Equity Magazine October 2017

OCTOBER 2017 | ISSUE 05
RYAN
GOSLING
ON COMING TO AMERICA,
AND STARRING IN
BLADE RUNNER 2049
FAST FOOD,
FAST CASH
THE BUSINESS
CAPITALISING ON OUR
GUILTY PLEASURE
TRAVEL
REJUVENATE ALONG
SRI LANKA'S COAST

Extraordinary is in the detail.
To explore one of the world’s most detailed landscape photographs go to BentleyMotors.com/Explore.
Please contact us on 800-BENTLEY [800 236 8539]
or visit us at www.uae.bentleymotors.com for more information
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The name ‘Bentley’ and the ‘B’ in wings device are registered trademarks. © 2017 Bentley Motors Limited.

Be Extraordinary.
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CALIBER RM 11-02
LE MANS CLASSIC
OFFICIAL TIMEKEEPER
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From the EDITOR
October is one of my favourite months, besides
December of course (the festive season is
looming!). Apart from the fact that it’s my
birthday, it’s also the time of year when alfresco
meals are much appreciated, brunch season is in full swing,
and art galleries are the hangout spots to see and be seen at,
coupled with dining experiences (page56).
The season and it's fast pace go hand-in-hand with the
season, with entrepreneurs releasing their latest services and
businesses keeping up with demand. This month, we chat with the founders of
TruKKer, an Uber-style app for trucks (page 23) on their remarkable growth, and
Michelle Mone, the Baroness taking Dubai’s real estate market by storm (page 19).
Who doesn’t love crisp fries, fried chicken and a meaty burger at hours it shouldn’t
be consumed at? The next time you order takeout from a fast food joint, you will
surely think back to how every meal you indulge in places fast food moguls on
World Billionaire Lists (page 14).
I’m a huge fan of the ever-so-charming Ryan Gosling. This month, Equity
scored an exclusive interview with the cover star (page 27), ahead of his latest
movie Blade Runner 2049 (in cinemas on October 5). While you wait for the
screening, check into The St. Regis Abu Dhabi (page 67) and hit the links at
Saadiyat Island (page 64). And if you’re looking for a special treat, look no
further than pages 45-55.
Whenever a long weekend comes around, I love to escape the hustle and bustle.
A quick trip to the picturesque coastal region of Sri Lanka is exactly what I needed,
and you may too. Look to page 58 to stem inspiration for a rejuvenating getaway.
EDITOR'S PICKS
Monica Vinader's latest piece is
an everyday accessory that's
elegant and chic
Happy reading
Nicola
Nicola Monteath
Follow us:
equitymedia.uae equitymedia.uae equitymedia.uae equitymedia.uae
The intricate details on the Omega
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Master Chronometer Platinum
are abdsolutely stunning
EQUITY - Always invest in yourself
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF NICOLA MONTEATH - nicola@equity.media
DIGITAL EDITOR VARUN GODINHO
DEPUTY EDITOR MERYL D'SOUZA
ART DIRECTOR ODILAINE MEJORADA
SALES advertising@equity.media
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Presenting the 115 th Anniversary
CVO Limited edition Harley-
Davidson, a treat for clear roads
on a Friday morning
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insideEQUITY
23
mind
12
OCTOBER 2017
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Take note of these events
19 31
14
19
23
27
32
34
THE HUNGER GAMES
A look at fast food, not like you
know it
THE DARK HORSE
Michelle Mone dishes out on her
journey and latest venture, here
in the UAE
THE ULTIMATE
OPPORTUNISTS
Get a peek into the growth of
TruKKer
CELEBRITY INTERVIEW
Ryan Gosling dishes out on
parenthood and his role in
Blade Runner 2049
THE FABULOUS LIFE OF
SUPER TUTORS
Does your child need a
genius tutor?
#SUPPORT LOCAL
A chat with Veer Ramlugon,
founder of The Food Analysts
body
38
&
soul
THE CHECKLIST
Stylish upgrades and seasonal
items to invest in
38
40
42
SHOP TALK
Get ready for your next big
shopping haul
INDULGE YOURSELF
Make an appointment and treat
yourself at these salons
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OCTOBER 2017
45
58
67
STAY OF THE MONTH
The St. Regis Abu Dhabi
impresses on every level
70
ONE PALM TO RULE
THEM ALL
A look at the most expensive
penthouse in the UAE
45
56
58
62
64
ON OUR RADAR
Statement pieces to buy or covet
WEEKEND DINING
Two eateries to try this month
COASTAL COMFORTS
Explore Sri Lanka's districts
JETSETTER JOURNEYS
Travel inspiration for your next
big holiday
HIT THE LINKS
Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
is worth the visit
72
GET TO KNOW...
Salma Handa, founder of
SensAsia Urban Spa, reveals her
favourite things
64
59
On the cover
RYAN GOSLING
Read her interview on page 27
The publication may not be
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system, or transmitted in any
form or by any means electronic,
photocopying, recording or
otherwise, without the permission
of Equity Media. Where opinion
is expressed it is that of the
author and does not necessarily
reflect the editorial views of
the publishers of
EQUITY-Always invest in yourself.
All information in
EQUITY-Always invest in yourself
is checked and verified to the best
of the publisher’s ability, however
the publisher cannot be held
responsible for any mistakes or
omissions enclosed in
the publication in content,
advertising or graphics.
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mind
Fast food chains are a serious
investment you may want to look into.
As for fans of cryptocurrencies, in
specific Bitcoin, you can now purchase
an apartment in Dubai through the
trending digital currency. Turn over to
find out more on local apps and our
handsome cover star Ryan Gosling
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CALENDAR
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Jetsetters, don’t forget to add these dates to your diary
1
WHERE? Munich
WHEN? October 4-6
EXPO REAL
Europe’s largest real estate and
investment trade fair will represent a
whole supply chain of the global
property market. Exhibitors from
various fields including design,
concepts, investment and finance
will all be on hand to discuss
requirements and queries.
2
WHERE? The Auditorium at
3
FRIEZE LONDON
WHERE? Regent’s Park, London
WHEN? October 5-8
Over 160 of the world’s leading
galleries and 1,000 artists will come
together to showcase their art at this
year’s events. Viewers and art
enthusiasts can take in the sights of
sculptural pieces and paintings at the
contemporary art fair that takes
place annually every October.
CAPTURING PABLO
Dubai College, Dubai
WHEN? October 5-6
Calling all Narcos fans! 117Live is
hosting an entertainment show
featuring two DEA agents, Javier
Pena and Steve Murphy,
instrumental in catching the world’s
first narco-terrorist, Pablo Escobar.
Brace yourselves for real-life stories
on Escobar’s rise and fall, and keep
those unanswered queries ready for
the Q&A session towards the end.
4
WHERE? Yale Club, New York
WHEN? October 5
NEW YORK PRIVATE
EQUITY FORUM
If you’re an entrepreneur looking to
seek capital, invest in a company, or
mingle with likeminded business
visionaries, angel investors and
venture capitalists, you can’t miss
this forum. One-of-a-kind private
investment opportunities await
visitors, as business development
ideas come to the forefront.
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5
AUSTIN CITY LIMITS MUSIC FESTIVAL
WHERE? Zilker Park, Austin, Texas
WHEN? October 6-8 and 13-15
CALENDAR
Jay-Z, The Killers, Chance The Rapper, Gorillaz, and
Tove Lo, amongst many other artists, will take the stage
at this alternative rock, country and indie folk festival.
Combining two weekend editions comprising three
days each, plus aftershows and club gigs, this one is
surely worth flying out for.
6
WHERE? Paris
WHEN? October 14-15
The annual vintage and collector’s car show by
Automédon is back. Hundreds of classic cars will make
their way through Paris, starting at 10am near
Place Joffre near the Ecole Militaire, crossing the Seine,
and renowned landmarks along the way, bringing it
to an end at l’Opéra in the heart of Paris. Get your
cameras ready.
VINTAGE CAR PARADE
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YAS MARINA BOAT FESTIVAL
WHERE? Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
WHEN? October 20-21
You’ve visited the Cannes Yacht Festival. Now, it’s time to
make your way to the capital for UAE’s very own boat
extravaganza. Exhibitors, boat manufacturers and private
owners will be showcasing second hand boats and watercrafts
for sale, from three to 20 metres. You can also shop and view
jet-skis, watersport equipment and boating products.
KENNETH MACMILLAN: NATIONAL CELEBRATION
WHERE? Royal Opera House, London
WHEN? October 18 – November 1
The legacy of Kenneth MacMillan (British ballet dancer
and choreographer) is brought to life on his 25th death
anniversary. Watch the stunning performance as the
UK’s leading ballet companies Birmingham Royal Ballet,
English National Ballet, Northern Ballet, The Royal
Ballet and Scottish Ballet, come together for the first
time ever, to showcase his work.
9
THE CHOCOLATE EXPO7
WHERE? Museum Villa, Monroe, New York
WHEN? October 22
Chocoholics and those looking to shop for Halloween
and festive holiday gifts will love this expo that brings
together America’s top producers. Expect a museum
village featuring vendor booths, celebrity chef demos,
musical performances, chocolate creations, tastings and
plenty of activities for the little ones.
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THE GLOBAL FRANCHISE MARKET
WHERE? Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai
WHEN? October 29-30
The region’s most anticipated franchising event takes
place towards the end of this month, focusing on the latest
in international and national brands, products and services
from over 100 companies. Looking for your next big
investment or to network with franchise experts and
speakers? Look no further. Seminars and workshops will
also take place at the venue.
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FINANCE
THE HUNGER
GAMES
It’s 3am and you’re down with a serious case of hunger pangs, what do
you do? Don’t lie, we know you’re not going to cook. You’re going to order
from McDonald's, Wendy's or a fast food joint that can deliver as quick
as possible. Weakness kicks in and the diet flies out the window, that’s
precisely how the founders of these fast-food eateries make their billions
By Meryl D’souza
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FINANCE
The city of Mumbai is generally referred to as
India’s financial epicentre. The city that changed
its name from Bombay to Mumbai over two
decades ago is built on a peninsula that narrows
sharply at its southern tip, a geography not dissimilar to
Manhattan. The heart of the city’s financial district is
Nariman Point where money makers have no time to talk,
let alone have lunch. On the few occasions, they do make
time for their stomachs, they settle for street vendors.
Ironically, some of those street vendors are richer than the
suits they cater to.
Earlier this year, Scroll.in ran a video story on one such
street vendor and the economics around his business.
Mariappan works six days a week. He sets up shop at 8am
and ends his day at four in the evening. His modest cart has
only three items on the menu; each priced between $0.3 and
$0.4. He claims to sell 1,050 items per day with a net daily
expense of $77, on items like onions, potatoes, tomatoes,
coconut, oil, rice, lentils, transportion and gas.
Not impressed yet? His monthly revenue is never below
$5,600. Monthly expenditure is a maximum of $2,712 – that
includes bribes of $77 per week to the city’s municipality
and cops. Mariappan also budgets for the Municipality
confiscating all his equipment or even bulldozing his shop
twice a month. That means he spends on all his equipment
– from vessels to cutlery – all over again. After accounting
for all this, he makes a net profit of $2,096 per month. To
put that figure into perspective, $2,096 per month is how
much an Indian with a postgraduate degree would make
after 10 years of work experience in the IT sector or in a
senior management role.
If you’re still scoffing at that man and the money he’s
making, understand that he’s making that much as a local,
stand-alone, non-franchised – and illegal – operator. If he
were to double down and build a franchise, there’s no
doubt he’d be rolling in (more) cash. Don’t take our word
for it? 14 of the 2,043 names on the 2017 Forbes World’s
Billionaires list are fast food moguls. The list featured the
likes of Marian Ilitch and family (Little Caesars, $6 billion),
Bubba Cathy and Dan Cathy (Chick-Fil-A, $3.8 billion),
and Tony Tan Caktiong and family (Jollibee, $3.4 billion)
amongst others. Just to be clear, these are businesses that
have made their billions by selling $5 foot-long sandwiches
and $3 chicken noodles.
That’s where the brilliance and skill of the business is.
Fast food joints similar to McDonald's and Jollibee turn
incredibly high profits despite selling meals at a fraction of
the cost. It shouldn’t work, but it does. These outlets are
smart in this regard. They make you feel they’re pricing
themselves into bankruptcy with low prices, but they
employ a number of good strategies to keep patrons coming
back for more. And not all of it is done by lowering prices.
FRIES
French fries contain more Acrylamides than just about any
other food. The chemical has been shown to cause tumors
BURGER
McDonald's feeds about 68 million people per day,
that's about 1 percent of the world's population
COFFEE
Sir Paul McCartney ditched his longtime
label to make music for Starbucks
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FINANCE
COUPONS
Fast food chains are renowned for handing out
coupons that make you feel like you’re getting
the better end of the deal. The trick is they can
afford to discount their prices because they are
aware that low prices equal to people flocking
through their doors. Plenty of restaurants offer
a free menu item from time to time. Once they
get you in, to claim that free sandwich or side of
fries, you're tempted to buy more food and the
cycle begins all over again.
UPSIZING AND UPSELLING
You’ve walked into a fast food restaurant hoping to get a
meal between Dhs10-15. A few minutes later, an upsize
from regular to large for a soft drinks and fries, and
additional condiments (garlic mayonnaise and hot mustard
are a must for fries!) and you are looking at a meal of
approximately Dhs25-30. That’s upselling and upsizing.
LOW WAGES
Fast food employees are paid
low wages, yet they greet you
with a smile when you show
up to place your order.
LIMITED MENUS
French fries cost you a couple of dirhams and
you like the idea of snacking on that side dish
although you never finish them. What if your
favourite fast food joint starts offering seasonal
pies and cheese-loaded fries on a limited offer
for a fraction of the cost higher? You will likely
try it to see what the fuss is about, which leads
to an increase in their profit margins.
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FINANCE
DRINKS
Sure, that aerated
beverage only cost you a
dirham or two more
than the standard cost at
supermarkets, but for a
fast food restaurant,
drinks like that account
for 80 per cent of their
profit margin.
IN THE UAE…
According to a 2017 report released by Global property advisor CBRE
(Commercial Real Estate Services), UAE residents are the third biggest
spenders on food and beverage worldwide, with 60 per cent of consumers
visiting a mall for a quick bite. The report stated that the main difference
between residents in the UAE and those elsewhere was that consumers in the
Emirates perceived retail as a pastime, with dining considered to be an
essential element of the experience. That basically means people are getting
out a lot more with the sole purpose of eating. And how many fine-dining
outlets can you find in a mall? Yes, we thought so.
Elmark Aton (name changed)
works for a multinational fast food
brand at Deira City Centre and speaks
to us of his experience till date. “I’ve
worked here for a couple of years now
and barely seen the food court
empty,” Aton says as he hoists
golden-brown fries from their
steaming bath and expertly distributes
them into paper containers. “It
doesn’t matter if it’s Ramadan or a
weekday. The food court is always
buzzing.” And it’s not just his outlet.
Every other outlet has a queue,
although Aton’s outlet commands the
most growling stomachs.
According to a statement released
by investment firm Al Masah Capital,
the GCC’s food services market is set
to grow at a compound annual growth
rate (CAGR) of 6.8 per cent to reach
$28 billion by 2020 - the UAE ranks
first in per-capita spending on food in
the GCC with $2,683 per person. Fast
food chains are the foundation of this
growth and made up 8.2 per cent
($11.7 billion) of the GCC food
services market in 2015, followed by
full-service restaurants with a 31.5 per
cent market share ($6.3 billion) and
cafés and bakeries with 10.3 per cent
($2.1 billion).
The fast-food segment is expected
to reach over $4 billion at the end of
2017, with the number of franchise
outlets (in Dubai) increasing to
around 3,595. According to
Euromonitor International, the
number of transactions per order is
expected to increase from $7.6 in
2012 to $8.5 in 2017, a CAGR growth
of 3.5 per cent during the period. Are
we seeing dollar signs yet?
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WOMAN LEADER
The
DARK
HORSE
Michelle Mone grew up in a tenement
in Glasgow. Now, Baroness Mone of
Mayfair is a partner in a £250 million
real estate project in Dubai. And you can
buy the apartments using Bitcoins
Words by Varun Godinho
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WOMAN LEADER
In the Eighties, you’d likely find a poster of either Bo
Derrick or Don Johnson hung over the bedpost of
most pre-pubescent children. But ten-year-old
Glaswegian Michelle Mone had one of Richard Branson
instead. She began a neighbourhood newspaper delivery
business recruiting 17 other children and striking a deal with
the local vendor to supply only to her – she knew how to do
exclusive deals before she could enter secondary school.
Mone grew up rough. She was brought up by working-class
parents – her father mixed inks and mother was a home help
– in a tenement flat that didn’t have a bathroom. The death of
her brother when she was 10, followed by her father waking
up paralysed one morning, meant she had to drop out of
school at 15 and start working as a model to help keep the
family afloat. When she says during our phone conversation
that, “It doesn’t matter where you’re from, whether you have
the money or you don’t – if you are determined and have the
fire in your belly, you will succeed,” you know that she’s
talking from a position of lived experiences.
Her big business break though came at the age of 24
when, after a visit to America, she learnt about gel
technology that could be used in undergarments. “I started
Ultimo and invented the gel-filled bra that Julia Roberts
wore in the film Erin Brockovich. My ex-husband joined the
business three years later. Ultimo became the biggest
designer lingerie brand in the country.”
To start up her business, Mone put everything on the line
including mortgaging her house. But you don’t get to grow it into
a multi-million-dollar business without making a few mistakes
along the way. Which was her biggest blunder? “I suppose
trusting a distributor in Canada who ran away with £1.4 million
of my money. It was the best lesson I learnt because it really
made me grow up. I now only work with people I trust and I’m
always ten steps ahead thinking about Plan B, Plan C or Plan D.”
The working mom approached her personal life like she
did her business. She would draw up critical time path charts
for her three children and household chores were broken
down into KPIs. According to one report, she went into
labour with her third child during a board meeting – only to
reconvene the meeting four days later.
When it came to marketing Ultimo, Mone didn’t have
the swollen marketing budgets of major conglomerates.
Yet, she says, she delivered over $1.5 billion in press
coverage over the course of two decades. To do this she
often became the story. This included fronting a campaign
for British Airways and appearing on hit TV shows
The Apprentice and Masterchef.
A few of her self-promotion tactics did make her enemies.
In 2004, she fired Rod Stewart’s girlfriend Penny Lancaster
who was the face of Ultimo back then and replaced her with
Stewart’s ex-wife Rachel Hunter. The verbal retribution
from Stewart was swift, public and hard-hitting – he called
Mone a “manipulative cow” and said that he hoped “she’d
choke on her profits.” The spat provided fertile fodder for
gossip rags from the UK to Australia and America which
gave the incident – and Ultimo – prime coverage.
Mone eventually sold her stake in Ultimo in 2014 to one
of the world’s biggest intimate apparels company, MAS
Holdings in Sri Lanka.
She was subsequently given an OBE by the Queen but
wasn’t ready to settle for a retired life just yet. Around this
time, she moved from business to politics. “My parents
always said, ‘Never get involved in religion, politics or
football.’ I got involved in politics because the former Prime
Minister David Cameron asked me to help him with the
Scottish referendum three years ago. I campaigned to keep
Scotland part of the UK. It was a long battle, but we won.”
The victory meant Mone was instantly elevated in
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WOMAN LEADER
London’s hierarchical political circles. She was even
appointed as a startup tsar to the British government and
advised the then Prime Minster David Cameron directly on
the state of startups in the UK. Then, she got the call from
the Prime Minister to become a lifetime member of the
House of Lords. “Prime Minister David Cameron called me
up and asked me to go to the House of Lords. I said to him,
‘I can’t do this.’ He said, ‘Michelle, you’ve always said to me
that you should never say, “can’t”. What’s wrong with you?’
And I said, ‘I’m so far out of my comfort zone.’ And he
said, ‘And that’s how you’ll learn.’ ”
Before she joined the House of Lords in 2015, she had
to wait for her title from the Queen. “Mayfair had never
been given away to a Baroness or Lord. The Queen has
always kept that title. But because I helped save the UK
union, the Queen made me Baroness Mone of Mayfair,
which was incredible.”
More recently, Mone has entered the interior design
business. A few months ago, she set up Michelle Mone
Interiors that has already been commissioned to kit out the
homes of the ultra-wealthy. “We have offices in Dubai,
Chelsea and Mayfair in London and in the Isle of Man.
We’ve been commissioned to do a £22 million house in
Belgravia in London and a $35 million home in St. Barts.
We even do hand stitched wallpaper and aren’t just run-ofthe-mill
interior designers.”
But what’s now getting Mone a considerable amount of
Bitcoins. In my projection, it’s going to drop quite soon
again and then come back up to we think about $10,000 by
the end of the year.”
Beyond a marketing play that has already resulted in the
world’s leading financial dailies writing extensively about
the project, using Bitcoins makes sound commercial sense
as well. BitPay, a payment service provider that processes
transactions for Virgin Galactic and Microsoft, has been
roped in to manage the Bitcoin transaction. And as Mone
explains, Bitpay, “takes one per cent whereas the bank
would take up to five per cent.”
Mone also believes that a little more international
regulation would help the cause of Bitcoin. “The Isle of
Man has put it in the category of an investment, the
Japanese government have put it in the category of a
currency and the US government have put it in the
category of a commodity. In the UK, the Bank of England
is looking at it too. The Chinese government has stopped
it being used in a certain category but not banned it, just
come out with some legislation.”
Mone may be up against Wall Street pundits including JP
Morgan chief Jamie Dimon who recently singled out Bitcoin
as a fraud and as a cryptocurrency that is only fit for use by
drug dealers, murderers and people living in North Korea.
She takes a contrary stand. “All the questions that I’ve had
are, ‘Is it dodgy? Can we get rid of dusty money on the dark
black web?’ No, you can’t, because everything is transparent.
Mayfair had never been given away to a Baroness or Lord. The Queen has always
kept that title. But because I helped save the UK union, the Queen made me
Baroness Mone of Mayfair
press is a £250 million luxury real estate development that
she has undertaken along with her billionaire partner and
founder of Isle of Man-headquartered Knox Group of
Companies, Doug Barrowman. The Aston Plaza &
Residences located at Dubai Science Park, designed by
architects John R Harris & Partners, consists of two
40-storey residential towers containing a total of 1,133
studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments which will be
built alongside a three-storey plaza. The apartments will be
ready for possession by 2019.
What’s creating a buzz around this project is that you can
buy the apartments using Bitcoins. “Apartments start at
$130,000 and if people want to buy in Bitcoins that equates to
30 Bitcoins. The one bedroom is $240,000 that equates to 50
Bitcoins and the two bedrooms are $380,000 which equates to
80 Bitcoins.” For a few additional Bitcoins, you can get Mone’s
team to design interior packages for your apartment as well.
Before the scheme allowing owners to buy apartments using
Bitcoin was unveiled, 483 apartments were sold conventionally.
Mone and her partner Barrowman are furiously waving
the flag for Bitcoin, one of the most widely used
cryptocurrencies in the world that has appreciated over 400
per cent since the start of the year and came within a hair’s
breadth of breaking through the $5,000 before crashing.
She doesn’t seem too concerned with the volatility of the
currency and predicts a further correction. “There are 16
million Bitcoins and by the year 2140 there will be 21 million
Actually, the Feds in America caught Silk Road because they
were using Bitcoin and Silk Road was the underworld of
drugs and weapons. Because it’s old news, everyone is a bit
confused and don’t know what it’s all about, but I think by
next year it will settle down.”
On her decision to narrow down on Dubai, she says, “I
think it’s a mega exciting place to do business. I used to get
that feeling from New York but I would have to say that
Dubai has overtaken New York.”
Apart from writing her autobiography My Fight To The Top
and undertaking motivational speaking assignments around
the world – last October, alongside Tony Robbins, she
addressed a crowd of 4,000 in Dubai – the plucky
entrepreneur will soon be launching a web series where she
will mentor budding entrepreneurs in a programme called
Connect to Michelle. Before going digital, Mone has created
an ardent following in the social media space. “I’m on
Twitter with 1.1 million followers and on Instagram,
Facebook and LinkedIn. It’s amazing how you can get your
products out there with costing you no money. I never had
social media when I started my business. If you’re not on it,
then you need to get on it because it’s the future.”
What’s the best advice she gives to fellow entrepreneurs?
“Don’t take risks unless you can afford to lose. Go with
your gut instincts. Go with your heart. Successful people,
no matter how tough, never give up.” Sounds like a typical
day in the life of Mone.
21
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EQUITY
AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL SERVICES LICENSEE 483118 | ABN 27 608 511 593

ENTREPRENEUR
THE ULTIMATE
OPPORTUNISTS
Gaurav Biswas and Pradeep Mallavarapu talk about their brainchild
TruKKer – an app-based truck aggregator – that has grown by 2,000 per
cent in just 11 months since its inception
Words by Meryl D'Souza
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ENTREPRENEUR
Pradeep
Mallavwarapu
Co-founder of
TruKKer
Gaurav Biswas
Co-founder of
TruKKer
Pradeep Mallavarapu, who is one-half of the
brains behind TruKKer – the Uber of trucks in
the UAE, was never bullied during his time at
engineering college. Incidents of bullying are
well documented in the Indian subcontinent,
but he managed to escape since he was a day
scholar, which means he didn’t live in the hostel
– it’s the unlucky majority who reside at hostels
that go through the bullying. For instance, his
co-partner, Gaurav Biswas, admits he wasn’t as
lucky. Biswas was bullied, although specifies
that the bullying period lasts a month at most..
Leaving that college stint aside, the duo
behind the app-based truck aggregator have
been friends since they were eight years old.
They were in the same class, went to the same
football coach, martial arts centre and even
summer camps. “We’re not just a partnership
that is in business because we bring in
complementary skillsets,” Biswas says.
Many will tell you that mixing friendships and
business is never a good idea – it probably isn’t –
but because Biswas and Mallavarapu “bring in
complementary skillsets” they rarely clash.
Mallavarapu, with his team in India, handles the
technology side of TruKKer while Biswas likes to
think of himself as the hustler and dealmaker. But
what is TruKKer and how has the business grown
by 2,000 per cent in its first 11 months?
“Calling it the Uber of trucks is the simplest
way of describing the app,” says Biswas. “The
app essentially lets people call for a truck and ask
for an item to be delivered while embedding the
Uber technology of being able to track the truck
through the app at any point in time.” Sounds
like a tepid idea, right? But that’s why it’s so
brilliant. The demand for something like this has
always been there, it’s the supply that has been
lacking. Think about how ridiculously expensive
it's been to move furniture every time you’ve
thought of moving out of a flat in the UAE.
TruKKers is here to aid beat headaches – and
backaches – like that. Having said that, that’s not
all the app is about. The best ideas in the world
are seldom one-dimensional.
Don’t believe us? Allow us to segue. You may
have heard of McDonald's. It’s a fast food chain,
right? Wrong. McDonald's isn’t purely a burgerflipping
chain. Look past that creepy clown smile
and you’ll find that McDonald's is actually a realestate
company. McDonald's makes money on
real estate through two methods: Its real estate
subsidiary will buy and sell hot properties while
also collecting rents on each of its franchised
locations. Enjoy the happy meal, kid.
The idea for TruKKers came to Biswas when he
was at dinner with a few of his friends from
college, one of whom was a fertilizer manufacturer
in India. “This guy was supposed to have three
truckloads of consignments the next day. While
we were at dinner, he got a call from his transporter
at the last minute saying he could only provide one
truck,” says Biswas. “The problem was that my
friend was used to this kind of behaviour. I just
joked that he should have like an Uber for trucks.
The very next day I called Pradeep and asked him
how much it would be to put the plan into action.”
Today, TruKKers works across three
verticals: B2C: home moving services wherein
they also have the option of sending in trained
crew that pack, uninstall, and reinstall
appliances. Hybrid B2B and B2C delivery:
working with customers or companies where
they undertake the last mile of deliveries from
their warehouses to their customers. And lastly,
B2B: supplying trucks to companies. Businesses
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ENTREPRENEUR
can book anything from a one-tonne pick-up
truck to 40 ft trailers. That’s where TruKKers is
steps ahead compared to Uber. As Biswas
pointed out, even before Uber or Careem was in
the region, there were cabs with standardised
metres. The same can’t be said for trucks. “No
one has bothered standardising rates. Global
companies including P&G and Unilever, have
those things in place because they can afford
to,” says Biswas. “They consume about 40
trucks a day. However, 80 per cent of the UAE
market is a fragmented consumer market. They
don’t know whether they will need 100 or 10
trucks per month. Their demand and supply
work differently. They resort to getting trucks
on an ad hoc basis.
“There’s also a case to be made for third-party
risk,” says Mallavarapu. “A large percentage of
the truck market is run by individuals. Say if I
want to transport Dhs100,000 worth of goods, I
have to blindly trust the driver. And if he takes
about four hours for a two-hour delivery, I’m at
risk.” It doesn’t help that most of these
individual truck owners struggle with
paperwork. Some of them can’t even be
bothered with an invoice and should you ask for
one, they’ll simply scribble the cost on a piece of
paper. The duo aren’t a fan of those shady
transactions, which is why the app produces
instant invoices. For companies who aren’t
worried about the cost but wish to budget, this
is a blessing. “The app even benefits drivers,”
Mallavarapu says. “They’re usually the ones
Think of us as a
technology interface that’s
solving the issue of drivers
not getting enough business
and consumers not finding
decent truck drivers.
We’re helping the demand
find supply
waiting at an industrial estate for a job to come
through. In a week, these guys would get about
two or three transactions at best. That’s why the
rates were high. Now that they have regular
jobs, their rates have dropped. That way the
customer is happy too.”
Ever the hustler, Biswas has the last word,
“Think of us as a technology interface that’s
solving the issue of drivers not getting enough
business and consumers not finding decent truck
drivers. We’re helping the demand find supply.”
Don’t let that good-natured quote fool you.
These guys are astute, like all successful
businessmen. Sure, they’re helping people along
the way, but these guys capitalised on a gap in the
system. They’re not simply businessmen, they’re
opportunists. That’s why they’ve grown so much
in such a short time.
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EQUITY

Bombardier, Global 6000 and Exceptional by Design are trademarks of
Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries. © 2017 Bombardier Inc. All rights reserved.
We didn’t get here by sheer luck. This was deliberate.
An act of craftsmanship and engineering prowess. Decades in the making.
Meeting at the intersection of art and technology. Defying conventions.
Redefining luxury. So when all is said and done,
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businessaircraft.bombardier.com
26
EQUITY

COVER STORY
IMAGES BY SHUTTERSTOCK ; WORDS BY FABIAN WAINTAL / THE INTERVIEW PEOPLE
“WHEN I WAS OLD
ENOUGH, I WAS JUST
BLOWN AWAY AT
HOW INFLUENTIAL
BLADE RUNNER HAD
REALLY BEEN”
Blade Runner 2049 is out in cinemas this month, starring none other than
the award-winning Ryan Gosling as the protagonist of this sequel. The
charming actor speaks to Fabian Waintal of his latest role and working
alongside the original film’s hero, Harrison Ford
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COVER STORY
He’s been the star of the year with La La Land
winning the Academy Awards. Now, Ryan Gosling
keeps the flame burning heading into the future,
with the second version of Blade Runner. To get an
exclusive interview with him, we flew out to Las Vegas before
the launch presentation of the futuristic blockbuster, to talk
about what else? The future, just like his movie.
You starred in “the” movie of 2016 and now you’re going
to be in “the” movie of 2017. How does that feel?
I feel so lucky to be able to work right now, with the
people that I’m working with, and making the kind of
films I’m making.
And with that feeling of lucky, does it feel like work when
you travel to Las Vegas to literally talk about the future of
the new Blade Runner movie?
I’m not even sure if I’m allowed to say that I had a fun time
making it (laughs). It’s fun to be in Vegas and to be premiering
this now, because a big portion of the films was shot in Las
Vegas (the year being 2049). It was incredible to watch them
try to recreate Las Vegas.
You moved from Canada to Hollywood? What was it like
and what future were you expecting?
It was scary because as much as I’d seen L.A. in the movies
and I knew I needed to come here, it’s a big city and it’s hard
to find your way in it when you don’t know anyone. It took
me probably five years before I started to feel like I was
getting to know it, but the beauty of Los Angeles is that you’re
constantly getting to know it. I’ve lived here since I was
sixteen and I’m always discovering a new area or a new level
or a new element to it that I didn’t know existed.
How easy was IT beginning as an actor, coming from
another country?
I spent a lot of time trying to work here and not having a
permit, so it was hard for a long time before I finally got a
green card. And even more difficult because people wouldn’t
hire you for smaller roles because it wasn’t worth it for them
to pay for your permit. In a way, it helped because you could
only audition for big roles. Because those were the only roles
that if you got them, people would pay for your permit. So, it
kind of forced me to aim high. I feel very lucky to have gotten
to make films in United States about the country showing the
different facets of it. There’s the aspect of it where you’re just
driving around at night, sort-of isolated in your car and we
tried to capture that feeling in Drive and there’s this part of La
La Land where you’re surrounded by history and now, I’m
into the future with Blade Runner.
Are you coming back with another film as a director?
Yeah, I have two films that I’m getting ready to direct. I’m
figuring out which one. One is a musical, which I was
going to do before La La Land. I’ve had this Busby
Berkeley project for a long time, it’s just taken a while to
develop it. It’s an incredible experience to direct a film
because making movies, I think, is the greatest job there is.
When you’re an actor, it’s incredible, but the ride only goes
so far. As a filmmaker, you have the full experience.
Did fatherhood changed your future forever, too?
It changes it for the better, your life becomes better than you
ever thought it could be. And...
More protective?
Protective of what?
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COVER STORY
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COVER STORY
It's been 30 years in the
making. It was thrilling for
us, as fans, to go back
into that universe,
live in that world, and help
carry on the narrative
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COVER STORY
Protecting your child from dangers, saying “Don’t
touch that” all the time?
Now you mean in my own life, do I get more protective?
Sure, yeah, everything is a potential danger. Ten heart
attacks a day (Laughs).
Have they seen any of your movies yet?
No, they’re too little. They’re just babies. We’ll see what
happens… in 2049 (Laughs).
What do you think this movie is showing us that could
happen in the future?
I think that’s what’s exciting about the world of
‛Blade Runner’. Ridley [Scott] and the original film
grounded it so much. It felt very possible somehow, which
is what was so daunting about it. In some ways, I don’t
know if he predicted it or if it’s life imitating art, but he
was right about a lot of things. It just feels much grounded
and very human. I think what’s wonderful of science
fiction is you need to create enough of a distance from
reality that allows the audiences to further get emotionally
charged so that there’s more objectivity.
When did you first watch the movie?
When I was old enough, I think about 13 or 14, and I was
just blown away at how influential this film (Blade Runner)
had really been. Not really in film, but in my reality as well.
It was quite a prophetic film in many ways. It was a
world that had influenced the one I grew up in, so it was
so surreal to be there. To become a part of it, it’s
hard to say how special that was, but it was really a
wonderful experience.
Did you feel the pressure while filming the movie to be
doing the second part of such an iconic movie?
Yes, it was an excitement as well to bring this to the films.
I’m one of the fans. It’s been 30 years in the making.
It was thrilling for us, as fans, to go back into that universe,
live in that world, and help carry on the narrative. And
Ridley wrote the story with Hampton Fancher who wrote
the original story and he chose Denis [Villenueve] to direct
the film. Denis is such an incredible filmmaker. Plus, Ruter
Hauer is shooting it and Harrison [Ford] is back in his
role. I just felt luckier than anything to be surrounded with
such great people and talented craftsmen and
to be allowed to be a part of that universe that I’ve grown
up with.
Was it hard to stay in character?
It was so surreal to be walking around in the universe
of Blade Runner. The craftsmanship of this film was really
on another level. Every location was real, every set was
there, and every prop was functional. It was a fully
functioning living, breathing world. It made it easy for us
in the end, to just focus on the internal world of these
characters because the external world was fully realised
and was richer with detail.
Was it easier to work along Harrison Ford, too?
He’s such a wonderful actor and a great guy. He wanted to
extend the story, felt like there was more to tell. It was
truly such a pleasure working together.
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EDUCATION
THE FABULOUS
LIFE OF A
SUPER TUTOR
Christopher Gyngell, Director at Carfax Education UAE,
gives us a peek into the life of a tutor for the uber-rich in the region
By Meryl D’souza
According to a global report published by HSBC
in July this year, UAE parents pay more than
double the global average for their child’s
education. The report titled "The Value of
Education: Higher and higher" claimed that parents –
both locals and expats – pay an average of $99,378 to
educate their children from kindergarten through the first
four years of university. Even more worryingly, a majority
of those parents aren’t satisfied with the quality of
education available and, thus, resort to tutors. The crème
de la crème however, prefer the expertise of super tutors.
“There are many good schools in Dubai and in the wider
Gulf region,” says Christopher Gyngell, Director at Carfax
Education UAE. “But if you’re a parent who attended a
leading school in the UK, you’d find the services here are
lacking. That’s where we come in.”
For those who may not know, Carfax Education UAE is
a provider of bespoke education services to private
institutional clients throughout the U.A.E. and wider Gulf
region. Christopher Gyngell, who has considerable
experience being a super tutor himself, oversees both the
Abu Dhabi and Dubai offices. “Our clients are who you'd
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EDUCATION
expect them to be: parents with disposable incomes and
concerns about their child’s all-round education,” Gyngell
said. "These parents want to see their kids attend Ivy
League schools and are concerned there’s a gap between
what’s required and what’s offered here.”
Carfax's tutoring business provides highly-skilled and
educated super tutors to anyone who can afford them. But
what exactly are super tutors? “I would define them as
extremely qualified, very flexible tutors who work almost
exclusively with one family,” Gyngell explains. “There are
two types of super tutors: those that excel in just one
subject and boast extremely high success rates, and those
who tend to play more of a governor role, similar to
Victorian times, where they look after the child and
mentor them while the parents are working.”
The US is famous for specialised super tutors who stick
to just the one subject and oversee multiple pupils whereas
super tutors in the UK and here in the UAE, prefer to
work exclusively with one family at a time. Gyngell’s team
at Carfax work with parents who like to have them on
board extracurricularly or work with their children instead
of having them go to school.
Carfax offers plenty of other services including advisory
on relocating children to the UK or the US. “A typical
profile for that would be, a Russian family, living in
Moscow and you want to move your children to a boarding
school in the UK. In this case, you’ll engage us for tutoring
and along with that conversation, we’ll talk about school
placements and offer immigration advice in terms of how
to move your family there and get student visas for your
children,” says Gyngell. “Think of us as an educational
concierge service.”
If that sounds impressive, it’s because the business of
super tutors is inconceivably posh. In the UK, super tutors
earn up to $2,000 per hour. Closer home – and after a lot
of probing on our end – Gyngell said Carfax charges up to
$220 per hour while the base rate is about $130 per hour.
Don’t be alarmed, some super tutors charge as much as
top-end lawyers to educate the offspring of the wealthy.
“It’s hard to come up with an average salary range,”
Gyngell explains. “You’re getting a highly qualified
individual at your beck and call. I’d say there are families
getting an absolute steal for what they’re paying.”
Gyngell isn’t wrong. Clients come in with many specific
View of the Marbella resort city. Province of Malaga, Andalusia, Costa del Sol. Southern Spain
Luxury interior in the modern business jet
demands. “For example, some clients ask for a female
tutor because they come from a Muslim family and there
are cultural considerations to take into account,” Gyngell
says. “In one case, we were looking for a female tutor,
over the age of 30, with an Oxford degree and an interest
in horse riding. It’s ridiculous, with each new demand, the
number of candidates gets smaller and smaller.”
Clients get to dictate a tutor’s hobby because they want the
tutor to be compatible with their children. “Sometimes, even
when you find such qualified people who tick all the boxes,
they may turn out to be the wrong personality fit," Gyngell
says. "That’s something you don’t want to compromise on.”
All things said and done, even Gyngell can’t deny that the
perks of being a super tutor make everything else worth it. “It
can be amazing,” he says. “Certainly, there are very nice
benefits, but there are trade-offs.”
Gyngell’s first assignment as a super tutor was with a
family in southern Spain. He worked with the couple’s
13-year-old son over the course of one summer. With the
boy’s parents deciding to move him to a British boarding
school, the idea was to spend the summer getting him on
top of his English among other subjects. “The family was
lovely,” Gyngell recalls. “They understood their son was
improving and were willing to put in the time and the
effort. For me personally, it was a great job. I spent the
first half of my day with him and had the rest of the time to
myself. They had given me a flat and a car to drive around.”
If that sounds like a pretty sweet deal, wait till you hear
the rest. In his years as a super tutor, Gyngell has been
teaching rich kids on the back of a yacht, in Rolls Royce
Phantoms on the way to meetings, in private jets and
helicopters. “I’ve even gone skydiving in the Alps with a
student once,” Gyngell says. “After a while, you realise it’s
not necessarily a perk, but their lifestyle.”
Sounds like an even sweeter deal. You know all those
#RichKidsOfInstagram posts you love to loathe seeing?
Those are the type of kids Gyngell tutors. The trade-off for
such a seemingly lavish life is flexibility. Salaries can be very
competitive, but that’s because you’ll find that you’re
working in unusual circumstances and can be summoned at
any time when you’re a super tutor. “You can’t necessarily
plan a life around the job,” Gyngell says. “Having said that,
a tutoring gig in the Maldives would be great.”
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LOCAL STAR
#SUPPORTLOCAL
Meet Veer Ramlugon, founder and owner of the WhatsApp-based service,
The Food Analysts
Tell us about The Food Analysts
The Food Analysts is a WhatsApp-based human
calorie counting service that helps subscribers
keep track of their daily diet and calorie intake. I
founded the company in May 2017 after years of
following a training programme and monitoring
my calorie intake manually. I completed my studies
in a field quite different to health and fitness,
achieving my Bachelor of Engineering degree in
Aerospace Engineering from City University of
London and then going on to work in finance.
How did you identify a niche in the market?
Over the years, I’ve used many food monitoring
and tracking mobile apps, but always found they
lacked a key element – convenience. I am always
on the go – working late, travelling and eating out
– and don’t have the time or resources to monitor
my calorie intake myself. That is why I developed
The Food Analysts, which tracks calories on behalf
of others through a dedicated team of trained
health professionals. This service is ideal for those
who want to know what they are, and should be,
consuming on a daily basis in order to meet their
nutrition and fitness goals.
What have been your major challenges till date?
Many compare The Food Analysts to other free
calorie monitoring apps. They also question the
details and accuracy of the results based on simply
sending a picture and short explanation of the food.
My team are trained professionals who have been
doing this for months and know elements like
recipes and portion sizes like the back of their
hands. They are hands-on and form a personal
relationship with the client, really getting to know
their food preferences – whether they drink their
coffee with or without sugar, with low fat milk, etc.
Where do you see the brand in the next
five years?
The Food Analysts was developed with the aim of
helping people live a healthier life. While we
already have customers based in a number of
countries – UAE, UK, India and USA, we want to
grow this even further over the next few years and
reach a larger demographic across the world.
Overall, the vision is for us to be a catalyst for
nutritional help on a global scale, and the go-to
service for all your healthy lifestyle needs.
Visit thefoodanalysts.com for more information
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ody
&
soul
Our lust-worthy statement
pieces make for a great gift
and investment - shop your
favourites. This month, we
explore stunning Sri Lanka,
destinations in the capital,
and the most expensive
penthouse in the UAE
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IS THE ALL-NEW IPHONE X REALLY
WORTH $1000?
AND EVERYTHING ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM
APPLE’S IPHONE EVENT
DUBAI TO BUILD THE WORLD’S LARGEST
CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER PROJECT
The $3.8billion project is part of a mega solar
park that will generate 5,000Mw by 2030
PORSCHE’S
LIMITED-EDITION SUPERYACHT
The GT 115 is meant for long-distance
high-speed cruising
THE NEW CFO OF KRAFT HEINZ
IS 29 YEARS OLD
David Knopf is making us question our
life choices
THE $2.7 MILLION MERCEDES-AMG PROJECT ONE
The next best thing to driving an actual F1 car
Follow us on social media
36
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EQUITYMEDIAUAE

Official Representative for
Bahrain - Kuwait - Oman - Qatar
Saudi Arabia - United Arab Emirates
Mangusta has been the undisputed leader in yachting fun for the past 30 years:
with its strength of character, timeless personal style
and experience in building dreams.
Today, Mangusta is a reference icon, a milestone in yachting fun since 1985,
and now availalbe throughout the GCC, distributed by DG Marine.
Motor City, Control Tower, 13th Floor, Studio 1302, Dubai - UAE
Mobile: +971 50 20 666 11 - Tel: +971 4 450
37
36 39
EQUITY
Email: greg@mangusta.ae - Website: www.mangusta.ae - Instagram: mangustayachts_me

TRENDS
The
CHECKLIST
Chic picks to keep you vogueish this summer
FLAWLESS FIT
Berluti’s master shoemaker is coming to town, offering bespoke
shoemaking services tailor-made to the client’s requirements. The
journey for the perfect sole commences with a chat between the
shoemaker and the client, to get an understanding of the shoewearer’s
daily habits, preferences and specifications. The concept
moves forward to design stage, where further personalisation can
be accommodated, be it the flowered tip on the vamp, initials or
embroideries. Before the shoe is ready for handover - in a Venezia
Scritto leather box – the colourist applies the patina, selected by
the client, giving it a distinct personality.
The shoe-making process can take a couple of months and the
bespoke service can be booked from October 17-19 at the Berluti
Store and Level Shoe District in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
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TRENDS
DESIGNER COLLABORATION
The athleisure trend is here to stay. If you aren’t complementing a formal workwear
dress with sneakers (as spotted in DIFC and d3 neighborhoods), chances are, you
will soon be donning the trend. British accessories designer, Sophia Webster, has
partnered with PUMA to launch a quirky collection fueled with inspiration from her
lifelong passion for dance, music and streetwear. Two cult
classics have been given an artsy twist with details including a
textured flock hand-drawn pattern, bold graphics, mesh
detailing, and a burst of colour from fluorescent tones and soft
candy-coloured pastels. Our favourites? The Pearl sneaker
(seen here) featuring a rubber cage design, Suedes with
translucent rubber soles, and the upgraded classic Leadcat
slides that now boast metallic embroidered artwork and
fluoro highlights. Available at sophiawebster.com and
PUMA stores
#TRENDING: MONICA VINADER
The iconic Riva collection’s latest Pod silhouette
stems inspiration from nature and the sculptural
curved forms of Jean Arp (French-German
sculptor). A fluid design flows through the
collection seamlessly, with open, pave-set
diamond designs making it an accessory to pair
with just about any outfit – from crisp shirts, to
cocktail dresses and floor-grazing gowns.
Available at Boutique1
STRAIGHT FROM THE RUNWAY
Tadashi Shoji’s Spring Summer 2018 collection is for women looking for effortless designer creations, standing
on its own, as a piece of art. Gemstone shades of jade, rose quartz, red, yellow opal, azurite and agate, steal the
limelight with knee-length hemlines and gowns that serve as party wear for casual weddings, and yacht wear for
sundowners and cruise gatherings. Available at Robinsons and Etoile Galeries Lafayette
39
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IN STYLE
HOP
talk
The stores to visit for
Syour next shopping haul
ARTSY TOUCH
The late Sixties makes a comeback with Repetto’s
FW17 collection, highlighting the Tag while playing
tribute to street art. Designs feature vocabulary
stating zizi, dance, Brigitte, written out in hues of
white, black and pink. Available worldwide
RED CARPET GLAM
It’s only a matter of time before Charlotte Tilbury
makes her debut into the Middle East at Dubai Mall –
the store opens February 2018. Until then, we’re
adding the matte contour liquid lipstick and
beauty light and contour wands, to our online shopping
carts. The all-new
Hollywood collection
comprises of rosegold
pigments, animal
cruelty-free brushes,
and products made
with beeswax,
which offers easily
achievable red
carpet glamour,
with shades to
flatter every
skin tone.
Available at
net-a-porter.com,
harrods.com and
selfridges.com
ONE FOR MEN
The only way to lug those
documents around and keep
everything in check for
meetings, is with
Longchamp’s latest
collection for men. The
three lines feature The Gary
(boasting patchwork of
smooth cowhide, metis and
calf leather); The Ruban
(reflecting a contemporary
Parisian style with two-tone
leather – available in pilot blue
and lacquer red); and the
Cross-Line bag with a
crisscross pattern. Lonchamp
stores across the UAE
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GROOMING
INDULGE YOURSELF
Tried-and-tested experiences of the month
Tried-and-tested experiences of the month
V
Need to know:
The rerooting colour
is available from
Dhs340-350 and the
moisture therapy at
Dhs200 for long hair.
Call 800 28332
The venue: AVEDA
(800 Aveda)
The service: Rerooting hair colour with
blow-dry and Moisture therapy treatment
The verdict: Aveda is no stranger to anyone who puts a little
extra effort and care into their hair routine. For those new to
the brand, Aveda – owned by Estée Lauder Companies – is
renowned internationally for their expertise in haircare, using
the art and science of pure flower and plant essences. All
products are plant-based and contain pure essential oils,
making it ideal for salon treatments. When we walked into the
glamorous salon, located at the rooftop of Galleria Mall on Al
Wasl Road, we were stunned by the views of Burj Khalifa –
Insta-worthy from the minute you enter. Not sure what to
expect, I accepted the offer of a hair consultation, to analyse
my hair condition and suggest a treatment suitable to my
personal needs and lifestyle. Before my hair was shampooed
and dried, I was treated to a soothing head-neck-and-shoulder
massage – known as a sensory journey – that almost made me
snooze. Once the root colour was applied and washed off, the
consultant suggested a moisture therapy treatment to treat
dry locks and split ends. This was placed on for around 30
minutes and later washed off. The result, gorgeous soft glossy
locks that were irresistible to touch.
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GROOMING
The venue: CHAPS AND CO
The service: Haircut
The verdict: Chaps and Co oozes British class. I’m not
talking about that high and mighty variation, no, I’m talking
about that Liam Gallagher, Alex Turner spunk that is
effortlessly cool. The hip, ultra-modern barbers’ newest
venue located on the mezzanine floor of Building Six in the
swanky d3 maintains that British gentlemen’s club vibe while
allowing for just enough playfulness. The posh dark décor,
leather sofas and trademark stag head brings out the majesty
of the gentleman’s world while the cutthroat razors adorning
the wall, PS4-equipped flat screen TV and the company
Need to know:
A standard cut starts
at Dhs115. Visit
chapsandco.ae or name spelled out in lightbulbs, all act as a nod to
call +971 4 240 6843 the fact that men never really grow up.
From the moment you enter, the lounge-like
setting has you hooked. So much so that when
the staff – who look sharp enough to cover fashion
magazines – come to politely ask you what beverage you’d
like, you half-expect them to hand you a menu because
you’d like a fish and chips to pair with said beverage. Truth
be told though; all these add-ons are just frills if the haircut
doesn’t match the incredibly high standards. Luckily, it does.
My allotted barber was chatty and offered up
consultation as well as a layman’s walk-through of what he
was doing to my hair: keratin treatment plus a skin fade
undercut to complement the half-ponytail topped with a
facial massage. Life’s good, isn’t it?
By the time I was done, not a strand of hair was out of
place. But here’s the problem: I could not sit still while
getting my haircut. Just when I was ready to comply to my
barber’s wishes, the wireless Marshall stereo in the corner
would play another indie rock ballad that the EDM-loving
millennials of today would never truly appreciate. At one
point my barber and I took a breather just to lip-sync and
subtly play air guitars as Arctic Monkeys’ I Bet That You
Look Good On The Dance Floor boomed through the
speakers. Men never really grow up.
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EQUITY

Wealth has its challenges.
We will help you protect,
grow and pass it on.
Experts in advising the
wealthy located in
Abu Dhabi, Dubai,
London and 10 other
offices around the globe.
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T: +971 (0)4 511 9718
www.blplaw.com
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COLLECTOR'S PIECES
ON OUR RADAR
Striking statement pieces
FURNITURE
PHILIP CAGGIANO
XOSTED
Men love cars, there’s no denying that. Their ardency towards vehicles begins at childhood during playtime, continuing
to teenage years where hours are spent gawking at sports cars, and further carried on to adulthood with a purchase
that’s probably been on their wish list for years. Philip Caggiano is no different. His passion has led him to forming a
contemporary furniture brand inspired by exotic luxury automobiles, with chairs inspired by his own custom 1970
Mustang Mach 1, 1966 Shelby GT350R and F1 cars. The 2017 collection offers sleek chairs, sofas, lounges, consoles
and rockers that double as functional art pieces. Xosted, the stainless steel S304 exhaust pipe tubing piece (seen here),
is one of the bestsellers, with each chair taking approximately 300 hours of hand polishing. The chair was created to
replicate a custom-built exhaust system, giving modern homes a sleek, automotive-inspired edge.
THE CHAIR IS AVAILABLE IN 24K GOLD WITH THE BRUSHED OR PAINTED CHAIR SCULPTURE FOR $8,995
(DHS33,040), AND MIRROR-POLISH FOR $15,995 (DHS58,750), VISIT PHILIPCAGGIANO.COM
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COLLECTOR'S PIECES
TIMEPIECE
Omega
Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer Master Chronometer Platinum
FOR HIM
Omega is over a century old but hasn’t stopped innovating and breaking new ground. This new timepiece is its very first
worldtimer. The party piece of the watch is the hand-crafted enamel world map on the dial. The 24 cities noted on it are
cleverly colour coded. GMT is in red, cities that are plus one hour in summer are in black and cities that do not have
daylight saving changes to their timings are in blue.
Under the dial is a self-winding calibre 8939 that hasn’t only been certified by COSC, but additionally put through another series
of rigorous tests conducted in-house at Omega’s facility and certified by METAS, a Swiss-government controlled testing agency.
As a member of the Aqua Terra family, it is water resistant to a respectable 150 metres. The watch is limited to just 87
pieces. Even though Omega will likely manufacture more worldtimers in the years to come, scoring one from the inaugural
batch makes it a collector’s piece - that’s bound to become an investment piece too.
$48,600 (DHS178,500) AT OMEGAWATCHES.COM
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COLLECTOR'S PIECES
TIMEPIECE
Audemars Piguet
Royal Oak Frosted Gold
FOR HER
Gérald Genta’s enduring legacy is the Royal Oak, a timepiece with an octagonal bezel design that brought Audemars
Piguet back from the brink, and one that continues to be the flagship collection of the brand.
In 1971 when it was first shown at the Basel watch fair, it created an all-new category called the luxury sports watch
that didn’t exist until then. Five years later, AP introduced a women’s version of the Royal Oak.
Forty years on, jeweller Carolina Bucci was tasked by Audemars Piguet to create the frosted effect on the
40th-anniversary editions that come in variants of white- and rose-gold and in bezel sizes of 33mm and 37mm. This
here is the rose-gold 37mm version and the frosted look is created by using the Florentine Technique – a diamondtipped
tool hammers the surface of the gold to create the frosted effect.
This one’s a big bold statement on your wrist that’ll shine even brighter the moment you angle it towards the
spotlight – the only place it really belongs.
$51,400 (DHS188,800) AT AUDEMARSPIGUET.COM
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THE ETERNAL MOVEMENT
Ulysse Nardin, from the movement of the sea to the perpetual
innovation of Haute Horlogerie. For over 170 years, the
powerful movement of the ocean has inspired Ulysse Nardin
in its singular quest: to push back the limits of mechanical
watchmaking, time and time again.
Marine Regatta
Chronograph
Countdown timer
Silicium technology
ulysse-nardin.com
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EQUITY
ULYSSE NARDIN BOUTIQUES: The Dubai Mall +971 44341421, Mall of the Emirates +971 43950577, Beirut Souks +961 1992092
Abu Dhabi: Al Manara International Jewellery Amman: Time Center Bahrain: Asia Jewellers Cairo: BTC Exclusive Doha: Ali Bin Ali
Jeddah: First Jewelry Kuwait: Morad Yousuf Behbehani Muscat: Le Carat Riyadh: First Jewelry

COLLECTOR'S PIECES
GADGETS
Bianchi Scuderia Ferrari
SF01
It’s time to swap horsepower for pedal power. This bicycle is a joint venture between
the world’s oldest cycling company, Bianchi, and F1 star and supercar slayer, Ferrari.
The hand-painted carbon frame cancels 80 per cent of vibrations and weighs under a
kilogram – 780 grams to be precise. The saddle is made from 3K carbon which is the
same material used in Ferrari car seats. Fitted with Pirelli wheels, you can have the bike
fixed with either Shimano or Campagnolo groupsets which ensures muscle power is
translated into kinetic energy with minimal loss of energy along the way.
$17,600 (DHS65,000) AT BIANCHI.COM
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COLLECTOR'S PIECES
Bang & Olufsen
BEOVISION ECLIPSE
LG and Bang & Olufsen have teamed up to unveil this 4k TV
with HDR OLED screen technology. Being a B&O product, you
get high-end audio to accompany that crisp picture clarity. A
450 watt, 3-channel SoundCentre speaker at the bottom of the
screen offers stereo and centre channel, making this a far better
option compared to conventional soundbars. As a web-enabled
device, the TV can connect to Netflix, YouTube, Deezer,
internet radio and other music streaming devices as well. The
motorized floor-mounted stand can move the TV, which
comes in options of 55- and 65-inches, around the room and
brings it to you. There’s really no bad viewing angle on this one.
$15,990 (DHS58,800) AT BANG-OLUFSEN.COM
MB&F
OCTOPOD
Before you ask, we’ll let you know this eight-limbed
mechanical object is a clock. The head of the octopus
clock is inspired by the transparent pressure hulls in minisubmarines.
It’s also where you can read the time off this
clock designed in collaboration with L’Epée 1839. The
balance wheel and the going train are
mounted on the minute hand
and make a full revolution
every 60 minutes. There
are three versions of the
clock – blue PVD, black
PVD and palladium –
each of which is limited
to 50 units.
Hasselblad
X1D FIELD KIT
$36,500 (DHS134,000)
AT MBANDF.COM
If you are going to channel intrepid explorer instead of
clumsy camera-toting tourist vibes, you better get
yourself this professional Hasselblad X1D Field Kit.
Housed within a tough pelican case is a medium format
mirrorless X1D-50c camera handmade in Sweden and
three lenses: 30mm, 45mm and 90mm. Apart from a
few accessories like a lens pen, dust blower and
cleaning cloth, there’s space carved out already within
the solid foam inside for a yet-to-be-released 120mm
lens. We can’t wait.
$17,500 (DHS64,000) AT HASSLEBLAD.COM
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COLLECTOR'S PIECE
AUTOMOBILE
GOOD
VIBRATIONS
The 115 th Anniversary CVO Limited edition
Harley-Davidson makes every other
long-distance touring motorcycle look mediocre
Words by Varun Godinho
In the spring of 1903, the Wright brothers were still a few
months away from their maiden flight, Einstein was working
at the Swiss patent office and Theodore Roosevelt was
President of the United States of America. It was also the
year that one of the all-time motorcycling greats, Harley-
Davidson was born. Operating out of a 10x15-foot shed in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Harley-Davidson went into
production: three motorcycles were manufactured, each
one fitted with a 167cc engine and were capable of a top
speed of 25mph.
Harley-Davidson survived two world wars, the Great
Depression and fended off serious competition from the
continent across the pond to emerge as the all-American
long-distance tough-yet-smooth touring motorcycling icon.
The image was reinforced by screen legends in the Fifties like
Peter Fonda riding one in Easy Rider and Marlon Brando
battling a rabble-rousing motorcycling gang that were raising
hell on their Harley-Davidsons in The Wild One.
There have been a few milestone engineering moments
in the history of HD. One of the most recent was the
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COLLECTOR'S PIECE
development of the spectacular Milwaukee-Eight engine
last year (more on that later) and the establishment of a
skunkworks divisions that creates special-edition
collectable motorcycles. One such division is the Custom
Vehicle Operations (CVO) set up in 1999, that picks a
handful of models from Harley's mass-produced line-up
each year and gives them a thorough once over before
releasing them in limited-editions avatars.
To celebrate the marque’s 115th anniversary next year,
Harley-Davidson has unveiled a slew of new variants. But
the one that’s got our full attention is this 115th
Anniversary CVO Limited. One good look at it and you’ll
know why Harley-Davidson has earned its place in the
motorcycling hall of fame.
The handcrafted bike features a batwing fairing and a
Splitstream vent – a product of Project Rushmore – to reduce
rider fatigue and head buffeting. Both the front and rear
passenger have backrests and both heated seats as well. Strips
of scorched chrome have been applied across the bike.
The real star of the show is the Milwaukee-Eight 117
engine. The Milwaukee-Eight is only the third all-new big
twin in 80 years and was developed last year, though it was
only introduced into production models earlier this year. In
this CVO Limited Anniversary edition, the six-speed 1.9-
litre engine is tuned to deliver 166Nm of torque. The
Milwaukee-Eight engines have eight valves instead of four
found in previous Harley engines, which directly results in
additional torque. More torque, more power, more speed
– the combination is intoxicating.
As a luxury motorcycle, expect all the trimmings like an
infotainment system with a 6.5-inch colour touchscreen,
satellite radio, USB/Bluetooth and four 6.5-inch Boom! Bagger
speakers. To keep you from suffering the consequences of
being careless with the throttle, the Reflex Brembo ABS
braking system has electronically linked the front- and rearbrakes
to give you better control and stopping power in an
emergency when you need to stand on the brakes. The 8.5-
foot long Harley that weighs 411kgs may not be the most
convenient ride to take for a supermarket run, but show it a
piece of highway and it’s clear that Harley-Davidson has at
least another 115 years left in it. Maybe more.
$54,500 (DHS 200,000) AT HARLEY-DAVIDSON.COM
52
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COLLECTOR'S PIECE
YACHT
SET SAIL
The latest creations from Ferretti Group
Words by Nicola Monteath
The 40th Cannes Yachting Festival sees yacht manufacturers and keen buyers
flock to the city for one of the most anticipated annual yacht festivals. The
Côte d'Azur show officially marks the commencement of the nautical year,
with brands showcasing their latest fleet. This year saw Ferretti Group launch
25 yachts, ranging from eight to 37 metres, with six premieres and one
restyling representation. Take your pick from these three to suit your lifestyle:
Ferretti Yachts 920
The flybridge sets itself apart, due to its dynamic form and innovative design features. Functional versatility and
expansive spaces (in the bow area) can be used for intimate gatherings in an alfresco setting. Interiors feature numerous
relaxation areas and a fluid layout that makes living onboard no different than a five-star hotel.
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COLLECTOR'S PIECE
Ferretti Yachts 780
Comfort, elegance and safety are fused to form this masterpiece, which boasts a 24 metre flybridge. With neat, modern
lines, an aerodynamic design, and resizing of the height of the hull’s topsides, this yacht exudes athletic character – ideally
for one who loves a bit of adventure out in the sea.
Ferretti Yachts 550 Restyling
Based on a highly-admired concept, the restyled creation now features innovative elements and unremitting glazing
that accentuates the yacht’s profile. To give the yacht an airy, spacious vibe, and allow natural light to flood the indoors,
three large glazed windows have been placed on the hull sides. To further enhance the makeover, furnishings and
accessories solely from prestigious luxury brands have been used.
VISIT FERRETTIGROUP.COM
55
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GASTRONOMY
WEEKEND DINING
Two restaurants worth a visit
1
SKY-HIGH DINING
AT.MOSPHERE, BURJ KHALIFA
Located on level 122, 1,447 feet up in the air, At.mosphere at the Burj Khalifa
holds the Guinness World Record for the “highest restaurant from ground level”.
Not exactly the place you’d like to drop by for breakfast if you suffer from
acrophobia. Luckily we didn’t and visited to sample its new breakfast menu.
There’s an à la carte selection, but if choosing between applewood smoked
sea trout, a crepe and a twice baked haddock soufflé lead to an unresolvable
approach-approach conflict, go with the set menu that simplifies the
experience. The Decadence set-menu saw us get started with a selection of
almond and chocolate croissants, brioche and a French baguette, along with a
marmalade and vanilla butter. Next
up, a three-tiered stand is brought to
the table. The top shelf had a helping
of organic Greek yoghurt parfait,
drizzled with a velvety smooth
macadamia manuka honey.
The shelf below it contained a
selection of cheese and handkerchiefslim
cuts of beef pastrami, veal bacon
and turkey bacon, all of which were
laid alongside a selection of cheese
that included brie and gruyère. Before
we tucked into level two, it was time
to order the mains that include eggs
and items like waffles. However, we
were tempted by the exotic lobster
scrambled eggs from the à la carte
menu, and the staff were happy to
indulge us. Their only question:
“Would you like some caviar on
that?” Yes, please.
By the time we got to the bottom
tier of the stand, filled with cuts of
fresh fruits, it was time to round up
the experience with a coffee, though
you would do very well to call for a
hot chocolate too which stops just
short of a slab of chocolate melted
whole and undiluted in a glass.
The staff lets you linger around for as
long as you like after your meal to take
in the views from any side of the
restaurant. The restaurant is located
two levels below Burj Khalifa’s official
observation deck that’s open to the
public. Knowing that you can enjoy an
entire set menu meal for approximately
the same price of an observation deck
ticket and get to stay far longer to get
the perfect family selfie, thanks to the
friendly staff, makes visiting At.
mosphere a proposition that’s a
winner on several levels.
Need to know:
The Decadence menu starts
from Dhs325 per person and the
restaurant is open for breakfast
daily from 7-11am.
Call +971 4888 3828
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GASTRONOMY
POOLSIDE NOSH
2
AZURE LOUNGE, RIXOS JBR
You have probably noticed a large glass structure right across
Al Fattan Towers on the Jumeirah Beach Residence strip.
That’s the swanky newly-launched Rixos Premium Dubai. On
one end, it seems similar to any conventional “Dubai hotel”.
The beachfront side, however, boasts an infinity pool that
stretches from one end to the other, with restaurants flanking
it. Azure was our destination of choice for dinner, offering
poolside snacks for those who want to avail the day pass, or
merely dine al fresco while enjoying the cool breeze. A meal
here comprises of plenty of seafood and vegetables, making it
a great option for pescatarians and vegans too. Expect plush
lounge chairs, and neutral-hue décor coupled with nautical
pops of colour and stunning views all around.
When salt and pepper squid graces a menu for
appetisers, it’s always a top choice to test against the city’s
rest. These were crisp, soft on the inside and showed no
signs of grease – paired beautifully with the creamy and
tart yoghurt lime aioli. Up next was an incredibly juicy and
fresh Azure Salad, the kind you wish you could recreate
daily. Salmon, tuna and hamachi were mixed with
radicchio, fennel, onion and beetroot, topped with and a
citrus charred orange vinaigrette that allowed the
vegetables and fish to marry flawlessly. For something a bit
more substantial, we dived into a meaty baked salmon
fillet sandwich served with pickled cucumber and wasabi
coleslaw. Thankfully, the salmon was done just right – not
too soft, or too done and rubber-like. Sushi-lovers have
plenty of options to choose from, from maki rolls with
crispy breaded king prawns and mango chutney, to spicy
tuna and Alaskan crab meat with orange tobiko mayo.
After a heavy meal, which didn’t seem like it as we nibbled
our way through courses, it only made sense to opt for a
light fruit and coconut ice dessert. Litchi, melon, papaya, and
coconut slivers complemented spiced pineapple ice, grass
jelly and evaporated milk. The ingredient list may sound
heavy, but trust us, it’s refreshing and nutritious.
Need to know:
Pool and beach passes
are available for
Dhs300 on weekdays
(inclusive of a
Dhs200 F&B voucher)
and Dhs400 on
weekends with the
same voucher. The
lounge is open daily
(from 11am) and
offers shisha service.
Call + 971 52 777 9472
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TRAVEL
COASTAL
COMFORTS
Sri Lanka is brimming with
maritime adventures, high-end
stays and culinary treats. Here,
Nicola Monteath’s itinerary offers
the best of sights accompanied by
tranquil escapes to rejuvenate.
It’s time to plan your getaway
Long weekends have us conjuring thoughts of a
rested getaway, adventure-filled mornings and
culinary-led days, and that’s exactly what Sri
Lanka offers. The country is hailed for its tea
trails, coastal areas, mountainous regions, biking
adventures, hikes and plenty more. Exploring the various
cities and towns can take anywhere between weeks to
months, so if you don’t have the luxury of time, here’s a
four-day itinerary to get the most out of your short stay.
The country’s capital is crowded, with bustling parks and
streets. However, we’ve been told it has its own charm. Our
holiday began with a visit to the Gangaramaya Temple on
what happened to be Poya Day (a public holiday celebrated in
Sri Lanka every full moon). Contemporary architecture, gold
structures and a man selling candles and lotus bouquets, to
place as offerings, meets the eye at first glance. Pick up a candle
to light at one of the grottos and explore the temple’s
collection of vintage cameras and items that have been gifted
Gangaramaya Temple
DAY
1
THE CITY OF COLOMBO
to the monks. If you’re there on Poya Day, one of the
worshippers will most likely tie a white band around your wrist
as a blessing, truly exemplifying their compassionate selves.
To enjoy Colombo the way the locals do, visit Galle Face
Green – a strip flanked by the ocean, dotted with food carts.
Here you can tuck into one of the country’s favourite street
snacks, kothu roti (pieces of flatbread shredded and mixed
with eggs and veggies). The city is home to museums, casinos
and parks, and in every nook and corner, property
development takes place – Dusit Thani residences have made
their entry, targeting a bevy of expats migrating to the country.
The sole purpose of me visiting Colombo was mainly to
dine at Ministry of Crab (listed in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants
list) owned by Sri Lankan cricketing legends Mahela
Jayawardane and Kumar Sangakkara. Nestled at a 400-yearold
former Dutch hospital, the hotspot makes for an intimate
dinner with dim lighting, striking chandeliers and windows that
allow a cool breeze to make its way through the restaurant
and the outdoor courtyard. Dharshan Munidasa – one of the
country’s most celebrated chefs – is at the helm of the kitchen,
serving sustainably-fished export-quality crabs for crustacean
lovers. We tucked into a plate of tender shrimp doused in
butter to whet our appetite, followed by a garlic chilli crab and
wood-fired traditional kade bread to soak up the moreish
juices. A side of crisp garlic fried rice perfectly complemented
the sweet, fleshy crab meat, living up to its hype and making
the visit to the city worthwhile on every account.
IMAGES BY SHUTTERSTOCK : SUPPLIED
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TRAVEL
DAY
2&3
KOGGALA AND GALLE FORT
Koggala (the country’s largest natural lake, pictured
here) is surrounded by guest houses, hotels and temples.
From here, you can visit Galle Fort (a UNESCO World
Heritage Site) sited at the Bay of Galle on the southwest
coast of Sri Lanka. It harks back to 1588, when it was
first built by the Portuguese and further fortified by the
Dutch during the Seventeenth century (from 1649). The
fort’s ambience isn’t anything like we have experienced
around Sri Lanka. In fact, it’s almost similar to Europe,
with street-side bars, a mix of traditional and
international eateries, gemstone shops, and five-star
hotels for high tea, coupled with nurseries and
universities along the way. To explore the area and fully
immerse yourself with a tipple or two, you will need a
few hours. We highly recommend visiting Tap House
and Sugar Bistro & Wine bar for breakfast, lunch and
creative concoctions. Those craving an authentic Sri
Lankan curry, can head to Galle Things Roti for spicy
prawn, chicken and meat dishes. Most hotels can arrange
a tuk-tuk ride to and fro.
STAY AT: TRI LANKA
You may have spotted this sustainable resort on Instagram,
known for its infinity pool that looks out to the lush hills
and Koggala lake. Perched atop a hill, with cinnamon trees
and rice paddy fields dotted along the trail, this luxury
design hotel is built on the premise of catering to those
looking for tranquility. With just 11 suites comprising rooms
in the central water tower, and villas with a private pool,
the spot is ideal for those who want to catch up on reading,
laze by the pool, pack in a yoga session, and literally do
absolutely nothing for days.
Wellbeing is placed at the forefront, with a sustainable
philosophy carried throughout – from the tropical surroundings,
to the rooms and dining experiences. Our days were spent by
the private pool in the villa, with a quick trip to the library nestled
amongst foliage for a coffee and lazy afternoon reading
session. Group yoga takes place a few mornings per week,
and you can add on various excursions and activities including
whale watching, a visit to cinnamon island and a cooking
demonstration. Due to weather conditions, we opted for an
authentic Sri Lankan culinary class which took place by the
lakeside – instead of under the banyan tree. Sri Lankan meals
are quite healthy with fruit and vegetables we don’t even
come across in the UAE, used for cooking. We interacted
with the chef, assisted with vegetable slicing and indulged in a
banana blossom curry, passion fruit leaves salad, dhal and
green bean coconut gravy with red rice.
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TRAVEL
The expansive villas feature a day bed, open-style bathroom,
private pool and terrace complete with a coffee table. Draw
the drapes before you sleep, as you will want to wake up to
the sounds of birds chirping and serene view of the lake. On
Poya Day, you will be able to hear soothing chants from the
nearby temple. Note, the hotel rooms aren’t equipped with a
TV, so make sure to carry a book along. When heading to the
city, don’t forget to take the provided mobile to call for your
ride back to the hotel.
Room service isn’t available for breakfast, so no dining in bed
here. However, with a stunning landscape to relish while tucking
into a feast for a breakfast, we didn’t mind the walk to the hotel’s
restaurant. The meal begins with fresh exotic fruit, granola and
frozen curd ice cream, followed by coffee and pastries, a
comforting kurakkan (red millet) porridge and your choice of
dish from the à la carte menu – we ate egg curry with string
hoppers and sambol (a chutney condiment). A nutritious
smoothie is served as an energy booster, apt for those who are
about to venture off on a cycling tour or surfing adventure.
Dinner takes place at the same restaurant and is served as a
multi-course menu comprising seasonal ingredients with mango
showcased in a curry with green bean fry, quail eggs with miso
and tofu, and grilled spiced fish with rice.
If you are looking for a tucked-away abode –almost a
forest escape – that offers great hospitality with magnificent
food to complement, you can’t go wrong at Tri Lanka. Those
who’ve explored Sri Lanka prior to this trip, and have more
time on hand, can indulge in an Ayurvedic massage and
private yoga sessions.
To book:
Visit
trilanka.com
DAY
4
WELIGAMA
Popular with surfers and sunbathers, this coastal town on
the southern part of the country – in Matara district – is
one bustling with character. Weligama is perhaps best
described as a fishing town and beach resort destination
where you can indulge in a bit of shopping, surf all day and
meander around town on a bike or tuk tuk. Begin the trip
by stopping by the Kushta Raja Gala sculpture carved
into a rock between the 7-9th centuries. According to
forklore, a foreign king who suffered from a skin disease
was treated by a doctor in Weligama bay, and when
restored back to his original strength, had a sculpture of
himself (the Kushta king) carved into the rock. Another
version states the King made an offering to a certain God
when he was sick, and then made a statue of the God he
believed in, as a gift for his cure. The most common belief,
however, is that the statue represents the “Awalokitha”
or the “Avalokiteshvara" Bodhisattva of the Mahayana
Buddhism, due to the four meditating Buddha figures on
his head dress and the lotus in the hand. “Avalokiteshvara”
Bodhisattva is one of the most powerful bodhisattvas of
the Mahayana Buddhism, thought to be one of the most
significant healers of mankind.
Our hotel was around a 15 minute tuk-tuk ride to the
beach and most of the attractions. And we must admit,
after a day in the city, it feels great retreating to a villa
with all the comforts.
STAY AT: CAPE WELIGAMA
Palm trees line the shore of this expansive resort that pays
homage to legendary explorers such as Marco Polo, Ibn
Batuta, Robert Knox and plenty more, with clusters of villas
and rooms available within each explorer’s unit. Just under
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TRAVEL
30 minutes away from Koggala, this hotel from the Relais &
Chateaux group, sprawls over 12 acres and is nestled 40
metres above the Indian Ocean. Children will love this resort,
with its family pool and manicured lawns. Similarly, couples can
enjoy complete tranquility at the vantage viewpoints during
sunrise and sunset, by the 60-metre crescent-shaped infinity
pool and within the villas that are quite spaced out, making
you feel as though you are the only guests within the premises.
Walking up and down the cobbled path, within the
resort, packs in a bit of a workout as you head to the pool
bar for a cocktail, a quick dip, or the gym complete with a
sauna and steam room. Each room is equipped with
Tiffany-coloured umbrellas for rainy walks to the facilities
and restaurants nearby.
Epicurean offerings on offer suit all taste buds, with Ocean
Terrace for authentic and international-inspired dishes that
complement the views of the shimmering waters, Ocean Grill
for those looking for a memorable dining experience at the
live-cooking Teppanyaki station and Cape Club for afternoon
tea. We dined at Ocean Terrace, as the sea breeze beckoned
on the first night, and tucked into a spicy ramen broth with
chicken, and Sri Lankan curry (which usually comprises of four
to five curries including dhal and green bean fry). The prawn
curry is mouthwatering, and definitely one of the best dishes
we tried on the trip, with a hint of coconut and flavours that
linger on your palate. We loved the curry so much, that we
even ordered it for breakfast the next morning with Appa
(a crisp, concaved rice batter bread). You can also order a
plate of fresh fruit for breakfast and egg specialties, which
arrive with croissants and fresh juice.
The ocean-view and garden villas for couples are large
enough to fit a family of four, stretching from a bedroom and
outdoor terrace towards one corner, moving to the walk-in
closet, bathroom with steam facilities, and bath tub with views
of the outdoors towards the other corner of the villa. Novels
and history books act as accessories around the room, and
make for a great read, while postcards on the desk allow you
to send a memorable souvenir to loved ones back home.
To make our trip all the more noteworthy, we were gifted a
Dilmah tea box, filled with specialties from the region – the
hotel is owned by the founder of Dilmah, and is under the
Resplendent Ceylon chain of luxury resorts in Sri Lanka.
To book:
Visit
resplendentceylon.com
/capeweligama
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TRAVEL TALES
JETSETTER JOURNEYS
The latest in experiences, tours and wellbeing breaks
DETOX THE STAR-STUDDED WAY
Where do Mick Jagger, Marlene Dietrich and royalty escape
for a mind and body cleanse? Clinique La Prairie in Montreux.
The Swiss clinic, founded in 1931, has been a wellness
destination for decades, treating visitors with a scientific and
holistic approach. If you’re looking to rebalance the body’s
homeostasis while stimulating vitality, sign up for Clinique La
Prairie’s Master Detox Program. The personalised weeklong
program begins with a body check-up, and is followed
by a chat with the dietician to design a menu specific to your
needs. It isn’t just diet-focused though, spa treatments,
massages, facials, cellular photo-stimulation and yoga are part
of the program too, so you can check in, unwind and head
home a renewed you. Dhs60,000, visit laprairie.ch/
medical-programs/master-detox
A GEM IN GENEVA
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel de la Paix,
Geneva is steeped in history and ready
to welcome guests at the 152-year old
building, after a multi-million-dollar
renovation. Art and décor lovers will
appreciate the details on show, with an
exhibition of tapestries featuring
historical figures, and suites named
after renowned personalities such as
Grace Kelly – a regular at the hotel.
Philippe Pascoët’s chocolate shop
offers handmade artisanal confections
to take home. ritzcarlton.com/geneva
SPLURGE-WORTHY EXPERIENCE
To commemorate the 20 th Anniversary
of Rocco Forte Hotels, the Forte
family have curated a 12-day European
tour, checking into their favourites
properties. The tour includes a glamorous
hotel stay in London, St Petersburg,
Florence, Edinburgh, Rome and
Berlin with exclusive access and
experiences at museums, palaces, and art
galleries, amongst other attractions. Enjoy
a lavish tour through the eyes of the
Forte family. $117,206 (Dhs430,500),
visit roccofortehotels.com
TRAVEL WARDROBE
Leave your trench coats, tuxedos and gowns at home. Hotel Café Royal has
teamed up with matchesfashion.com to offer an in-room wardrobe service and
personal shopping experience known as Fashion Now. Guests will get access
to a selection of key pieces from an active, formal and evening wear collection
(for men and women), with deliveries just 90 minutes after the order has been
placed. “Nothing to wear” is now a complaint of the past.
thesethotels.com
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THE FAIRWAY
HIT the LINKS
Explore Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
and its stunning natural surroundings
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THE FAIRWAY
The Gary Player designed course –
managed by Toon – is nestled on
Saadiyat island, home to hawksbill
turtles, marine life, migrating birds
including European rollers and curlews, to
name a few species. The serene capital escape
showcases natural greens of the 18-hole golf
course that stretch out to the glistening water,
making it the first beachfront course in the
Arabian Gulf. After a round of golf, head to the
dolphin viewing area – a third of the golf course
offers views of the sea mammals – or the
Hawksbill restaurant for a quick bite. The allday
dining menu features everything from pasta
to pizza and grills.
Those looking to enjoy a weekend here can
relax back at Park Hyatt Hotel or St. Regis
Saadiyat Island Resort, located nearby.
BECOME A MEMBER
The single annual fee per person is Dhs29,350
with a joining fee of Dhs5,000. Apart from the
general benefits, you can also avail 20 per cent
discount on food and beverage, golf shop
merchandise, 15 per cent on private golf
instruction, preferred rates at select TDIC
partners (Tourism Development & Investment
Company), quarterly Member’s appreciation
evenings and various other member privileges.
PGA Professionals are on hand to teach
adults and little ones putting techniques at a
practice facility. The single golf lesson packages
are available from Dhs330 per person for a
45-minute lesson (inclusive of a video swing
analysis, rental equipment, lesson tee access
and use of the trackman).
For more information, visit sbgolfclub.ae
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INAUGURAL CORPORATE SCRAMBLE
SWING
FOR A
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REGISTRATION AND LUNCH BEGINS AT 11:30 AM
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HOTEL REVIEW
STAY OF
THE MONTH
Nestled in the heart of the capital,
The St. Regis Abu Dhabi impresses on every account
The St. Regis brand is an
icon synonymous with
luxury and remarkable
standards that leaves you
in complete awe the minute you
arrive. The cascading staircase and
crystal chandeliers make for a grand
entrance – if you have stayed at any of
their properties, you would have
probably come across a similar marble
staircase that’s become a signature
from the brand. An element of
sophistication greets you right from
the arrival point to the concierge desk
and before you know it, you are all
ready to enjoy the comforts of your
room and sink into the plush bed.
The Grand Deluxe Suite offers
panoramic sweeping views of the
coastline, flooding the room with
natural light. An arabesque theme is
prevalent throughout, with nautical
tones and neutral hues that bring the
space to life. When night falls, draw a
hot bath, with Remède bath
amenities, in the standalone tub that
looks out to the shimmering
breakwaters. You could also watch a
movie on the mirror-integrated flat
screen LCD TV while you soak and
clear away the stresses of the day.
Business travellers will appreciate
the 24-hours complimentary shoe
shining and pressing service – just ring
the butler for any requirements you
may have.
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HOTEL REVIEW
DINE
The rustic-style Villa Toscana charms with an outstanding Italian
menu that even the fussiest of diners would be stunned by – a great
option if dining with children. The meal commenced with the chef’s
recommendation, a warm and comforting Tuscan country bean
soup, followed by tender grilled octopus dressed in lemon and
herbs. All dishes are age-old recipes the chefs learnt from their
nonnas. Mains were a succulent lamb in an unexpected chocolate
ragu, topped with truffle oil, that beautifully came together with
each morsel. Stuffed ravioli was highly suggested as a side, offering a
soft, pillow-textured bite with creaminess from the herb ricotta.
The little ones savoured a crisp Bufalina pizza topped with wild
mushrooms, pancetta and herbs, and a plate of seafood spaghetti –
which we helped ourselves too – that made us feel like we were
transported to a trattoria in Tuscany. You can’t leave an Italian
restaurant without trying a traditional decadent tiramisu, and so we
did in true Italian fashion, finishing our meal with an espresso.
Whether you’re staying at the hotel, or just visiting for a business
meeting or family dinner, this Italian eatery is one you can’t miss for
a memorable experience.
The hotel has nine dining options to choose from, and if you can
make it to another, opt for tea at the Crystal Lounge. The hotel’s
lobby café is a great place to catch up on emails, meet up with friends
and relax back with tea or coffee from the extensive selection.
Breakfast is best enjoyed at The Terrace on the Corniche, with a
buffet featuring everything from eggs cooked to your liking, to hot
dishes including curry, Arabic specialties, waffles and smoothies.
GET ACTIVE
The mixed and female-only gym is equipped with state-of-the-art
equipment, located near the outdoor temperature controlled pool at
the Beach Club. The hotel also features a small surrounding relaxation
pool and an oversized pool with a swim-up bar
and large jacuzzi.
While The St. Regis is set along the
corniche road, a lavish underpass – with
Need to know:
The Grand Deluxe Suites are
available from Dhs1,000 per
night, with the Abu Dhabi Suite
being the highest in the range at
Dhs25,000 per night
(spanning over two floors).
Visit stregisabudhabi.com
décor that flows through seamlessly
from the hotel lobby and interiors –
offers direct access to the Beach
Club and private beach across the
road from the hotel, where you can
soak up the rays in peace. While
adults get a bit of me-time, little
ones (between the age range of
four-12) can head to the kid’s club for
fun games and activities.
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Office 804-806, Arenco Tower, Dubai Media City | T: 04 432 79 72
Dubai’s only high-end real estate and interior design company,
setting extraordinary records in the marketing, designing
and selling of the most important residential properties.
WWW.LUXHABITAT.AE
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REAL ESTATE
ONE PALM
TO RULE THEM ALL
Omniyat’s One Palm penthouse, that sold for more than $27 million,
is the home even the rich-and-famous didn’t know they needed
Words by Meryl D'Souza
London’s One Hyde Park is said to be amongst
the priciest residences in the world. Apartments
in the Knightsbridge complex cost more than
$11,000 per sq ft – that’s nearly three times the
typical price of luxury London real estate.
Despite all the money behind it and the hoopla it
generates, precious little is known about the
people who call the place home. That’s most
certainly how the building conducts its business.
The uber-wealthy, you see, don’t like dealing
with the common folk. In fact, they’d rather you
know nothing about them.
The one bit of information we can confirm is
that Elicyon, a luxury design studio based in
Chelsea, London, was involved in creating the
stellar interiors of the 86-unit building. The
interior design studio founded by Charu Gandhi
has also used its opulent textures in designing
the most expensive penthouse in Dubai.
The apartment in question – the largest of
three penthouses part of One Palm by Omniyat
– sold for Dhs102 million (more than $27
million), dwarfing the previous record price tag
of Dhs60 million (about $16 million) held by the
penthouse of the Bulgari Resorts and Residences
project on Jumeirah Bay Island.
Measuring in at more than 29,800 sq ft, the
lavish five-bedroom (all en-suite) apartment
offers up almost perfect views of the epic Dubai
Marina skyline. The huge apartment also
includes more than 11,000 sq ft of exterior
space, including multiple balconies, terraces and
a rooftop area.
The penthouse was sold to an anonymous
GCC buyer – see what we mean – after an
extended series of negotiations. One of which
included the buyer’s demand to have a
20-metre long private lap pool installed on the
rooftop of his penthouse. The pool will become
one of the highest and most private swimming
pools in Dubai, upon completion.
The 100-metre tall, 100-metre wide One
Palm project was unveiled in February and is
home to just 90 apartments comprising three-,
four- and five-bedroom residences. Situated on
a prime plot on the eastern tip of the iconic
Palm Jumeirah’s trunk, amenities include the
One Palm Clubhouse decked with a fine-dining
restaurant, indoor and outdoor swimming
pools, indoor cinema, outdoor cinema and BBQ
area, residents lounge, children’s pool, playroom
and a luxury spa.
Omniyat says that, having topped out (when
the last beam has been placed during
construction), the whole building is due for
completion in 2018, and a three-bedroom
apartment will set you back at least Dhs12.5
million (about $3 million). Don’t worry, it
comes with a private jetty that allows residents
to conveniently dock their yachts.
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REAL ESTATE
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ENTREPRENEUR
MORNING ROUTINE
I squeeze in a quick morning
meditation to begin my day on
the right note and by 6:30am the
Handa house is usually in full
swing. After a rushed breakfast
with the family and school drop
off for my eight-year-old twins
Sienna and Soroya, I usually head
to the gym or an exercise class.
I’m in the office or one of the
spas by around 9.30am.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE
Don’t sweat the
small stuff. It’s just
not worth it
PREVIOUS FIELD
I have a degree in business with a
major in marketing from Boston
University. When I moved to
Dubai in 1999, it was to work in
the high-powered world of
finance and marketing, for major
global companies such as Merrill
Lynch and Tetra Pak. SensAsia
was born from fusing my passions
for brand building, and being the
fussiest spa client I knew.
THE BEST DHS1,000 I
HAVE EVER SPENT
My head space coach
SUMMER TRAVELS
I visited Cape Town, where the
whole family just loves to be. We
have just bought an apartment in
the heart of the city and I spent
the first half of the summer really
enjoying furnishing it, in a
completely different style to what
I would create in Dubai. Then, I
went home to Thailand.
GET TO KNOW…
SALINA
HANDA
Managing director
and founder of
SensAsia Urban Spa
WHAT DOES INVESTING IN
YOURSELF MEAN TO YOU?
A life-long commitment to learning. Whether
it be spiritual growth or about something that
seems simple to others, such as digital media.
ON MY BOOKSHELF
I don’t read a lot of fiction any
more, but I want to start again. A
permanent fixture on my
bedside table is The Optimum
Nutrition Bible by Patrick Holford.
INSPIRATIONAL IDEAS
I was born and raised in Thailand.
I have a deep love for the country
and still visit every year. Thailand
is a large part of who I am and I
have made sure it is at the core of
the spas. The furniture, ambiance
and even names of our treatment
rooms are all connected to my
memories of Thailand. Inspiration
oddly doesn’t usually come from
other spas, but things I see in a lot
of restaurants and stores often
draw my eye. I look to fashion
brands for marketing as well,
hence the idea of selling a
‘feeling’ or ‘mood’ for Christmas
– this actually came about from
Bloomingdales in New York
years ago.
FLY ME TO…
Trattoria Milanese in Milan. I’ve
been to it twice and it really is the
most unassuming place, but they
do the best veal Milanese and
osso buco ever.
TOP HOTSPOTS
I enjoy a stroll around Ripe
Market for food, gifts and the odd
fashion find, however I’ve
become an exclusive online
shopper. For a fun night, I visit
Muchachas, and when I want to
indulge in some delicious, starchladen
comfort food, I head to
Cipriani or La Petite Maison in
DIFC. I have a few favourites in
JBR as well – The Maine Oyster
Bar & Grill and good old BiCE.
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