A year ago, The Club, a decades-old leisure facility situated on coastal land near Abu Dhabi’s Mina Zayed, had to contend with the challenges posed by the great April storm that rolled across the country. Record-breaking rainfall hit the facility over the course of a few hours, causing damage that took weeks to repair.
Some might say that The Club is now facing another significant challenge 12 months on from that generational storm.
Last summer, the social club informed its members (this columnist included) by email that it had been served notice on its plot, which was originally gifted to the organisation in the 1960s. “We are to be transferred from the current site to a new location by quarter four [in] 2026,” an email to its membership read.
The complex is recognised as one of the top 100 city clubs in the world and its nearly 3,500 current members hail from more than 80 countries, despite being colloquially and erroneously known to many as the “British Club”. Annual memberships cost about Dh5,000 for an adult, with new members also required to pay a joining fee. The organisation says its members consider the premises as a “second home” in the city.
In the same message, members were informed that it was the organisation’s preference to stay put. The memo said that The Club intended to hold an extraordinary general meeting once further discussions had been had with the relevant authorities. According to the organisation’s constitution, an EGM requires 28 days’ notice and can be called at any time.
Subsequent emails to members described the prospect of relocation as inevitable and confirmed that the organisation “will be moving to a new home”. The organisation also said a site had been earmarked for it in the Raha Beach area of the city, part of a ribbon of real estate adjacent to the E10 highway on the mainland, but that the conversation surrounding the relocation was “ongoing”.
Without more formal plans in place regarding when and how the organisation will move, an EGM has not been convened and won’t be until there is greater certainty about the situation. The Club declined to comment when contacted by The National about the relocation, but it did confirm that the narrative of events presented here is accurate.
To some degree, the organisation finds itself caught between its present circumstances on an expensive-to-run site that is fast ageing into mandated obsolescence and its future that is likely to involve a substantial financial outlay to realise the potential promise of a largely undeveloped site. Anyone who has ever moved home knows it’s a costly enterprise. Anyone who has ever built a house from scratch also knows financial risk and reward rarely operate in neat balance and that it might take years and significant funds to finish such a project.
Next week, The Club will hold its annual general meeting, the second such assembly since the 2024 great storm, but the first since the organisation was served its notice to leave its current plot. The organisation’s constitution requires it to hold its AGM no later than the last day of April each year. The Club’s messages about the coming meeting remind members that the meeting is an opportunity to “have their say” about the present and future of the organisation.
Despite the absence of an EGM, this year’s annual meeting is likely to be extraordinary given the circumstances, even if not by definition.
While such meetings have set rhythms and regulatory requirements regarding discussions of financial performance and plans, it may be a night when hard talk and, possibly, raw emotions about the existing site’s legacy and significance come to the fore, as well as the bigger question of what happens next?
History provides mixed precedents for those who wonder what the future might hold.
In the neighbouring emirate, Dubai Country Club was established in 1971, post-dating The Club by nearly a decade, although its main attraction was a sand golf course rather than the sandy beach. Considered a “place to be” in its 20th-century heyday, DCC closed in 2007 due to redevelopment of its site, which also sat on gifted land.
DCC hoped to move to a new location equipped with a clubhouse, several sports facilities and a large pool, but its post-global financial crisis rebirth failed when it proved impossible to raise sufficient funds for development plans.
Abu Dhabi Country Club in Mushrif, established in 1999, suspended many of its services earlier this year to undergo redevelopment, although its social media accounts say the work is intended to create a better experience for its patrons.
Before it was renamed in 2014, Abu Dhabi’s Al Zahiyah neighbourhood was known as the Tourist Club because of a beach and leisure facility built next to Le Meridien. The hotel is still an Al Zahiyah fixture and it was granted “unconditional protection” in 2023 through a Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi initiative, but the tourist club itself is long gone, even if it survived for many years as a shorthand description for a particular pocket of the city.
None of which should be read as a predictor of what may happen next to The Club, which was established in 1962, but what is certain is that dialogue will be crucial over the coming months.
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Allardyce's management career
Clubs (10) - Limerick (1991-1992), Perston North End (1992), Blackpool (1994-1996), Notts County (1997-1999), Bolton Wanderers (1999-2007), Newcastle United (2007-2008), Blackburn Rovers (2008-2010), West Ham United (2011-2015), Sunderland (2016), Crystal Palace (2016-2017)
Countries (1) - England (2016)
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Profile
Company: Libra Project
Based: Masdar City, ADGM, London and Delaware
Launch year: 2017
Size: A team of 12 with six employed full-time
Sector: Renewable energy
Funding: $500,000 in Series A funding from family and friends in 2018. A Series B round looking to raise $1.5m is now live.
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
'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Williams at Wimbledon
Venus Williams - 5 titles (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008)
Serena Williams - 7 titles (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016)
MATCH INFO
Newcastle 2-2 Manchester City
Burnley 0-2 Crystal Palace
Chelsea 0-1 West Ham
Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
Tottenham 3-2 Bournemouth
Southampton v Watford (late)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
Isle of Dogs
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Liev Schreiber, Ed Norton, Greta Gerwig, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson
Three stars
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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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
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Results
Light Flyweight (49kg): Mirzakhmedov Nodirjon (UZB) beat Daniyal Sabit (KAZ) by points 5-0.
Flyweight (52kg): Zoirov Shakhobidin (UZB) beat Amit Panghol (IND) 3-2.
Bantamweight (56kg): Kharkhuu Enkh-Amar (MGL) beat Mirazizbek Mirzahalilov (UZB) 3-2.
Lightweight (60kg): Erdenebat Tsendbaatar (MGL) beat Daniyal Shahbakhsh (IRI) 5-0.
Light Welterweight (64kg): Baatarsukh Chinzorig (MGL) beat Shiva Thapa (IND) 3-2.
Welterweight (69kg): Bobo-Usmon Baturov (UZB) beat Ablaikhan Zhussupov (KAZ) RSC round-1.
Middleweight (75kg): Jafarov Saidjamshid (UZB) beat Abilkhan Amankul (KAZ) 4-1.
Light Heavyweight (81kg): Ruzmetov Dilshodbek (UZB) beat Meysam Gheshlaghi (IRI) 3-2.
Heavyweight (91kg): Sanjeet (IND) beat Vassiliy Levit (KAZ) 4-1.
Super Heavyweight ( 91kg): Jalolov Bakhodir (UZB) beat Kamshibek Kunkabayev (KAZ) 5-0.
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EXare%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJanuary%2018%2C%202021%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPadmini%20Gupta%2C%20Milind%20Singh%2C%20Mandeep%20Singh%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20Raised%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2410%20million%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E28%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eundisclosed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMS%26amp%3BAD%20Ventures%2C%20Middle%20East%20Venture%20Partners%2C%20Astra%20Amco%2C%20the%20Dubai%20International%20Financial%20Centre%2C%20Fintech%20Fund%2C%20500%20Startups%2C%20Khwarizmi%20Ventures%2C%20and%20Phoenician%20Funds%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
