Jumeirah | March 2017

To the finish line

The Dubai World Cup uncovered

Big shot

Exclusive interview with golfer Martin Kaymer

Rescue and release Jumeirah Al Naseem's turtle rehab project

Tom Ford “If you’re someone who wants to express something, there is nothing like film”

“...and OMEGA is the watch that went to the Moon.”

Available at: OMEGA Boutiques: Dubai: BurJuman • Deira City Centre • Dubai Mall • Dubai Festival City • Mall of the Emirates • Mirdif City Centre • Sahara Centre • Wafi and at Rivoli Stores.

Abu Dhabi: Marina Mall • Yas Marina • Toll Free: 800-RIVOLI

GEORGE CLOONEY’S CHOICE #moonwatch

To the finish line

The Dubai World Cup uncovered

Big shot

Exclusive interview with golfer Martyn Kaymer

Rescue and release

Jumeirah Al Naseem's turtle rehab project

Jumeirah Magazine

Tom Ford “If you’re someone who wants to express something, these is nothing like film”

01_Cover TOM FORD March 172.indd 1

Photography: Merrick Morton

March 2017

23/02/2017 10:57

Jumeirah Corporate Office, Al Sufouh Rd, PO Box 73137, Dubai, UAE, Tel: +971 4 366 5000, Fax: +971 4 366 5001.

Website: www.jumeirah.com Jumeirah is a trading name of Jumeirah International LLC. A Limited Liability company.

Registration Number 57869.

Share Capital Dhs 300,000 fully paid up.

Jumeirah International LLC its affiliates, parent companies and subsidiaries (“Jumeirah Group”) and the publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for errors or omissions contained in this publication for whatever reason, however caused.

The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of Jumeirah Group or of the publishers.

Readers are advised to solicit advice before acting on the information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. Jumeirah Group and the publishers take no responsibilty for the goods and services advertised. All materials are protected by copyright. All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (Including photocopying or storage in any medium by electronic means) without the written permission of the copyright owner, except as may be permitted by applicable laws.

15

Editor-in-Chief

Obaid Humaid Al Tayer Managing Partner & Group Editor

lan Fairservice Editorial Director

Gina Johnson Group Editor

Sophia Serin Deputy Editor

Nina Catt Senior Editorial Assiatant

Cecilia D’Souza Designer

Hiral Kapadia Picture Editor

Contents

Diana Bell-Heather Contributors

Gareth Rees, Faye Rowe, Claire Hill, Tahira Yaqoob General Manager – Production

This Month

S Sunil Kumar Production Manager

R Murali Krishnan Production Supervisor

15 City watch Discover the most exciting events taking place this month

Venita Pinto Chief Commercial Officer

Anthony Milne Group Sales Manager

Ziad Saleh ziad@motivate.ae

22 Monitor Essential news and previews

For Jumeirah

Charlie Taylor

Featured 26 Forever Ford Designer and director Tom Ford talks fashion, film and building an empire

Head Office: Media One Tower, Dubai Media City, PO Box 2331, Dubai UAE, Tel: +971 4 427 3000, E-mail: motivate@motivate.ae

32 Art for all Get a first look at emerging trends at Art Dubai, the region’s biggest art fair

Dubai Media City: Office 508, 5th Floor, Building 8, Dubai, UAE, Tel: +971 4 390 3550, Fax: +971 4 390 4845 Abu Dhabi: PO Box 43072, UAE, Tel: +971 2 677 2005, Fax: +971 2 677 0124, E-mail: editor-wo@motivate.ae London: Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London NW1 3ER, UK, E-mail: motivateuk@motivate.ae Printed by Emirates Printing Press, Dubai

26

36 Future Imperfect Interview with thriller writer Ahmed Khaled Towfik

March 2017

Contents 58

Lifestyle 42 Pack up Tumi has it in the bag with fabulous and functional travel accessories 48 Dubai World Cup Everything you need to know about the world’s richest horse race

72

52 Changing Times The biggest trends in the world of watches 58 The Kaymer effect Golfing champion Martin Kaymer talks tour wins and life on the road 64 Insiders guide to Dubai Life with the locals of Dubai

Travel 72 Seeking serenity Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel and Spa opens its doors for the summer season 76 Rescue and release Rescued sea turtles at Jumeirah Al Naseem 80 Enjoy the sunset Why Koubba bar is ideal for sundowners 82 The high life Brasserie Angelique, Jumeirah at Etihad Towers

City Watch

Key dates for your diary

Dubai

Eat Up March 9 to 11 The annual three-day food festival Taste of Dubai celebrates its 10th anniversary in style in Dubai Media City’s amphitheatre, welcoming the city’s best restaurants and a host of star chefs including Aldo Zilli, Atul Kochhar, Eric Lanlard, Gary Rhodes, Luke Thomas, Michel Roux junior and Mohammad Orfali. Following an opening night performance from Grammy award-winning rhythm and blues artist Billy Ocean, an impressive line-up of local artists will be on hand to entertain you as you eat.

Taste of Dubai, Dubai Media City, Dubai. tasteofdubaifestival.com

BeST OF BRiTiSh March 21 to 24 BBC Proms Dubai in Dubai Opera features six performances designed to give Dubai music lovers a taster of the iconic 122-year-old classical music festival, which takes place for eight weeks each summer in London. BBC Proms Dubai culminates with the famous Last Night of the Proms, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Edward Gardner performing mainstays of the original event, including James Thomson and Thomas Arne’s Rule, Britannia and Sir Edward Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March No 1.

BBC Proms Dubai, Dubai Opera, Dubai. dubaiopera.com

ReaDy, aiM, FiRe

Fame The Musical Feb 23 – 4 March

BeyOnD The BaRRiCaDe March 14 to 18

Madinat Theatre proudly presents the

‘Beyond the Barricade’, is widely

March 5 to 15

pop-culture phenomenon about the

recognized as the leading Musical Theatre

The Fazza Championship for Shooting,

legendary New York High School of the

Concert in the UK, arrives at the

Performing Arts lives forever.

Madinat Theatre in March for its first visit

Based on the unforgettable film and

to Dubai.

television franchise, the iconic show

This exciting concert recreates the

Fame The Musical inspired generations.

sound of the songs as if you were

This high-octane show features the

listening to the original shows, with full

Academy Award-winning title song and

orchestrations and brilliant harmonies.

a host of other catchy pop numbers. The

The show continues to enthrall audiences

international sensation continues to reach

with its exciting portrayal of the greatest

new generations of audience members

songs in Musical Theatre and is an

and future performers.

evening not to be missed!

organised by the Hamdan bin Mohammed Heritage Centre, takes place in the Dubai Police’s shooting field in Al Ruwayyah, Dubai.

Men, women and children competing will shoot with a traditional saktoun gun, with international participants welcome to take part and an Emiratis-only competition taking place from March 12 to 15.

Fazza Championship for Shooting, al Ruwayyah, Dubai. hhc.gov.ae

15

Abu DhAbi/istAnbul

Art Exhibitions at Pera Palace Photographer Dilan Bozyel, will be exhibiting the portraits of celebrities such as Ali Poyrazoğlu, Kerem Görsev, Mustafa Horasan, Arzu Kaprol under the name of “Priceless Faces of Istanbul” until 6 March at Grand Pera Ballroom. Between 7-12 March, art enthusiasts will have a chance to see the precious gems, stones and apparels exhibition prepared by Turkey’s Gems Study Group at Grand Pera Ballroom. Pera Palace Hotel Jumeirah and DAS Art Project will praise iconic guests of the past such as Agatha Christie, Alfred Hitchcock, Knut Hamsun. The exhibition will enable the visitors to see the change in the society through the artworks of Ozan Atalan,

EMIrAtI Art Until August 27

Burak Ayazoğlu, Ünal Bostancı, Aycesu Duran, Beril Gülcan, Onur Karaoğlu, Hakan Kırdar, Muhittincan, Öner Taylan Öztürk,

Warehouse 421’s presents Lest We Forget – Emirati Adornment: Tangible and Intangible.

Koral Sagular.

The interactive exhibition explores female Emirati identity through items of clothing and

the exhibition can be visited

jewellery as well as grooming, hairstyles and the application of henna, kohl and fragrance.

between 14 – 17 March.

Lest We Forget – Emirati Adornment: tangible and Intangible, Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi. warehouse421.ae

Grammy Winner March 17 Los Angeles producer, singer and bass

Science on Celluloid March 2 to 4

guitarist Thundercat brings his eclectic sound to Babylon, one of Istanbul’s most popular live music venues. Thundercat is best-know for his vocal performance on the

The third edition of Imagine Science Abu Dhabi takes place in NYU Abu Dhabi’s arts centre.

Grammy award-winning track These Walls

The three-day scientific film festival comprises screenings of Otto Bell’s The Eagle Huntress

from rapper Kendrick Lamar’s critically-

and Antoine Viviani’s In Limbo as well as several short films, video installations, panel

acclaimed 2015 album To Pimp A Butterfly.

discussions, Q&As, talks and workshops with artists, scientists and filmmakers.

thundercat, Babylon, Istanbul.

Imagine Science Abu Dhabi, NYUAD Arts Centre, Abu Dhabi. imaginesciencefilms.org

babylon.com.tr

17

london Modern MaSter Until June 11 Turner Prize-winning German photographer Wolfgang Tillmans’ first ever exhibition in London’s Tate Modern looks at how the world has changed since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

As well as photography, the exhibition features video, digital slide projections, publications, curatorial projects and recorded music.

Wolfgang tillmans, tate Modern, London. tate.org.uk

Equal Opportunity March 7 to 12 London’s Southbank Centre hosts a festival called Wow – Women of the World. The festival, designed to promote gender equality and celebrate the achievements of women, comprises talks, workshops and performances. The line-up of guests for Wow 2017 includes the Labour Party politician and actress Gillian Anderson, the veteran MP and women’s rights campaigner Harriet Harman and comedian Sandi Toksvig.

Wow – Women of the World, Southbank Centre, London. southbankcentre.co.uk

ConteMporary CLaSSiC Until april 29

Bard at tHe BarBiCan March 17 to 19

Daniel Radcliffe, Joshua McGuire and David Haig star in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead in the Old Vic. The play that

Ivo van Hove directs Dutch theatre company Toneelgroep Amsterdam’s production of

made playwright Tom Stoppard’s name

Roman Tragedies, a modern day mash-up of William Shakespeare’s Coriolanus, Julius

is a situation comedy inspired by William

Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra, set in a conference centre. Audience members are

Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

invited to walk around the auditorium to view the action from different perspectives.

rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead,

roman tragedies, Barbican Centre, London. barbican.org.uk

the old Vic, London. oldvictheatre.com

19

frankfurt/Shanghai

POWer DuO

Surreal SurrOunDingS

March 17 to april 30

until June 4

The English Theatre Frankfurt hosts the German premiere of British playwright Moira

Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt’s Magritte: The Treachery of Images exhibition examines connection between the work of 20th century surrealist painter Rene Magritte

Buffini’s play Handbagged. The Laurence Olivier Award-nominated comedy explores the relationship between Queen Elizabeth II and the former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher.

Handbagged, the english theatre Frankfurt, Frankfurt. english-theatre.de

and contemporary philosophers such as Michel Foucault. The exhibition, organised in collaboration with Paris’s Musee National d’Art Moderne, features 70 of the Belgian artist’s paintings.

Magritte: the treachery of images, Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, Frankfurt. shirn.de

Virtual reality March 17 to May 31 After Us, a project curated by Shanghai’s K11 Art Foundation in partnership with the New Museum, New York, explores the impact that the adoption of online personas has on what it means to be human. After Us features sculpture, installation, photography, performance, video and virtual reality work created by Chinese and international artists and takes place in the foundation’s museum in Shanghai. after us, K11 art Foundation, Shanghai. K11artfoundation.org

Temple Tradition March 30 The Longhua Temple Fair, held annually on the third day of the third month of the Chinese calendar, is Shanghai’s largest temple fair. Taking place in Longhua Temple, one of the largest Buddhist sites in the city, the event offers tourists the opportunity to experience traditional Chinese architecture, food, entertainment and religious activities. longhua temple Fair, various locations. Shanghai.

20

A SPRING FLING Be entranced by Art of Poi fire dancers who move to the beat of traditional Kazakh music to mark Nowruz in the Jumeirah Vittaveli hotel in the Maldives. The festival, which originated in Persia, is traditionally celebrated at the exact moment of the spring equinox, which is considered by Iranians to signify the new year.

Words: Gareth Rees

Countries such as Iran, Iraq, Georgia, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Albania, Kosovo, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan are all known to celebrate Nowruz. Customs include wishing good luck and good fortune to others and dining with friends and family while dressed in bright, traditional clothing.

Part of the festivities involve jumping over fire, which symbolises replacing the gloom of winter with the warmth and energy of spring.

22

Jumeirah Vittaveli beach suite

Festivities in the Jumeirah Vittaveli will include a traditional Nowruz buffet, courtesy of the resident sous-chef from Russia.

Among the delicious dishes on offer will be dolma, a traditional medley of vegetables, meat and rice cooked and rolled in grape leaves. There will also be sabzi polow, a traditional New Year's Day dish of rice and fish with green herbs, said to represent the green awakening of spring. Those with a sweet tooth can tuck into baklava, a flaky pastry filled with walnuts, almonds or pistachios and flavoured with rosewater.

monitor MOTHeR lOVe Show your mother how much she means to you by treating her to a well-earned meal or pampering experience for Mother’s Day. There are a wealth of options to choose from in Jumeirah properties around the world. At the Talise Spa in Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel and Spa in Kuwait, for instance, you can book your mother a personalised assessment to help pinpoint a customised treatment for maximum pampering. From a stress-busting massage to a complexionsaving facial, she will be spoilt for choice.

For a shared experience to remember, you cannot beat an afternoon tea for two. Chinoiserie in Jumeirah Carlton Tower in London is just one example of a fantastic venue in which to enjoy the English tradition. There, afternoon tea is served daily from 3pm to 6pm to the soothing sounds of the resident harpist.

Mother’s Day is celebrated on different dates around the world, including on March 21 in countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and the UAE and on March 26 in the UK. Check Jumeirah's website for special offers and promotions. jumeirah.com

Rescue and Release More than 1,000 rescued sea turtles have been successfully released back into their natural habitat, thanks to the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project (DTRP) based in the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah in Dubai. Visitors can catch a glimpse of their road to recovery by taking part in the feeding sessions in the Jumeirah Al Naseem hotel. The Madinat Jumeirah property, which opened in the resort in December last year, is home to a custom-built, sea-fed, outdoor lagoon designed specially to house the growing number of sick and injured sea turtles rescued on a weekly basis from the shores of the Arabian Gulf.

Read more in our turtle special on page 76.

23

Photo: Michael Kruger

LamaFurs_LLC

FEATURED 26 Forever Ford

Designer and director Tom Ford talks fashion, film and building an empire

32 Art for all

Get a first look at emerging trends at Art Dubai, the region's biggest art fair

36 Future imperfect

Arab author Ahmed Khaled Towfik thrills fans with sci-fi horrors

Forever The multi-talented Tom Ford talks fashion, film and building an empire

T

here aren’t many people who can master the worlds of fashion and film at the same time but Tom Ford is an exceptional case. Along with growing his eponymous fashion empire – there are currently 124 Tom Ford stores and concessions around the world with a new range of Swiss watches coming soon – he has successfully broken into Hollywood as a director, screenwriter and producer.

“I didn’t want to wait seven years,” says Ford. “I don’t know how seven years even happened. I don’t even know where that went. To a certain extent I had to figure out what I wanted to say in my next film. I had to find the right project.”

Ford made his directional debut in 2009 with A Single Man, a gripping drama that won Colin Firth his first Oscar nomination. Seven years and multiple fashion achievements later, he is back with his follow-up film, Nocturnal Animals, starring Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal. The story, based on the 1993 novel Tony and Susan by Austin Wright, draws us into the life of a wealthy art gallery owner who is haunted by her ex-husband's gripping novel, which he dedicated to her as a form of revenge for their failed relationship.

“If you’re someone who wants to express something, there is nothing like film,” he says. “Film is forever, I think, more than any medium.”

The movie, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2016 Venice Film Festival and earned a best supporting actor Golden Globe, has prompted fans to question why it took so long to come about. While Ford has been extremely busy with his fashion brand, which comprises clothing, accessories, beauty and the all-new timepiece collection, seven years does seem a long while to wait.

26

The desire to leave a lasting legacy has played a role in luring Ford back.

Just like A Single Man, Nocturnal Animals is an adaption of a novel – something Ford grapples with when it comes to staying true to the spirit of a book while putting his own personal stamp on a project.

“This would have been a very hard book to make literally because it is an inner monologue and so I had to make certain alterations to that,” he says. “As Jake says in the film, nobody really writes about anything but themselves. I think what that means is that, even if you are a painter, a sculptor, or whatever you do that’ is artistic, it is an expression that you are compelled to express. So in that way it is personal.”

Colin Turner / The Interview People, Edited by Faye Rowe, Photography: Merrick Morton

FEaTuREd

27

28

Photography: Merrick Morton

Featured

The Trappings of film and fashion Becoming so absorbed in his film work and enjoying the success that follows could have spelled a transition away from fashion, although Ford is happy keeping the two worlds balanced.

“I like fashion because it is quick,” he says. “I’m somebody who likes to create things. Let’s say I already had my next script ready – it would still be a year before I could start shooting it. With fashion, I like the speed and having that voice in contemporary culture – even though I have a certain disdain for the contemporary culture that I’m part of.

“I’ve been doing it for 30 years, however,” he continues. “It doesn’t come easily as it’s a very hard and challenging business but I also like doing something fresh and new that I’ve always wanted to do and something that has more permanence culturally and can reach a broader group of people, which is important if you have something to say. For me, film is superior in that way.”

The trappings of contemporary culture and the seemingly neverending pursuit of happiness is something Ford has often hinted to.

“I’ve come to terms with that over the years because we are material creatures who live in a material world,” he says.

“Cashmere feels great, certain things are wonderful and I get a tremendous amount of enjoyment from my life from beauty, so I can’t neglect that but I also can’t let it take over my life. Our culture sells us something that actually I don’t think ever existed, which is this concept of happiness, where you take certain steps to get to a state where you’re just happy. But that’s not real.

You can have a happy morning but you might have a really sad afternoon. Then you might have some terrible news but go home and something great happens and you have great joy. That’s life.”

He even blames the happiness bubble for the rise of antidepressants.

“I know it sounds strange coming from somebody who certainly does fuel that entire engine but I personally have learned to come to terms with it,” he says. “The most important things in my life are the people in my life, which is also what this movie is about.”

29

Never shy of travelling, Ford has homes in Los Angeles, Sante Fe and London and has lived in New York and Paris, which partly explains his worldly character.

“I’ve lived more in Europe than in America and I would say I’m a kind of hybrid as I think I have a certain American spirit but I’m a little culture-shocked when I go back to America,” he says. “Regular television shows in England end up on something in America called PBS Masterpiece whereas here, you just turn on the television and watch. Plus, you get the news. It’s one of the reasons I like living in Europe.”

Speaking of the small screen, Ford’s experience of acting in commercials in his younger years makes him certain that his role should remain behind the camera.

“If you had asked me earlier in my life what I wanted to be, I would have said I want to be an actor,” he says. “I loved film from the age of five and, in our culture, being a famous actor is way up here in terms of aspirations. Maybe that’s not the case any longer or maybe it’s just for me because I know so many actors. But I was actually a terrible actor. I was very insecure on the other side of the camera. I couldn’t let myself go and I really hated it. I had a short career. I did television commercials because I looked like the boy next door and that was as far as my career went.”

With art also a passion, the next stage of Ford’s life could see him develop as a sculptor or painter, although the jury’s still out on that one.

“Having grown up in New Mexico in the desert, the older I get, the less comfortable I am in cities and the more I am pulled back to those wide open spaces,” he says. “I am naturally quite reclusive, although you may not believe that.

Maybe that’s why films are very much about people who are internalising things. So yeah, I could see the final stage of my life as becoming a male version of Georgia O’Keeffe and moving in the desert with my dog in an adobe building and making something. What, I don’t know.”

Tom Ford boutiques in the UAE. Abu Dhabi: Etihad Towers and The Galleria Al Maryah. Dubai: Mall of the Emirates, The Dubai Mall and Level Shoes (for ladies shoes)

30

Photography: Merrick Morton

Broadening horizons

Featured

31

Art for All

Girl in the Village, 1982 oil on canvas, 71 X 82.5 cm

Discover new talent, brush shoulders with collectors and get a first look at emerging trends at Art Dubai

32

culture

Muraina Oyelami, One Apartment, 1969. Oil on cardboard

W

hether you have a blank wall at home to adorn or simply want to brush up on your knowledge, art enthusiasts in the UAE can discover original works from across the globe at Art Dubai, which takes place at Madinat Jumeirah this month.

Now in its 11th edition, the annual showcase running from March 15 to 18 inspires hundreds of artists, as well as prestigious galleries across the world, to pack up their prized works and head to Dubai to showcase their offering.

Held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, this year's fair will mark the first edition under its new director Myrna Ayad, who is already creating a buzz after taking over the reins from Antonia Carver.

A former editor of Canvas art magazine, her expert touch has paid off.

This year’s event welcomes 277 artists from more than 40 countries, representing over 60 nationalities. More than 90 galleries from 44 countries will be featured, with almost three-quarters of participants returning from last year, alongside 25 galleries attending for the first time.

Representatives from leading museums, respected curators and avid collectors will be flocking to the fair to acquire new works and you can expect a buzzing atmosphere, with more than 27,500 visitors attending last year.

Whether you are in the market to invest or simply want to soak up the creative vibe, there will be plenty of diversion.

Sayed Haider Raza courtesy of Grosvenor Gallery

Modern Marvels Museum quality works by artists from the Middle East, Africa and South Asia can be viewed within the modern art section, which will feature 15 galleries from 12 countries. Now in its fourth edition, this special selection of galleries will showcase leading artists from the Middle East, including Agial Art Gallery from Beirut exhibiting the work of iconic artist Mustafa al Hallaj, ArtTalks from Cairo presenting the work of Egyptian modernist Mamdouh Ammar and Gallery One from Ramallah showing Palestinianborn Sliman Mansour.

Pieces by leading modernists from India and Pakistan will also be on show, thanks to Grosvenor Gallery from London, which will present works by the late artist Sayed Haider Raza, a pioneer of Indian modernism. For a window onto African art, Tafeta from London will be exhibiting works from Nigerian artists Ben Osawe and Muraina Oyelami.

Wherever your interest lies, rest assured that everything you see has been carefully selected over the past year by a committee of leading scholars and curators for the region's leading art fair.

Tickets for the public days taking place on March 16 to 18 can be purchased on-site during the fair at the welcome desk in Madinat Jumeirah. A one-day pass costs $13 and a three-day pass is priced at $21. All Jumeirah Sirius members and hotel guests can enjoy complimentary access. artdubai.ae

33

This year’s event welcomes 277 artists from more than 40 countries, representing over 60 nationalities. More than 90 galleries from 44 countries are being featured, with almost three quarters of participants returning 2016 alongside an impressive 25 galleries attending for the first time.

Thukral and Tagra, Adolocere Domus IXB, 2007. Oil on canvas

Contemporary edge The dedicated contemporary art section of the event will feature 78 galleries spread across two halls. A selection of more than 30 galleries will focus on solo or duo-artist exhibitions, which will sit alongside collective presentations by galleries with multi-artist shows.This year’s line-up features a number of galleries from Europe and North America, such as the popular Marianne Boesky gallery from New York and In Situ-Fabienne Leclerc from Paris.

First-time participants to look out for are the renowned Marlborough Gallery, which has galleries in New York, London, Barcelona and Madrid, as well as Waddington Custot

34

from London. Highlighting the fair’s regional roots, there are 12 galleries participating from the UAE while those who are returning include Athr gallery from Jeddah, Chatterjee and Lal from Mumbai and Dastan’s Basement from Tehran, among others.

Visitors with an eye for the next big thing should be sure to check out newcomers Al Marhoon gallery from Algeria and Ab/Anbar and Mohsen galleries from Tehran.

South America is making its presence felt with the highest number of galleries ever from the destination, including venues from Peru and Uruguay exhibiting for the first time.

culture

ExprEssion of intErEst Alongside the gallery showcases, Art Dubai runs a year-round educational programme, which feeds into the fair. Here are the highlights:

thE room This dedicated space spanning two interconnected rooms in Jumeirah Mina A'Salam is being dedicated this year to Cooking Liberty, a visual and gastronomic event presented by Atfal Ahdath. Taking cues from Salvador Dali’s surrealist cookbook, Les Diners de Gala, Ahdath is creating immersive settings reminiscent of a grandiose banquet.

Sirak Melkonian, Untitled, 2013, Acrylic on canvas, 76 x 76 cm. Courtesy of the artist and Ab/Anbar gallery

During the day, visitors can explore large installations on the theme. By night, guests will be treated to a surrealist dining experience, with exquisite dishes and drinks served via perfume bottles sprayed into their mouths, for instance. The evening event is by invitation only.

Global art forum This year’s Global Art Forum, run in partnership with Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and Dubai Design District (D3), is exploring the relationship between the economy of goods and ideas that shape the world. Entitled Trading Places, the programme of talks features about 50 compelling speakers from the fields of art, history, economics, philosophy, urbanism and literature, who will engage in cultural debate on the topic.

The talks, which started in January, culminate at Art Dubai with a total of 19 events taking place over the course of the fair. Be inspired by Catherine David, deputy director of the Musee National d’Art Moderne in the Centre Pompidou in Paris, who will describe the journey of significant artworks from the point of sale and storage through to ownership. Or drop in on a talk by Antonia Carver and Paul Griffiths, the chief executive of Dubai Airports, about the connection between plane schedules and the music played in airports. The talks take place in the Global Art Forum tent on Fort Island.

abraaj Group art prizE Curated by Omar Berrada, this year’s Abraaj Group Art Prize has been awarded to the British artist Rana Begum, who will receive $100,000 toward developing a new commission. Her work will be presented alongside those of shortlisted artists Doa Aly, Sarah Abu Abdallah, Raha Raissnia and the exhibition will be accompanied by a monograph written and produced by Berrada.

art Dubai Commissions

Otobong Nkanga, Alterscapes : Playground (E), 2005-2015 c -print mounted on aluminium, 50 x 67 cm ( 54 x 71 x 4 cm framed ) Edition of 7 + 1 AP, Courtesy : Galerie in situ - Fabienne Leclerc, Paris

This special showcase will, for the first time in the history of the fair, focus solely on performance-based works. There will be five specially commissioned performances, curated by Yasmina Reggad, by international artists Manuel Pelmus, Lana Fahmi, EglėBudvytytėand Ivan Argote. One of the performances will be a tribute to the late Emirati artist Hassan Sharif.

35

36

Art

FUtUrE IMPERFECT

With more than 500 books to his name, thriller writer Ahmed Khaled towfik has a huge following among Arab readers. tahira Yaqoob reports

When Ahmed Khaled Towfik first penned his terrifying vision of a dystopian future, riven by brutality and violence, the year 2023 still seemed reassuringly distant. Now just five years away from his hellish depiction of a world divided by class and wealth and devoid of morality, the Egyptian author finds little comfort when fans of his novel Utopia call him “some sort of a prophet”. “We are horribly close,” he says. “Every day some writer or reader says to me: ‘Utopia is near, it is happening.’ It has not happened yet but I predict a volcano.”

Towfik, 54, has something of a cult following as the first Arab writer to pen thrillers, horror and science fiction. He has inspired a generation of younger writers like Vertigo author Ahmed Mourad and has a huge fanbase among Arab youth, captivated by his novellas and series such as Fantasia, in which he brings classical literary figures from the likes of Arthur Conan Doyle and Dostoevsky to life, as well as the thrillers in his Ma Waraa al Tabiaa (metaphysics) series. But it is politics that has preoccupied him of late. With frequent conflicts between protestors and government forces in his native Egypt and a rise in the number of attacks by radicalised militants, it is not difficult to see why. Couple those factors with increasing divisions and animosity worldwide, both in America and Europe and it is clear how truth can sometimes seem inseparable from fiction.

Yet the Arab uprisings were still some way off when Towfik wrote Utopia in 2007. Translated into five languages from the original Arabic, it is set in an exclusive gated compound in Egypt, where over-privileged, rich teenagers hunt the impoverished “Others” who live beyond the gates for sport, bringing back limbs as trophies. It has been followed by three political novels - Al Singah, in which a writer depicting the Egyptian revolution is sucked into his own literary world, Like Icarus, based on a man who gains access to the Akashic records (believed by theosophists to be an etheric imprint of all thoughts and emotions) but is driven mad by the truth of the universe and In the Passage of Rats, in which the world is plunged into darkness and its inhabitants try to reach a community living above the clouds.

“They are very grim indeed,” admits Towfik, who is in Dubai for the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. “You cannot stay away from politics in Egypt now unless you are in a deep coma. The history of coming generations is being written now. I use metaphors and most of my novels happen in the future. HG Wells’ The Time Machine does not talk about the working class in England.

Animal Farm [by George Orwell] does not talk about the Soviet Union. It is more general than that.”

Utopia has been translated into English, French, Finnish, German and Italian while In the Passage of Rats is currently being translated into English but Towfik’s reach has yet to extend beyond the

37

Arab world and academics. It was on the syllabus of universities including Dartmouth College in the US and the American University of Cairo but, says Towfik, “I did not feel [Utopia] made much impact beyond academic circles.

The publishing company for the English version does not exist any more so I think the work did not receive much publicity in the West. It started successfully with a UK tour and many good reviews in newspapers, then it stopped.

Only scholars were interested in it.”

On home turf, however, he is something of a hero. A doctor by trade and a professor of tropical diseases at the university in Tanta, Egypt, the city where he was born, he has given up practising medicine but still teaches fulltime. Much of his medical knowledge plays a part in his stories, such as in his Metaphysics tales featuring the semiautobiographical doctor Refaat Ismael. “Medicine gives me a great source of material,” he says. He is prolific too, with more than 500 titles to his name, once writing up to 22 books a year while working full-time. But he admits he has slowed down. Now middle-aged, he no longer has the same energy to churn out as much fiction.

“I am no longer the same man,” he says. “I am tired now after 20 years of writing. I can never exceed more than four novellas per year - but I am working on larger novels all the time now.” Like his Egyptian peers Alaa al Aswany, the author of The Yacoubian Building and the late playwright Yusuf Idris, writing full-time was never a career option but he began penning adventure tales and thrillers from the age of 10. His trader father had a vast library - “most of the family income was spent on books” - and Towfik eagerly devoured classics by Somerset Maugham, Mark Twain, Chekhov and Tolstoy, looking up any words he did not understand. He was 32, however, before he published

38

Art

any of his work, sending five manuscripts to a publisher. "I had been writing secretly for myself the whole time and reached saturation point," he says. “A cow must be milked or it will run dry."

One of his most recent projects was translating Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club into Arabic. “I read the novel and found it amazing. The guy is a real genius. I did the translation before watching the movie,” he says. Perhaps because of his political preoccupations, he is leaning away from his youth fanbase as he concentrates on adult fiction: “There are things you cannot tell youth - [things that are] too complicated, too grim, too pessimistic or too sexy. I used to have a low ceiling and my own self-censorship. Sometimes I have to free myself from it.” `He has little patience with social media but says he will never completely abandon his young fans. Instead, his two children are his gateway to how young people think. “I still do not have a Facebook account, although I sometimes use a pseudonym and go there just to see what they are talking about. I do not use Twitter either. I have a 22-year-old son, who keeps me informed about how teens think and how they talk. I know all about bottle flip challenges, Netflix TV shows and the song Starboy by The Weeknd.”

He adds: “I will never stop writing for them. A whole generation consider me their father and they really made my fame and success. They grew up but many of them still look at me as a mentor. Many of my students occupy important careers in today's Egypt.”

The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature runs from March 3 to 11. emirateslitfest.com

39

lifestyle 42 Pack up

Tumi has it in the bag with fabulous and functional travel accessories

48 Dubai World Cup

Everything you need to know about the world’s richest horse race

58 The Kaymer effect

Golfing champion Martin Kaymer talks tour wins and life on the road

PACK UP Functional and fabulous, these travel accessories are for the pro on the go All accessories by Tumi available in Tumi stores across the UAE and tumi.com

42

lifeSTyle/travel

Case in point

Secure and super-slick, these hard shell travel cases are as practical as they are pretty. With two openings to the main compartment, you are granted ease of access without having to open the entire case.

There is a dedicated passport pocket too.

Choose from luxe rose gold, silver or matte black to guarantee travelling in style at all times. $695 each

43

How to adapt

Invest in some of these essential electronics and you’ll never be powerless again. From specially designed suitcase scales and portable battery banks, to a four-port USB travel adapter, you are in for a smooth ride.

From left: Global locator $125 Scale $50 Adapter (top) $50 Adapter (below) $75 Smart power bank $155 USB travel adapter $125 Two-in-one USB cable $35 Portable battery bank $60

44

lifestyle/travel

45

Listen up

Hands-free headphones and earbuds are the only way to travel without tangled wires. Stay connected on the go via Bluetooth or take a portable speaker to the beach to enjoy a clear, crisp soundtrack on your travels.

From left: Headset ear plugs $300 Wireless headphones $300 Speaker $200 Headset $200 Passport case $95

46

lifestyle/travel

47

Your A to Z of the Everything you need to know about the world’s richest horse

48

CULTURE

Dubai World Cup race taking place on March 25 at Meydan racecourse

49

A is for…action. To be in the middle

D is for…distance. The race stretches

of the action, get your hands on Apron Views tickets, which will give you access to the main social hub of the event. The Apron is also home to the famous Jaguar style stakes best-dressed competitions.

2,000 metres – that’s about 10 furlongs.

B is for…bubble.

The Sky Bubble, to be exact. Spectators seeking a more exclusive setting should check out this luxurious private dining experience, which offers panoramic views of the racecourse with live race coverage via television screens.

C is for...camel track. The Dubai World Cup was born from a rich heritage of horse racing. Indeed, the first ever thoroughbred horse race in the emirate was held at the dusty camel track back in October 1981.

50

E is for…equestrian heritage.

The event represents a modern – and very glamorous – showcase of Dubai’s enduring love affair with horse racing.

F is for…finish line. Bag a seat opposite the finish line with the premium hospitality tickets, which buy you super views of the racetrack and parade ring.

G is for…Godolphin, the global thoroughbred breeding and horse racing team founded by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The stables enters a number of runners, dressed in royal blue silks.

CULTURE

L is for…Longines,

the official

V is for…vision. Sheikh Mohammed

M is for…millinery. Style mavens

set out to offer a stage upon which the world’s best racehorses could come together and compete for the highest rewards in the industry.

timekeeper for the Meydan race.

will be battling it out for a nod in the style stakes best-dressed competition. The judges will be looking for those who demonstrate the perfect blend of style, elegance, creativity and practicality. A stunning hat or fascinator is a must.

N is for…nominations.

Dubai Racing Club received 1,549 nominations for 779 horses from 22 countries for the 2017 Dubai World Cup day.

O is for…opening ceremony, which traditionally features a spectacular fireworks display.

P is for…post-race concert,

H is for…hospitality.

X is for...X-factor.

Get the VIP treatment at the Breakfast with the Stars event on March 23, which allows guests a sneak peek of the Dubai World Cup horses during their morning track work. The lavish al fresco style breakfast on the apron also hosts interviews with the trainers, owners and jockeys, with live music and raffle draws adding to the excitement.

Y is for…say “yes!” As one of the premier events in the Dubai social calendar, it is an experience not to be missed.

Q is for...quiet time. If you're more

Z is for…zzz. As one of the busiest diary

interested in the horses than the big race itself, you can avoid the crowds and factor in some quiet time by booking a stable tour, where you can go behind the scenes and discover how the racehorses are prepared to compete. The tours are offered seasonally at Meydan racecourse, on various dates around the big race days.

dates in the city, it is sure to be a blast so make sure you factor in some downtime to recover after the big day.

R is for….racing season.

I is for…inauguration.

is the major prep for Dubai World Cup day.

It is held three weeks prior to the big day and allows trainers to put the finishing touches to their equine stars before they take to racing’s biggest stage.

J is for…jockeys. Accomplished jockeys from around the world will be in with a chance of thundering to victory. Victor Espinoza rode California Chrome to victory in the Dubai World Cup last year.

nine races worth more than US$30 million, culminating in the Dubai World Cup, which carries a purse of $10 million.

a stellar showcase featuring world-renowned recording artists.

The Dubai World Cup goes all out to make it a special occasion for guests with a variety of hospitality packages at top-class restaurants, lounges and private suites, all with stunning views of the racetrack.

The Dubai World Cup burst onto the horse racing scene in 1996.

W is for…world’s richest race day. The Dubai World Cup comprises

The Dubai World Cup signals the end of the threemonth long Dubai World Cup Carnival, a festival of international racing from January to March.

S is for…Super Saturday, which

T is for…twenty-two. The 2017 event will be the 22nd running of the famous race.

K is for…keep up. Gates open at

U is for…the UAE’s biggest social

noon and the first race is at 3.45pm.

and sporting event.

51

IWC Da Vinci Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph

Bovet Virtuoso VIII

cHAngIng tImeS

Cartier The Drive Extra Flat

As SIHH wraps up and Baselworld prepares to start, what are the big trends in the world of watches?

Piaget Altiplanto 60th Anniversary Automatic

Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Chronometre

Ulysse Nardin Classico Rooster

52

lifestyle: horology

very year, time — or at least the multi-billion dollar industry associated with it — stops for one of the season’s biggest, most exclusive events: the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH). Intimate and a bit more refined than the hustle and bustle of the much more massive Baselworld (hosted this month in Geneva), SIHH limits itself to Richemont Group brands and selected others.

Yet behind the doors of SIHH, it is possible to tease out the top trends for the future of watches, discovering what is timely — and timeless.

Here’s what watch aficionados need to know.

InclusIvIty Is In

Last year, for the very first time, SIHH swung open its doors to contemporary, independent watchmakers. The likes of edgy Ressence, Laurent Ferrier and art-focused MB&F filtered in. These young upstarts brought bold, rebellious pieces to the table.

This year, SIHH hasn’t just invited the independents back. It has taken the next step: it has allowed the public in. On the very last day of the private event, regular (hopefully big-spending) members of the public were allowed to stroll between rows of luxury watches.

All of this points toward one thing: for 2017 — and perhaps for the future of watches full stop — inclusivity is in. Whether this strategy will work, particularly in an industry where the price for pieces instantly limits potential buyers, remains to be seen. thIn Is In (somewhat)

“The ultra-flat wristwatch never goes totally out of fashion but every time it returns to the public’s awareness, it gets a lot of attention,” said Richard Mille, chief executive of Richard Mille Watches. “Certain trends always come and go in a continuous but cyclic manner.”

Be that as it may, thin was big at this year’s SIHH, offering a refreshing change from some of the heartier, hefty masculine pieces. Piaget’s Altiplanto 60th Anniversary Automatic provided slender elegance while Cartier’s The Drive Extra Flat created a refined simplicity. Manually wound with a dial lacking a date, the timepiece dropped down to a mere 38.5mm. Critics were impressed: “This is a Cartier men’s watch to be worn daily but worn daily by a true purist and it is the first time in a while I can say that about Cartier,” reported online watch experts Hodinkee. everyone’s talkIng about old school

“2017 is all about embracing heritage,” said Montblanc's Eric Vergnes, with a focus on “bringing innovation to the market [while still maintaining] tradition, craftsmanship, and the history of the brand”. For Montblanc, this meant emphasising the glory days of motor racing through the TimeWalker Collection. The TimeWalker Chronograph Rally Timer Counter Limited Edition 100 wristwatch provided a contemporary twist on the vintage racing look, all while offering the option to be worn as a wristwatch, a pocket watch or a dashboard clock.

Embracing more recent glamour, Cartier tapped into its 80s classic, the Cartier Panthere. IWC also drew on the 1980s heritage of its Da Vinci watches with the refreshed Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph.

Meanwhile Parmigiani looked backward even further with its Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Chronometre. With a style inspired by Greco-Roman columns, the piece has a decidedly 1930s vintage feel.

To celebrate its 195th anniversary, Bovet released the fairly striking Virtuoso VIII. This 10-day flying tourbillon recalls the history of Bovet’s pocket watches with bridge-adorned side plates and Arabic numerals. Even Ulysse Nardin, a brand that typically hasn’t focused on refreshed vintage models, got in on the vintage game. This year the group unveiled the Vintage Collection, consisting of four watches inspired by vintage pieces. The Classico Paul David Nardin is particularly striking. Reminiscent of a mid-20th century gentleman’s wristwatch and named after Ulysse Nardin’s son, this piece features a simple dial and brushed steel look.

53

lifestyle: horology

It’s all materIal

Gold and silver is out. Bronze, ceramics and carbon are in.

Vergnes, president of Montblanc Middle East, India and Africa, pointed to this trend when asked about the key takeaways from SIHH. Montblanc introduced bronze into its vintage style 1858 collection, a first in the maison’s history. “Special attention was paid to researching the perfect alloy of bronze that will evolve with its owner over the years,” he added. The hope is that the metal will develop its own patina, further enhancing the vintage feel of each timepiece.

If bronze was popular, ceramics stole the show. Back in 2016, Apple introduced ceramics into its stable of high-tech watches.

Rado has been using them since the 1960s and Rolex as well.

But this year, all the ceramics buzz was about Audemars Piguet.

The brand’s Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar presented a darkly mysterious, virtually scratchproof ceramic case. Resistant to thermal shock, the timepiece took more than 600 hours of research to create. It also required roughly five times longer to assemble than a conventional stainless steel Royal Oak. Panerai likewise dabbled in ceramics with its new Carbotech watch. The piece featured a tantalum-ceramic movement plate and a 50-year warranty. Owing to the nature of the material, there’s no need for conventional oils.

As for why ceramics are popular? “Ceramics are much more durable than metals,” said Julia Greer, a materials scientist at Caltech, to Wired. “They deform in an elastic way. You’ll never see the deformation until they crack.” That means no scratching, no denting, and no tiny little flaws to reduce the value of the classic watch.

Richard Mille RM037

54

Montblanc 1858 Automatic

Audemars Piguet The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar

MAXIMILIAN LONDON BOUTIQUE Jumeirah Zabeel Saray Hotel, The Palm Jumeirah UAE, Dubai, P.O. Box 29792 +971 50 919 63 66 +44 77 95 888 888 www.maximilianjewelry.com

MAXIMILIAN LONDON BOUTIQUE

|

boutique@maximilianjewelry.com

lifestyle: horology

Moving away from ceramics, Richard Mille embraced carbon, calling the material a ‘new adventure for the brand’. While the NTPT carbon has long been a signature of Richard Mille’s men’s collection, the group launched a female version with the RM 07-01 and RM 037 models. The nuance here is in the placing of the gemstones. Unlike gold, which can be worked directly with tools to create prongs to hold the diamonds, carbon is too hard. This means special machinery followed by hand polishing were necessary.

Stargazing

The sky is always a big theme in the world of watches and 2017’s SIHH was no different. Yet among numerous moon phase pieces, Vacheron Constantin’s new Celestia stood out. This doubledialed watch (back and front) provided 23 complications within a slender frame.

“Astronomy was definitely a theme we wanted to work on,” said Julien Marchenoir, Vacheron’s strategy and heritage director, to Gear Patrol. “We wanted to innovate, to bring something state-of-the-art into the market in terms of an astronomical complication and we wanted to make it a demonstration of mastery.” The result is a piece that offers three ways of telling time (civil, sidereal and solar) alongside charts and moon phases.

Strapped for time

In a land of ever-increasingly complicated dials, high-tech movements and clever materials, a timepiece’s strap is often overlooked. Mille suggested that for the trend lover, this might be a mistake: “Textured rubber straps in many beautiful colours are becoming a big trend,” he said. “Just changing the colour of a strap to a different shade can give the entire watch a new character — all in the blink of an eye.”

Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600

56

For Vergnes, the strap is key to making something that is timeless.

“Unlike trends which come and go, there will always be an appreciation for a meticulously crafted timepiece,” he said.

Particularly those featuring a classic watch and a good leather strap — like the brand’s own Heritage Chronometrie collection.

REDISCOVER DUBAI...

JUMEIRAH AL NASEEM, THE NEWEST ADDITION TO MADINAT JUMEIRAH — NOW OPEN Jumeirah Al Naseem is anchored on Dubai’s longest stretch of private beach, bringing fresh energy, exuberance and excitement to the award winning Madinat Jumeirah resort. Inspired by sand dunes, blue skies, sea breeze and Dubai’s heritage of pearl diving and Bedouin traditions. Perfect for those who like to explore and for whom Dubai might be a new experience.

For reservations call +971 4 366 8888 or visit jumeirah.com/alnaseem

JN_Brand_FPC_Advt_Jumeirah Magazine_Feb2017.indd 1

1/12/17 4:51 PM

58

Words: Faye Rowe, Images: HUGO BOSS

LIFESTYLE: martin Kaymer

ThaT sinkinG feeling Golf’s ‘Mr Cool’ Martin Kaymer talks tour wins, life on the road and what's next on the horizon

With an impressive eleven tournament wins under his belt, Martin Kaymer has come a long way from his hometown of Dusseldorf, where he first took to the putting green at the age of 10. Fast forward to today and the former world number one is squaring up to some of the biggest names in golf once again for the 2017 season.

“Golf is an individual sport and everyone is very competitive and wants to win when on the course,” says Kaymer, in the UAE for the Dubai Desert Classic in February.

“In terms of my biggest challengers, I am up against the usual suspects, such as Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Dustin Johnson. It will also be interesting to see what Tiger Woods does this year.”

While it must take nerves of steel to remain composed under the pressure, it helps that his peers are refreshingly approachable and down to earth.

“We all get along very well off the course,” he says. “It’s a good atmosphere, full of fairness and respect for each other.”

Big hiTTers Kaymer certainly kickstarted the European Tour on a high note. At the time of going to press, he had finished five-under in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, placing him in 48th position on the leaderboard. Earlier that month he was in the UAE for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship – the first event of the season – in which he came fourth. The result was no big surprise considering Kaymer’s fondness for the course.

Indeed, as a double major champion and three-time winner of the championship, the par-72, 7,600-yard Troon-managed course in Abu Dhabi Golf Club seems to bring him good fortune.

“The golf course simply suits my eye,” he says. “It is easy for me to see the shots I want to hit, which helps. Winning the event three times is special and makes me feel very confident.”

His good result came despite being faced with a few new strategically positioned bunkers and a completely new 18th tee, which was designed specially to keep players on their toes by offering a more challenging perspective to the final hole. Naturally, the new terrain didn't faze him.

“I feel very confident about my game at the moment. I practised hard during the off-season,” he says. “Spending Christmas and the new year in the US [he has a home in Scottsdale, Arizona] away from the family is not always easy but it paid off nicely in Abu Dhabi and I am looking forward to the rest of the season.”

The European Tour is taking him around the world for a chance to compete for the ultimate title in the DP World Tour Championship taking place at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai in November.

“I really enjoy playing on the European Tour as it takes you to such a great variety of beautiful places,” says Kaymer. “It is really tough to pick my favourite destinations but I tend to play well very well in the UAE. Wherever I am, my main goal is to play consistent golf on a high level to give myself as many chances for a win as possible.”

59

Nerves of steel Despite high-profile collaborations with brands such as HUGO BOSS, SAP and Rolex, among others, Kaymer typically shies away from the media – so much so that he has even gained a reputation as something of an ‘ice king’. His quiet confidence, however, is simply born from his experience. He spent eight weeks as the world number one in 2011 and has won an impressive 11 tournaments on the European Tour, including four in 2010 alone, among them the Race to Dubai and the PGA Championship in the US. He later went on to sink a pivotal putt on the 18th hole on the final day of the Ryder Cup in 2012, retaining the cup for Europe. Two years later, he won the Players Championship – the flagship event of the PGA Tour – and claimed his second major in the US Open shortly afterward. Being surrounded by a trusted support network plays a vital role in keeping him focused, he says.

“When it comes to advice I first and foremost have my father and brother to turn to, as well as team of great people, such as my physiotherapist,” he says. “For technical things, I speak to my coach, Gunter Kessler.”

GrowiNG up witH Golf Kaymer’s talent for golf shone through at a young age and he turned professional in 2005.

“When growing up, I did not have a plan but it was always a dream to turn professional and to win big tournaments,” he says. “I remember standing on the putting green pretending to be Seve Ballesteros or Tiger Woods taking a putt to win majors or the Ryder Cup. I’m so grateful to be able to live my childhood dream now and to be able to make a living from it.”

The young Kaymer looked to Ernie Els as his golfing hero so it is fitting that he now plays alongside him at tournaments around the world.

“I have always admired his rhythmic golf swing and the way he behaves on the golf course,” says Kaymer. “He is such a calm guy with a great personality – a true gentleman and champion.” Instead of adding to the pressure, being among the sport’s big hitters inspires Kaymer to thrive.

“I really do not feel pressure at all,” he says. “Although, for sure, I felt differently when I began my career. Now my caddie Craig and I pre-

60

pare during practise rounds or the Pro Am. We try to figure out the best ways to play each hole. Once the tournament starts, we usually stick to our game plan and commit to the defined strategy.”

tHe race to Dubai Of all the places Kaymer gets to visit, the UAE holds a special place in his heart.

“I really enjoy spending time in the UAE and I seem to play well in all the tournaments there,” he says. “On top of that, the people are so friendly and the weather is always nice.”

In preparation for this year's season, Kaymer stayed in the new Jumeirah Al Naseem hotel in the Madinat Jumeirah resort.

“It is a stunning place with fantastic food. Spending time there is extremely relaxing after a long day practising on the course,” he says.

“I usually come to Dubai for preparation in the off season, tournament play or sometimes just to take a few days off. Dubai offers everything – fantastic golf facilities, ideal weather conditions, beautiful hotels and beaches and very nice restaurants. My partner Etihad Airways is based in Abu Dhabi and has taken me on various adventurous trips into the desert, which I enjoy.”

When he is not playing or practising, Kaymer recharges the batteries by hanging out with friends at the beach or heading to the gym for a workout.

“Going to the gym is a big passion of mine. During the Dubai Desert Classic I stayed in the Jumeirah Al Qasr hotel, which has one of the best gyms I have ever seen,” he says. “It is outdoors and offers everything I need. I could spend hours there.”

Hopping between five-star hotels means it could be tempting to be swept away by the high life. When looking back on all he has achieved, however, Kaymer remains refreshingly grounded.

“I am 32 years old and have won two major championships, three Ryder Cups and the Players Championship,” he says. “These are definitely the highs of my career so far. Some people say becoming number one in the world should also be part of that but that was just a result of playing very consistent golf back then. I am proud of what I have achieved so far and am so looking forward to what the future holds.”

LIFESTYLE: martin Kaymer

61

TRAVEL 72 Seeking serenity

Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel and Spa opens its doors for the summer season

80 Enjoy the sunset

Why Koubba bar is ideal for sundowners

82 The high life

Brasserie Angelique, Jumeirah at Etihad Towers

The InsIDers’ GuIDe To…

dubai

Inside the lives of Dubai’s most talented tastemakers

64

travel

Mohamed Parham al Awadhi

MohaMed ParhaM al awadhi, 43

entrepreneur, filmmaker and adventurer

When I was growing up in Dubai in the 1980s, it was a super-small city.

Everyone knew each other and there was one mall we all went to, Al Ghurair Centre in Deira. I do not think anyone expected Dubai to evolve into what it has today – one of the most aspirational cities in the world. It happened at record speed too. I like to split Dubai into two: the soul and the spirit. Burj Khalifa is the central point. Anything in the direction of the creek or beyond is old Dubai. I spend a lot of time there because it is where I grew up. You should visit Bani Yas Square, Muraqqabat Street, Karama and Satwa if you want to experience how much depth our city has. Walk around, meet people and try any of the packed restaurants. Anything in the opposite direction of Burj Khalifa is the spirit of Dubai – everything we have become and have aspired to be.

Together more than 150 different nationalities have made this city their home – imagine that diversity – and they have all left their mark. You can hear it in the languages we speak, the cuisine available and the fashion we wear. This diversity has shaped our identity as a city. Dubai has a sense of familiarity to it because the entire world is represented.

I live in Jumeirah now. It is still considered old Dubai but it has not escaped development. There is a long stretch of beach, newly laid bicycle tracks and fantastic restaurants. I spend a lot of time in Karama because the food scene there is one of the best in the world. For breakfast, I would recommend Sangeeta for Indian or Al Damyati and Iskandaron for Arabic. For lunch,

try Calicut Paragon for south Indian seafood. For dinner, try Jambos Grill for east African food or Zagol for Ethiopian food. Closer to where I live is Stomping Grounds cafe, a place I like to work from sometimes. I explore a lot and am currently obsessed with three other restaurants near me – Noodle Bowl, a Chinese and Malay restaurant, Life’n One vegan cafe and Tipanan, a Filipino restaurant. Visitors to Dubai should contact my good friends at Frying Pan Food Tours and join one of their amazing food tours.

I am an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship has always been the norm here. That was what my grandfather and father were. My father used to make me work at his stores and office when I was eight or nine. In my teens, he would let me accompany him on business trips abroad. It gave me a solid work ethic and taught me about the importance of building relationships. It was not easy working with my father. I was immature and had big ideas and he wanted things done his way. It did not help that we lived in the same house. Although I joined the corporate world for a few years, I knew eventually I would end up starting a business of my own one day. People think Dubai is rigid and intolerant but every faith is respected and represented here and you will find most places of worship here too. The biggest misconception about Dubai is that there is no depth. It is just a lazy way for people who have probably not made an effort to explore much of our city to describe it. We have a vibrant art and music scene. Just check out Alserkal Avenue, Go Play The World, Freshly Ground Sounds and Truckers DXB on Facebook. There is always something new happening.

65

SERIOUS SHOPPING 85 new ways to collect Jumeirah Sirius Points in the United Arab Emirates My City Points is the newest, simplest way to collect Jumeirah Sirius Points when shopping at top brands in the UAE. Collect points on fashion, accessories, jewellery, even on your next round of golf! Register once at My City Points and simply use your registered Visa card when you shop to collect your points automatically. It's free and easy!

Collect Jumeirah Sirius Points at 85 great locations in the UAE, including brands such as: Boutique 1, Faรงonnable, Furla, Isabel Marant, Kiton, Lanvin, Missoni, Monica Vinader, Paul & Joe, Pure Gold, Rodeo Drive, Stefano Ricci, Tom Ford, Abu Dhabi City Golf Club. See the latest list of participating stores and offers on the My City Points website.

Just visit jumeirahsirius.mycitypoints.ae from your mobile to register.

jumeirahsirius.mycitypoints.ae

66

TRAVEL

Scott Price (far right) with business partners Nick Alvis and Viktorija Paplauskiene

SCOTT PRICE, 35

Chef-patron and partner of Folly by Nick and Scott

I moved to Dubai in January 2010. I had been working for Gordon Ramsay in his London restaurants for seven years when he offered me the position of executive chef in his Dubai restaurant, Verre, which also meant overseeing the whole Hilton Dubai Creek operation. I had always wanted to work abroad and it was an amazing opportunity for me to do so while continuing to work with Gordon. When we first arrived, we lived in Bur Dubai. That area is pretty unchanged. Elsewhere in the past seven years, the city has evolved and grown in a way that is really hard to comprehend. There is a huge youth subculture now that was not evident before. In a place with so much opportunity, young people are really pushing boundaries and embracing the modern city, particularly in the food and art scenes. I also think that people are staying for longer; the children are turning into adults in the city.

My wife and I have lived in Dubai Marina for a few years now. There is easy access to Sheikh Zayed road and it feels like you are at the centre of things.

On my nights off it is a short walk to a selection of licensed restaurants and we are close to the beach. Pier 7, which is attached to Marina Mall, has a selection of restaurants and bars with great views and Bistro Des Arts, my wife’s favourite cafe, is a short stroll away. It is a great place to sit on the terrace and watch the world go by with something nice to drink and a plate or two of simple French food.

Part of what makes Dubai special compared to other cities is that it really should not exist. The city defies nature and continues to do so. I love the fact it is always looking to try something new, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the modern world. There is a huge amount of opportunity here

if you are willing to take a chance on doing what you believe in and work hard to make it happen. When we first moved here the restaurant scene was dominated by imported international brands and places with celebrity chefs' names above the door. Investors were understandably apprehensive about taking a risk on unknown brands or start-ups.

We were one of the first to open a homegrown concept and the city responded well to it. Now there is a vibrant and creative food culture in the UAE and a demand for new and exciting concepts. As a result, investors are more willing to back local talent, which is fantastic. It is an exciting time to be here. Dubai is full of open-minded people, willing to support and believe in new ideas and give people a chance. That is why Nick and I were given the opportunity to run our first restaurant and why we now have our own company.

When I get time, I like to go cycling out on the Al Qudra cycle track. It is more than 120km long and reserved for cyclists so it is very quiet and peaceful.

You feel completely removed from the hustle and bustle of the city and it is an ideal place to clear your head after work.

People who have not visited the city before have a misconception about how strict it is. They tend to think they will have to dress and act in a very controlled way or risk getting into trouble, when actually as long as people understand and respect the rules and act accordingly, this is a very tolerant country. Anyone who has ever visited us has always wanted to come back.

Having grown up in Scotland, where it is generally overcast or raining every day, I still appreciate the sunshine, even after seven years here.

67

travel Jalal aButhiNa, 36

Photographer and founder of inside Dubai

I spent my teenage years in Dubai. Growing up here was a wonderful experience. Things were much simpler than they are now and the city had a much more intimate, tight-knit feel to it. I lived in the Rashid Hospital residential district and then in Garhoud. Very little has changed in those neighbourhoods since then and I still visit them from time to time. I live in the Greens now. It is perfectly located for work, most of which is on this side of the city.

Umer Butt umer Butt, 38

Founder and co-director of Grey Noise

I grew up in Sharjah. The 1980s in Sharjah were calm. I remember the afternoon siesta (businesses still close between 1pm and 4pm for lunch) and a lot of walking. I spent my time near the current heritage area playing cricket, racing fuel-driven miniature cars and throwing paper planes from the tallest building in Sharjah, where my family and I lived for a decade or so. Sharjah is dear to me. Its location and the people who lived there made it so much more authentic. I am still fond of its slowness, both in terms of how it functions and how people approach life.

I live in Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT) now. I enjoy the fact I can walk around, there are lots of places to eat out and it is easy to find a tailor to alter or make your clothes. I like to walk and observe the evolution of the urban landscape, see a tree in flower, watch people play a game of cards over shisha. For food in JLT, I like Mythos for authentic Greek food and 101 Paratha for the killer potato-filled fried flatbread. I also like Zaroob on Sheikh Zayed road, Antar on Al Wasl Road, Tom and Serge and the Lime Tree cafe in Al Quoz for coffee and and cake respectively. I go to Elia in Bur Dubai for authentic Greek food, Muchachas for Mexican and Hapi in Alserkal Avenue for clean, healthy food for lunch.

Dubai cannot be compared to any other cosmopolitan city on earth. There are so many layers to it. Endless narratives can be spun out of this city. I never interacted with anything artistic while I was growing up. Only in recent years did I discover artists such as Hassan Sharif, who was making conceptual art back in the late 1970s and 1980s. Now, with Grey Noise, I am consciously trying to engage more deeply with its residents to raise awareness of conceptual art and change people’s perception of what a commercial art gallery is and can be. The past few years have seen so much attention focused on the Dubai art scene. Alserkal Avenue, where our gallery is, has brought the artistic community together. I have nothing but praise for Abdelmonem Alserkal’s brave decision to foster the visual arts in Dubai and the surrounding emirates. The Dubai art scene is growing by the day. Myself and a few other gallerists have taken a step forward and decided to represent Dubai and the UAE globally. We are representing quality and clarity through our diverse individual visions and programmes.

If people want to discover the essence of Dubai they should visit Dubai Creek and Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood. For a sense of modern Dubai, they should visit City Walk and Alserkal Avenue.

68

The city strongly encourages an intense work ethic and drive amongst most of its residents. You have to perform to be able to survive and stay in the city. I am not sure if it is the best place in the world to work as a photographer as red tape and business operational costs have been on the rise over the past few years. But on the flip side, it is a very businessorientated city and is becoming the go-to destination for any major events and business conferences in the region, many of which I cover.

So things kind of balance out.

I have a particular love for old Dubai and have produced several photography books about the area. The natural aspects, the grime, the unpretentiousness and raw energy of it appeal to me. It is not a choreographed performance. The entire demographic and vibe is completely different to that of the newer side of Dubai. As a photographer, the chaos of it all is just wonderful. If somebody visiting Dubai wanted to discover old Dubai they should visit Al Nasr Square in Deira. It would introduce them to a social experience and demographic of people not usually associated with the stereotypical perception of the city as all glitz and glamour. It is the silent heartbeat of the city.

If somebody had never been to this part of the world before, I'd tell them to start their day off with a visit to Burj Khalifa’s At the Top lookout to watch the sun rise, then head over to the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding in Al Bastakiya for an Emirati lunch and to learn a little about the local culture and identity, then end the day with a desert safari, where they could watch the sun set over the dunes. My top three restaurants in Dubai are Lido Tunisian restaurant in Deira, Samad al Iraqi Restaurant in Deira and Jumeirah and the Friday buffet at the Iranian Club in Oud Metha. To escape, I go to the beach. Going for a swim and a walk on the sand while listening to music is the perfect way to unplug from a mad work week.

Jalal Abuthina

F - -

G-----

D--IGN-

I N F - - - --- N

I N

-- -

---------------------------------INSTAGRAM.COM/RITMOMUNDO

Have Have you Have you ever you ever wanted ever wanted wanted to go to inside go to go inside inside BurjBurj AlBurj Arab Al Arab AlJumeirah?

Arab Jumeirah?

Jumeirah?

Now Now you Now you can. you can. can.

StartStart exploring Start exploring exploring any any oneany one of one our of our 20 of our hotels 20 20 hotels and hotels and resorts and resorts resorts worldwide worldwide worldwide at jumeirahinside.com at jumeirahinside.com at jumeirahinside.com ABU DHABI ABU DHABI ABU | DUBAI DHABI | DUBAI | KUWAIT | DUBAI | KUWAIT | KUWAIT MALDIVES | MALDIVES | MALDIVES | SHANGHAI | SHANGHAI | SHANGHAI | FR ANKFURT | FR ANKFURT | FR ANKFURT | ISTANBUL | ISTANBUL | ISTANBUL | LONDON | LONDON | LONDON | MALLORCA | MALLORCA | MALLORCA

Download Download the Download Jumeirah the Jumeirah the Inside Jumeirah Inside Virtual Inside Virtual Reality Virtual Reality App Reality App App

A SPAniSH SoJourn

Words: Faye rowe

Escape to a serene Mallorcan retreat as Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel and Spa opens its doors again for a brand new season of nature-gazing, fine food and health-boosting activities

72

travel

73

‘‘

‘‘

The luxurious property, perched atop a cliff overlooking the village of Port Soller, is ideal for those seeking a tranquil escape away from the tourist trail

74

travel

W

ith the warmer weather sweeping across the Mediterranean, lighter evenings and delicious seasonal produce, such as lamb and asparagus, in abundance, spring is one of the best times to visit Mallorca. As the beautiful Balearic island once again becomes a hive of activity, Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel and Spa is throwing open its doors to visitors on March 24 for a sixth season.

The luxurious property, perched atop a cliff overlooking the village of Port Soller, is ideal for those seeking a tranquil escape away from the tourist trail. Ideal for nature fans, it is located at the heart of a Unesco world heritage site, the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range, boasting stunning views of the peaks and the Mediterranean.

True to the Spanish way of life, al fresco dining takes centre stage.

There is a choice of three restaurants and two bars serving regional delicacies such as tapas and local Mallorcan wines. Cap Roig, the hotel's Mediterranean restaurant, named after the flavourful local fish, boasts dramatic sea views and an extensive menu featuring everything from Beluga caviar to paella and sweet gazpacho. Alternatively, make your way along the path carved through pines and olive trees to the venue at the highest point of the hotel, Es Fanals, which is named after the traditional glass lanterns used by local fishermen. For sushi and Asian nibbles, head to Sunset Sushi Lounge.

Those looking to unwind with a pampering beauty treatment can make the most of natural ingredients such as citrus, almonds and olive oil in

the Talise Spa. Active types can flex their muscles in the state-of-the-art gym, take a dip in two swimming pools or let off some steam by cycling, trekking and doing yoga. When you feel rejuvenated enough to venture out, let the hotel’s expert guide arrange a tailor-made trip to take in some of the island’s most stunning sights.

From visiting a historic tram to exploring orange groves and even indulging in a spot of birdwatching, you are sure to find an activity to suit your mood. For something a little more adventurous, you could explore the island on a Harley Davidson, take a wine-tasting tour or even hop aboard a speedboat for a fresh perspective from the water.

To mark the re-opening of Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel and Spa, there are a number of exclusive offers available, including the popular procycling experience with the British cycling champion David Millar. Keen bikers can ride side-by-side with the accomplished Scottish former road racer as part of a long weekend escape from April 20 to 24. The package costs from $4,264 for a four-night stay on a full-board basis in single occupancy accommodation and comes with a host of built-in benefits including airport transfers and picnic refreshments, plus a support vehicle provided by Maserati. All you need to bring is a sense of adventure.

Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel and Spa in Mallorca is a 25-minute drive from Palma international airport. Call +34 971 637 888, email jpsreservations@ jumeirah.com, or visit jumeirah.com to book. The property is open from March to November.

75

76

travel

RESCUE AND RELEASE Rescued sea turtles are being rehabilitated in the region’s first purpose-built lagoon in the Jumeirah Al Naseem. Claire Hill meets the team on a mission to save these endangered animals

The hotel’s prime location on the city’s two-kilometre stretch of private beach makes it the perfect host for the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project’s (DTRP) new lagoon. Situated near the shores of the Arabian Gulf, this is the region’s first purpose-built lagoon for rehabilitating rescued turtles. The animals, which have suffered a range of illnesses and traumas, can be carefully monitored in the lagoon before they are returned to the sea.

Tucked away near landscaped gardens, the new facility and nature trail is the public platform of the DTRP, which has been saving turtles since 2004. The project plays a vital role in helping to raise awareness of the plight they face.

Since it was established, the exemplary scheme has successfully released more than 1,000 turtles in the Arabian Gulf which might otherwise have died. The opening of the lagoon is a dream come true for marine biologist Warren Baverstock and his small team of six, who work tirelessly to rescue and treat injured and sick turtles (mainly hawksbills, green and loggerheads) from around the region. It is the combination of more than 12 years of continuous hard work and an innate passion for wildlife which has enabled the project to flourish and find a new home.

Baverstock, the aquarium operations manager, masterminded the new lagoon and his enthusiasm for the project is clear. “The [previous] pens in Jumeirah Mina A’Salam were great - they were a stepping stone - but this new lagoon has been specifically designed with the turtles in mind. There are extended ledges, special overhangs, areas with shade and waterflows. Everything in here is built around turtle rehabilitation, which makes this place so special. It is designed in such a way that it can either be one large lagoon or split into five separate pens. It is great to see it come to fruition.”

Open to guests daily (members of the public can also attend feeding sessions each Wednesday at 11am), the lagoon’s discovery trail and observation island offer a chance to learn all about the turtles' plight. The hawksbill, which is native to the Middle East, is listed as critically endangered with only an estimated 8,000 nesting females left worldwide. Turtles are in decline across the world and all seven species of marine turtles found globally are listed as vulnerable to extinction, endangered or critically endangered, demonstrating just how vital projects like this are.

The sick and injured turtles are often rescued by members of the public during Dubai’s cooler months from December to February. Common injuries include cold stunning (when sea turtles suffer hypothermia) and heavy barnacle growth (barnacles are not the problem with the animal but usually a symptom of another ailment). Other illnesses include suffering positive buoyancy, which affects their ability to dive down and feed. Causes can be trauma or an underlying problem such as an infection. The first stage of treatment begins at the rehabilitation tanks inside the turtle hospital in the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah. From there, it can take about five months for a small hawksbill turtle to complete the treatment process and be released back into the wild. Warren and his team have seen all kinds of injuries over the years. However, he says every so often a turtle is brought in with something the team has never seen or treated before.

“At the moment we have one green turtle weighing 110kg, which was rescued with a cracked carapace (shell),” he says. “We have treated it with a special product that fuses the carapace and bridges the gap between the two surfaces.” It is hoped this turtle will soon be transferred to the turtle lagoon in the Jumeirah Al Naseem for its final stage of rehabilitation.

IF YOU FIND A TURTLE - Place it into a bucket or plastic box with a little room temperature fresh water - If the turtle is covered in barnacles, don’t try to pull them off as this could cause further trauma such as internal bleeding - Contact the team on +971 4 301 7198 or via Facebook to hand the turtle over at the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah

77

Another rescued turtle was found washed up on the beach at Jebel Ali with parasites on its eyes and the shell covered in algae. Baverstock says it was lucky to be rescued. “Underneath the algae was an inch of sand. It had probably been stranded for a month. After just two weeks of treatment, the turtle is swimming around the tank. Its progress has been incredible.”

David Robinson, assistant aquarium operations manager, is equally passionate about the project. “We had one turtle which had been with us for a few months and was constantly floating high up in the water. There was no sign she was ever going to recover. We moved her out here [to the turtle lagoon] and within three weeks, she was swimming down to the bottom, which is great. She is now nearly ready to be released. She is an Olive Ridley turtle and there are only 25 nesting females left in Arabia.”

The project’s educational programme aims to teach the next generation about the importance of conservation and the work it carries out. Every week the team conducts numerous school tours teaching more than 1,000 children a year.

78

Baverstock says: “When we do our school tours, we can fill the observation island with children and they get a really nice perspective of the turtles and the water. A few schools every year will buy a satellite tag, which enables them to track one turtle and name it. In exchange, they are invited to a turtle release and the children then have a project to track online. For a school to be given this opportunity and have the ability to track is unique.”

The tagging initiative provides the DTRP with vital information to help it understand the success of rehabilitation and research turtle movement throughout the region.

The DTRP is run in collaboration with Dubai’s Wildlife Protection Office with essential veterinary support provided by the Dubai Falcon Hospital and the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory. The day-to-day running of the project and the animal husbandry is managed by the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah’s dedicated aquarium team. The centre works closely with organisations such as the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, Emirates Marine Environmental Group, Dubai Municipality and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.

travel

Dibba Dibba the turtle was found by a dog walker on the beach and was suffering from a severe head wound. The sea turtle endured many months of rehabilitation in the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah aquarium, where she was nursed back to health. Against all the odds and thanks to the Burj al Arab Jumeirah team, members of the Wildlife Protection Office and staff at Al Wasl Veterinary Clinic, Dibba made a full recovery and was later returned to the waters at Kalba in the UAE. Dibba then set off on her long journey home past the coast of Sri Lanka and all the way toward the Andaman Sea near Thailand – a distance of 8,600km.

79

featured SpaceS Koubba bar, Jumeirah al Qasr, madinat Jumeirah When it comes to the perfect sunset experience, relaxing on a lavish terrace overlooking the sea with views of one of Dubai’s most admired landmarks is hard to beat. Koubba Bar offers all this and more thanks to its prime location in Jumeirah Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah.

Highly regarded as one of the city’s most enviable spots for sundowners, Koubba bar comes alive each evening as locals and visitors alike escape the hustle and bustle of the city to unwind in a scenic setting.

The popular terrace is perfectly positioned to offer revellers stunning views across the resort toward the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, which illuminates the night sky.

Guests can sink into comfortable sofas, refuel with a light snack and sip on sunset-themed cocktails from the mixology trolley. As the sun dips below the horizon, the warm glow of Arabesque lanterns adds to the ambience.

Koubba is popular for pre-dinner drinks and its Arabian vibe is made all the more authentic by the aroma of shisha wafting in the air. The relaxation and entertainment continue into the early hours as those who linger for longer can enjoy music from the band Heart and Soul, who perform from Monday to Saturday from 8.15pm to midnight.

Koubba bar is open from 5pm to 2am Saturday to Wednesday, from 5pm to 3am on Thursday and from 4pm to 3am on Friday. Shisha is served from 7.30pm to 1.30am daily. Call +971 4 4323232 or email restaurants@jumeirah.com to book a table

80

travel

81

The high life:

Brasserie Angelique, Jumeirah at etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi

THE LOWDOWN: This award-winning restaurant offers a taste of France

is earthy and smooth and served with crispy bread. The snails are served

without leaving the UAE. As part of Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, you are

piping hot and floating in butter. For a main course try another authentic

guaranteed full-on luxury with exquisite food.

French dish, beef bourguignon. It is a stew made with braised beef in red wine with pearl onions and mushrooms and at Brasserie Angelique, it is

THE ATMOSPHERE: The simple entrance belies the extravagant interior

hearty and delicious. Beware, however, the portion is generous so you

of the restaurant. All art deco and super-charged glam, from the marble-

might want to share. For dessert, the crème brûlée is not to be missed.

topped tables to the tiling on the floor and ceiling to the opulent chandeliers, you will forget you are in the UAE. Every detail brings you a little

INSIDER’S TIP: Arrive before your reservation time and head to the bar

closer to France.

for a pre-dinner tipple. This way you get a better sense of the immense space. If you want a more private experience, ask for a seat nearer the back.

THE FOOD: Very French, meaning decadent and rich. The amuse bouche

82

was a snail croquette with black garlic paste and lemon butter sauce. Two

BOOKING DETAILS: To book, call +971 2 811 5666 or email JADRestaurants@

traditional French appetisers to try are foie gras and escargot. The foie gras

jumeirah.com