The welcome
Men in dark suits wave you up the driveway and towards the darkened hotel entrance beneath the podium that supports Etihad Towers. Once inside, guests are almost blinded by a combination of desert sunlight streaming into the lobby through the glass wall behind the check-in desks, and the bling provided by the enormous crystal chandeliers.
There's nothing subtle about Dubai-based hotel group Jumeirah's first foray into the capital: from the setting in one of five massive towers at the west end of the Corniche, opposite the Emirates Palace; to the finer details such as the agate- and amethyst-lined lifts that whizz guests at ear-popping speed from the foyer to the guest floors. This 382-room hotel with an executive lounge, Talise Spa, mini shopping mall and small private beach has already caused a stir in a city not unused to five-star openings.
The neighbourhood
Serenity ends at the bottom of the driveway with a mess of traffic cones and plastic barriers, the result of a road improvement scheme around the Emirates Palace, which is also home to a number of destination restaurants including the popular Hakkasan, and neighbouring construction projects. Marina Mall is only a short five-minute drive away as well as the rest of the Corniche beachfront with its wide, sandy public beaches, parks and boardwalks.
The room
I stayed in a 50-sq-m deluxe room with a king-sized bed on the 42nd floor, and used the option of an adjoining, smaller tower room with twin beds suitable for families. The velvet bedspread, mirrored panelling, and sizeable bathroom with twin basins, deep bathtub, rainfall shower and contrasting marble feels suitably luxurious, if not standout. The star in every room is the view out towards the sea or over the city ... until you turn down the sheets and sink into bed. The cocooning effect of the Sealy mattress with topper, with a second, separate feather topper is ludicrous. Almost worth the stay alone.
The scene
Elegant Emiratis with to-die-for accessories can be found having a consultation on the comfy chairs outside the beautiful Talise Spa, while the menfolk gather in the lobby. Upstairs in Ray's Bar on the 62nd floor, there is a much flashier crowd sprawled on the window loungers or perched at the bar enjoying drinks, tapas and upbeat lounge music; while on the top floor the Asian restaurant Quest plays host to smartly dressed groups of all ages and backgrounds. The hotel is pitched at business travellers and tourists on a stopover but it clearly enjoys a strong following among residents, too.
The service
All smiles and occasionally slightly cloying but the waiting staff we chatted with in Ray's Bar and Quest were genuine and interesting company.
The food
There's a Lebanese restaurant, Li Beirut, offering up classic dishes with a twist; Nahaam, a poolside restaurant for pizza, smoothies and the like; and an all-day dining venue, Rosewater, where an above-average buffet breakfast is served in rather plush surroundings.
Top billing goes to Quest, however, which serves up an ambitious Asian fusion menu from its open-style kitchen. We were treated to the chef's tasting menu (Dh650 per head) which included Yam Pak, an astonishingly fresh-tasting salad served in a plastic flower pot. The service is excellent; the chef and sommelier both stopped at our table to chat and each dish is served with a breezy explanation of what it involves so diners can enjoy the taste, rather than wondering which fork to use. Diners are treated to window seats in the main, and it's a tribute to the food that the view from up on the 63rd floor does not outshine what's on the plate.
Loved
There is much to love at this new Jumeirah but the spa experience stands out, thanks to the well designed, dimly lit spa suites and my expert masseuse who made sure to keep asking whether the pressure she applied during the hour-long signature treatment (Dh450), which focuses on pressure points and stretching, was comfortably firm.
Hated
When I returned to the room to pack and check out, I was met with three workmen trying to fix a lighting problem that a previous guest had reported. Given that my belongings were strewn all over the room, I felt like my privacy had been invaded. Staff were apologetic and left as quickly as possible, explaining that their visit had been in error.
The verdict
Etihad Towers dominates the skyline, thanks in part to its imposing shape but also because of the sense of excitement and unrestrained opulence the hotel has brought to the capital.
The bottom line
A double room costs from Dh1,095 per night, including taxes. Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, West Corniche, Abu Dhabi (www.jumeirah.com; 02 811 5888).
cdight@thenational.ae
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.
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
MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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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
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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
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
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
