So you're a successful businessman who has done well for himself and is proud of the fact. You've worked hard to get where you are and you deserve a bit of comfort; after all, you've earned it. You want to travel in style but you also want to make a bold statement, as you're unashamedly successful.
Wealthy businessman, say hello to Rolls-Royce, the only car company in the world that's capable of satisfying your automotive needs. You see, for the hugely successful, it isn't enough to merely possess a Rolls-Royce. Pioneers and captains of industry are the types to demand more - more comfort, more luxury and, crucially for Rolls, more personalisation.
From the murky ownership quarrels between BMW and Volkswagen in the late 1990s, Rolls-Royce emerged, in 2003, as a rejuvenated car company. It launched the Phantom and, very soon after, its Bespoke operation followed, which offered a degree of car personalisation that was very much against the grain in this day of mass-market production. But as knowledge grew of these additional services Rolls offered so, too, did the demand. So much so that today, Abu Dhabi Motors' Rolls-Royce showroom sells more Bespoke Ghost models than any other dealership in the world.
"Bespoke exists at the upper echelons of what is already a very niche, low-volume motor manufacturer," says Bespoke designer Alex Innes, who is based in Goodwood, England, but is touring the region with Bespoke sales and communications manager Thomas Jefferson (Yes, he's American; no, he's not a descendant) to promote personalised Rolls-Royces. "People who buy our cars are very comfortable with their success; they're entrepreneurs or pioneers, but the one attribute they all have is that they're successful. They're comfortable with that success. Buying cars like ours is really about celebrating that success."
And when it comes to tailoring, pretty much anything goes, provided it doesn't jeopardise safety, alter engineering integrity, alter design cues or affect the homologation of the car. A video presentation at the showroom revealed cars decked out with tartan lining the entire inside of a boot, a garish purple paint job on an unlucky Ghost model, leather and steel flasks stored in door inserts and even a champagne cooler fridge and glasses in the boot floor.
"We had a customer here that went on to order his helicopter with the same leather and interior finish as his Phantom," says Kadhim Al Helli, the Rolls-Royce brand manager at Abu Dhabi Motors. "We had another customer who made his yacht - interior and exterior - just like his Phantom. And a Bespoke Phantom we created called the Eco was designed to convey the power and beauty of nature through an African colour combination; it was sold to a customer who went on to design his house with the same concept."
With regard to the car itself though, Innes says Rolls-Royce wouldn't sacrifice standards for a request. "If there was a request that would be detrimental to quality, we would refuse. We would exhaust all options trying to implement it but if we thought it wouldn't work, we would decline.Anything we do is tailored for the customer but it never, ever has a detrimental effect on the vehicle."
So what about that dodgy purple paint job then? No surprise that communications chap Jefferson has a ready-made retort. "We're the arbitrators of craftsmanship and design. Taste is personal, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so who am I to say that a colour scheme isn't attractive?"
Here in the UAE though, things operate a little differently, as Al Helli explains: "It's natural that when you go to buy a car, you want it immediately. We understand that our customers are busy and don't necessarily have the time to create a Bespoke car themselves, so I create them in the knowledge of what Emirati customers would like to see."
It's good to know that Al Helli is also an artist, and he takes creating a car very seriously, spending up to 100 hours on a heavily personalised car, always in communication with his Bespoke colleagues in Goodwood.
For example, a Bespoke Phantom Coupé that's sitting in the Abu Dhabi showroom was created by Al Helli and is called the Mirage. "Each design has a story behind it," Al Helli says. "The Mirage was a famous horse in the 1920s and 1930s that was owned by King Faisal of Iraq and then later by Lady Wentworth, in the UK. It was a strong story and Emiratis like Arab horses, so it made sense.
"I designed it to have the head of a horse on the coachline and headrest. We put a horse shoe on the tread plate for good luck and the exterior finish is a lovely matte black - it's one of only one."
This may appear to take some of the beauty out of creating a truly personal vehicle but, as Al Helli says, most customers are happy to obtain a unique car without the wait. "We have a strong reputation here and I sit with each customer, talk with them then present the right car to them. Most customers trust my judgement because of my background, we help them, and it gives them peace of mind."
For the discerning buyer, you can expect to pay about 10 to 20 per cent on top of the near Dh1 million car price tag for average Bespoke options, such as glovebox embroidery and personalised tread plates, but that would rise to 35 to 40 per cent if it's a bigger project that requires all-new unique features. It's a pricey business, and one that takes time, too.
To build your average Rolls-Royce (if there is such a thing) takes the hands of 60 workmen about 450 hours to complete. A slightly personalised version will take about four months for delivery but, if you go for an utterly unique Bespoke vehicle, you're looking at having to wait between six to eight months.
And that's because the Rolls Bespoke team at Goodwood are such perfectionists. The company employs people with backgrounds in woodwork, cabinet making, leather tanning and from the sewing industry. "When a person wants to work at Rolls-Royce, they're very hands-on, very detail orientated and they take a lot of pride in craftsmanship," says Jefferson. "It's a combination of people who may not necessarily be car people, but they're creative. We have staff from at least 45 different countries, so it's a very diverse, international organisation."
Designer Innes says that, among the workers' tools, are ox and squirrel's tail brushes and that they source leather hides from across northern Europe and wood globally. "It's an idiosyncrasy of the brand, the fine touches that make us unique," explains Innes. "The lengths we go to is borderline obsessional but it's what makes the cars what they are and that's what customers buy into and what we proudly stand behind."
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.”
Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
All%20The%20Light%20We%20Cannot%20See%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESteven%20Knight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EMark%20Ruffalo%2C%20Hugh%20Laurie%2C%20Aria%20Mia%20Loberti%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2F5%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
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
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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
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
Simran
Director Hansal Mehta
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Soham Shah, Esha Tiwari Pandey
Three stars
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
Day 2, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dinesh Chandimal has inherited a challenging job, after being made Sri Lanka’s Test captain. He responded in perfect fashion, with an easy-natured century against Pakistan. He brought up three figures with a majestic cover drive, which he just stood and admired.
Stat of the day – 33 It took 33 balls for Dilruwan Perera to get off the mark. His time on zero was eventful enough. The Sri Lankan No 7 was given out LBW twice, but managed to have both decisions overturned on review. The TV replays showed both times that he had inside edged the ball onto his pad.
The verdict In the two previous times these two sides have met in Abu Dhabi, the Tests have been drawn. The docile nature of proceedings so far makes that the likely outcome again this time, but both sides will be harbouring thoughts that they can force their way into a winning position.
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETuhoon%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYear%20started%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFares%20Ghandour%2C%20Dr%20Naif%20Almutawa%2C%20Aymane%20Sennoussi%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERiyadh%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Ehealth%20care%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESize%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E15%20employees%2C%20%24250%2C000%20in%20revenue%0D%3Cbr%3EI%3Cstrong%3Envestment%20stage%3A%20s%3C%2Fstrong%3Eeed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EWamda%20Capital%2C%20Nuwa%20Capital%2C%20angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Floward%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERiyadh%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdulaziz%20Al%20Loughani%20and%20Mohamed%20Al%20Arifi%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EE-commerce%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbout%20%24200%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAljazira%20Capital%2C%20Rainwater%20Partners%2C%20STV%20and%20Impact46%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C200%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
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
