Time was when furniture for the deck of a yacht meant a choice between heavy, polished teak and heavy, unpolished teak. And, if it was cushions you wanted - well, there was canvas. Or, for something a little more Austin Powers, faux leather. It was all about the f-word: function. So long as it could withstand the salt spray and relentless sun, it got the job.
But, just as the way we use our outdoor spaces at home has changed - from back yard-with-barbecue to stylish outdoor "room" - there has been a change in thinking about the outdoor space on yachts. Rather than just "sunbathing space", yacht decks are all about indoor-outdoor living now, too, with large shaded areas for dining and relaxing - spaces where people are spending more time than ever.
As a result, yacht designers are creating deck spaces that are as stylish and comfortable as you would find on the most glamorous roof terrace or balcony on land.
The US-based company Summit furniture showed up on the radar of leading yacht designers in the late 1980s, with its subtly updated take on traditional deck chairs and chaise longues. Beautifully made and just that little bit more contemporary than the standard offerings that were then on the market, it seemed to trigger a rethink of what could go on deck.
And then came the revolution in outdoor-furniture design. In the past decade - as a response to the outdoor living trend at home - forward-thinking designers and manufacturers began creating ranges that are the design equal of any indoor furniture.
Take Gandia Blasco, for instance. The Valencia-based company arose from the frustration of José Gandia-Blasco at being unable to find - among the old wicker and teak that was still almost ubiquitous in the early 1990s - anything that matched the design of his dramatically contemporary new house on Ibiza. The company's signature style - all bold geometric lines and brushed aluminium finishes - would perfectly complement the sleek lines of a modern yacht.
Indeed, yacht designers have been quick to catch on - partly driven by their clients' desire for the new, special and different and partly because larger yachts mean more deck area to play with (and more stability, thus reducing the need for hefty hard-to-shift wood).
Dedon, the German company whose invention of a weather-resistant synthetic weave has revolutionised the look of outdoor armchairs and sofas, has been a big hit among yacht designers and owners. Its sculptural Hemisphere club chair looks wonderful on the upper deck of the Andrew Winch-designed Slipstream - its strong geometry playing against the yacht's lines and its cool and futuristic silvery-grey colour echoing the silver superstructure.
Also on Slipstream - and appearing on the bridge deck of the Terence Disdale-designed Kogo - is a voluptuous synthetic-weave club chair by Kettal. Oversized, with rounded lines, it looks absolutely right.
The possibilities are growing all the time, as new, high-performing (sun, salt and water proof) materials are developed and the stars of furniture design collaborate with the big names in outdoor furniture: Marcel Wanders and Patricia Urquiola with Kettal; Urquiola again with B&B Italia and Emù; Vincent Van Duysen with Tribù, to name a few.
Wooden furniture has undergone a major rethink, too - witness, for example, the beautiful arcs of Galevi's larch-wood loungers, which would look stunning next to a plunge pool on deck or down at sea level on a bathing platform. And there's even born-again teak - in styles so cool and contemporary that they are redefining the deck chair.
Rather than choosing from existing ranges, some designers are going a whole step further. For the 56-metre Perini Navi sailing yacht Salute, its Paris-based designer Rémi Tessier created a special collection that combines polished stainless steel and varnished teak: curved-back bar stools, drum-shaped low tables and sofas with a stylistic echo of the 1930s.
And, for a futuristic, indoor-outdoor space designed and built in conjunction with the British bespoke furniture maker Silverlining last year, Eidsgaard Design created a curvy, pivoting sofa with attached side tables in - guess what - classical slatted teak.
Just like the deck chairs of old. But so not.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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The biog
Age: 30
Position: Senior lab superintendent at Emirates Global Aluminium
Education: Bachelor of science in chemical engineering, post graduate degree in light metal reduction technology
Favourite part of job: The challenge, because it is challenging
Favourite quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Gandi
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 0.8-litre four cylinder
Power: 70bhp
Torque: 66Nm
Transmission: four-speed manual
Price: $1,075 new in 1967, now valued at $40,000
On sale: Models from 1966 to 1970
