"How did it come to this?" was my chief concern approximately 15 minutes in. I'd been promised "a wonderful escape à la Paris". Thoughts turned to blissful relaxation tinged by images of the Eiffel Tower, romance and beautiful people. But sacré bleu, The Parisian Escape experience, my chosen option at the Sofitel's excellently appointed So Spa on The Palm, was a vigorous going-over – and no mistake. Perhaps whoever devised the triple-pronged treatment – a "brush", a massage and a facial – was thinking of a grittier experience of the French capital, as in the 1990s cult-classic movie La Haine.
Things began sedately enough, exploring the spa’s facilities, which are positively stupendous, especially contrasted with the rather more modest equivalent at the Sofitel on the Abu Dhabi Corniche. The separate men’s and women’s facilities each enjoy sauna and steam rooms, a chilled plunge pool and another, warmer swimming area, in addition to a shared outdoor pool and a gym that are both available to spa guests only, plus nearby private cabanas for couple’s treatments. The wide open spaces of The Palm have been put to excellent use; here’s a resort within a resort.
My Serbian therapist, Igor, explained a simple pre-treatment foot ritual that used coconut milk for moisturising and peppermint as an antiseptic agent. It was then a short hop on to the massage table for a brief spell of dry-brushing. Unlike a scrub, the dry-brushing (over the back of body only) is, Igor told me, more designed to increase circulation than to exfoliate. The stimulating mini-session feels like a quick, scratchy rub-down from a shoe-shiner’s bristles.
The aromatherapy massage with lavender body oil followed. I asked for the massage to be medium-to-hard – if I had opted for the full-blast pressure, I conceivably might not have survived to tell this tale. Every time Igor detected a hint of tension, he homed in on the area with ruthless precision. That meant that my calves and the nape of my neck and shoulders were subjected to at-the-time-excruciating repetitions. But I’m of the school of massage thought that says if you can’t feel things moving, it’s not doing much good; there’s no gain without pain – and, a couple of hours after the treatment, the former was undeniable, while the latter was all but gone.
The concluding section was more relaxing. The “flash” facial, which used Anne Semonin products, consisted of a botanical milk cleanser, an exfoliating mask and gel mask, an eye-contour serum and a covering of moisturiser, with a final, short head massage. By the end, I could pick out almost every pore on my face – as well as every sinew in my legs and back.
It’s a testament to the customisable nature of So Spa’s menu that a treatment so outwardly soothing can be ramped up to close to sports-massage depth. Here, there’s something for every taste. And should you prefer to be a little less reckless with your pressure requests, there’s little doubt that The Parisian Escape would be as mesmerisingly calming as a float down the Seine.
The 90-minute Parisian Escape treatment at So Spa, Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa, costs Dh850, including taxes. Call 04 455 5433 for more information
aworkman@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Read more about the coronavirus
Racecard:
2.30pm: Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoun Emirates Breeders Society Challenge; Conditions (PA); Dh40,000; 1,600m
3pm: Handicap; Dh80,000; 1,800m
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Mile Prep Rated Conditions; Dh110,000; 1,600m
4pm: Handicap; Dh95,000; 1,950m
4.30pm: Maiden; Dh65,000; 1,400m
5pm: Handicap; Dh85,000; 1,200m
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Canada
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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
MATCH INFO
New Zealand 176-8 (20 ovs)
England 155 (19.5 ovs)
New Zealand win by 21 runs
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on Quran memorisation:
Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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