Open Skies Jan 2019

JANUARY 2019

PRESSURE MAKES DIAMONDS

MONEY FOR NOTHING – ON UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME

Unpacking Dubai’s jewellery appetite

THE ALLURE OF ANALOGUE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OBAID HUMAID AL TAYER

MANAGING PARTNER & GROUP EDITOR

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

IAN FAIRSERVICE

GINA JOHNSON gina@motivate.ae

GEORGINA LAVERS georgina.lavers@motivate.ae

SENIOR ART DIRECTOR

OLGA PETROFF olga.petroff@motivate.ae

SENIOR WEB DEVELOPER

DIGITAL ANIMATOR

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

PICTURE DESK

EDITOR

SURAJIT DUTTA surajit@motivate.ae

LONDRESA FLORES londresa@motivate.ae

FIROZ KALADI firoz@motivate.ae

ART DIRECTOR

CLARKWIN CRUZ clarkwin@motivate.ae

AARTI SAUNDALKAR aarti@motivate.ae

CONTRIBUTORS Tasneem Alsultan; Christopher Beanland; Adrienne Bernhard; Emma Coiler; Ben East; Sarah Freeman; Dom Joly; Seph Lawless; Andrew Nagy; Conor Purcell; Akanksha Singh Front cover photography: Mierswa & Kluska, from Trunk Archive

GENERAL MANAGER PRODUCTION

SUNIL KUMAR sunil@motivate.ae

PRODUCTION MANAGER

R MURALI KRISHNAN muralik@motivate.ae

CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER

ANTHONY MILNE anthony@motivate.ae

GROUP SALES MANAGER

MICHAEL UNDERDOWN michael@motivate.ae

SENIOR SALES MANAGER

ASSISTANT PRODUCTION MANAGER

MURALI NARAYANAN murali@motivate.ae

BINU PURANDARAN binu@motivate.ae

EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS FOR EMIRATES

EDITOR

MANNA TALIB

DEPUTY EDITOR

CATHERINE FREEMAN

Emirates takes care to ensure that all facts published herein are correct. In the event of any inaccuracy please contact the editor. Any opinion expressed is the honest belief of the author based on all available facts. Comments and facts should not be relied upon by the reader in taking commercial, legal, financial or other decisions. Articles are by their nature general and specialist advice should always be consulted before any actions are taken.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND Okeeffe Media; Tel +61 412 080 600, licia@okm.com.au CHINA Newbase, Tel +86 21 6141 3871, tonia.au@thenewbase.com CYPRUS Enigma Advertising, Tel +357 26 811062, info@enigmaadvertising.com INDIA Media Star; Tel +91 22 4220 2103, ravi@mediastar.co.in JAPAN Tandem Inc.; Tel + 81 3 3541 4166, all@tandem-inc.com NETHERLANDS giO media; Tel +31 (0)6 22238420, giovanni@giO-media.nl BENELUX, SWITZERLAND, FRANCE/ITALY & SPAIN IMM International; Tel +331 40 1300 30, n.devos@imm-international.com TURKEY Media Ltd.; Tel +90 212 275 51 52, mediamarketingtr@medialtd.com.tr UK Spafax Inflight Media; Tel +44 207 906 2001, nhopkins@spafax.com USA World Media Inc; Tel: +1 212 244 5610, natalyameytin@worldmediaonline.com

Media One Tower, Dubai Media City PO Box 2331, Dubai, UAE Telephone: (+971 4) 427 3000 Fax: (+971 4) 428 2261 Email: emirates@motivate.ae

Printed by Emirates Printing Press, Dubai, UAE

CONTENTS JANUARY 2019

62 DUBAI Things that shine Why the gem collectors of Dubai are on the world’s radar 62

17

73

GLOBAL

EMIRATES

Expo 2020 Sparking global dialogue 68

Experience 18 Stay: Beirut to Edinburgh 20 Dom Joly: Reality bites 26 Dispatch: The ultimate eco town?

Neighbourhood: Santiago 34 Humans need not apply 42 A hub of coffee, in India 50 Rediscovering analogue 56

28

Latest news 74 Inside Emirates 76 Destination: Sydney 78 UAE Smart Gate 80 Route maps 82 The fleet 88 Celebrity directions: Sarah Paulson gives her advice for a Philly getaway 90

Douglas Coupland On diversifying your creativity 70

Ronald Codrai © Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi

DISCOVER T H E S TO R I E S O F O U R N AT I O N ’ S P R O U D PA S T.

ABU DHABI’S LEGACY AND HISTORY. Qasr Al Hosn is the oldest and most significant building in Abu Dhabi. It includes the city’s first permanent structure, a coral and sea stone watch tower built to protect the settlement of Abu Dhabi established on the island in the 1760s. Qasr Al Hosn became home to the ruling family, a seat of government, and it now stands as our nation’s living monument, telling the story of Abu Dhabi and its people.

Learn more at qasralhosn.ae

15

EDITOR’S NOTE GET FREE CASH HERE

FOLLOW US facebook.com/ openskiesmag twitter.com/ openskiesmag instagram.com/ openskiesmag

“Globalisation is a proxy for technology-powered capitalism, which tends to reward fewer and fewer members of society.” Om Malik wrote this in the New Yorker, two years ago. The essay, “Silicon Valley has an empathy vacuum”, posited that the inherent heartlessness of algorithms have a knock-on effect to society, from insensitive Facebook adverts to fake news.

More troubling still was the impact of an increasingly automated, techbased society on the future of the workforce. Malik referenced the startup Otto, whose driverless vehicles could decimate the long-haul trucker (one of the few decent paying jobs that doesn’t require a college degree).

It’s not just working class jobs that are at risk: robots that can deal with analytical tasks in the healthcare, legal and accounting sectors are increasingly putting work that requires a professional degree in jeopardy.

Could a universal basic income be the answer to satisfaction – even relief – in communities? That is the argument Andrew Yang makes in his shot for presidency, on p42. The multi-millionaire may have long odds, but his argument for a set amount of money given by the state to all of its residents – regardless of income or work status – is compelling.

Throughout this issue are examples of jobs that may be affected by automation in the future: Karnataka’s coffee growers (p50), or the bookbinders and furniture restorers found in the Barrio Italia district in Santiago (34). They are good (if idealistic) examples of the need to support and preserve working traditions – borne not from a luddite-esque nostalgia, but perhaps, as a very necessary protection of human labour.

Georgina Lavers, Editor

Enjoy a world of artistic wonder

‫اﺳﺘﻤﺘﻊ‬ ‫ﺑﻌﺎﻟﻢ ﻣﻦ‬ ‫ا ﺑﺪاع اﻟﻔﻨﻲ‬

Louai Kayali | Sorrows, 1971| Oil on wood

Enjoy a world of artistic wonder and creativity spread over large spacious galleries that welcome you throughout the year. This unique museum offers art lovers and all visitors, the opportunity to admire the splendor of the museum’s permanent Arab Art collection, as well as temporary exhibitions hosted by the museum throughout the year. In addition to participating in the museum’s regular program and workshops.

Opening hours Entry is free

Saturday to Thursday 8:00 am – 8:00 pm Friday 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm For Enquiries: + 9716 568 8222

‫ﻫﻨﺎ ﻳﻤﻜﻨﻚ ﺃﻥ ﺗﺘﻤﺘﻊ ﺑﻔﻀﺎﺀﺍﺕ ﻣﺸﺮﻋﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﺠﻤﺎﻝ ﻭﺍﻟﻔﻦ ﻭﺍﻹﺑﺪﺍﻉ‬ ‫ ﺇﻧﻬﺎ ﻓﻀﺎﺀﺍﺕ‬.‫ ﻭﻫﻲ ﻣﺘﺎﺣﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺪﺍﺭ ﺍﻟﻌﺎﻡ‬،‫ﺗﺤﺘﻀﻨﻬﺎ ﻣﺴﺎﺣﺎﺕ ﺭﺣﺒﺔ‬ ‫ ﺣﻴﺚ ﻳﺤﻈﻮﻥ ﺑﻤﺸﺎﻫﺪﺓ‬،‫ﻻ ﻣﺜﻴﻞ ﻟﻬﺎ ﻟﻤﺘﺬﻭﻗﻲ ﺍﻟﻔﻨﻮﻥ ﻭﺯﻭﺍﺭ ﺍﻟﻤﺘﺤﻒ‬ ‫ﺗﺸﻜﻴﻠﺔ ﻭﺍﺳﻌﺔ ﻣﻦ ﻣﻘﺘﻨﻴﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻤﺘﺤﻒ ﻭﺍﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﺘﻀﻤﻦ ﺍﻋﻤﺎﻝ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﻔﻦ‬ ‫ ﺑﺎﻹﺿﺎﻓﺔ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺍﺳﺘﻀﺎﻓﺔ ﻣﻌﺎﺭﺽ ﻓﻨﻴﺔ‬،‫ﺍﻟﻌﺮﺑﻲ ﺍﻟﺤﺪﻳﺚ ﻭﺍﻟﻤﻌﺎﺻﺮ‬ ‫ ﻭﻳﻤﻜﻨﻜﻢ ﺃﻳﻀﺎ ﺍﻟﻤﺸﺎﺭﻛﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺑﺮﺍﻣﺞ ﺍﻟﻤﺘﺤﻒ‬.‫ﻣﺆﻗﺘﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺪﺍﺭ ﺍﻟﺴﻨﺔ‬ .‫ﻭﺍﻟﻮﺭﺵ ﺍﻟﻤﺼﺎﺣﺒﺔ‬ ً ‫ﻣﺴﺎﺀ‬ 8:00 - ‫ﺻﺒﺎﺣﺎ‬ 8:00 ‫ﺍﻟﺴﺒﺖ – ﺍﻟﺨﻤﻴﺲ‬ ً ‫ﻣﺴﺎﺀ‬ 8:00 – ‫ﻣﺴﺎﺀ‬ 4:00 ‫ﺍﻟﺠﻤﻌﺔ‬ ً ً + 9716 568 8222 :‫ﻟﻼﺳﺘﻔﺴﺎﺭ‬

sharjahmuseums.ae

‫ﻣﻮﺍﻋﻴـــﺪ ﺍﻟﺰﻳــﺎﺭﺓ‬ ‫ﺍﻟﺪﺧﻮﻝ ﻣﺠﺎﻧﻲ‬

Global EXPERIENCE

°

STAY

°

DISPATCH

°

NEIGHBOURHOOD

° MONEY

°

COFFEE

° ANALOGUE

Beirut bound The delights of Beirut are all within reach at centrally-located Le Gray hotel, recently renovated and the epitomy of minimalist cool. p.20

18 / GLOBAL / EXPERIENCE

The Plan EVENTS TO AIM FOR THIS MONTH THE AFC ASIAN CUP, JANUARY 5 - FEBRUARY 1

One for the fans This month, the eyes of the footballing world will be on the UAE as it hosts the biggest-ever AFC Asian Cup, featuring everyone from Palestine to Australia.

Its president explains why this event will be truly diverse Everyone really enjoyed the FIFA World Cup in Russia in 2018. How can the AFC Asian Cup follow on from this?

It’s Asia’s most prestigious football competition and will be the biggest and best-ever edition, with a record 24 teams competing for the Continent’s ultimate prize for the first time.

At the forefront of the AFC’s ambitions is the desire to stage world-class competitions for our players, teams and passionate fans. It’s an unrivalled stage for the Continent’s brightest stars to shine and above all, enable us to engage and excite the largest football community on the planet.

You’ve tried to make this the most fan-friendly competition ever, too…

Fans are the lifeblood of football. Whether you are home supporters or travelling to the eight stadiums across the four cities – Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai and Sharjah – we want to establish the perfect stage for a tournament of a lifetime.

The UAE is one of the most diverse nations in the Continent and the journey to engage fans has begun with the expansive Asian communities already living in the UAE. The ticketing structure has also been designed to enable as many people as possible to come and experience the tournament, and each venue has been carefully designed to ensure a true celebration and festival atmosphere for our fans – one that will showcase Asian football at its finest.

UAE staged the tournament 23 years ago. A lot has changed since then, hasn’t it?

Yes, just 12 teams qualified in 1996, and the fact that the competition has now doubled demonstrates how far Asian football has progressed. Each edition has strengthened the foundations for the next, and the AFC Asian Cup certainly mirrors the growth of football in Asia

over the decades. In 2019 we are embracing modern technology for the first time too, with the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee system from the Quarter-final stage onwards.

What are you personally most looking forward to?

As the AFC President, I am also first and foremost a lifelong football fan, and I’m genuinely excited by the level of competition and intensity of our competing teams. Early signs indicate that we are poised to witness one of the most captivating and competitive tournaments to date and I am also looking forward to the enthusiasm that is being displayed all around the competition.

As I have personally experienced at the recent FIFA Club World Cup, the UAE is a vibrant, diverse and breathtaking nation and I am confident fans will experience a memorable celebration.

UAE. the-afc.com/asiancup/

PHOTO: AFC

Asian Football Confederation President, Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa

GLOBAL / EXPERIENCE / 19

JANUARY 6-14

INTERNATIONAL KITE FESTIVAL (UTTARAYAN) In Gujarat, kites are part of life. As winter turns to summer in the Hindu calendar, everyone takes their painstakingly constructed kites onto the rooftops, filling the skies with colour from dawn to dusk. Meanwhile, master kite-makers and flyers from around the world descend on Ahmedabad to wow huge crowds around the city. There’s even a competitive element, with flyers vying to cut the strings of their opponents and bring down their kites. A festival that certainly soars. Ahmedabad, India. ikf.gujarattourism.com

JANUARY 9-27

JANUARY 16-20

JANUARY 22-25

SYDNEY FESTIVAL

LONDON ART FAIR

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

Sydney famously starts the year with a bang thanks to the world-famous fireworks, and the party continues throughout January thanks to its fantastically diverse “Sydfest”. This year, the highlights are Home, a joyous exploration of life from American “theatre-maker” Geoff Sobelle, and a free outdoor event presenting a selection of iconic film soundtracks.

Sydney, Australia. sydneyfestival.org.au

The traditional curtain-raiser to the international art calendar, London Art Fair showcases the best in modern and contemporary art. But it’s pleasingly democratic; though there will be hugely expensive works by renowned artists such as David Hockney, there’s also the opportunity to buy prints, listen to artist talks, or just wander around and take in the art.

London, England. londonartfair.co.uk

This annual gathering of leaders in business and politics is notable for just how much influence is gathered in one Swiss mountain resort. This year’s debate is how the future can constructively be built in a world “preoccupied by crisis management”.

The WEF call this collaborative approach ’Globalization 4.0’. You can be sure it’ll be 2019’s buzzword.

Davos, Switzerland. weforum.org

20 / GLOBAL / WHERE TO STAY

BEIRUT

33.8938° N, 35.5018° E

PRICE: FROM US$400 PER NIGHT

A minimalist style combines with hospitable service for a truly Beirut stay

Historic warmth at Le Gray WORDS: ANDREW NAGY

The key to maximising your time on a visit to Beirut is location. The Lebanese capital is undeniably the good-time spot of the Middle East, but if you’re smart with your hotel choice you can dip in and out of the madness at will. For such geographical excellence we recommend Le Gray, an institution at the heart of Beirut’s historic centre.

Even in a city where grit and grime mingles seamlessly with art deco styling and glamour, the clean lines of Le Gray make a mark. The fruits of a 2017 renovation, the hotel is a beacon to understated luxury through a minimalist cool and attentive – rather than over the top – service. But for all the lean style statements of architect Kevin Dash, the 103 rooms and suites retain a genuine warmth that other stripped back hotels often miss.

While Beirut is on your doorstep, to use Le Gray as a mere staging post for your vis-

it would be wasteful. Take breakfast on the rooftop and survey the skyline. With stunning views of Martyrs Square and the blue domed Mohammed Al-Amin Mosque, you can plan your day before your coffee has even arrived. Take a dip in the heated pool or enjoy a treatment at the award-winning spa before heading out into the city.

Once ready, everything you need is within walking distance. Whether you’re looking for the cafes of leafy art district Gemmayzeh or the bars and restaurants of the city’s coolest spot, Mar Mikhael, the action is never really too far away.

And once you’ve sufficiently wandered the streets, there can be worse plans than to head back to the rooftop of Le Gray – ending where your day started. The city looks different at night, so grab a drink from the bar at Cherry on the Rooftop, take a seat outside, and take it all in.

BEIRUT

In 1991 Emirates started operating flights between Dubai and Beirut. Since then, Emirates has developed its services based on growing passenger demand and currently offers three daily flights to Beirut utilising a mix of Boeing 777 aircraft, connecting travellers to destinations across the Far East, Southeast Asia and Africa via its Dubai hub.

22 / GLOBAL / WHERE TO STAY

DUBAI

25.2048° N, 55.2708° E

PRICE: FROM US$490 PER NIGHT

A seaside resort in central Dubai celebrates five months of transformation

A revamped coastal stay WORDS: GEORGINA LAVERS

Twenty years ago, a sail-shaped resort sprung up on the edge of Dubai’s warm waters. The Jumeirah Beach Hotel was one of the first upmarket large-scale resorts on the city’s coastline, offering visitors the chance to unwind in a convenient location, just five minutes from the Palm and moments from the Burj al Arab. Now, the resort has undergone a makeover, closing for almost half a year in order to refresh the space.

The new JBH returns with updated interiors that preserve the original glamour of the hotel, whilst also offering appreciated contemporary touches. Inspired by the exterior architecture, as well as its nautical location, interiors are blue, white and gold throughout. On first entry, the high-domed atrium evokes feelings of the sea, with gen-

tly undulating light sculptures above echoing the movements of underwater flora.

Come evening, golf buggys are on hand to whiz guests to the new trio of destination restaurants – Villa Beach being the highlight. Whilst pricey, the romantic beachfront environment overlooking the Burj al Arab, as well as exquisite seafood, will ensure a memorable experience.

Just steps away is the Beachcombers lounge for post-dinner shisha, while old favourites such as gastropub Dhow and Anchor (now simply D&A), La Parilla and 24th-floor Uptown Bar all remain. For a truly comprehensive range of restaurants as well as expansive grounds, huge pools and white sands – JBH looks to remain a stalwart of Dubai hospitality.

NEIGHBOURHOOD Families should head to the Wild Wadi Water Park just a few minutes walk from the hotel – entry comes free for hotel guests – whilst couples will appreciate high tea at the iconic Burj al Arab, also within walking distance. Just a short taxi ride away is Atlantis the Palm, but sightseers should take a longer taxi trip uptown, or a bus (the stop is right outside the hotel) to the old markets in Bur Dubai.

DUBAI

Planning a visit to Dubai?

Press the “i” button on your screen to discover more about Dubai’s attractions, shopping, dining and events.

24 / GLOBAL / WHERE TO STAY

EDINBURGH

55.9567° N, 3.2073° W

PRICE: FROM US$200 PER NIGHT

This elegant Georgian property marries a storied past with serious gourmet credentials, making it the perfect pied-à-terre in the Scottish capital’s New Town

A heritage fling WORDS: SARAH FREEMAN

FROM THE CONCIERGE Stockbridge Sunday Market Sister to the city’s popular Saturday Farmers market, this is a foodie’s playground, peddling everything from handmade scotch pies to craft beers. Try a traditional smokie; smoked haddock cooked in a giant barrel filled with peat

Nestled in a quiet cobbled street across two adjoining townhouses, this handsome 28room hotel could easily pass for a private residence. A home-from-home (albeit a Grade A-listed one), Nira Caledonia eschews the formality of some of the city’s other boutique hotels in favour of a more personalised and intimate approach.

Built by celebrated Scottish architect William Playfair, the hotel was also the notso-humble abode of 19th-century bon vivant and Scottish literary figure John Wilson (pseudonym Christopher North) who counted William Wordsworth as a close friend. Its UNESCO-listed New Town postcode places it amongst some of Scotland’s finest neoclassical and Georgian period architecture.

Locations don’t get much better, with the Royal Botanical Gardens and Princes Street a mere 15-minute stroll away.

2018 marked the hotel’s reopening after a nine-month-long US$1.8 million refurbishment, following a fire that swept through all five floors. Thankfully, its grand spiral staircase and floor-to-ceiling sash windows were spared, as well as ornate cornicing and other priceless, period features. The fresh colour palette and vibrant prints by Jeffrey’s Interiors in nearby Stockbridge, add some contemporary flair. And whilst its five room categories; Jacuzzi Suite, Suite, Executive Room, Petite Double and Single, range from a compact 17 sqm to a generous 40, there’s no compromise when it comes to luxury. Each room is endowed with hand-stitched 2,000 pocket-sprung British-made beds, sumptuous wallpapers, bespoke furniture and mirrored walled bathrooms with L’Occitane toiletries.

And in keeping with the hotel’s ‘no tartan policy’ there’s not a swatch of the

One20 A 10-minute walk from the hotel is this delightful wine café, run by father and son team (and aspiring art collectors), Ronnie and Kyle Reid. They serve delicious sharing platters of cured meats and cheeses and Italian and Slovenian wines by the glass. Don’t leave without trying a Venetian cake (or two), made by renowned Italian pâtissier, Luigi Biasetto.

Dean Village Set in the deep gorge of the city’s main river, this 12th-century pastoral oasis is a village within the city. Its eleven water-powered mills supplied most of the city’s flour at one time or another. You can take a leisurely stroll here from Stockbridge, following the Water of Leith Walkway under the ancient Queensferry road viaduct.

A no tartan policy ensures a Scottish stay without cliche

cross-checkered plaid or stag’s head in sight. The restaurant, on the other hand, honours the hotel’s Scottish roots, with Loch Tay salmon, Shetland-grown mussels and Highland steak cooked on its award-winning Josper Grill. Named after the 19th-century magazine for which Wilson wrote, the Blackwood Bar and Grill’s also stocks 25 varieties of Scotch whisky, including the hotel’s very own distillation.

EDINBURGH

Emirates operates a daily service to Edinburgh with the Boeing 777-300ER.

26 / GLOBAL / COLUMN

QUEENSLAND 20.9176° S, 142.7028° E

Eight years ago today...

Dom Joly examines the curious world of reality television

I’m not sure whether I like or loathe the Facebook feature that suddenly displays photos from your past, whether you’ve asked for them or not? Although it is occasionally nice to see a photo that you’d forgotten about, more often than not it simply serves to mark the inexorable quick march of time.

Yesterday I got a photograph of me on the set of the UK TV show I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. Eight years ago today, whispered Facebook. EIGHT YEARS! How did that happen. It seems like only yesterday that I was flown to Australia (on Emirates as it happens), thrown into a helicopter and deposited in the middle of a Queensland rain-forest with a bunch of other famous faces. It was the most random group – the actor Nigel Havers, ex-Bond-Girl Britt Ekland, music bad-boy Shaun Ryder, Comedienne Jenni Eclair, to name but a few.

Twenty-two days I stayed in there, surviving on rice and beans and bug-infested water. It was supposed to be a testing time, but I loved every second of it. I lost two stone, had a complete technology detox and made a couple of great friends to boot.

I even got paid for the experience – normally, for this kind of shock therapy bootcamp you’re the one paying through the nose.

Nice work if you can get it.

Not everybody enjoyed it all as much as I did. Reality TV shows love it when either somebody doesn’t understand the concept or doesn’t understand themselves. We certainly had plenty of the latter primarily in the

shape of a woman called Gillian McKeith, a TV “doctor” mainly famous for analysing celebrity faeces. She rapidly became the show “baddy” and the public duly sentenced her to some of the worst experiences.

My favourite person however, was Nigel Havers. He had never seen the show and quickly realised that he had made a terrible mistake. The presenters would announce that someone would face ‘The Tunnel of Doom’ the following day and he would turn to me in panic and say: “What do you think it is, old boy?” I would tell him that I assumed somebody would soon be underground being covered in insects (the show producers are not massively unpredictable). Havers would look at me with a thousand-yard stare and mutter, “This is madness” to himself.

He finally cracked when we were all put in a jungle courtroom scenario with “electrodes” attached to us. I surreptitiously detached one of mine immediately and then just pretended to feel pain. Havers however, went crazy. He stormed off set and we all stood in the dock giggling and listening to him screaming at a producer that this was “inhuman, I will not stand for it.” He didn’t last very much longer on the show. The curious world of reality TV is not for everyone.

I made up for lost carbs on the Emirates flight back home. I must have eaten everything on the plane and this is probably an appropriate moment to apologise, but I was rather hungry…

Thompson Aero Seating designs, develops and manufactures aircraft seats in Portadown, Co. Armagh.

Take your business to new heights.

Northern Ireland businesses, like Thompson Aero Seating, design and manufacture components and provide services for every major commercial aircraft programme. And aerospace is just one of many sectors in which we’re flying high.

Whether you’re seeking to trade or invest, Northern Ireland offers altogether more for your business. Over 900 international companies have already invested here, with nearly 75% of new investors reinvesting. We have talent and skills in abundance – with innovation and quality at the heart of every product and service we create. And, while Dublin is just two hours away by car, our operating and salary costs are up to 30% lower.

Talk to our Invest Northern Ireland team in your region and discover the benefits for your business.

Northern Ireland. Altogether more.

Visit InvestNI.com

Mourne Mountains, Northern Ireland.

1 in 3 of the world’s aircraft seats is made in Northern Ireland.

GLOBAL / DISPATCH / 29

Inside the quaint German city where counter-cultural ideas became commonplace for its eco-minded citizens WORDS: CHRISTOPHER BEANLAND

To share and share alike

Vitra Design Museum in Freiburg – many of its exhibitions cover themes, such as sustainability or social responsibility

At first glance Freiburg looks like any other small German city: quaint shops jostle with traditional restaurants in the historic centre, while the outskirts are filled in with plain but appealing apartments. The whole small package is wrapped with low emerald hills that rise in the east towards that famous country of cakes and cherries – the Black Forest.

But Freiburg, population 230,000, is far from normal. Since the 1970s, when such ideas were marginal – even actively anti-establishment – the city has cycled down a road towards total eco-consciousness. In transport, energy, business and architecture – Freiburg has pioneered greenness. Today, going green is what every city in the

30 / GLOBAL / DISPATCH

(1) (2)

1. Vineyards and Staufenberg Castle in the Black Forest region 2. Freiburg’s eco stadium 3. A rotating solar house in Freiburg

world aspires to. But Freiburg did it first and – accusations of heavy-handedness withstanding – in many ways has done it best.

Freiburg was just a sleepy place until 1975 when a nuclear power station was scheduled to be built nearby. Locals objected, and a new way of living was proposed instead. Freiburg built windmills and solar panels before they became fashionable. Even the local Bundesliga football club SC Freiburg plays in a solar-powered stadium, the Solar Stadion.

Cars are discouraged throughout the city – and banned outright from the chocolate box centre, where pedestrians skip over the city’s famous bächle (mini drainage canals). Everyone walks, rides bikes or takes one of the tram lines which trundle out to all compass points.

(3)

ROLF DISCH SOLAR ARCHITECTRUE, FREIBURG, GERMANY

32 / GLOBAL / DISPATCH

(6)

4. The Heliotrop 5,6. Residents have eagerly taken up Freiburg’s ecological directives, maintaining their own greenhouses and using public transport 7. The Sun Ship: freely accessible to all and built according to passive house specification 8. The Smart Green Tower aims to be an entirely battery-operated building 9. Bus stops outside the Vitra Design Museum, designed by Jasper Morrison

(4)

(5)

Many of these suburbs are car-free or have pioneered car-sharing. Suburbs like Vauban attract geographers and city planners from across the globe who study and write about it as an example of best practice.

Vauban sits on a former army based occupied by the French after the fall of Germany in the 1940s and abandoned at the end of the 20th Century. Car ownership is below 30 per cent here; parks and playgrounds offer safe havens for kids and break up the cityscape. Various innovations are tested here: housing blocks are built to passivhaus standard – they use extremely low amounts of energy to heat and cool them. Food co-ops here buy and distribute organic vegetables at very low prices. One of the most noticeable things about life in Vauban

(and Freiburg in general) is that people ‘buy in’ to the green ideas – often moving here from other cities and not just joining the eco programmes but believing in them too.

One of the iconic sights on the edge of Vauban is the famous Heliotrope, built by architect and environmentalist Rolf Disch in 1994 as the first building in the world that captures more energy than it consumes. The translucent drum rotates on a stalk and is topped with huge solar solar panels. It looks like a satellite has crash landed at the fringes of the Black Forest.

Vauban even has its own eco hotel where the toilet paper is recycled, the pens are made of wood and the breakfast buffet is all organic (and many disabled staff are employed to work

here). The building housing the Green City Hotel and residential apartments was designed by Katrin Voermanek of Barkow Leibinger Architects. “Both hotel and apartment building have a highgrade energy standard, the apartment building is rated as a ‘Freiburger energieeffizienzhaus 40’ – similar to passivhaus standard,” she says.

Voermanek used wood in the building and made sure it would keep the precious heat in: “The construction for the hotel and apartment buildings was very innovative, saving energy and costs at the same time. We combined a structural concrete skeleton frame with floor slabs, cores, and columns for fire protection, all with an insulated prefabricated wood frame. The concrete floor slabs in this hybrid system have the added ben-

GLOBAL / DISPATCH / 33

(7)

(8) (9)

efit of providing thermal mass while the thinness of the wood frame walls generates more usable floor area.”

Freiburg isn’t standing still. Its new Green Industry Park is setting standards in how business and manufacturing can operate profitably while reducing their CO2 footprint – and enticing a new generation of green businesses. With its proven history of green policies and its thriving university, Freiburg is the home of many eco-led startups. The Smart Green Accelerator boasts two campuses housing startups like 25Ways, which is rethinking mobility for a green world, and Food Punk, which delivers healthy meals to people’s homes, and there’s Gruenhof, the ‘Greenhouse’ – which mixes cafe, co-working and events for the green tech community.

In the middle of the Green Industry Park a new focal point is arising – the Smart Green Tower. Designed by Wolfgang Frey, the tower – which is under construction – will power itself and a slew of buildings around it. It will boast a skin of photovoltaic panels which will generate electricity. Additionally, the heat stored in the batteries connected to the panels will be used for aquaponics – warming water in greenhouses to grow plants for food.

Smart Green Tower will boast shades that are a key to its low energy use. “No one would go out in the street in wintertime in Freiburg without clothes – because of the cold, everybody needs insulation. Or in summertime in Dubai, you may not go out without heat protection on your head,” explains Wolfgang Frey.

“But our buildings are often forced

to be naked in that way. The solution is relatively simple. Have a roof overhanging or balconies, for example. If there is a structure in front of the facade, this structure will block the steep sun in summer by shadowing the facade, and it will allow the low sun in winter to shine under the overhanging balconies deep into the apartments to warm them up.”

Freiburg makes sense if you think of it as a kind of giant science experiment where ideas are tested. Once they succeed, they are spread around the world and other cities eagerly lap them up. But those initial innovations originate in the minds and hearts of just a few thousand forward-looking people in a region that was once known more for Black Forest Gateau – but is now known for its trailblazing eco spirit.

34 / GLOBAL / EXPLORATION

NEIGHBOURHOOD

SANTIAGO, CHILE

33.4489° S, 70.6693° W

Get your fill of colonial architecture, tango and artisanal souvenirs in this eclectic neighbourhood, which oozes Latin and European character.

Barrio Italia, Santiago WORDS AND IMAGES: SARAH FREEMAN

DID YOU KNOW?

Chile’s two former presidents (father and son Eduardo Frei Montalva and Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle) put down roots here for more than 40 years.

You can visit their house-cummuseum on Hindenburg 683 (casamuseoeduardofrei.cl)

Much like the geography of Chile itself, Santiago’s Barrio Italia is long and sinewy. Straddling the length of leafy Avenida Italia, it’s bookended by Avenida Francisco Bilbao to the north and Irarrázaval to the south. Low-slung, crayola-coloured colonial homes and European-style street lamps render it worlds apart from the soaring high rises of “Sanhattan” – a district in Chile socalled for its financial, New York feel.

But the vibe in Barrio Italia is more akin to Buenos Aires’ Palermo or Williamsburg, especially at weekends, when locals pile into its shady courtyard cafes for the best brunch in town.

The doors of former historic mansions open up into arcades of shops, many design-centric, where you can buy everything from steel origami tables at Savia, to innovative lighting at Oofelia.

This new wave of creatives, together with the area’s bookbinders and cuckoo clock repairers, are continuing the legacy of the area’s illustrious craft past.

Italian immigrants had already settled here in the 19th Century but it was the Girardi family’s hat factory, opened in 1910, that changed the barrio’s fortunes. The likes of Sermini spinning mills and Lucchetti briefcases followed, their former warehouses now transformed into gallery spaces, artisan coffee roasters and independent fashion boutiques.

Atmospheric Caupolicán Street (between Girardi and Condell) is strewn with antique desks, trunks, art deco treasures and men sanding down chairs as jazz crackles from gramophones.

Many of these restorers have been part

of the barrio’s furniture since the 80s, much like family-run Italian restaurant y Trattoria Da Noi. Bucking the Italian cliché, the neighbourhood’s gastro scene thinks outside the (pizza) box, with Peruvian cevicherias, Spanish tapas and high-end Chilean fare. Barrio Italia is where locals come for la dolce vita. We recommend you do the same.

1

START

CASA MESTIZA A mini-arcade of sorts, vermillion-hued Casa Mestiza is laden with independent outlets, selling everything from shawarmas to specialist teas and handstitched Chilean boots. A real gem is Uke Bkn de Tienda del Músico, the sole vendor of ukuleles in Chile. Its walls are lined with neon-coloured and caoba wood lutes that start from US$56.

Defying its petit proportions, the shop also hosts live music events. Opposite is Bolaca, a collectors treasure trove of Star Wars action figures, vintage marvel comics and rare finds like a gizmo gremlin, or framed Nightmare on Elm Street posters.

Avenida Italia 1334, Santiago, +569 9083 0553, tiendadelmusico.cl

36 / GLOBAL / EXPLORATION

2

A FOUR-MINUTE WALK

AUTOCTONA

A FIVE-MINUTE WALK

OBOLO CHOCOLATE Aromas of chocolate emanate from this organic bean-to-bar chocolatier, where you can see its Willy Wonka-style inner workings through a giant glass window. The life of an Obolo bean starts 4,000 kilometres away in the Peruvian Amazon, with a small co-operative of cacao farmers that Milwaukee-born owner, Mark Gerrits, discovered after an 18-month-long jungle recce. The former American Sociologist may have retrained as a chocolatier, but he still puts his background working for environmental non-profits to good use.

Fill your boots with Chilean CĂĄhuil salt and Earl Grey-infused bars, 85 per cent cacao-dipped fruits and barks studded with cranberry. The real sweetener, however, is knowing the products are 100 per cent ethically sourced and produced.

Avenida Italia 1584, Santiago, +569 8428 2812, obolochocolate.cl

3

Shop for leather aprons, ceramic espresso cups and Easter Island-made horn cocktail picks at this Estacion Italia (a boutique shopping mall) newbie.

Run by two local architects, Autoctona’s products, ranging from $3-$330, are handmade by Chilean artisans.

Paseo Estacion Italia, 1439 Avenida Italia, +569 9432 8572, autoctonadiseno.cl

GLOBAL / EXPLORATION / 37

A FIVE-MINUTE WALK

Barrio Italia is brimming with cafes to indulge in a Chilean teatime ritual. Try Café de la Candelaria, which does a lip-smackingly good Kuchen German cake.

SILVESTRE

4

Bringing some French bistro style to Barrio Italia is this laidback lunchtime haunt, which opens out to a light-dappled courtyard and plant-festooned patio. Its quirky, upcycled interior (think mismatched furniture and antique typewriters) is as original as its farm fresh plates. The daily-changing menu includes dishes like Chiloe pork with pureed beans and red-wine risotto with lamb skewers. Owners Néstor Ayala (a premium sausage maker and self-taught chef) and Italian Patricio Pichuante, are avid foragers. The clue is in the restaurant’s name, which means

wild. Ingredients are sourced on the doorstep at San Cristóbal Hill’s botanical garden, and further afield from coastal towns like Papudo.

511 Caupolicán, Santiago, +569 9156 9974

38 / GLOBAL / EXPLORATION

5

A FIVE-MINUTE BIKE RIDE

GIMNASIO CASA BOULDER Concealed behind the ivy-covered façade of a grand old mansion, this North Face–affiliated gym is 250 square metres and six walls of Spiderman fun!

Aspiring rock stars can book a two-hour starter class for $22, whilst more experienced climbers pay $15. There’s a cosy café serving vegan fare like quesadillas, brownies and natural juices to power your ascent to the gym’s exacting frogshaped boulder.

Avendida Italia 875, Santiago, +562 2839 1210, www.casaboulder.cl

GLOBAL / EXPLORATION / 39

6

A FOUR-MINUTE WALK

MAISON ITALIA 1029 Founded by two local sisters, Camila de Prada (a costume designer) and Marion de Prada (with a hospitality background), this effortlessly stylish micro hotel oozes Italian swag. Located on the corner of MarĂ­n and Avenida Italia, its modernist exterior stands out for all the right reasons. Inside, the entrance via a tiled corridor of artisan shops, leads

upstairs to five bijoux guestrooms, each a vision of raw concrete, blonde wood and copper detailing. Their gorgeous suntrap terraces are a class act in urban design. Feeling thirsty? Head upstairs to the hotel’s bare-bricked terrace restaurant-bar, sink into a sage leather chair and sip on a house cocktail. And if you fancy exploring your new (satisfyingly flat) locale on two wheels, there are free bikes at reception.

Avenida Italia 1029, +562 2982 8311, maison-italia.com

40 / GLOBAL / EXPLORATION

7

A SIX-MINUTE TAXI RIDE

EL CACHAFAZ Tango has found its way from the slums of Buenos Aires to all corners of the globe, including this theatre-bar-restaurant on Avenida Italia. El Cachafaz, owned by Argentine actor and comedian Jorge Alis, offers hour-long classes every Monday and Wednesday from 8pm ($7.50). The atmospheric venue also hosts stand-up comedy classes, swing nights and Wednesday evening Milonga – an old-school tango dance party with live music and table service.

Order the chorrillana, a Chilean dish of French fries loaded with beef, eggs and caramelized onions. And take a cue from the locals, washing it down with pisco sours.

Avenida Italia 1679, +569 7386 1881, elcachafaz.cl

SANTIAGO

Emirates operates a five times-aweek service from Dubai to Santiago International Airport, via the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo.

Smile all the stay in the Maldives.

1,200 white-sand coral islands that stretch over 800 kilometers. 99% water. 8 hours of sunshine per day.

The Maldives satisfies every beach fantasy. Always has. And it just got sexier. LUX* North Male Atoll, now open, defies all norms and stereotypes. The brand new resort is playful and sophisticated, contemporary and exciting. It is unlike anything you have seen before. It is the Maldives, reimagined.

MAURITIUS

•

RÉUNION

•

MALDIVES

•

CHINA

•

TURKEY

•

VIETNAM

•

U.A.E

•

I TA LY

•

FRANCE

M O N EY

43

F O R

N O T H I N G

Conor Purcell speaks to a presidential candidate who aims to use Universal Basic Income to combat the coming AI upheaval

44

A

ndrew Yang is pretty sure of two things. One, he’s going to be the next president of the United States of America. And two, if the world doesn’t face up to the biggest issue known to mankind, there won’t be much of humanity left to lead.

You probably haven’t heard of Andrew Yang. If elected president, he would be the first Asian-American and the 13th multi-millionaire to the reach the office.

Born in New York to Taiwanese parents, he made his fortune in the education sector before getting the political bug after setting up a non-profit, Venture For America (VFA), which mentored promising graduates before sending them to startups in developing cities across the US such as Detroit, Las Vegas and Providence. By the time Yang stepped down

from his role as CEO last year, VFA had raised more than US$40 million and created 2,500 jobs. And it’s jobs, and what he believes is going to happen to them, that inspired Wang to run. He believes that if the world doesn’t get ready for the coming automation revolution, workforces around the world will be devastated in a way that will make the 2008 recession look like a walk in the park. So is he right?

Are we all doomed unless we start to take this seriously?

This is a world in which everyone from truck drivers to radiologists will be out of a job, their abilities superseded by the power of the processing chip. In the next twelve years, 1 in 12 Americans are at risk of losing their jobs to AI, and no amount of retraining will enable them to start afresh. The figures are stark: The Oxford Martin School estimates that over

Yang at a Democractic fundraiser. The multimillionaire set his sights on the presidency due to concerns over AI’s influence on employment

the next 20 years 47 per cent of US jobs, and around 40 per cent of UK and European jobs, could be replaced by machines.

For a glimpse of what happens when wide-scale redundancies occur, head to the Rust Belt that stretches from New York to Iowa. There you can see the ravages of the post-industrial economy: mass unemployment, grinding poverty and opioid abuse. The scary thing is that Wang, and increasing numbers of business leaders, politicians and economists, believe that the coming AI apocalypse will create a permanent Great Depression for most workers. Wang tackled this in his book, The War on Normal People, which makes for sobering reading. “We are already seeing record levels of income inequality and social distress in America,” he told us via email. “Suicide rates are up, as are disability and overdoses. It is all tied

45

together. It is unclear what a breaking point would be aside from a continuing degradation of the quality of life for an increasing number of people.”

“We are in the third inning. The problem is that it is in no one’s interest to acknowledge the problem. Who does it help? From government officials to tech companies to media companies, no one benefits from saying, “Hey, we are automating away larger and larger numbers of jobs. The feedback mechanism is meant to be political, but that is broken in America to a large extent.”

Of course critics of the doomsayers argue that every generation sees certain trades go extinct and that new technology has always created more jobs than it has wiped out. This is referred to as the “Luddite Fallacy” after the group of textile workers in the 19th Century who destroyed the new weaving machines that made their skills redundant. And while many point to the disappearance of elevator operators, there are very few other jobs that have been completely wiped out in the past fifty years. There is a feeling though that this time it’s different. As

Jerry Kaplan, a Stanford University academic wrote in his book, Humans Need Not Apply, automation is “blind to the colour of your collar.” Whereas the past technological revolutions have adversely affected the working classes, the AI revolution will affect everyone from truck drivers to financial analysts.

For Wang, and many others, there is only one real solution to this impending crisis: Universal Basic Income. It’s not a new idea. The philosopher and humanist, Sir Thomas More argued for UBI in his book Utopia, written in 1516. The American revolutionary and writer Thomas Paine argued for the same thing in the late 18th century, while even Richard Nixon proposed a form of UBI in the early 1960s. As neoliberal economics and market capitalism took hold in the Western world in the 1980s, UBI was all but forgotten. Then from the mid-2000s onwards, the concept became fashionable again, partly due to the growing realisation that trickle-down economic theory was a failure, but also due to the issues that automation was starting to bring with it.

A number of places began to experiment with various forms of UBI. Barcelona, Hamilton in Ontario, Canada, and Stockton in California have all given certain residents a fixed amount of monthly income in a bid to see if it would alleviate social issues. The experiment that gained the most column inches was the one in Finland, which started in 2015 before ending earlier this year. The trial involved a random sample of 2,000 unemployed people getting a monthly stipend of $635.

Participants were under no obligation to find employment, and they continued receiving payments even if they got a job.

Critics claim that the fact the experiment ended at all proved it didn’t work, whereas its defenders say the sample size was too small to make any judgements.

Others argue that UBI will just dissuade people from looking for work, but if there is no work to be had, then it’s

From top: A factory in Finland; fishing in Alaska. Both places have attempted forms of UBI to boost employment

46

Photographers have often attempted to capture the visual impact of the decline of the Rust Belt.This photo essay is from ‘Autopsy of America’, by Seph Lawless

47

The Rust Belt stretches from New York to the Midwest. In Ohio, abandoned trains and an empty mansion give a sense as to the economic depression of parts of the state

48

Ross Perot (1992)

A sort of proto-Trump, Perot was a Texas multi-millionaire who aimed to shake up the two-party political system. He ate into George H Bush’s potential electorate and ended up with nearly 19 per cent of the vote, the most a third party candidate achieved since 1912.

Ralph Nader (2000)

hard to see what other alternatives there are. UBI’s defenders believe the experiments need to be widespread and last longer than a few years or a few months to prove they work. And while some of UBI’s proponents might seem surprising at first glance – the likes of Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Richard Branson all have very good reasons to support it. With more and more of their businesses being automated, why wouldn’t they welcome the state ensuring the workers they lay off don’t fall below the poverty line? “We should explore ideas like universal basic income to make sure that everyone has a cushion to try new ideas,” Zuckerberg said at a Harvard commencement address in May 2017. With tech companies getting more and more bad press, the last thing they need is to be seen to be ushering in this new era of AI without thinking of the men and women who will be kicked to the curb. But, as Matt Bruenig, of the progressive think tank Demos, pointed out, one US state has been running a type of UBI for decades. “Alaska’s Permanent Fund Dividend programme has been providing modest basic incomes to their residents for more than thirty years with much success,” he said.

It’s worth examining the Alaskan model in more detail. The US$60 billion fund was established in 1976 and collects revenue from Alaska’s oil and mineral leases to fund an annual payment to Alaskans. Since 1982, the fund has sent a

Zuckerberg has long been a champion of UBI, which he believes will encourage creativity

WILD CARDS – A BRIEF HISTORY OF SURPRISE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

Nader won 3 per cent (or 2.9 million votes), enough to deny Al Gore the presidency and ushering in eight years of George W. Bush. No Ralph Nader, no Iraq war?

Who knows, but Nader’s ultra-progressive beliefs were never likely to make a big dent in the results.

Theodore Roosevelt (1918)

Rand Paul (2016)

Roosevelt had already served two terms as President when he challenged his successor, President Taft for the Republican nomination.

After his party went with Taft, Roosevelt formed the Progressive Party.

A self-declared libertarian conservative, Paul ran on the slogan ‘Defeat the Washington Machine, Unleash the American Dream’ which pretty much sums up the angle every third party candidate has to take.

dividend check to every Alaskan resident. In recent years, that’s reached up to $2,072 per person, which works out as $8,288 for a family of four.

Researchers who studied the Alaskan experiment came to a rather surprising realisation: residents in full-time employment did not change at all, and the number of Alaskans who worked part-time jobs increased by 17 per cent. Those extra jobs were almost all in the service sector, which led the researchers to believe that increased income meant more jobs in shops and restaurants as more people spent more money. Bruenig believes the reticence to implement UBI is more

about appearances than actual evidence.

“A pilot [scheme] might provide some evidence about UBI that could persuade policymakers, but policy is more about politics than it is about evidence,” he says.

Which brings us back to Andrew Yang. Although the Democratic party has yet to figure out who it will pit against Donald Trump in 2020, Wang is confident he will make a dent in the race. “Of course I can win. 57 per cent of Americans cannot afford an unexpected $500 bill, and I’m the only one pointing out the cause of the misery and acting to change it. My chances of victory? Considerable, I’d say.”

C

H

Coffee

I

K

M

A

country

From historic temples to wildlife reserves, the birthplace of Indian coffee is an unsuspectingly vibrant destination

G A and WORDS: AKANKSHA SINGH

L U

R beyond

52

T

he smell of damp earth is the first thing you notice about Chikmagalur. After driving for four-and-a-halfhours along a palm-lined road from Bengaluru, India’s Silicon Valley, the smell and narrowing roads are welcome changes. The noise of city life is replaced by birdsong, the rustling of elephant herds in the forests, and – depending on when you visit – the sound of rain bouncing off of tinned roofs.

Malenadu, the region in which Chikmagalur is located, means ‘land of rain’ in Kannada, the state’s national language.

At 1066 metres, the town is perched amongst the clouds in southern India’s Western Ghats in the state of Karnataka, with velvet greenery blanketing the area in all directions. Seamlessly patched within this vegetation are swathes of coffee estates, where cherry red arabica and robusta beans grow in abundance.

As the landscape unfurls, with evergreen rolling hills morphing into idyllic valleys, so does the history of Chikmagalur coffee. If legend is to be believed, the coffee in this area can be sourced back to the 17th Century, when Sufi saint Baba Budan returned from his pilgrimage to Mecca. After stopping in Mocha, Yemen, on his way back to India, he discovered the hot, dark beverage and smuggled back seven raw arabica beans to plant in the hills of Karnataka. The hills would later come to be known as the Baba Budangiri hills.

Intertwined with the ancient origins of coffee in the area is its colonial past: it was, arguably, due to colonial influence that plantations here initially thrived, when India was still under British rule.

In those days much of the coffee that came from Chikmagalur was largely chicory-based, especially during the World Wars, when this would have been both cost-effective and convenient.

Since then, however, coffee has grown into a million-dollar industry in India, with the country being the world’s sixth largest coffee producer and a blossoming coffee culture of its own. As café chains spring up alongside tradition-

al tea houses in the rest of the country, smaller, more homely ‘coffee stalls’ are the norm in these parts and have been for a few hundred years. Traditional ‘South Indian filter coffee,’ as it’s called, is always served milky and sweet, with a frothy crown. It is brewed in a metal canister, which is somewhat similar to a ‘drip’ coffee, to derive a concentrate. The concentrate is then dissolved in hot milk and sugar before being served in a steel glass and bowl which are used to cool and froth the coffee.

Still, there is something special about the coffee from these parts specifically – perhaps it is their connection to an old world, or that they are still largely removed from the spoils of modernisation. Set against a backdrop

Workers carry bags of ripe arabica coffee berries on their heads at a plantation in Madapura, Karnataka

Swiss excellence in addiction treatment and recovery

You are unique and so are we There is a way to free oneself from the self-constructed prison of addiction. Clinic Les Alpes is a beautiful and luxurious residential recovery clinic, set in the most spectacular natural environment. Deciding to seek help for addiction and dependency takes courage. At Clinic Les Alpes, compassion and understanding of the individual goes side by side with a one on one personalised treatment plan. Privacy and confidentiality are assured.

đ&#x;ŒŽđ&#x;ŒŽ

www.cliniclesalpes.com

54

of dreamlike, mist-covered hills and the shrill whistle of the kingfisher making its way to a treetop, teal wings and red beak gleaming, there is a sense of magic that permeates the place. People like homestay and fourth-generation plantation owner Reshma Shariff know this allure well – it was, perhaps, the emerald hills of Chikmagalur that first attracted her great-grandfather to the coffee country in 1925.

Today, on the eighty-acre plantation, Shariff devotes most of the plantation’s attention to the local specialty, the arabica bean. Grown in the shade of trees like silver oak and jackfruit, she half-jokes her coffee crop truly needs

From left: Seasonal workers are paid by the quality and quantity of coffee cherries that they gather and sort; Jog waterfalls

the care one would give to a baby: “It actually takes nine months for the arabica cherries to mature, before we pluck them in December.”

Having grown up on the plantation, Shariff can’t help but love everything about coffee – from the picking of ripe red cherries to their sorting, drying,

husking and roasting. To her, coffee is more than a livelihood – it is a lifestyle.

Shariff believes in the power of the rich brown liquid, having seen her mother, uncles and aunts consume cup after cup, their home filled with warmth.

Like recipes for food, family recipes for coffee are clutched close to the hearts of people in Chikmagalur, being passed down generationally, with the tiniest of tweaks between one generation and the next – a pinch of chicory, a splash of scalding water before the whole lot is poured in. It’s for this reason that people here believe that there is no substitute for the taste of hospitality one gets in a cup of coffee brewed in a family kitchen.

55

KARNATKA BEYOND COFFEE: THREE THINGS TO SEE AND DO Hebbe Falls Cascading off a steep rock face from a height of 165 metres, these mesmerising falls stream in narrow jets of refreshing, cold water. To reach the falls you’ll need to hire a Jeep provided by the authorities which drops you to a point just short of the falls (you’ll need to walk the remaining distance). Arrive and cool off in the waist-deep water where the falls pool.

Trek to the apex of Karnataka Perched above the mist of the mountains are two of Karnataka’s most prominent peaks -the Baba Budangiri peak and the Mullayangiri peak, the highest mountain in the state at 1925 metres. The trail connecting the two peaks is a simple but scenic one, typically lasting two nights.

Each estate has its own flavour too; from the earth in which the coffee grows to the amount of shade even the tiniest factor, Shariff says, makes a difference to the taste. It’s that irresistible je ne sais quois that inspires loyalty to a roast, a brand, or an estate. The arabica, for one thing, has floral notes – fruity and mild – that dance on your tongue with the first sip. But it’s the smell of the beans that will tempt you first: a nutty, butterscotch scent.

Despite Karnatka growing threequarters of India’s coffee for export, there is much to do in the area beyond the bean. Just hours away from Chikmagalur are the ancient cities of

Belur and Halebid, architectural marvels from the 10th Century which are handcarved into rock, while further still is the region’s largest tiger reserve.

With the area gaining more prominence as a getaway spot from Bengaluru, a handful of boutique hotels in the area have sprung up, their glass-walled villas looking into the valley – and that warm, butterscotch smell of the Arabica bean omniscient.

Emirates serves nine destinations in India – Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Ahmedabad.

The temples of Belur and Halebid Made entirely out of rock, the temples in the historic sister towns of Belur and Halebid are 10th-century architectural marvels. A word to the wise – be sure to wear full-length trousers or skirts, and cover your shoulders during the temple visits. Also bear in mind that since these temples are Hindu religious sites, you’ll have to remove your footwear before entering, so keep a pair of socks handy.

WORDS: ADRIENNE BERNHARD

A R E T U R N T O A N A LO G U E

58

INSIDE PHIL ADELPHI A’S SWEEPING 30TH STREE T STATION, PASSENGERS WAIT FOR THEIR TRAINS WHILE DEPARTURE TIMES APPEAR ON AN OLD SPLIT-FL AP DISPL AY – LE T TERS AND N U M B E R S S H U F F L I N G E V E RY F E W M I N U T E S W I T H A D I S T I N C T I V E CLICKIT Y-CL ACK SOUND

T

his month, Amtrak will replace its last Solari board, named for its Italian manufacturer, with a digital board. Amtrak claims the boards are difficult to repair, since parts are hard to come by, and that digital displays will be more accurate and easier for travellers – but travellers, for their part, are fiercely opposed.

The iconic split-flap, first installed in the 1970s, might be the quintessential symbol of analogue fever: the idea that, even in a digital world, retro technology is emphatically reasserting itself.

Handwritten snail mail, old-fashioned paper planners and brickand-mortar storefronts may seem like quaint novelties of a bygone era, but many are in fact returning to these services as less complicated alternatives to the far-flung, fast-paced, high-frequency systems of today. And these trends are more than nostalgic tributes to the past: designers, business leaders and consumers alike recognise that certain retro features are more efficient and less cumbersome than their sleek digital replacements might suggest.

Our days may begin with the swipe of a screen, a digital alarm or a microwaved breakfast pastry, yet analogue technologies that were once “obsolete” are

suddenly thriving: shops offer handmade leather goods, knitting classes and pottery workshops; neighbourhood bookstores are rising, like a phoenix from the ashes, throughout the world; people are trading video games for board games, fast-food for sustainability, email for face-to-face conversations. While digital still outpaces its analogue precedents in many respects (speed, size), older formats are making a resurgence, perhaps because they embody qualities not found in an electronic realm: people are experiencing a fresh appreciation for the physical, and the symbolism afforded by tactile, vintage, artisanal, or small-batch goods. From Roman-numeral watch faces to chalkboard menus, crank radios and business cards, vinyl records and letterpress prints, there’s a definitive vogue for the physical these days.

Nowhere is this analog trend more prominently on display than in today’s hotel room. While a modern, often futuristic aesthetic has reigned supreme in travel for decades, many luxury hotels are casting a decidedly backward glance when it comes to hospitality – reinstalling incandescent lightbulbs (which cast a warmer glow than LED fixtures), in-suite turntables, stovepipe fireplaces, libraries full of books, (1) even typewriters in the lobby. Some brag about deliberately not offering television or Wifi, giving wouldbe cord-cutters an extra nudge. These touches are arguably more sentimental than functional, but they point to a gaping hole in consumers’ device-dependent lives: time to slow down, examine, savour or enjoy. Wistful though

“Advertisement approval covers healthcare promotion only�

60

(2)

(3)

(4)

it may be, the resurrection of analogue is also strategic: translating to physical gives brands a toehold in an otherwise ephemeral landscape. Consider the proliferation of intentionally analogue workspaces, with their organic building materials, airy workspaces, sturdy whiteboards and communal tables, all of which are meant to encourage conversation and collaboration. Bright furniture, cozy nooks and coffee-grinders in the kitchen are meant to foster productivity and innovation. Some startups have even experimented with bans on internal emails or the use of computers during meetings, while others are more whimsical in their retro pursuits: Facebook’s marketing team, for example, set up a letterpress printer in the corner of the company’s headquarters so that employees might create art in their spare time, and called the space the “Analog Research Laboratory.” Digital devices and networks often increase the demands made by employers and corporations, while physical outlets arguably grant employees agency over their own time.

Curiously, analogue’s resurgence might be due, in part, to improved technology. A Kindle is made to look like a book, with the sound of a page turning; Instagram offers sepia-tinted filters for photos (analogue photography reveals flaws and idiosyncrasies – the very things digital tries to mask); energy-saving electric candles are made to flicker on the tabletops of restaurants. In other ways, material modes are driven by a thriving post-digital economy. The ubiquity of the Internet means we have 24-7 access to a steady stream of information, people and places, yet these connections are nebulous and fleeting, naturally leaning toward isolation. Analogue artifacts, by contrast, capture a place in time or a shared sentiment: the pages of a book, the worn edges of a photo, the scratch on a favourite LP record, have a certain intimacy that can’t be replicated online.

Physical technology also tends to be of higher quality and have a longer lifespan than its digital counterpart, a distinction not lost on millennials – analogue’s most enthusiastic champions.

Teenagers are now buying records and videos in droves, knitting sweaters and pickling their own preserves, visiting movie theatres and libraries, suggesting

61

that both young and old delight in tangible goods, and in their more deliberate acquisition. But analogue’s durability has uses that extend beyond office politics or Christmas gift giving: in 2018’s midterm elections, for example, many voting districts returned to paper ballots in light of concerns about hacking. And it’s been shown that architects and surgeons who use physical models rather than digital simulations gain a better understanding of skills needed and the stakes levied by their work. Rather than an outmoded technology, analogue is in many ways a reanimated technology: an “if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fixit” renaissance for our modern times.

Fortunately, our accelerating disappearance into the digital ether doesn’t have to define us. In his book, The Revenge of Analog – Real Things and Why They Matter, author David Sax argues that a return to analogue is less a “Wes-Anderson fever dream” than an exploration of our fortitude, our sense of place and community. Paper and pen help us brainstorm new ideas and make mistakes; postcards let us convey sentiment without the organised whimsy of Twitter posts or GPS check-ins; book-

1. The immediate intimacy of a Polaroid picture has led to a resurgence in sales for the brand 2. Amtrak’s splitflap display, fiercely protected by commuters 3. Postcards first became popular when sent from the 1893 Chicago Expo

4. Vinyl has witnessed a boom in interest among a younger demographic 5. A senior craftsmen teaches an apprentice how to use a letterpress machine, a technology that remained in wide use until the mid20th Century

(5)

stores and video rental shops encourage us to make new discoveries unfettered by algorithms or machine “learning;” an old Solari board conjures the excitement of the imminent journey, and of journeys long ago. In short, analogue technology lets us be our own curator; guiding us away from the ceaseless chatter of screens, toward the stillness of the present.

BEYOND DIAMONDS A taste for rare gemstones and royal provenance encapsulates the palate of Dubai’s collectors. But in a market where physical auctions haven’t taken off, how can the UAE establish itself as a jewellery hub?

WORDS: GEORGINA LAVERS

64

A

pair of fossils lie on an intricately decorated table.

Peering closely, one could fancy that they could see back through time itself, rough grooves and indents hinting at the mysteries of evolution. But once affixed to Reem El Mutwalli’s ears, they become something else entirely, their pale pink diamond overlay glancing off the light.

Mutwalli cradles each piece almost maternally as she talks through her collection, housed in an ornate villa in a sleepy Dubai suburb. She found said fossils in Canada, enlisting a UAE-based designer and a fistful of diamonds to turn them into earrings. Or there are the miniatures, painted with one single camel hair in India and set on bone with Brazilian emeralds – or a mismatched pair of earrings from a Turkish designer, which combine both crescent and cross in a magnificent nod to the country’s religions.

These pieces are not your run-of-themill items from Tiffany’s, or Cartier – and that is exactly what Mutwalli intends.

“My mother was a collector and a lover of jewellery, and we actually compete between us as to who can find the most unusual or unexpected piece,” Mutwalli jokes. “My daughter also enjoys collecting, so it’s become this love that spans the generations. We tend to purchase pieces that are unique and have a story, and get to know the person that creates them – so I think they almost start to have a spirit of their own.”

Mutwalli and her extended family encapsulate the tastes of the Middle Eastern collector. It is not about the highest price, the most famous brand or potential as an investment. Rather, it is about the unique piece, the piece with royal provenance, the rare gemstone.

The Middle East has a longstanding love affair with jewellery – from dramatic

Adi and Hasan al-Fardan examine pearls in the family collection

silver sets studded with amber and agate and worn by the Bedouins to the pearls wrested from the Gulf’s seabed, an industry that lasted thousands of years.

One of the world’s largest collections of pearls and estimated to total over 50,000 carats is owned by local family, the al-Fardans. Mutwalli describes Hasan al-Fardan, a friend, as having “a pouch that he keeps his favorite ones in… his hand is always dipped in it, playing with them.”

65 Nowadays, the jewellery market in the country can be split into thirds. The most historic part are the gold and diamond souks on Dubai’s creek, where Indian brides commission yellow gold sets so big they resemble breastplates, and tourists throng the narrow alleyways. The international houses have their own spaces in the malls, where buyers from all over the world come to purchase Cartier love bracelets or Bulgari serpent rings. The last third of the pie – and perhaps the most discreet – are the private collectors, who disregard shop fronts to hunt down the choicest pieces.

It is these buyers, as small a group as they might be, who are the most interesting to auction houses. Both Sotheby’s and Christie’s have a presence in Dubai, and have earmarked the emirate – and the wider Middle Eastern region – as areas that require significant attention.

“Last year we saw a 19 per cent increase in jewellery sales from the Mena region,” comments Sophie Stevens, a jewellery consultant for Sotheby’s Middle East.

We have plans to go further into this market, to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, and develop more relationships with more collectors.”

Sotheby’s held its first auction in Dubai last year for watches, bringing in US$2.6 million with 121 lots. As for plans to introduce a jewellery auction in the emirate, “hopefully one day,” says Stevens. “There’s definitely a huge demand for luxury here, which is why we started off with watches.”

One house that has attempted to crack the market is Christie’s, which opened its representative office in the Middle East in 2005, holding its first auction in early 2006 at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel. Jewellery auctions in the emirate ran for five years before stopping operations.

Says David Warren, Christie’s International Director of Jewellery: “We had very good results during our time here; the highest single sale was US$20m and interest was really growing in terms of local participation.”

Yet ultimately, he admits, the way that Middle Eastern buyers liked to purchase was at odds with the public setting of a physical auction.

“We analysed a lot of vendors and buyers coming from outside the region,

From top: Dr Reem El Mutwalli, a private collector in the region; the UAE is the world’s fifth-largest importer of diamonds

66

From top: Some of the oldest gold markets in the GCC can be found in Dubai; David Warren, Christie’s International Director of Jewellery

and I think they like to buy in a different way. It just doesn’t really work in a public setting. “ Deciding instead to hold private sales in the city, he attests to the success of this strategy – with over 3 per cent of all Christie’s private jewellery sales coming from the Middle East, and the region accounting for 6 per cent of total jewellery sales worldwide.

Buyers in the region are looking for rare gemstones, say commentators, as well as sets (or parures) with royal provenance. Though not auctioned off in the UAE, these types of jewels are brought through the region so potential buyers can see the pieces in the flesh. Case in point was the vivid blue and intense pink diamond mismatched earring set, christened “Apollo and Artemis.” Dubai was the last stop on their worldwide roadshow, and they sold in Geneva just a month later for a record-breaking US$57.4 million.

The privateness of major collectors is especially prevalent in the Middle East, where buyers are perhaps more likely to wear their jewels in public, but less likely to purchase them with an audience.

“Discretion is absolutely key to building our long-term relationships with collectors, in places like Saudi Arabia, the Emirates and other GCC countries,” says David Bennett, the Worldwide Chairman of Sotheby’s International Jewellery Division.

“Very often these days, we are asked by the younger generation for advice after they inherit pieces from their parents’ collections. This means that we sometimes do find big – and very pleasant – surprises in terms of the value of the jewels.”

Contrary to popular myth, Middle Eastern collectors are not focused on price, says Mutwalli. Nor can they kid

themsleves that the pieces they buy are an investment, she comments wryly.

“I think the investment aspect is something we try and convince ourselves with, so psychologically we feel more comfortable for spending the money. I’m sure there are many people that can afford ten times as much as [me], but I enjoy the uniqueness these pieces, and the special style that comes from putting them together.”

Jewellery as investment, particularly in the UAE, is not a solid enough argu-

ment for many. Demand for gold in the country fell for the fourth consecutive year in 2017, save for a slight uptick at year-end due to a scramble to purchase before VAT was brought in.

Not that this slowdown will affect the private collectors, dedicated as they are to rare gemstones, sets with royal provenance and contemporary designers, who can bring something fresh to the table. International brand and auction houses remain committed to the market, particularly for the rarer jewels which, they say, still have an important place in the Middle Eastern markets.

“From my experience the Middle Eastern buyer looks for vibrancy, colour, allure, the pleasure they take from displaying it,” concludes Mutwalli. “We all have different types of lives, but through it all, the East continues its great tradition of a life lived with stones.”

68 / EXPO 2020

Engaging the world in conversations that matter Expo 2020 Dubai’s World Majlis programme is harnessing the convening power of World Expos by facilitating conversations about the most important issues of our time At Expo 2020 Dubai, we believe conversations have the power to help shape our future, which is why we are using our World Majlis programme to facilitate global discussions on the most pressing issues currently facing humanity.

For generations, people from across the UAE and the Arab world have gathered together to make collective decisions as part of a ‘majlis’. Inspired by Expo 2020’s theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, the World Majlis initiative builds on this highly valued tradition by connecting participants from around the globe.

This month, members of the World Economic Forum will meet in Davos, Switzerland to address the most pressing issues on the global agenda through interdisciplinary, informal and direct interaction.

In the face of shared challenges such as ever-increasing levels of consumption and rapid technological change, this type of engagement is more important than ever, which is why Expo 2020 is committed to sparking a global dialogue.

World Majlis sessions bring together current and future thought leaders – ranging from politicians, industry experts and educators, to aspiring students – to drive positive change. By harnessing the convening power of World Expos, the initiative aims to enable conversations between our greatest minds, which may not have occurred otherwise.

In September 2018, for example, Expo hosted its first international World Majlis in New York City, to coincide with the United Nations General Assembly. Based on the theme of ‘8 billion possibilities’, participants explored opportunities related to the growing global population, which is expected to reach 8 billion people by 2030.

The most recent World Majlis, which took place on the sidelines of the inaugu-

ral World Expo Forum in Shanghai, China, addressed the potential of World Expos to positively influence and support the development of future cities.

Previous sessions hosted in the UAE have focused on a variety of important topics, including the future of education, the transformative power of technology and advancements in sustainability. Expo’s first ever Next Gen World Majlis, which took place in November 2018, saw school students from across the Emirates come together in Dubai for a lively conversation about the future of urban living.

A total of 50 World Majlis sessions will take place in the lead-up to and during Expo 2020 Dubai. With 25 million visits expected between October 2020 and April 2021, the next World Expo represents a golden opportunity to connect communities from every corner of the planet.

By joining together for conversations that matter, we can get the world talking and take a crucial step towards solving global problems.

Expo 2020’s World Majlis series takes the UAE tradition of a safe space for discussion to the world

For more, check out the Expo 2020 podcast on ice channel 1901.

From the moment we first welcomed patients to our London hospital, to the opening of our state of the art hospital and clinics here in Dubai, one thing has remained consistent, and that is the importance of caring for our patients and their families, not just medically, but with kindness and respect.

Find out more about how we can help you.

KING’S COLLEGE HOSPITAL LONDON, DUBAI HILLS KING’S COLLEGE HOSPITAL LONDON, JUMEIRAH MEDICAL CENTRE KING’S COLLEGE HOSPITAL LONDON, DUBAI MARINA MEDICAL CENTRE KCH.AE

70 / LITFEST / THE BIG QUESTION

Coupland is best known for his novel Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture in 1991

large sections in them that literally said, ‘unknown.’ I think I’m like my father that way. I only want to live in a world where the maps have no borders and where the legend says unknown.

IMAGE: VORTEX

You had some very interesting things to say about Dubai when you came in 2012 for the Global Art Forum – about how UAE artists had a role in making sure their world was understood. Does that still ring true for you now?

How to spread your creative wings Author Douglas Coupland is much busier as an artist these days. How does he fulfil such diverse creative urges? By getting smarter, he says.

WORDS: BEN EAST

It’s been a while since your last novel.

Have you found other mediums that you enjoy just as much?

When you say the words, ‘other mediums,’ what you’re really saying is, ‘using other parts of your brain.’ Going visual creatively was a conscious decision I made 20 years ago, after having naively assumed that writing alone could make my soul content. I shudder to think of the parallel time stream where I didn’t make that decision. I grew up being told we only use 7 per cent of our brain. These days I think everyone’s using 17 per cent of their brains. As a species we are empirically, undeniably smarter. This is a good thing.

Perhaps people’s relationship with books is different these days too.

Yes! One of the most common dinner party conversations you have these

days are the ones where everyone decides to be truthful about how reading has changed for them. These days, most people in their heads when trying to read a book are thinking, “Just get to the point already! This is taking forever to get to some kind of point!” I’m no different. My brain is radically different from 15 years ago. I wouldn’t want to write a book I wouldn’t also want to read – so what is that book? I’ve written so many, I could stop tomorrow and be fine with it… so again, what is that book?

More so than ever. There’s a vitality and a sense of urgency that permeates contemporary UAE art. It’s exhilarating – and absent in many other locales. As a society there’s now both the artists and the forums for them to join the larger world. That took time, money and political will, but it was worth it. Without art and art infrastructure in the 21st century, any society is basically a glorified parking lot. There’s a genuine vision of a utopia in the UAE which, like anywhere on earth, is riddled with contradictions.

But at least there’s a shared assumption that there’s something very interesting – possibly ideal – happening there.

You’ve been doing quite a lot of work on the intersection between art, plastic use and the environment. How do you feel about the planet’s future?

I remember growing up, being very young in the late 1960s, and watching people throw trash out their car windows. They’d never dream of doing that now, but once upon a time that’s what everybody did. My impression of the way people change is that it hits a tipping point and then, boom, nobody litters any more or, boom, people stop putting junk into the ocean. It’s inspiring that we have this capacity.

But you are writing a book right now?

It’s about God, and I’ve no idea where it’s going. But the fact that the future has the word ‘unknown’ stamped all over it makes finishing that book an alluring idea. My father was a bush pilot in Northern Canada in the 1950s when maps still had

Douglas Coupland will be will be appearing at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in Dubai, from 1-9 March 2019

Emirates NEWS

°

INSIDE EMIRATES

°

DESTINATION

°

UAE SMART GATE

°

ROUTE MAP

My Emirates Pass returns Emirates is giving customers even more reasons to explore Dubai, with the return of its signature pass this winter – offering travellers exclusive discounts and offers around the UAE. p.76

°

FLEET

74 / EMIRATES / NEWS

Emirates adds second A380 service between Johannesburg and Dubai

Emirates has a well-established relationship with South Africa in multiple capacities, particularly in its recruitment Emirates has introduced an additional Airbus A380 service to Johannesburg (O.R. Tambo International Airport), effective 1 December, replacing the previous Boeing 777 aircraft on the route. EK762 (JNB-DXB) and EK761 (DXB-JNB) are now served by the flagship A380 aircraft.

This change in aircraft supports growing demand in South Africa, a 14 per cent increase in seat capacity will be as a direct result of deployment of the second A380 to Johannesburg. The Emirates Airbus A380 aircraft serving the Dubai-Johannesburg route will

offer a total of 519 seats in a three-class configuration, with 429 spacious seats in Economy Class, 76 fully flat-bed seats in Business Class and 14 First Class Private Suites.

Emirates has a long-standing relationship with South Africa in multiple capacities. The African nation ranks among the top five countries for Emirates pilots, and there are over 500 South Africans working as cabin crew on the airline’s flights, extending the nation’s famous hospitality to customers worldwide.

Flights to and from South Africa

cater to the needs, interests and taste buds of local passengers and cosmopolitan travellers alike. Emirates’ destination-inspired menus allow guests on South African routes to savour the tastes of regional speciality dishes such as newly-introduced Rooibos-cured salmon, ostrich tartare and mossbolletjies bread.

Emirates’ entertainment system, ice, also offers a carefully considered local variety of content, including the TV show Africa on a Plate: Cape Town, movies in Afrikaans, and a selection of South African musicians.

EMIRATES HOME CHECK-IN MAKES TRAVEL FUSS-FREE Travellers can ‘fly better’ with Emirates, as well as enjoy a stress-free experience even before boarding their flight, with Emirates Home Check-in.

Customers in Dubai booking their travel across any class with Emirates can now take advantage of Home Check-in for just AED 250 for up to seven pieces of luggage, and AED 25 for each additional piece. Customers can book the service

on emirates.com 12 to 48 hours before departure. Home Check-in agents will come to a customer’s home, hotel or office anywhere in Dubai to complete the security check, issue boarding passes, weigh their luggage, and tag and transport the bags to be delivered straight to their flight. This will leave customers skip the check-in desks, and head straight to Passport Control.

EMIRATES / NEWS / 75

My Emirates Pass is back for the winter Emirates is giving customers even more reasons to explore Dubai with the return of its signature pass this winter.

‘My Emirates Pass’ turns the Emirates boarding pass into an exclusive membership card, giving travellers offers and discounts within the UAE. Emirates customers flying to or through Dubai between 1 Jan-31 March 2019 can take advantage of a range of offers at some of Dubai’s best known hotspots by simply showing their boarding pass and a valid form of ID. My Emirates Pass gives customers exclusive offers at 500 locations, including world-class restaurants.

Special privileges are also available on

Emirates invests in latest bus fleet To provide passengers with even more comfortable transfers when they arrive, depart or transit at Dubai international Airport, Emirates has taken the initiative to bring in a fleet of new high tech buses for airside passenger operations.

These new dedicated buses will ferry Emirates’ passengers between the terminals and its aircraft at remote stands. Ten of these new buses are already in service. 30 more will be delivered by January 2019, with the entire fleet to comprise 128 buses by 2020.

Emirates is the first airline in the world to introduce airside buses that have equal standing and seating capacity, a

a range of leisure activities including visits to thrilling theme parks or luxury spas across the city. Retail outlets are also part of the offer, giving special discounts at fashion and fitness brands.

Visit emirates.com/myemiratespass to explore what the complete list offers.

significant improvement on standard airside transfer buses which usually prioritise standing room and offer minimal seating.

The new fleet of buses also have convenient ramp access and fold-up seats to make travel more comfortable for customers who use wheelchairs or are travelling with baby strollers.

Other customised features include: ambient lighting, an intercom facility to contact the driver, microphones for announcements, and flight information systems inside the buses which display the latest information to customers.

Clear messaging will also appear outside the buses to alert customers quickly and easily on the direction the bus is going.

EMIRATES CELEBRATES MULTIPLE AWARDS Emirates made a clean sweep this winter season, with award wins across multiple countries.

Emirates was named ‘Best Airline in the World’ and ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’ at the prestigious 2018 ULTRAs, in a vote taken by over 500,000 readers of The Telegraph’s luxury travel magazines, that recognise the world’s best providers of luxury travel experiences.

In Russia, Emirates scooped ‘Best International Airline’ at the eighth National Geographic Traveller Awards 2018, and ‘Best Middle Eastern Airline’ at the Business Traveller Russia and CIS Awards 2018.

In Belgium, Emirates was named the ‘Best Long Haul Airline 2018’ at the Travel Magazine Awards 2018.

The ceremony was attended by 700 industry leading figures, travel professionals and media representatives.

Emirates also scooped an award for its First Class Private Suites at the FTE Asia Awards, in addition to receiving ‘Best Long Haul Airline - Middle East and Africa’ and ‘Best Inflight Entertainment’ awards from AirlineRatings.com’s Airline Excellence Awards.

76 / INSIDE EMIRATES

The final Boeing 777-300ER As Emirates takes delivery of its last Boeing 777-300ER, here’s a look back at the history of this remarkable aircraft and the future partnership between Boeing and Emirates

6.5 years Average age of a Boeing 777-3000ER in Emirates’ fleet

119 Number of destinations that the aircraft flies to across the network

1/5 Emirates has operated one out of every five Boeing 777-300ER aircraft produced to date

Emirates and the Boeing 777 – a partnership 5

01

17 20 eils r 6 y b e r 9 b nv m 19 s elive ing m su te tes its g 13 e e p e e 0 v te w ts et n t d o Se mira ves oein t r2 05 No mira d ne or i fle Ju mira ves st B t A6 e 0 i d f 6 i r b B 2 e E g f 1 E an s f 777 e g, E ce fir ra in ic o c ra h em tes rec er re 0th airc 20 ts rc ates its br bin ng g th gin re its airc Boe ass v 5 r a d o f e tar o n 1 7 ca oei din han ed in of 7 , a cl N mira s a or ing M mir ves ing b 7 y s e o 7 i e g r 7 B clu e-c los es 7 MD 200 E ak kin Bo ft E ce Boe ER em tes live rati ER r v 3 0 e a o ira de ne 00 in am enc uit E 7 m ea 50 cr r st 30 0 de N 0 r 7 r r 4 r e 3 i 1 2 g o G lly te s ss 7 b r fi 7 1 m g a s d 7 n E 0 e i s k ew 77 nce s ed e t 2 n ate ce ing t fu iva Cla fo 7x 77 a s h u r s v t 9 r t n 7 a e i s g J m un oe s e a a o 0 t s e pr irst 7 its oein enh s Cl pr ob tes its g E no 6 B ER aris 20 mira me larg the t F m l c n a i s n f i B ith e d ta a r 2 300 3 P r O mir ves oe E co ’s r o w usin an en e fo 7- 00 fo E cei h B ER be orld ato 777 s c m B at on an 77 e 2 how n re 0t 300 w er ng se vir rm th ir S .6b 10 7- aft op oei aft 7 5 en rfo A S$ 7 rcr B rcr pe U ai ai 2 er

INSIDE EMIRATES / 77

EMIRATES’ BOEING 777 FLEET: Has carried nearly 350 million passengers on more than 1.28 million flights and covered over 6.6 billion km since 1996 (the equivalent of flying almost 8600 times to the moon and back) The A6-EQP is the 190th Boeing 777 aircraft to be delivered to Emirates ■

The world’s largest operator of Boeing 777 aircraft ■

The only airline in the world to have operated all the six variants of the Boeing 777 family

■

One of the first airlines to fly the two next generation models, the Boeing 777-8 and 777-9

■

“The Boeing 777-300ER’s efficiency, range and payload capabilities have enabled us to connect our customers across six continents to and through Dubai, and offer them a flight experience that is second to none” Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline

What’s the next step for Boeing and Emirates?

Starting 2020: 35 Boeing 777-8s 115 Boeing 777-9s ■

■

With: More fuelefficient design Larger windows and higher ceilings ■

■

78 / EMIRATES / DESTINATION

Sydney, Australia Get some winter sun in the relaxed city with eclectic neighbourhoods There’s always the danger when visiting Sydney that you’ll never want to return home. Pretty as a postcard, laid-back, vibrant and seemingly forever sunny, it’s where beachside city living has reached its zenith.

Wrapped around the ‘finest harbour in the world’, Sydney is the cosmopolitan capital of New South Wales and a cultural melting pot that has marked its spot on the chalkboard of the world’s greatest cities.

It’s where national parks penetrate the heart of the city, where surfing and swimming are daily activities, and where a diverse population has created some of the world’s most exciting new restaurants.

Yet don’t be mistaken. This is a large city, stretching almost 80km from top to bottom and divided into northern and southern halves by its picturesque harbour. With 4.8 million people, it’s the biggest city in Australia and is as much the country’s beating commercial heart as it is its most visited.

Defined by both a rugged Pacific coastline and neat harbour, this is a city of memorable neighbourhoods, including The Rocks, which lie in the shadow of Sydney Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, Surry Hills and the bohemian Newtown.

For visitors, there’s almost an embarrassment of riches, stretching from Sydney Opera House and Manly Beach, to Darling Harbour and the spectacular Blue Mountains, which lie roughly two hours’ drive from the centre of the city.

Emirates operates three daily services to Sydney. Choose from two nonstop services and a third flight that makes a stop in Bangkok.

EMIRATES / DESTINATION / 79

RESTAURANT HUBERT Located in a cavernous basement off of Bligh Street, this French restaurant in the heart of downtown Sydney is busy making waves. An ode to post-war Paris, think candlelit tables, wood-panelling, a small scarlet-draped stage and dishes such as fried Gruyère with Dijon mustard and dill pickle. restauranthubert.com

OVOLO 1888

ESTER Offering an innovative take on Australian cuisine, Ester is the work of Mat Lindsay, one of the darlings of Sydney’s restaurant scene. A beloved Chippendale diner, the venue has a contemporary feel and an ever-evolving menu, featuring treats such as king prawns with fermented shrimp butter and capers. ester-restaurant.com.au

PARAMOUNT HOUSE HOTEL

Occupying a 19th-century warehouse in Darling Harbour, the Ovolo 1888 is the epitome of industrial chic – all exposed brick walls and wooden beams.

Although the location may not be everybody’s cup of tea, the hotel is a triumph of restoration and lies within easy walking distance of Sydney’s attractions. ovolohotels.com.au

Opened last year, Paramount House Hotel is located in Surry Hills within the former headquarters of Paramount Picture Studios. All of the hotel’s 29 rooms have been designed with this in mind, while the building is also home to the Paramount Coffee Project. paramounthousehotel. com

SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

SYDNEY HARBOUR NATIONAL PARK

It would be impossible to visit Sydney without at least a cursory glance at the city’s most iconic landmark.

The multi-venue performing arts centre is situated on Bennelong Point and is within easy walking distance of Harbour Bridge, the Royal Botanic Garden and the city’s central business district.

Protecting the foreshores and islands around one of the world’s most famous harbours is the 392-hectare Sydney Harbour National Park.

If the great outdoors is your thing, the park’s bushwalking tracks, swimming spots and picnic areas will provide hours – if not days – of activity.

ROCKPOOL BAR & GRILL Described as Australia’s most beautiful dining room, Rockpool has been serving modern Australian cuisine in an ornate art deco setting since 2009. Owner and chef Neil Perry has forged a marvel, serving seafood and gracefully-aged steaks from a wood-fired grill. rockpoolbarandgrill. com.au

THE DARLING One of Sydney’s most awarded hotels, The Darling is regularly included amongst the world’s best hotels. The luxurious and contemporary five-star delight is situated in Pyrmont Street and is part of The Star casino complex. It includes custom designed carpets

by Akira Isogawa and impeccable service. thedarling.com.au

BONDI ICEBERGS An iconic rock pool and international landmark, Bondi Icebergs epitomises Aussie living. Located at the southern end of Bondi Beach, it is sun-soaked, with dramatic views of the sea and an idyllic sense of space. It is also home to Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, which offers both sensational views and exquisite food.

80 / EMIRATES / UAE SMART GUIDE

Be smart!

NATIONALITIES THAT CAN USE UAE SMART GATES

Use UAE Smart Gate at Dubai International Airport Citizens of the countries listed on the right and UAE residents can speed through Dubai International by using UAE Smart Gate.

If you hold a machine-readable passport, an E-Gate card or Emirates ID card you can check

in and out of the airport within seconds.

Just look out for signs that will direct you to the many UAE Smart Gates found on either side of the Immigration Hall at Dubai International Airport.

USING UAE SMART GATE IS EASY

1

Have your machine-readable passport, E-Gate card or Emirates ID card ready to be scanned.

2

Place your passport photo page on the scanner. If you are a UAE resident, place your E-Gate card or Emirates ID card into the card slot.

3

Go through the open gate, stand on the blue footprint guide on the floor, face the camera straight-on and stand still for your iris scan. When finished, the next set of gates will open and you can continue to baggage claim.

REGISTERING FOR UAE SMART GATE IS EASY

To register for Smart Gate access, just spend a few moments having your details validated by an immigration officer and that’s it. Every time you fly to Dubai in future, you will be out of the airport and on your way just minutes after you have landed.

IF YOU’RE A UAE RESIDENT

Remember to bring your Emirates ID card next time you’re travelling through DXB – you’ll be able to speed through passport control in a matter of seconds, without paying and without registering. Valid at all Smart Gates, located in Arrivals and Departures, across all three terminals at DXB.

*UK citizens only (UK overseas citizens still require a visa)

UAE SMART GATE CAN BE USED BY: • Machine-readable passports from the above countries • E-Gate cards • Emirates ID cards

MOHAMMAD OMAR BIN HAIDER HOLDING GROUP The Board of Directors and Employees of Mohammad Omar Bin Haider Holding Group (MOBH Holding Group) extend their congratulations to His Excellency Dr. Mohammad Omar Bin Haider, on being awarded the degree “Doctor of Law (Honoris Causa)� from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David Swansea - UK

The University of Wales, Trinity Saint David held a ceremony honouring HE Dr. Mohammad Omar Bin Haider, during which he was awarded a Phd by the University Chancellor Professor Medwin Hughes at the famous Brangwyn Hall in Swansea. The ceremony was attended by a number of highly reputed senior statesmen, royal figures, businessmen and diplomats known in Swansea, UK and around the world.

www.mobhholding.com

82 / EMIRATES / ROUTE MAP

A380 ROUTES

Routes shown are as of time of going to press

*Suspended

**Seasonal service

GLOBAL ROUTES

Emirates Amsterdam / Auckland / Bangkok / Barcelona / Beijing / Birmingham / Brisbane / Casablanca / Christchurch / Copenhagen / Dusseldorf / Frankfurt / Guangzhou / Hamburg / Hong Kong / Houston / Jeddah / Johannesburg / Kuala Lumpur / Kuwait / London / Los Angeles / Madrid / Manchester / Mauritius / Melbourne / Milan / Moscow / Mumbai / Munich / New York / Nice / Osaka / Paris / Perth / Prague / Rome / San Francisco / São Paulo / Seoul / Shanghai / Singapore / Sydney / Taipei / Tokyo / Toronto / Vienna / Washington, DC / Zurich

Emirates route

flydubai route

TRAVEL TO ADDITIONAL DESTINATIONS WITH OUR CODESHARE PARTNERS

With 23 codeshare partners in 26 countries (21 airlines and an air/rail codeshare arrangement with France’s SNCF/TGV Air and Italy’s Trenitalia), Emirates has even more flight options, effectively expanding its network by over 300 destinations.

Visit emirates.com for full details on our travel partners

EMIRATES / ROUTE MAP / 83

Routes shown are as of time of going to press

*Suspended

**Seasonal service

84 / EMIRATES / ROUTE MAP

MIDDLE EAST

Emirates route

AFRICA flydubai route

EMIRATES / ROUTE MAP / 85

ASIA & PACIFIC

EUROPE & CENTRAL ASIA

**Seasonal service

86 / EMIRATES / ROUTE MAP

AMERICAS

Routes shown are as of time of going to press

EMIRATES SKYCARGO

Freighter destinations

88 / EMIRATES / FLEET

Emirates Fleet

Our fleet of 274 aircraft includes 261 passenger aircraft and 13 SkyCargo aircraft

AIRBUS A380-800

109 IN FLEET All aircraft

up to 3,500+

Up to 489-615 passengers. Range: 15,000km. L 72.7m x W 79.8m

20+ aircraft

BOEING 777-300ER

139 IN FLEET All aircraft up to 3,500+

Up to 354-428 passengers. Range: 14,594km. L 73.9m x W 64.8m 100+ aircraft

For more information: emirates.com/ourfleet

BOEING 777-200LR

10 IN FLEET All aircraft

3,000+

Up to 266-302 passengers. Range: 17,446km. L 63.7m x W 64.8m

EMIRATES / FLEET / 89 HERE’S WHAT CONNECTIVITY, ENTERTAINMENT AND SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE ON BOARD EACH AIRCRAFT TYPE

Live TV, news & sport

Wi-Fi

Mobile phone

Data roaming

Number of channels

First Class Shower Spa

*Onboard lounge

**In-seat power

USB port

In-seat telephone

* First Class and Business Class; **Available in all rows in Economy Class, and in all seats in First Class and Business Class

BOEING 777-300 2 IN FLEET All aircraft

1,900+

Up to 364 passengers. Range: 11,029km. L 73.9m x W 60.9m

AIRBUS A319 1 IN FLEET

2,000+

The Emirates Executive Private Jet takes our exceptional service to the highest level to fly you personally around the world. Fly up to 19 guests in the utmost comfort of our customised A319 aircraft with the flexibility of private jet travel.

Further information at emirates-executive.com

EMIRATES SKYCARGO

BOEING 777F 13 IN FLEET

Range: 9,260km. L 63.7m x W 64.8m

The most environmentally-friendly freighter operated today, with the lowest fuel burn of any comparably-sized cargo aircraft. Along with its wide main-deck cargo door, which can accommodate oversized consignments, it is also capable of carrying up to 103 tonnes of cargo non-stop on 10-hour sector lengths.

Aircraft numbers accurate at the time of going to press

Up to 19 passengers. Range: 7,000km. L 33.84m x W 34.1m

SARAH PAULSON’S

GUIDE TO PHILADELPHIA Filming Glass in the hometown of director M.Knight Shyamalan gave Paulson a romantic view of the city INTERVIEW: EMMA COILER Philadelphia is such an incredible city.

Obviously it’s the hometown of M.Knight, and he’s passionate about it to the point where many of his movies have been filmed there. It’s easy to see why; the city has so much soul, so much character and has a rich history when it comes to shooting great movies.

My tips for exploring the city would be to do it on foot, as it’s beautiful just to get lost in. It’s actually a very romantic city I think – walking hand in hand through Philly is a wonderful thing to do. The winters there are proper winters, so you need to wrap up, but that just adds to the charm of it all. In the snow, the place is totally beautiful.

There are some must-see filming locations in Philadelphia, another reason why exploring on foot is such a good idea. Everybody goes to Philly and wants to see the iconic Rocky steps at The Philadelphia Museum Of Art, and of course you have to go and get the obligatory

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

39.9526° N, 75.1652° W

video, but there is so much more to see.

Everybody remembers the climatic court scene in [the film] Philadelphia in City Hall, and Independence Hall was in Trading Places.

There is this great little French bistro called Parc, which James McAvoy told me about.

You’re in the middle of Philly, but from the inside it honestly feels like you could be in the middle of Paris. They do the best french fries you will ever taste, and make amazing cocktails.

Chinatown is a great neighbourhood – outside of New York, it’s one of the best Chinatowns in the country. Totally authentic, great food, and a really cool place to visit, walk around, and of course eat. There are lots of cool little shops there where you can pick stuff up.

Philly for me is still one of the cities that has a proper bar scene, as not everything is upmarket. There are some really colourful dive bars there – you’ll have a lot of fun if you make a night visiting a few of them.

Discover Philadelphia and over 70 other destinations in the US, Caribbean and Latin America, with Emirates and Jet Blue.