Karim al Azhari isn't your average UAE driver. And for that matter, neither is his car your normal runabout.
Al Azhari is the current UAE GT champion, and has been for the past four years. What gets him around the tracks and usually into first place is his 2009 Callaway Corvette GT3.
"This car has been constantly impressing me with its incredibly high levels of balance around all types of corners that we are faced with on the circuits, along with amazing stability under extreme braking," says al Azhari of the US-designed sports car that he races for House of Portier & TAM Auto Engineering in the UAE GT Championship series.
"I still get excited every time I take it out for a test session or race weekend. I push myself to explore its limits despite being convinced I must have reached them at some point before.
"It still manages to award my efforts of that extra edge I ask for, and of constantly improved lap times," he says.
The GT3 Corvette that al Azhari drives was modified by Callaway in Germany in 2009, and was immediately flown to the UAE to House of Portier & TAM Auto Engineering to kick-start its racing journey.
The custom-built racing car comes with an V8 engine and light carbon fibre doors and roof panel. It is also equipped with a state-of-the-art safety system that includes a fully plumbed fire-extinguishing system and a full safety cage.
Al Azhari was named the Gulf Radical Cup Champion for two years before he followed it with a four UAE GT championship titles. But the UAE hasn't been his only playground and classroom for racing.
"After fine-tuning my skills in Formula BMW in Europe, I was a contracted driver for Porsche Dubai during the years of 2005 to 2009, and I won every championship we entered, the last one being in a Porsche 911 GT2," he says.
He was then contracted by House of Portier & TAM Auto Engineering to join them in their maiden entry into the UAE GT Championship in 2009, and to whom he brought their first championship title.
Al Azhari's journey in professional race car driving got started when he was just 12 years old. He developed his driving skills in baby steps taught by various teachers along the way.
"My father was the first one who taught me how to drive. He was followed by my brother, all the way up to data engineers from Formula BMW, as well as all the teams I have raced with over the years," says al Azhari.
Growing up in Sharjah's Al Khan Street, al Azhari, a current resident of Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, remembers his childhood driving adventures and how they somehow shaped his current driving skills.
"I remember every night asking my mother to sit next to me in her Mercedes while I pretended our neighbourhood streets of Al Khan in Sharjah were a race track.
"I still wonder how she put up with me, but all those hours everyday experimenting with big cars have been good to adjust my natural skills," he jokes.
Al Azhari's passion for sports car racing gave him the qualities he needs as a racer to pursue his dream in as many ways as possible.
"I stayed close to my passion and developed into a Porsche instructor, a senior instructor at the Dubai Autodrome in 2005, and eventually, an instructor at Yas in 2010.
"When I am done racing in the UAE season, which is typically October to April, I go to race with different teams in Europe to continue challenging myself with higher levels of racing at every opportunity," al Azhari adds.
Though a German national, the 37-year-old al Azhari has lived most of his life in the UAE, roaming between Dubai and Sharjah.
Having studied for seven years in the US (every summer of which he spent in Europe racing), al Azhari tried almost every kind of driving, both on the track and on public roads.
"In the US, roads there are very relaxed and cars are mostly huge SUVs and trucks. Driving skills are average to a large scale, while as in Europe, the roads are a bit more challenging with the changing topography and mixed weather.
"When it comes to the UAE, roads are wide and flat and the weather is consistent and dry. Personal cars are luxurious and relatively new, and despite an incredible variety in nationalities that share the roads, the driving standards are acceptable across the range," al Azhari says.
"I have been observing that the RTA is doing a great job and is constantly improving our roads and traffic in our fast-developing country," he adds.
11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
UAE%20FIXTURES
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About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
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
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Astra%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdallah%20Abu%20Sheikh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20technology%20investment%20and%20development%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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%20specs
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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.
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
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
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Shipping%20and%20banking%20
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Super heroes
Iron Man
Reduced risk of dementia
Alcohol consumption could be an issue
Hulk
Cardiac disease, stroke and dementia from high heart rate
Spider-Man
Agility reduces risk of falls
Increased risk of obesity and mental health issues
Black Panther
Vegetarian diet reduces obesity
Unknown risks of potion drinking
Black Widow
Childhood traumas increase risk of mental illnesses
Thor
He's a god
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
