ABU DHABI // While the likes of Leonid Novitskiy from Russia, Spain's Marc Coma and Stephane Peterhansel from France are set to take the headlines at this year's Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, two women are looking to make their mark as they take on some of the world's toughest and most spectacular terrain.
At just 20 years old, UAE-based Brittany Erasmus will tackle the demanding desert challenge for the first time, while Carmelia Liparoti Baggiani, from Italy, already has two cross-country rallying world titles to her name.
The women's contest will be a battle of youth versus experience, providing spectators with yet another strand to this competition.
Erasmus has never competed in a long-distance rally, and is jumping in at the deep end by making her debut at the demanding Desert Challenge on a Honda CRF 450 X motorbike.
The South African has been a resident of Dubai for 13 years, and she attended the English College, meaning she has an extensive local fan base to count on for support.
"I am constantly picturing myself coming over that finish line on the last day of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, imagining what I am going to feel like and look like," said the university student. "I am not the type of person to give up when things go wrong or get difficult."
Certainly, Erasmus is no stranger to coping with difficult situations. In 2007, she suffered a major setback to her rallying career, breaking her femur on a desert ride, which kept her out of the sport for nine months. However, after substantial physiotherapy and two operations, she was ready to ride again and more determined than ever to get back to racing.
Baggiani, the most experienced female quadbiker in the field this year, has taken on and completed the Desert Challenge twice before.
Riding a Yamaha Raptor Black Storm quad bike, Baggiani is hoping to inspire other women to become more involved in motorsport. "Taking part in rallies has been a dream of mine since childhood," Baggiani said. "I hope that my presence will inspire more ladies to enter the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and other races."
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
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FIGHT%20CARD
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness'
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg and Rachel McAdams
Rating: 3/5
Company%20profile
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.