There can be few better examples of the nexus between future-first technology and sensitive preservation of the past than the one that played out in Singapore last week.
At midday on October 22, with the city centre's photogenic skyscrapers providing a near picture-perfect backdrop, the German company Volocopter opened the world's first "vertiport" for a test of its flying taxi, an event described in The National as "bringing the future of urban commuting a little closer to reality".
The Volocopter undertook a sedate journey above the harbour, inching its way into history as it did so. Although the event was over in minutes, its significance is likely to reverberate for much longer as the next generation of global transport solutions begins to coalesce into view.
Meanwhile, a short distance across town, the historic Raffles hotel continued to spring back into life after a long stretch of slumber. The hotel had been closed since December 2017 for a period of sympathetic restoration and refurbishment. Raffles officially reopened at the beginning of August, although its formal grand reveal occurred a couple of days before the Volocopter took to the skies.
It is easy to make comparisons of development, change and history in Singapore and the UAE, right down to the flying taxi project that has also been piloted in Dubai and, indeed, the driverless trains that crisscross the public transport networks of both Dubai and Singapore.
Certainly, the parallels between the two countries are strong: both shaped their destinies during the same period of the late 20th century. Singapore became an independent republic in 1965, the UAE became a constitutional federation in 1971. The success of neither new country was assured and the development of both owed a great deal to the nation-building vision and steely reserve of their respective leaders, Lee Kuan Yew and Sheikh Zayed, and to continued thoughtful leadership in the years since.
It is safe to say that the parallels between the two states in terms of providing secure environments for business and commerce, as well as tax-free shopping experiences for tourists, are also close. So, too, is the government-led emphasis on smart cities and on the wellbeing of citizens, including the development of public housing projects on a grand scale in both countries.
And it is not surprising that both the UAE and Singapore have recognised the opportunity presented by flying taxis, given their traditional place as transport hubs and trading centres, reputations forged on the back of busy international ports and highly regarded airlines.
It is the respective airports that offer up some of the most interesting points of commonality in their respective stories. Dubai international airport recently welcomed its billionth passenger and is the busiest hub for international travellers in the world, while Abu Dhabi international is preparing to take a huge step forward with the opening of its new Midfield Terminal complex.
For the past seven years, Singapore's Changi airport has topped the Skytrax World Airport rankings and with good reason. Its success has been forged on its ability to get passengers quickly through its departure and arrival halls, as well as for its shopping and dining options and for the more left-field parts of its overall package, such as its rooftop pool for those who have a few hours to kill in between flights.
To those attributes it added the Jewel this year, which is part-shopping experience, part-visitor attraction featuring a 40-metre indoor waterfall set among verdant, manicured gardens. It is a remarkable place.
At the time of opening, Jayson Goh, the airport group’s CEO, said that it had been developed because “passengers are spending longer as they transit through airports”, although analysts have been quick to point out that the attraction is a landside development, making it harder for transit passengers to experience the Jewel unless they take the Skytrain service that runs directly past it.
Beyond its arresting landscaping, array of shops and diverting attractions, including mazes and a bounce park, the Jewel also inverts the traditional airport model by fashioning Changi into a destination point for visitors as well as a place of departure for passengers.
Like the Volocopter representing the frontier of personal transportation, the Jewel may be at the forefront how airports will need to adapt and change over the next few years to keep up with passenger expectations. The Jewel also sends out a message to other facilities that Changi does not intend to relinquish its best in the world crown any time soon.
Abu Dhabi's Midfield Terminal may well provide an exquisite riposte when it opens soon, with its vast roof span, huge floor plan and airy feel. It is a development of epic scale. The building is also expected to be connected to 5G, joining Dubai's JLT in an exclusive UAE club, and will feature vast areas of retail, food outlets and lounge space.
Its architects say the structure brings to mind rolling desert dunes, the sea and an oasis in the desert, while an Abu Dhabi Airports official speaking two years ago said Midfield Terminal “is the future and we aim to be number one”.
The Jewel has set the bar higher than ever, which begs the question of whether Midfield Terminal can push global travel on to even greater heights.
Nick March is an assistant editor-in-chief for The National
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
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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The bio
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Day 5, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Given the problems Sri Lanka have had in recent times, it was apt the winning catch was taken by Dinesh Chandimal. He is one of seven different captains Sri Lanka have had in just the past two years. He leads in understated fashion, but by example. His century in the first innings of this series set the shock win in motion.
Stat of the day This was the ninth Test Pakistan have lost in their past 11 matches, a run that started when they lost the final match of their three-Test series against West Indies in Sharjah last year. They have not drawn a match in almost two years and 19 matches, since they were held by England at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi in 2015.
The verdict Mickey Arthur basically acknowledged he had erred by basing Pakistan’s gameplan around three seam bowlers and asking for pitches with plenty of grass in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Why would Pakistan want to change the method that has treated them so well on these grounds in the past 10 years? It is unlikely Misbah-ul-Haq would have made the same mistake.
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m, Winner: Zalman, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Hisham Al Khalediah II, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash.
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Qader, Adrie de Vries, Jean de Roualle
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh180,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Mujeeb, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly
8pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 1,400m, Winner: Nayslayer, Bernardo Pinheiro, Jaber Ramadhan
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 story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: From Dh280,000
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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