Love them or loathe them, you cannot ignore Mercedes-Benz's cars in this part of the world. The company manufactures practically every kind of vehicle, from the diminutive A-Class through to the SLS AMG supercar, the perennial Middle East favourite, the G-Class, to the S-Class limo and the R-Class people carrier. There's even a luxury van available and almost all models are a common sight on our roads, particularly those with those three little letters attached: AMG.
The reason is quite simple. AMG models are, in the eyes of many, the ultimate examples of the best cars in the world. I can't quite bring myself to agree with this line of thought but I do love them for their brutish performance, their rock solid build quality and the truly fantastic sounds that emerge from their exhaust pipes. Petrol being so cheap here obviously helps sales, too, mind you. Throughout Europe, the majority of Mercs are diesel-powered and, to be honest, they're pretty impressive machines, too.
To look at the off-roader Mercs here, though, you'd be forgiven for thinking that there's only one: the G-Class. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, famously drives his white G63 AMG around and the car has become a celebrity in its own right. The G-Class was always going to be viewed as a status symbol of sorts, but there's another capable dune basher in the Merc line-up: the M-Class. And its AMG incarnation is a seriously good piece of kit.
It's now in its third generation and is a massive improvement over the outgoing model in every single respect. An afternoon at the Dubai Autodrome proved that beyond doubt, as there were a number of the old ones on hand for comparison purposes. The new model looks better, handles better and brakes better. I was extremely impressed, but the one model I didn't get a chance to try for size was the bad boy AMG. And, after a couple of days behind its wheel (nasty shade of brown interior notwithstanding), I've fallen for its bounteous charms. It's a blast.
So it should be, with a whacking great big price of Dh480,774. This one has been fully specced and comes with the "Performance Package", meaning it packs a 558hp punch and carries itself on a 760Nm tsunami of torque. The engine, as with any AMG machine, is the centerpiece. At a standstill it burbles away, like some malevolent psychopath waiting to strike, and when you're on the move, it roars, coughs, burps and spits. I keep checking my mirrors, expecting flames to be erupting from the tail pipes.
The faster it goes, the more composed it seems to be. There's an enormous amount of electronic trickery at work under its boxy body panels, that's a given. But unlike so many computer-controlled vehicles these days, all the tech comes together to provide the driver with an entertaining experience. Its Active Curve Assist System has anti-roll bars that stiffen up when cornering at speed and the active dampers automatically lower the car's ride height when you're pressing on. Yet none of this intrudes, simply working away seamlessly to make sure this behemoth behaves just how it should at all times.
Another thing that impresses me is that the safety systems I normally decry as being totally unnecessary are, in this car, helpful and intuitive. The ML's B-pillars are quite thick, meaning vision is impaired when overtaking or pulling back into lane. But the large mirrors are fitted with warning lights that blink furiously when another car is either pulling alongside or just about to. Rather than annoy, it's a feature that actually benefits driver and other road users alike.
The interior of this car is coated in a rather hideous shade of brown leather upholstery but the brown ash wood trim is tasteful and all the metallic bits of trim are gorgeous to the touch. The Harmon Kardon Logic 7 sound system is superb and the seats have thankfully been fitted with cooling fans. There's plenty of room for adult passengers, both fore and aft, and the rear load bay offers generous luggage capacity, making it a supercar all the family can enjoy at the same time.
This car's obvious rival is the Porsche Cayenne Turbo - a model that has also improved with each successive generation - but the Cayenne just doesn't offer the same levels of character as the AMG. Both are highly competent either on or off-road, both are extremely well built and both are insanely fast. But the Merc, with its crazy sound effects and its more subtle road presence, nails it. It's easily the more charismatic of the two and personality goes a long way when you're shelling out the best part of half a million for any car.
The Specs
Price, base / as tested Dh364,640 / Dh480,774
Engine 5.5L V8-cylinder, twin turbo
Gearbox Seven-speed automatic
Power 558hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 760Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.8L/100km
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MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
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
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
In 2018, the ICRC received 27,756 trace requests in the Middle East alone. The global total was 45,507.
There are 139,018 global trace requests that have not been resolved yet, 55,672 of these are in the Middle East region.
More than 540,000 individuals approached the ICRC in the Middle East asking to be reunited with missing loved ones in 2018.
The total figure for the entire world was 654,000 in 2018.
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
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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The Vines - In Miracle Land
Two stars
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
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Women & Power: A Manifesto
Mary Beard
Profile Books and London Review of Books
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
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
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
