Car obsessions come in many shapes and sizes.
There are those that wax lyrical about the sleekness of an Aston Martin, others that celebrate a Ferrari's price tag and those that revel in the economy of a Smart car.
But Tom Morgan's outlook on four-wheel machinery is different. He loves small cars, and bad ones at that.
"The smaller and more banged up they are, the better," said the founder of the Mongol Rally, an annual event that, starting today, will see crews set off in small, beat-up cars from Goodwood in the UK in a bid to reach the Mongolian border. "I'm not into F1 or fast cars - just cars that the smaller and worse they are, the better."
This love affair lends itself to Morgan's first motoring purchase while on a year's university exchange in the Czech Republic in 2001. He and a friend decided to buy a car - a battered 499cc Fiat 126 - and got talking about the most bizarre place they could travel to.
"We decided to go to Mongolia," said Morgan. "My friend Jules couldn't drive, so it meant I had to do the whole lot. Sadly, we didn't make it. We got turned back trying to get into Iran from east Turkey. But it was a pretty lively journey which included getting mixed up in some stuff in Macedonia. I say 'stuff' as I didn't really get politics back then, but I knew it was bad stuff. But I vowed to try to do the trip again and succeed this time."
And so the Mongol Rally was born. It took until 2004 - via some time living in Russia, Syria and Cambridge, in the UK - for the first rally to take shape.
The same overriding rule applies in 2009 - all cars must be under 1.2-litres in displacement - and it is believed to be the largest single rally, surpassing the Cannonball Run, with 500 crews already committed for this year.
In fact, the 500 places up for grabs for this year's race - which cost £640 each (Dh3,778) - were snapped up in just two minutes, a far cry from 2004 when six Fiat 126s stuttered off the line from the then starting point in Shoreditch, east London.
Morgan and his 16-man team describe themselves as "adventurists first and foremost", but they have evolved considerably from the early days when he first set up the League of the Adventurists, the company behind the Mongol Rally.
Back then, he says, he was "sponging off his parents" living in various places, "sort of stumbling my way through it".
He recalled: "But I realised it was taking up more and more of my time, so I decided to set up the company and do it full time and I've gradually got some other people on board and it's sort of just evolved from there."
Using the motto of making life less boring, the team have five main events: the Rickshaw Run, the Africa Rally, the Mototaxi Junket, the Mongol Derby and the Mongol Rally.
For now, the Mongol Rally remains the flagship event, an event Morgan has personally done two-and-a-half times, including a botched attempt back in 2001.
"I generally like the events to be stupid enough for me to do," he said. "Actually, the aim is to make them slightly stupid and slightly dangerous but still achievable."
Morgan's background is hardly in putting together such logistically difficult ventures, having studied for a degree in fine art that he says taught him very little.
"I found when I started that people talked a lot of guff in the art world," he said. "The degree course taught me to speak guff and then get people to believe that guff."
This one aspect of his course has come in immensely handy as he has talked all manner of people into lending their support to his events as well as occasionally talking his way out of trouble.
"The government of Mongolia have been massive backers of the Mongol Rally," said Morgan. "I remember meeting the Mongolian ambassador in London for the first time. This was a guy who clearly had better things to do than talk to someone like me, but he was an amazing support.
"And he continues to be a big backer. In 2006 at the launch, he even gave out his mobile phone number in case any of the crews got in trouble. I'm sure plenty of them did, but I never heard whether he got any calls or not."
There has been no shortage of trouble in the Mongol Rally or Rickshaw Run in particular.
One competitor from the United Arab Emirates, a banker known only as Geoff, regularly comes up in conversation with the Adventurists team at their headquarters in Bristol in the UK.
During the Rickshaw Run, he was known to be doing multi-million-dollar deals via a satellite phone while competing, once drove through the remnants of a burning truck, had to contend with a tornado and, at one stage when he needed to make up time, started hallucinating he was seeing tigers having virtually driven through the night.
Other crews have been known to roll their vehicles - three did on the Mongol Rally last year - while Morgan admits he feared that none of the entries would return in one piece on the first running of the Rickshaw Run.
"I remember being in Darjeeling being really nervous waiting for all the crews to make it in," he recalled. "Everyone said it wasn't possible and it was just too dangerous but everyone made it, which was a relief."
The variety of stories, which have included plenty of brushes with the law in various countries, are what, in Morgan's opinion, make the Mongol Rally and the other events exist.
"It all started with six crews coming back and telling widely over-egged stories of what they got up to," he said, "and that's where it goes from strength to strength."
Unlike most rallies, the team to finish the Mongol Rally in the quickest time are not necessarily greeted the most richly. If anything, the longest, most arduous and entertaining journeys tend to be the most celebrated.
He added: "The quicker they are normally means the more boring their journey has been. It generally means there's a straight run with no problems.
"We like people to have some challenges and generally people take up to a maximum of about five weeks although one crew one year took three months."
Another suffered the ultimate setback of having their vehicle and all their equipment stolen while at a rest stop.
Dan, another of the League of Adventurists, explained: "Mongolia's a very safe country, so something like that tends to be unheard of. And they're actually no good at being unkind. So these guys were able to find out who'd taken their car and got it back, possibly by handing over a little cash.
"Then they realised all of their stuff had been shared among loads of nomadic families so they had their work cut out getting a jerry can from one family, their trainers from another and so on. They got it all in the end which was quite impressive."
Aside from all the adventure and misadventure, there is a more serious side to the League of Adventurists, most notably the work the organisation does to raise money for charity.
This year, they are confident of raising £1 million (Dh5.9m) in sponsorship money - half of which is from the Mongol Rally. The money comes from a guaranteed £1,000 (Dh5,950) sponsorship each crew must raise, all of which is used to aid charities in countries where the events take place.
"We are adventurists first and foremost, but it's great to be able to do something for charity in the process," he said. "We leave teams to their fundraising and there are varying degrees of success. Some go crazy - one team raised £55,000 for charity - while others just raise the £1,000. It all helps the charities we work with."
This year's Mongol Rally sets off two weeks after the world- renowned Festival of Speed at Goodwood at the same venue, with what organisers are calling the Festival of Slow.
An array of crews will take part -"they tend to be younger students or older people as most regular people can't tend to get five weeks off without losing their jobs," said Morgan - and an array of new stories will be born.
Such stories rather than the machinery remains the main lure for Morgan and those lining up. "You get some car nuts, but most are adventurers who want to do a one-off," he said.
"We're trying to move away from cars, hence the Mongol Derby [which will see 26 horse riders compete over 1,000km] and we have plans for an event down the Amazon in dug-out canoes.
"But we don't want it to get too big ? maybe 10 events at most each year with the focus being on keeping the fun."
Eight years on from setting off on his first journey to Mongolia, Morgan is in no danger of bucking the trend.
mmajendie@thenational.ae
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
Ashes 2019 schedule
August 1-5: First Test, Edgbaston
August 14-18: Second Test, Lord's
August 22-26: Third Test, Headingley
September 4-8: Fourth Test, Old Trafford
September 12-16: Fifth Test, Oval
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company%C2%A0profile
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
West Asia rugby, season 2017/18 - Roll of Honour
Western Clubs Champions League - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons
West Asia Premiership - Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Courses%20at%20Istituto%20Marangoni%2C%20Dubai
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Specs – Taycan 4S
Engine: Electric
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 571bhp
Torque: 650Nm
Price: Dh431,800
Specs – Panamera
Engine: 3-litre V6 with 100kW electric motor
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 455bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: from Dh431,800
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Power: 272hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 331Nm from 5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.7L/100km
On sale: now
Price: Dh149,000
Indika
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2011%20Bit%20Studios%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Odd%20Meter%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%205%2C%20PC%20and%20Xbox%20series%20X%2FS%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
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
MATCH INFO
Europa League final
Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Why are you, you?
Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
From this question, a new destiny.
For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
Our dream is to unite that which has been
separated by history.
To return the many to the one.
A great story unites us all,
beyond colour and creed and gender.
The lightning flash of art
And the music of the heart.
We reflect all cultures, all ways.
We are a twenty first century wonder.
Universal ideals, visions of art and truth.
Now is the turning point of cultures and hopes.
Come with questions, leave with visions.
We are the link between the past and the future.
Here, through art, new possibilities are born. And
new answers are given wings.
Why are you, you?
Because we are mirrors of each other.
Because together we create new worlds.
Together we are more powerful than we know.
We connect, we inspire, we multiply illuminations
with the unique light of art.
Ben Okri,
RESULT
Manchester United 1 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Man United: Dunk (66' og)
Man of the Match: Shane Duffy (Brighton)
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Avatar%20(2009)
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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
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.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.”
SHALASH%20THE%20IRAQI
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
'Champions'
Director: Manuel Calvo
Stars: Yassir Al Saggaf and Fatima Al Banawi
Rating: 2/5
Result
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 – Group 1 (PA) $65,000 (Dirt) 2,000m; Winner: Brraq, Ryan Curatolo (jockey), Jean-Claude Pecout (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $65,000 (Turf) 1,800m; Winner: Bright Melody, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
7.40pm: Meydan Classic – Listed (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Naval Crown, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $195,000 (T) 2,810m; Winner: Volcanic Sky, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
8.50pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Star Safari, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Meydan Challenge – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Zainhom, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
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THE NEW BATCH'S FOCUS SECTORS
AiFlux – renewables, oil and gas
DevisionX – manufacturing
Event Gates – security and manufacturing
Farmdar – agriculture
Farmin – smart cities
Greener Crop – agriculture
Ipera.ai – space digitisation
Lune Technologies – fibre-optics
Monak – delivery
NutzenTech – environment
Nybl – machine learning
Occicor – shelf management
Olymon Solutions – smart automation
Pivony – user-generated data
PowerDev – energy big data
Sav – finance
Searover – renewables
Swftbox – delivery
Trade Capital Partners – FinTech
Valorafutbol – sports and entertainment
Workfam – employee engagement
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
