Dube, Shardul Thakur
Test: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant
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6pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $40,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: AF Alajaj, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
6.35pm: Race of Future – Handicap (TB) $80,000 (Turf) 2,410m
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7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Azure Coast, Antonio Fresu, Pavel Vashchenko
7.45pm: Business Bay Challenge – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,400m
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20.20pm: Curlin Stakes – Listed (TB) $100,000 (D) 2,000m
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8.55pm: Singspiel Stakes – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
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9.30pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
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Sand storm
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Dust storm
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Canada
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The details
Colette
Director: Wash Westmoreland
Starring: Keira Knightley, Dominic West
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1 Man City 26 20 3 3 63 17 63
2 Liverpool 25 17 6 2 64 20 57
3 Chelsea 25 14 8 3 49 18 50
4 Man Utd 26 13 7 6 44 34 46
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5 West Ham 26 12 6 8 45 34 42
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8 Tottenham 23 12 4 8 31 31 39
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ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes.
The car
Hertz offers compact car rental from about $300 (Dh1,100) per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
The national park
Entry to Mount Rainier National Park costs $30 for one vehicle and passengers for up to seven days. Accommodation can be booked through mtrainierguestservices.com. Prices vary according to season. Rooms at the Holiday Inn Yakima cost from $125 per night, excluding breakfast.
RESULTS
West Asia Premiership
Thursday
Jebel Ali Dragons 13-34 Dubai Exiles
Friday
Dubai Knights Eagles 16-27 Dubai Tigers
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Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
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Uefa Champioons League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
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TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
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How do Sim card scams work?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards by claiming to be the victim, often pretending their phone has been lost or stolen in order to secure a new Sim.
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
South Africa squad
: Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wkt), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Duanne Olivier, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
