Editorial: It's been a bad week for suspected criminals in UAE
A palatial house decorated with gold fixtures and vintage furniture is the home of the Gupta family in Dubai.
The billionaire brothers, Ajay, Atul and Rajesh Gupta, who allegedly looted billions from state-owned companies in South Africa, lived for a few years with their families in the luxury Emirates Hills community in Dubai.
Dubai Police arrested Atul and the youngest brother, Rajesh, after Interpol placed them on its most-wanted list. South African authorities have sought their arrest on charges of fraud, money laundering and allegedly bribing government officials to secure contracts.
The status of the eldest brother, Ajay, is not clear.
Almost every piece of furniture had a history, a legacy
Prateek Chaudhry,
Dubai-based designer
Very little information is available about the personal lives of the intensely private Indian family.
The National spoke to Prateek Chaudhry, a Dubai-based designer and friend of the Guptas, for a glimpse into their lives.
Founder and managing director of interior design company The First Ferry, Mr Chaudhry was a frequent visitor to their Emirates Hills home and their office in Boulevard Plaza near Burj Khalifa.
“It’s a tight-knit family. The brothers worked together and were very close,” said Mr Chaudhry.
“Everyone stayed in the same house, the brothers, their wives and children. They were one big joint family.”
Furniture once owned by the Tsars and Michael Jackson
When they first met in early 2018, the Guptas' assets had been frozen in South Africa as part of an investigation by law enforcement agencies.
The brothers are accused of siphoning off billions of rand in state funds and building a business empire through their ties to former president Jacob Zuma and his family.
Mr Chaudhry spent a lot of time with Atul between 2018 and 2019.
“There was no bling about him [Atul],” Mr Chaudhry said.
“He was very low profile in the way he dressed and spoke. You had to really listen to hear what he was saying.”
The Guptas' mother presided over prayers every evening.
“They ate only vegetarian food. Their mother is the centre of the home and the three brothers think the world of their mom,” he said.
“She did the puja every evening at 7pm when there was a aarti or a real big puja in the house. Anyone in the house at that time was called to be part of the prayers.”
Mr Chaudhry often discussed overseas projects with Mr Gupta from 10am until late evening, and took part in the prayers.
He was very low profile in the way he dressed and spoke. You had to really listen to hear what he was saying
Prateek Chaudhry on Atul Gupta
Duduzane Zuma, son of the former South African president and a business partner of the Guptas, was in the house and took part in an evening prayer session that Mr Chaudhry was invited to.
The Emirates Hills home had about 35 members of staff, with butlers hired from the city’s top hotels.
Gold inlay work decorated the walls of the 40,000sq ft, 10-bedroom house that boasted a grand staircase, hand-painted central dome, multiple reception rooms with marble floors, and chandeliers.
The house was furnished with antiques and collectables.
Furniture in the living rooms once belonged to Russian tsars, a sofa was owned by Michael Jackson and miniature models of six private jets that the family owns were on display.
“There was gold inlay in the walls but it was not over the top,” Mr Chaudhry said.
“I have seen the most fancy houses in Emirates Hills. Here, the gold never struck your eyes. I would define the architecture as stately.
“Almost every piece of furniture had a history, a legacy. There were several pieces of collectable furniture.
“I have seen descriptions of the house as lavish but it's not. It was a blend of wood panelling, gold and marble.”
The underground parking had space for more than 10 cars, one of which was a rare Rolls-Royce Twilight limited edition.
Luxury community
The Emirates Hills community is filled with tree-lined pathways, lush landscapes and many homes overlook lakes and green stretches of a championship golf course.
Mr Chaudhry designs the interiors of homes, yachts and landscapes in India and overseas. His boutique firm also collaborated with Gauri Khan, the wife of Bollywood movie star Shah Rukh Khan, on homes and restaurant spaces.
His ties with the Gupta family dwindled over the past few years as the family travelled more frequently overseas.
The Gupta brothers deny any wrongdoing and have fought the application of the Red Notices, saying they are the victims of a political witch hunt in South Africa.
“I don’t know about the right and wrong, I just knew him [Atul] as a person,” Mr Chaudhry said.
“I have worked with many wealthy people. He was different because when he came to my office, no one knew he was from the powerful Gupta family.
“Atul was one of the most soft-spoken people I have met in my life.
“When you work with the wealthy, they have an idea, an opinion and it's always their way.
“But with Atul, if you had a better idea he would listen to you.”
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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.
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
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
Frida%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarla%20Gutierrez%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Frida%20Kahlo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
CHINESE GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID
1st row
Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
2nd row
Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
3rd row
Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing)
4th row
Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
Sergio Perez (Force India)
5th row
Carlos Sainz Jr (Renault)
Romain Grosjean (Haas)
6th row
Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
Esteban Ocon (Force India)
7th row
Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren)
8th row
Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)
9th row
Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
Lance Stroll (Williams)
10th row
Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
arcus Ericsson (Sauber)
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
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
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
SQUAD
Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammed Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Saeed Ahmed, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Muhammed Jumah, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final, first leg:
Liverpool 5
Salah (35', 45 1'), Mane (56'), Firmino (61', 68')
Roma 2
Dzeko (81'), Perotti (85' pen)
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
