Open Skies | March 2016

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Editor-in-ChiEf Managing PartnEr & grouP Editor EditoriaL dirECtor grouP Editor SEnior Editor digitaL / Print dESignEr digitaL aniMator Sub Editor EditoriaL aSSiStant

Obaid Humaid Al Tayer Ian Fairservice Gina Johnson gina@motivate.ae Mark Evans marke@motivate.ae Andrew Nagy andrew.nagy@motivate.ae Ralph Mancao ralph@motivate.ae Surajit Dutta surajit@motivate.ae Salil Kumar salil@motivate.ae Londresa Flores londresa@motivate.ae

ContributorS

Andrew Birbeck, Gemma Correll, Daniel Huffman, Jamie Knights, Joe Mortimer, Matt Mostyn, Gareth Rees, Rebecca Rees, Sandra Tinari, Stuart Turton, Cover: Dawid Ryski ChiEf CoMMErCiaL offiCEr Anthony Milne anthony@motivate.ae gEnEraL ManagEr ProduCtion S Sunil Kumar ProduCtion ManagEr R Murali Krishnan

grouP SaLES dirECtor Craig L. W. Wagstaff craig.wagstaff @motivate.ae

grouP SaLES ManagEr Jaya Balakrishnan jaya@motivate.ae

PubLiShEr Martin Balmer martin.balmer @motivate.ae

SEnior SaLES ManagEr Shruti Srivastava shruti.srivastava@ motivate.ae

rEgionaL ManagEr abu dhabi Imane Eddinari Imane@motivate.ae

dEPuty SaLES ManagEr Amar Kamath EditoriaL ConSuLtantS for EMiratES Editor Manna Talib arabiC Editor Hatem Omar dEPuty Editor Catherine Freeman WEbSitE emirates.com InternatIonal MedIa representatIves auStraLia/nEW ZEaLand Okeeffe Media; Tel + 61 894 472 734, okeeffekev@bigpond.com.au bELgiuM and LuXEMbourg M.P.S. Benelux; Tel +322 720 9799, francesco.sutton@mps-adv.com China Publicitas Advertising; Tel +86 10 5879 5885 gErMany IMV Internationale Medien Vermarktung GmbH; Tel +49 8151 550 8959, w.jaeger@imv-media.com hong Kong/MaLaySia/thaiLand Sonney Media Networks; Tel +852 2151 2351, hemant@sonneymedia.com india Media Star; Tel +91 22 4220 2103, ravi@mediastar.co.in JaPan Tandem Inc.; Tel + 81 3 3541 4166, all@tandem-inc.com nEthErLandS giO media; Tel +31 (0)6 22238420, giovanni@giO-media.nl PaKiStan D&S International News Agency; Tel +92 3235345727, dnsnewsagency@gmail.com SWitZErLand, franCE/itaLy & SPain IMM International; Tel +331 40 1300 30, n.devos@imm-international.com turKEy Media Ltd.; Tel +90 212 275 51 52, mediamarketingtr@medialtd.com.tr uK Spafax Inflight Media; Tel +44 207 906 2001, nhopkins@spafax.com uSa Totem Brand Stories; Tel +1 4168475100, nicole.mullin@tc.tc Emirates takes care to ensure that all facts published herein are correct. In the event of any inaccuracy please contact the editor. Any opinion expressed is the honest belief of the author based on all available facts. Comments and facts should not be relied upon by the reader in taking commercial, legal, financial or other decisions. Articles are by their nature general and specialist advice should always be consulted before any actions are taken.

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114,149 copies July – December 2015 Printed by Emirates Printing Press, Dubai, UAE

E D I T O R ’ S

L E T T E R

ANDREW NAGY

ON THE COVER

SENIOR EDITOR

A

bout 15 years ago, I was doing the usual post-university gap year travel route and I had a decision to make: should I go to New Zealand before heading to Southeast Asia? The answer, after not too much deliberation, was no.

At the time, all I really knew was that it was an unofficial home to extreme spor ts. It pretty much invented commercial bungee jumping and also offered a host of other death-defying options for your free time. The way

journeys were too long and there were often too many connections involved.

Long-haul flights improved the situation, and now the advent of ultra long-haul means that airlines are changing the way we see the world, literally.

This month Emirates launches its first non-stop flight from Dubai to Auckland.

At 17 hours and 15 minutes (on the return leg), it’s the longest non-stop flight in the world. Our cover stor y explains how it’s a trip that’s more than wor th making.

“AUCKLAND OFFERS A MICROCOSM OF EVERYTHING A HOLIDAY SHOULD BE. IT’S A TRIP WORTH MAKING.” I looked at it, hair-brained schemes like this were generally created out of boredom. Exactly what was going on in New Zealand if people were resor ting to ever-more extravagant ways to throw themselves off a great height?

Of course I realised my mistake rather quickly – word travels fast when you’re living out of backpacker hostels – but once I’d passed up the oppor tunity there was little chance I would be going back, the distance was simply too great from my home in the UK. I don’t think I’m alone in this. Previously, cer tain destinations were simply off-limits. The

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Auckland offers a microcosm of ever ything you could possibly wish for in a holiday. A cool urban metropolis with a great café and bar culture, a surprisingly fantastic culinar y scene, and myriad shopping options (there’s ever ything from luxur y to vintage). It has stunning volcanic beaches, amazing surf, mountains to climb and green, wide-open spaces to escape the city.

Of course the extreme options remain, but it’s good to know that, from now on, the journey to New Zealand itself won’t be one of them.

Enjoy the issue.

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LOOK OUT FOR THIS ICON ON EACH STORY IN OPEN SKIES FOR AN INSIGHT INTO THE WORLD OF EMIRATES

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AUCKLAND JUST GOT CLOSER As Emirates launches its first non-stop flight to New Zealand’s largest city, our cover focuses on Auckland. To do this we went to Dawid Ryski, an illustrator whose stylised maps depict a destination that, quite simply, has everything. marlenaagency.com

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C O N T E N T S

FRONT

20 26 28 31 38 Experience

Flashback

Entrepreneur

Lunch With

Stay

44 55 Neighbourhood

Local Knowledge

MAIN

64 75 The Auckland Plan

My Writing Life

BRIEFING

86 90 92 94 96 Emirates News

Inside Emirates

Destination

Comfort

98 100 104 106 UAE Smart Gate

Route Map

The Fleet

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Knowledge

Visas, Quick Connect & Quarantine Information

C O N T R I B U T O R S

MARCH Some of the people who helped create this issue of Open Skies ANDREW BIRBECK

SARAH COGHILL

JOE MORTIMER

MATT MOSTYN

Andrew is an Edinburgh-born author, writer and blogger who contributes to a broad range of titles. This month he wrote on a new app built in Denmark that could revolutionise the way we interact with each other when travelling abroad.

Sarah is a British lifestyle, food and travel photographer living in Copenhagen. She shoots for a range of editorial and commercial clients in Denmark and internationally.

This month she shot the creators of networking app, Plane, in Copenhagen.

Joe is a travel writer of no fixed abode, currently roaming around Central America and Mexico. He writes for magazines, wesbites and his own blog. This month he wrote and photographed the up-and-coming district of Sai Ying Pun in Hong Kong.

“Plane is different – not a dating app, or social media. In simple terms, it’s an ice-breaker. Well, we’re all a bit tired of filtered selfies aren’t we?

Seems to me something new is long overdue.”

“It was a pleasure to meet the creators of Plane. They were fun to work with and have an obvious passion for their product. Their office lots of interesting spaces and details to shoot.”

“Sai Ying Pun has a loveable small-town vibe which is unusual in the big city madness of Hong Kong. I enjoyed it so much that I eventually went back there and rented an apartment.”

Matt is a world-wandering writer based between Dubai, the UK and Australia. He currently freelances for a range of international magazine titles and ad agency creative departments. This month he wrote on an ambitious project that saw drones film in the the most spectacular places on Earth.

DAWID RYSKI

GARETH REES

REBECCA REES

SANDRA TINARI

Dawid is a Poland-based illustrator whose work has appeared in The New York Observer, The American Lawyer, Esquire and on lots of concert posters. He’s also a creator of album covers and graphic designs for apparel companies. This month he designed our cover.

Gareth is a UK-based freelance writer who covers food to travel to celebrity profiles, including Tony Blair’s spin doctor Alastair Campbell, and football legend Pele. This month wrote on the Emirates Airline Festival Of Literature.

Rebecca is a UK-based photographer whose work has appeared in titles including the Financial Times and Brownbook. This month she shot the crime fiction writer, Ian Rankin.

Sandra is an Australian freelance journalist and photographer, based in Dubai.

This month she wrote on the Culinary Boutique. Another mark on Dubai’s foodie landscape, here you don’t just eat the food, you learn how to cook it, too.

“Auckland is such a great city, so it was really fun – albeit something of a challenge – to depict almost everything it has to offer in one illustration.”

“It’s not everyday you get to ask Antony Beevor how he makes military history interesting to the masses, or Michael Dobbs what inspired Francis Urquart, the dastardly protagonist of House Of Cards.”

“My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Edinburgh, so it’s a city that’s close to my heart. It was a pleasure to photograph one of the world’s greatest crime writers on his home turf in one of the world’s greatest cities.”

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“It’s true, the world is best seen from the air, and these short films capture the magic of some of the most stunning places.”

“I was quite taken with Culinary Boutique’s sunny upstairs terrace.

With leafy views of the Burj Khalifa, it’s an ideal spot or enjoying the city skyline in a relaxed atmosphere.”

Moment The Team Members of LUX* help people to celebrate life with the most simple, fresh and sensory hospitality in the world.

M AU R I T I U S R E U N I O N M A L D I V E S C H I N A U . A . E T U R K E Y | L U X R E S O R T S. C O M

Carefully curated content focused on unique experiences Picasso and Mirò

Lunch With

Stay

Local Knowledge

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FRONT

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March 14 – 18

Design Days Dubai Dubai, uae

“When a city becomes one of the world’s most important travel hubs, you find that cultural exchange develops quickly.

For this, the fifth edition of Design Days Dubai, we’re showcasing a rare line-up of regional talents – people such as Aljoud Lootah. In 2013 she took part in the Design Road initiative launched by Dubai Culture And Arts Authority and Tashkeel in Dubai.

She then presented her first collection (Oru, inspired by the Japanese technique of folding, pictured) in March 2015 at Design Days Dubai with tremendous success. Those

pieces were acquired by the National Gallery Of Victoria (Melbourne, Australia) after their visit to Dubai, making her the first Emirati designer to be part of a permanent collection of a museum.

Our exhibitors come from 20 different countries and the diversity they bring is simply mesmerising. They present rare creations and often set the trends for the coming years. We also invest a lot of resources in creating a public programme of hands-on workshops, lectures and talks. Finally, we ask professionals to

review student works in order to help young talent. This is where I feel we’re fundamentally different to our peers.

I would advise you to first see what attracts your eyes. Spend some time with the exhibitor learning more about the piece and how your potential purchase would fit within your house. The type of creations we present are meant to accompany you for several years, not for a short period, so take the time to evaluate the companionship you will create with the piece.” designdaysdubai.ae

For a unique experience on today’s flight try Relax TV. With picturesque scenes such as Aquarium, Cliffside Beach, and Fireplace these channels provide an atmospheric accompaniment to your flight – great while working, relaxing, or dining. Channels 1450-1459 on ice Digital Widescreen.

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iMAGE: DESiGN DAYS DUBAi

FAiR DiRECToR Cyril Zammit ExplAiNS WhY ThiS MoNTh’S EVENT Will ShoW ThE BEST oF loCAl AND iNTERNATioNAl DESiGN, AND hElp YoU START YoUR FURNiTURE CollECTioN

E x p E r i E n c E

March 8 – May 17

Picasso and Mirò: Passion and Poetry Dubai, uaE

“The exhibition at Burj Khalifa is a unique cultural opportunity suitable for everyone and designed especially for Dubai. I’m certain that it will surprise visitors with the beauty of a journey through a fascinating and unpredictable art.

The unusal thing here is that Picasso and Mirò are complete opposites but then also the same. Passion was the key to Pablo Picasso’s tireless energy. It was this that transported his own life into the spaces of myth and legend.

Mirò’s trademark, meanwhile, is the

play of light, stroke and colour, which is interwoven through life. It dazzles and surprises and feeds the power of the imagination to arrive at a perfect meeting point between painting and poetry.

In Dubai you’ll find amazing graphics and ceramics, with more than 200 works on display.Throughout his life, Picasso simply never stopped, and the series of the 20 pochoirs gathers many of his masterpieces created between 1904 and 1953.

Mirò’s work represents the most authentic spirit of the artist. He looks for

a spiritual tension, an empty space, an internal preparation, and everything leads him to act as concentrated, almost without speaking one word. In the series Le Lézard aux plumes d’or, Miró becomes his own illustrator, evoking the images through the words, and making poetry using graphics and colours.

Art speaks to all, and anyone can be inspired by it. I’m confident that after visiting this exhibition, you’ll find new life inspiration. That’s the miracle of art.” picassomiro.com

If you’re a fan of the arts, check out the 1956 classic movie Lust For Life showing in Film Club this month on ice. Anthony Quinn won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the painter Paul Gaugin.

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IMAGE: YvES MAnCIEt

thIS MOnth MArkS thE BEGInnInG OF A tEn-wEEk ExhIBItIOn OF wOrk FrOM twO OF thE wOrLd’S MOSt FAMOuS ArtIStS. curator sergio gaddi ExPLAInS

F O R

S H O P P I N G

L O V E R S

CA S T E L L A N A

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M A D R I D / D I AG O N A L

DEPARTMENT STORES SPAIN & PORTUGAL

BA R C E LO N A

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March 27

The BoaT Race London, UK

“My Dad got me into rowing when I was 11, so it was just after the millennium when I began watching The Boat Race. When I started rowing it was all about having an adventure on the river, but gradually I began to get involved in town regattas and loved the thrill of racing head-to-head with someone.Twelve years on I still thrive on that feeling of racing.

It’s not all about winning, though. I find it personally very useful. It forces you to be disciplined, allows you to meet great people and keeps life in perspective.

In 2015 I felt absolutely confident about my team, bubbling with excitement and laser-focused on delivering a high-quality performance. I remember sitting on the start line and thinking, ‘We are bulletproof – give us your best shot, Cambridge.’

The start was just a bellowing roar and the finish a blur. I only remember thinking how many people I wanted to thank as the performance on the day is really just the cherry on the cake. There were so many coaches, friends and family who gave me the opportunity and got me there.

Starting March 27th, Emirates will operate nine daily flights from Dubai to London.

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The Boat Race is one of the most gruelling experiences you can have as an athlete. You either win or lose. You train for one event, one race. The weather is turbulent and the tactics are critical.

You rely on nine people, moving over a tonne of weight in complete harmony. It’s endurance and technique on a knife-edge.

A final word of advice: if you’re coming to watch then you should be up close on the banks, especially at Putney Bridge. That is where the party really starts.” theboatraces.org

iMAGE: GEtty

Jamie cook wAS in OxfOrD’S tEAM Of 2015 AnD knOwS juSt whAt it tAkES tO win thE CAnCEr rESEArCh uk BOAt rACE. hE’LL BE LOOkinG fOr viCtOry thErE AGAin thiS MOnth

F L A S H B A C K

MOST WANTED SIXTY-FIVE YEARS AGO, J EDGAR HOOVER AND THE FBI COMPILED A LIST THAT WOULD HELP CAPTURE AMERICA’S MOST DANGEROUS CRIMINALS William Kinsey Hutchinson had friends in high places. The editor-in-chief of the International News Service, he had the ear of cabinet ministers, government diplomats and even presidents. His current high-profile confidant, however, was FBI director J Edgar Hoover, and the topic of discussion, late in 1949, was the worst criminals in America.

The FBI had just helped publish an ar ticle in The Washington Post about the ‘toughest guys’ in the country who remained, frustratingly, out of arms length of the Bureau. The ar ticle, entitled The FBI’s Most Wanted Fugitives Named, had received such positive publicity that it seemed too good an opportunity to miss.

So while Hutchinson and Hoover played cards, the plan was formulated: a list of the ten most dangerous criminals in the country, including descriptions and photographs. It would be a continuously updated handwritten ledger and the only way off it would be death or capture.

By March 14, 1950, the first list had been compiled and soon featured across America in newspapers and magazines, in post offices and stapled to lampposts. Just over 12 months later, the heightened attention meant that public tip-offs began to pay dividends and the nation’s most desperate men were being slowly picked off.

As it stands, from 504 people who made the list – which is in no particular order, despite the one-to-ten format – 473 have been apprehended, 156 directly as a result of citizen cooperation.

One man who continues to defy the authorities, however, is bank robber Victor Manuel Gerena. On the list since May 1984, he’s been a wanted man longer than anybody in history. The price on his head for information leading to his capture? A cool US$1 million.

TOUR OF DUTY GET WALKING IN DC TO DISCOVER JUST HOW TO PROTECT THE PRESIDENT While you can head to places like The Smithsonian or the Spy Museum to get your histor y kicks, the best way to see the city is through a walking tour. The National Law Enforcement Museum’ s assassination tour will take you, not only to The White House, but also the presidential building known as Blair House and Ford’s Theatre (pictured), the site of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. nleomf.org

Emirates operates a daily A380 service to Washington DC. First Class and Business Class customers can book a complimentary Chauffeur-drive service to and from the airport. For more details visit emirates.com

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E n t r E p r E n E u r

Plane Copenhagen, Denmark

Words: AndreW BirBeck imAges: sArAh coghill | 28 |

E N T R E P R E N E U R

P

lane CEO Tim Allison wants to change the way we interact with each other abroad. He doesn’t like the term expat either. “To be honest, it’s not relevant any more,” he says. “And it tends to conjure up the wrong image, too.” He has a point. And as for the swiping/selfie generation, he believes too that we’ve hit overload. “There’s always a time for change and maybe it’s now,” he explains. “Here at Plane we really believe there’s space for something new.

I think there’s been a backlash to filtered images and pictures of what people are having for lunch. Technology is available that can rival, if not replace, that sort of online interaction. Make it more real. More personal. All while making life better for people. Surely that’s what it’s all about?” It’s a convincing line of thought for sure.

Firmly believing no life experience is lost, Allison references Steve Jobs’ famous Stanford speech when he spoke of “connecting the dots”. Even getting fired turned out to be a positive. In 2009, just when it seems Allison had found his particular niche at a creative agency in the northeast of England, the global financial crisis hit hard and he was let go. Such things can be catastrophic, but Allison felt excited about the possibilities that lay ahead. “It was the nudge, or kick, I needed to take the plunge and start

my own business.” Not long after he set up DarlingDash, an app development company that initially created games for iPad. In time Cupple, a private sharing app specifically for two people in a relationship, was launched. Great press followed, including content in The Wall Street Journal and, around 15 months later, the product was sold to a Silicon Valley competitor. “I can safely say that was the point when I really got the start-up-bug,” says Allison.

So what inspired Plane and how does it work? Not long ago, Allison ended up spending long periods in Switzerland away from his adopted home in Copenhagen and Danish partner Tine. It’s a story many will relate too. The global workforce is increasingly fluid and, as such, a sense of isolation can be a real issue. “One evening I was sitting in my apartment by

the Rhine in Basel. It was really sunny and people were swimming, having picnics, hanging out with each other. It struck me, why can’t I connect with some of those people?” In such moments great ideas are born. “There are hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, across the globe who find themselves in the same position I was in. What occurred to me was an icebreaking app, a way to connect and make initial contact with like-minded people.”

From that point on the creative wheels started to turn. In close collaboration with

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE Best spot in Copenhagen to catch a game of football and grab a drink is…

The Globe in Norreoport – all the football you could desire and it serves a great chili, too.

To get some real Danish food head to…

Myers Delli, it offers a tasty spin on traditional Danish dishes.

My definitive Copenhagen must-see is…

Kongens Have, the city’s oldest park. In the summer it truly is a sight to behold.

One thing a first time visitor to the city should do is…

Hire a bike and explore.

The best advice I can give is…

Don’t get lost down the rabbit hole. business partner and Plane CTO Thomas Jacobsen the app took shape.

“It’s absoultely not a dating app,” Allison stresses. “Nor is it social media as currently understood. Plane works in a very different way; a totally new concept. The system uses signals (almost like status updates) as opposed to initial direct communication, and it’s only when the ice is broken that virtual cards are swapped. It’s about the potential to meet with those in the vicinity who share common interests and lifestyles.” Plane was soft-launched in Scandinavia a couple of months ago and feedback from users has been incredibly positive. Over coming months further launches are scheduled including the UK, USA and UAE. “Each region presents its own challenges. Of course, users in Copenhagen may have different experiences and expectations to those in San Francisco, or Dubai, for example.” Currently available free on iOS, Plane will be rolled out across all mobile devices in due course. Asked why try Plane, Allison sums it up simply, “Because it’s not a lonely planet.” tryplane.com

Download The Emirates App – available for iPhone, iPad and Android. Your personal journey planner makes it easy to view and arrange your trips when you’re on the go. Designed to complement the iPhone app, there’s also an Emirates App for Apple Watch.

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w i t h

IAN RANKIN A regular on international bestseller lists, Scottish novelist Ian Rankin is responsible for creating one of the crime genre’s best-loved and enduring protagonists. We spoke to the author over lunch at Ondine in Edinburgh WORDS: GARETH REES imAGES: REBECCA REES

I

t is a cold, wet and windy January day in Edinburgh. The harsh magnificence of the Scottish capital in winter is on full display, the city’s face grey and severe.

Ian Rankin arrives at Ondine, the restaurant he has chosen for our lunch, and hands his coat to the maître d’, offering a warm smile and a “Happy New Year.” His dark hair, cut in a vaguely mod style

à la Ian Brown of The Stone Roses, has not been disturbed by the wind. Dressed in a button-down Paul Smith shirt in dark denim and Nike trainers, and carrying a plastic bag, which he will later explain contains a copy of his latest book, Even Dogs In The Wild, ready to post to a competition winner after our meal (he doesn’t have a PA), the author’s mood is the very antithesis of the Edinburgh weather.

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L u n c h

Last time I spoke to Rankin, in 2013, he was fully immersed in writing the novel that became Saints Of The Shadow Bible, the 19th to feature his rebellious detective inspector John Rebus. He was happy to talk, but not as calm as he is today. Back then he spoke of having two distinct personalities. “There’s the shy person who enjoys their own company and sits at home writing books for months on end, and then there’s the author who has to go out and promote those books and be chatty, be able to talk, to be interviewed and be able to do photo shoots,” he said. “It’s a weird juxtaposition of being solitary and then being very public. I definitely enjoy the solitary part better.”

An amuse-bouche of fresh oysters fried in a light batter polished off, two courses apiece – salmon gravalax and mussels for me and smoked ham and pea broth and haddock goujons for Rankin – ordered and a toast to 2016 complete, I point out that today he seems to be enjoying the public part of his job. “Well, I’ve just had Christmas and New Year and I’ve had a really successful book. The latest book has just done gangbusters business,” he says, before going on to explain that, although he usually writes a book a year between January and June, he hasn’t yet started what will be the 21st Rebus novel, because he’s about to embark on a US tour. He’s still on holiday.

Even Dogs In The Wild, the 20th Rebus novel, was published in November 2015 and, as Rankin explains, topped the UK bestseller list for four weeks in the run-up to Christmas. It also debuted at No 13 on The New York Times best-seller list for hardcover fiction. The success of an Ian Rankin book is no surprise. In 2012, he became the first Scottish novelist, and only the seventh British novelist, to break through the £50 million (US$72 million) print sales barrier. His work is estimated to account for ten per cent of all crime fiction sales in the UK and, as a result, he’s a multi-millionaire.

But he’s a multi-millionaire who, although he admits to dining at least once a month at this swish seafood restaurant a mere stumble from Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, turned up wearing trainers and carrying a plastic bag. When he took a year off in 2014 – his

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first ever extended break from writing – Rankin bought a Jaguar (“that was the midlife crisis right there”), and he has a second home in Cromarty, a small town on the Black Isle peninsula in the Scottish Highlands, where he wrote most of Even Dogs In The Wild. But the money doesn’t seem to have had that much of an effect on his character or, beyond those few luxuries, the way he lives his life. “I’m very set in my ways,” he says. “I might have plenty of money in the bank these days, but I still have much the same lifestyle as I did when I was a student.”

Fame is not an issue either. Even a successful writer is unlikely to be hounded by the paparazzi, and Rankin says fans never trouble him. “I don’t get bothered that much in Edinburgh. It’s is a city that pretty much keeps itself to itself. If people do stop you in the street they stop you to say nice things.”

Rich and able to live his life as he pleases. Nothing to worry about at all, then. Not quite. “You’re worried about whether your book is going to be any good. You ask yourself, ‘Is this when I will finally get found out?’ That bit of it doesn’t get any easier.”

The success of Even Dogs In The Wild shows that Rankin is still at his peak, but he says he still finds fault with every book. “There’s probably no writer out there who, as soon as the book is published and they get that first copy, doesn’t open it up and go, ‘Ah, I could have written that differently, I could have written it better,’ which is why you write another book. You have failed yet again to say everything you want to say about the world in the best possible way. Each book is a small failing. So you try again, fail better, as [Samuel] Beckett would say.”

It is clear reading Even Dogs In The Wild that Rankin is confident writing Rebus, as well as his three other recurring characters: straight arrow former Internal Affairs cop Malcolm Fox, the main protagonist in The Complaints (2009) and The Impossible Dead (2011); Rebus’s sharp but more sensible sidekick detective sergeant Siobhan Clarke; and the detective’s long-time adversary, the gangster Gerald “Big Ger” Cafferty. It is a mature work. But Rankin is wary of becoming too comfortable. “It would

WHEN IT CAME TO MY FAMILY, GROWING UP, I WAS THE CUCKOO IN THE NEST. THE STRANGE, QUIET ONE SITTING IN HIS ROOM WRITING POETRY

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YOU STILL WORRY ABOUT WHETHER THE BOOK WILL BE ANY GOOD. ‘IS THIS WHEN I FINALLY GET FOUND OUT?’ THAT BIT OF IT DOESN’T GET ANY EASIER be very easy to just get lazy and go through the motions, and give readers something which is [only] very slightly different to what you have done before [when you have] characters they love and just want to hang out with. But you want to keep challenging yourself as a writer, partly because there are young writers coming up through the ranks who are using language in a different way from you, who have got exciting plots, new devices, new ways of telling a story. I have to keep on my toes, so that I don’t end up being forgotten about’” It’s unlikely that Rankin will be forgotten in a hurry, but he sees writing as a contest. “I think all writers see it as a competition,” he says. “They must. All writers have got egos, and although crime writers tend to be a very collegiate bunch, like a gang, you don’t want to be slacking.”

Ian Rankin could never be accused of slacking. He’s published 31 novels to date, sometimes writing two a year, as well as short story collections, a stage play, a graphic novel and the libretto for a 15-minute opera – but he says he never expected to be in the position he is now. “I grew up in a coal mining town of 7,000 people.

No writers in the vicinity. Very few readers. I mean, my parents didn’t read novels much at all. Maybe on summer holiday,” he says.

That town was Cardenden in Fife, where Ian Rankin was born in 1960. His father, James, worked in a grocer’s shop and then in an office at Rosyth naval dockyard; his mother, Isobel, worked in a factory canteen; and his two older sisters left school at 16 to find gainful employment. “I was the cuckoo in the nest,” he says. “I was the strange quiet one sitting in his bedroom writing poetry when he should have been out stealing cars or something.”

Our starters arrive. Rankin’s colourful broth looks like the ideal dish for a cold winter’s afternoon, and he can hardly wait to dip his spoon in, though he later declares that it has “defeated me”. My gravlax, served with a sharp mayonnaise, is the finest I have ever had: ten thick dark orange slices infused with a flawless amalgam of fishiness and smokiness.

When he was ten, Rankin started writing lyrics for an imaginary band, The Amoebas, and reading comic books. He discovered the local library, where he would borrow novels such as The Godfather, Jaws, The French Connection and A Clockwork Orange, because he wasn’t old enough to see the films.

He studied English at the University Of Edinburgh, graduating in 1982, and started a PhD thesis on Muriel Spark, working on his first novel at night. He didn’t complete the PhD, but he did finish Summer Rites, a comedy set in a Scottish hotel featuring a boy with psychokinetic powers, which is still safely ensconced in a drawer.

His second attempt, The Flood, about a boy growing up in a small Scottish town who falls for an unsuitable girl, was published in 1986.

It was followed by Knots And Crosses, the first Rebus novel, in 1987.

“It was meant to be a one-off, and I’m sure in the first draft of Knots And Crosses, which I can’t find, he was shot and killed at the end,” says Rankin. “I certainly planned for him to die. By the time it was published he wasn’t dead, but that was it, done and dusted.”

He did move away from crime fiction, publishing Watchman, “my attempt at a le Carré or Graham Greene spy novel”, in 1988 and Westwind, “which I have never allowed to be reprinted because it was so bad”, in 1990. Neither book was a big success. Then living in Tottenham, London, where his wife Miranda, who he had married in 1986, went out to work as a civil servant while he tried to make it as a writer, Rankin wasn’t happy. “I hated it,” he says.

“Hardly any money. Just grim.”

Then two decisions set the author on the path to success. First, his editor, Euan Cameron, encouraged him to revisit Rebus, and then, in 1990, Miranda suggested that they get out of London.

They moved to a dilapidated house in rural southwest France, and

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in 1991 Hide And Seek, the second Rebus novel, was published.

Five more Rebus novels were published while the couple lived in France, and their two children, Jack and Kit, were born, before they returned to the Edinburgh in 1996.

Then, in January 1997, Rankin’s life changed forever. “I opened up The Times and it said, ‘The best crime novel of 1997 has already been published and we will tell you what it is tomorrow,’ ” he recalls. “I said to myself, ‘Oh right, what’s that going to be?’ I got the next day’s Times and Marcel Berlins, the crime fiction reviewer, was saying that [my novel] Black And Blue was going to be the best crime novel he read that year. That was January. In November 1997 I won the Gold Dagger with it. So it was a game changer.”

He had finally made it. “That book, which was Rebus novel number eight, sold four times as many copies as the previous books, and that was the first inkling I got that I could actually make a go of it as a writer,” says Rankin. “All the books before that were an apprenticeship.”

The decision to dedicate himself to crime fiction had worked. “I think by about book three or four I thought, ‘A detective is a very good way of looking at the world,’ ” he says.

“Oh, I can see chips,” says Rankin, beaming. “Lovely goujons,” he continues, as the waiter sets the plates down on the table.

“Hooray. You don’t get chips,” he jibes. What I do get is a vast cauldron of steaming mussels in a mild masala broth. I think I’ve done pretty well, but Rankin with his bowl of chips, golden goujons and competitive streak begs to differ.

“When I first started, crime fiction wasn’t nearly as big a genre as it is now,” he continues after a few mouthfuls. “But a lot of younger writers started becoming interested in crime novels, in using the crime novel to say things about the world. It wasn’t just about the puzzle, it wasn’t just about solving the mystery, it was about the fact that crime tells us a lot about ourselves as a society and asks some very big moral questions of us, like: why do these terrible things keep happening in the world?”

Even Dogs In The Wild deals with child abuse; the title is taken from a song about a neglected child by Scottish band The Associates. But the overriding theme is the relationships between fathers and sons. “It’s a book about what parents hand down to

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their kids, for better or worse,” says Rankin. The human story is always far more important as far as he is concerned. “[Whodunit] doesn’t both me. You could work it out on page one and it wouldn’t matter. [With Even Dogs In The Wild] I didn’t know until near the end, either,” he says.

Other than deftly scrutinising human weakness, the element of Rankin’s fiction that lifts his novels above the average police procedural is the characters. The author has drawn them so skillfully and in such detail that for his millions of fans they are real. How close is he to Rebus et al? “I think I’m much more like Siobhan and Fox. If you put the two of them in a blender you would get something that’s much more like me, psychologically and philosophically. Rebus is more cynical than I am, he’s more Old Testament than I am. He’s stubborn in a way I am not, he goes against authority, he’s an anarchist.”

Fans won’t have to wait much longer to see what Rebus does next, but Rankin doesn’t know what his 33rd book will be. “I never think further than one book ahead,” he says as the waiter clears our mains. We both decline dessert and order double espressos.

“After this book is finished the plan is for 2017 to be a year off,” says Rankin. “I will be celebrating 30 years of Rebus. The first book was published in 1987, so the publisher has got big ideas about 2017, and it won’t involve writing a new book. So by the time I start writing another book, it will be 2018 and I’ll be 58.

Maybe there’s nothing in the tank. Who knows?”

For now, Ian Rankin is happy to wander off into the familiar Edinburgh chill, his belly full, carrying his plastic bag.

Ian Rankin will be speaking at the Emirates Airline Festival Of Literature, Dubai, March 1 to 12. emirateslitfest.com

The Bill 2 x set menu (US$63) 2 x double espresso (US$10)

Total: US$73

For more on the Emirates Airline Festival Of Literature listen to the podcast on ice Digital Widescreen. Channel 1504.

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Kandooma the Maldives

Words: ToM KANE IMAgEs: KANdooMA rEsorT Kandooma resor t exists as an homage to all that is indelibly appealing about the Maldives.

It harnesses everything that you’d expect from a private island set in the classic picture-postcard environs, and couples it with enough activities and attractions to satisfy all holiday expectations with ease.

While this Holiday Inn Resor t includes the typically Maldivian overwater villas, you can, instead, opt for sea-facing beach houses offering a stellar hybrid of beach living and home comfor ts. Planted on the water’s edge, they’re built over two floors, one outside and one in. The spacious bedroom and balcony quar ters are up top, with a large adjoining

bathroom and, in a nod to the convivial, a suitably well covered outdoor shower.

Continuing the alfresco trend, the designer furnishings of the downstairs area are all laid out on the island’s white sand carpet, meaning that the beach doubles beautifully as your temporary living room. maldives.holidayinnresorts.com

Emirates flies six times daily to the Maldives with the Boeing 777. Choose from three non-stop daily services from Dubai, and three services that make a stop in Colombo.

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Four SeaSonS Tokyo aT Marunouchi Tokyo, Japan

Words: AndreW nAgy ImAges: four seAsons Found nestled in the hear t of Tokyo, Four Seasons Tokyo Marunouchi is the cosy boutique arm of a giant brand.

You’ll only find 57 rooms here, but each offers a reminder of classic Tokyo with a high-tech element that speaks equally for the city and it’s modern way of life.

The hotel might be small in scale, but

what it does, it does well – and with a team uncommonly willing to make ever y moment of your stay just right.

There are unusal touches, too, and while it might be a surprise not to find a traditional Japanese restaurant onsite, the new French restaurant, Motif, is grand in both scale and style – look out for the

Ayala Champagne evening on March 24.

Finally, the location is perfect. You’re minutes away from the Imperial Palace, next door to the famous old Shinjuku train station – the busiest in the world – and close to an easy connection for everything this amazing city has to offer. fourseasons.com

Emirates serves three destinations in Japan – Osaka, Tokyo Haneda and Narita. Last year The Emirates Lounge opened in Tokyo’s Narita International Airport. The lounge is open to First Class and Business Class passengers, as well as Platinum and Gold Skywards members.

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Mona Hobart, tasmania

Words: Gina Johnson imaGes: mona Tasmania is fast evolving as new frontier in luxur y travel, and located in the nor thern district of the state’s capital of Hobar t is the Museum Of Old And New Ar t, colloquially known as Mona, which houses the private collection of eccentric Antipodean collector David Walsh.

A fully immersive experience allows guests to check in to one of the eight

pavilions each named after renowned Australian artists and architects. The three-level, metal encased penthouse called ‘Roy’ – a nod to Australian architect Roy Grounds – is a construction to behold with its edgy art display, minimalist furnishings and Derwent river views.

The aspirational French-inspired menu at flagship restaurant The Source borders on molecular gastronomy and

uses some of the best of local produce.

Performance is at the hear t of ever ything at Mona, and it’s only once you’re descended 17 metres underground, via a maze of purposefully convoluted dark passage ways, that you are finally confronted by this ar tistic lair : the world’s largest private collection of modern and new ar t. mona.net.au

Explore more than 50 Australian and New Zealand destinations with Emirates and Qantas. Earn Skywards Miles when you travel on Qantas for even more advantages to the partnership.

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Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong WORDS anD IMaGES: JOE MORtIMER

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Emirates flies four times daily to Hong Kong. Choose from three non-stop services from Dubai, and one service with a stop in Bangkok, Thailand.

Tumbling down the hillside to the edge of Victoria Harbour, Sai Ying Pun is a neighbourhood on the up. Escalators connect the tiered streets of this rapidly developing yet resolutely traditional area, which extends from waterside Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park up to the appropriately named High Street and Bonham Road, far above.

The dried fish and seafood industry that put the neighbourhood on the map when it was settled in the 19th century is still booming, but traditional businesses now stand in bold contrast to stylish new eateries, contemporary galleries and trendy bars – from which roaring hoards of locals and expats spill onto the streets each evening, as vendors and market

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traders navigate the unforgiving slopes pushing wheelbarrows full of produce.

The district is still refreshingly quiet compared to its more boisterous neighbours, Soho and Central; but rising rents and a new MTR station are fanning the flames of fresh development, so visit now before it loses that unique balance of old and new.

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LOCOFAMA

Finding good organic food at pedestrian prices is no easy thing in Hong Kong, a situation that prompted the founders of Locofama to set up shop and bring organic cuisine to Sai Ying Pun. The healthy yet hear ty menu features a mixture of carb-free and paleo dishes such as cauliflower risotto ser ved with a runny egg, and more hear ty fare like shor t rib braised for 48 hours, or snow crab with oolong soba noodles. Wash it down with a Healthy Green juice, made with green veg, cinnamon, ginger, lemon and coconut water. Ever ything is made using fresh organic ingredients sourced from local farmers, with the exception of a few impor ted items. Despite the slightly secluded location at the end of a cul-de-sac, Locofama draws the crowds at lunchtime thanks to daily specials and set lunch deals, as well as shoppers who come to stock up on cereals, pulses, healthy dog food and organic beauty products from the Locofama Store, just next door to the restaurant.

11 Fuk Sau Lane, Sai Ying Pun | +852 2547 7668 | locofama.com

U HANG

Fifties kitsch meets K-Pop culture at U Hang, where modern Korean cuisine has been drawing in the crowds since it opened last November. Meaning ‘trendy’ in Korean, U Hang is cer tainly that. The image of a traditional Korean woman with plump red lips and Jackie O-style sunglasses who beams out from the restaurant’s logo looks almost as glamorous as the hoards of Sai Ying Pun residents who fill its tables. Fun lighting installations illuminate the urban-industrial space, which was formerly a car workshop; its bare concrete walls now covered with murals depicting old Korean street scenes. The menu also mixes the new and traditional. Seoul staples like seafood chive pancake heaped with clams, mussels, prawns, squid and house-made pickle sauce sit alongside more modern dishes like KFC – Korean fried chicken with sweet and spicy sauce and coleslaw. Top it off with cocktails from a list that errs on the side of extreme flavour, with bitter, sweet and sour concoctions featuring heavily.

58-60 High Street, Sai Ying Pun | +852 2549 6788 | uhang.hk | 47 |

make this

Dubai World Cup unforgettable

Celebrate the Dubai World Cup on March 26, 2016 at Meydan Racecourse Come and experience the world’s richest horserace and the biggest social and sporting event in Dubai. Get ready for a star-studded day and night of exciting racing, glamour, fashion, exceptional dining and high-end entertainment.

Hospitality gates open at 2:00pm. The first race starts at 3:45pm.

Book now at meydan.ae or call +971 4 327 2110.

#DubaiWorldCup

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@DWC_Meydan

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TUCK CHONG SUM KEE BAMBOO STEAMER COMPANY

If you’ve ever wondered where restaurants get those wonderful wooden dim sum steamers and other bamboo products, you’re in luck; the Tuck Chong Sum Kee Bamboo Steamer Company has been supplying the quintessential kitchen equipment to Hong Kong’s restaurants for more than 50 years, and business is still going strong. At the back of a modest shop on steep Western Street, great towers of industrial-sized steamers are stacked from floor to ceiling, while smaller steamers and other household utensils are displayed up front. This is the place for authentic Chinese kitchen products, from chopsticks and placemats to serving baskets and domestic-sized steamers, as well as dried lotus leaves, which are used to create a delicate fragrance in dim sum or rice dishes. Just like the five generations before them, co-owner Lem Chick Hung and his brother can be found among the bamboo towers most days of the week.

12 Western Street, Sai Ying Pun | +852 2548 8201

YUAN IS HERE

If you’re yet to explore the world of Taiwanese street food then it’s time to catch up; this is a cuisine taking Eastern cities by storm. Queues trail down the street from Yuan Is Here, a hole-in-the-wall cafe ser ving a menu of simple Taiwanese street classics. Don’t let the simplicity of the names fool you – there’s a good reason why people wait patiently in line for a table every day. Steaming bowls of rich, profoundly flavoured chicken and rice or beef noodle soup appear from the cupboard-sized kitchen minutes after ordering. Tr y the chicken nuggets: tender morsels of chicken in a crisp vegetable oil batter brushed with a coating of salt, pepper and cinnamon. There’s an extensive list of traditional teas and unusual juices ser ved hot or cold (think sweet and sour plum), and if you’re in a hurr y, skip the queue and order anything to go.

73 Third Street, Sai Ying Pun | +852 3579 2460 | 49 |

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CACHE

The Conservancy Association Centre For Heritage (CACHe) has one of the hardest jobs in Hong Kong, with a mission to protect and preserve an old way of life that is rapidly eroding in the face of relentless development. Although its work covers the entire city, Sai Ying Pun is CACHe’s physical home. Much effort goes into promoting sustainable development and helping new ventures exist sideby-side with traditional businesses in the community. Occupying an old hospital annex at the back of the Western District Community Centre, CACHe researches and documents traditional businesses and buildings, organises exhibitions and creates beautifully designed (and free) guides and maps that highlight heritage trails and important historical elements of different neighbourhoods. The latest exhibition, The Sai Ying Pun Layman Life, features work from local artists and artisans, exploring the possibilities and challenges of living a modern life in an old community. Stop by to grab a map of the neighbourhood and browse the latest exhibition.

36A Western Street, Sai Ying Pun | +852 2291 023 | cache.org.hk

PING PONG 129 GINTONERIA

“Train your body,” proclaims a large neon sign hanging above the bar at Ping Pong 129, a relic from the venue’s former incarnation as a table-tennis academy. Punters now train their palates rather than their bodies at this sultry lounge bar in a cavernous basement off Second Street, where gin is king. Owner Juan Martinez Gregorio stocks more than 90 varieties, the majority of which come from his native Spain. The first page of the cocktail list features 14 different versions of the classic G&T, garnished with fruit and herbs from nearby Sai Ying Pun Central Market. Double height ceilings, contemporary art and velvet drapes give the venue a theatrical aspect that’s exacerbated by the barmen, who use mini picks to shape blocks of ice to fit in oversized balloon glasses. A generous menu of Spanish tapas will keep you there for another round, but the venue closes at 11pm sharp, so as not to upset the neighbours.

L/G Nam Cheong House, 129 Second Street, Sai Ying Pun | +852 9158 1584 | pingpong129.com | 51 |

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SUN YAT SEN MEMORIAL PARK

Wide-open spaces are a rare luxur y in Hong Kong, so residents were elated when the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park opened in 2010, complete with a seven-a-side football pitch and municipal swimming pool. Separated from the rest of Sai Ying Pun by busy Connaught Road and hemmed in by Victoria Harbour on the other side, this is arguably the finest waterfront green space in the city, with superb views across the harbour to the skyscrapers of West Kowloon. Day and night, its paved promenade is filled with joggers, nannies with pushchairs and locals practising tai chi, while its memorial lawn acts as a ser ve-all green space for sun worshippers, lunchtime picnickers, or boot camps and yoga classes come evening. The large bronze statue in the centre depicts the park’s namesake, Dr Sun Yat Sen, the man responsible for the creation of the Republic Of China, who gazes back pensively over the high-rise towers of Sai Ying Pun. Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park

ABOVE SECOND GALLERY

In a city where bling is king, it’s refreshing to find a gallery dedicated to grassroots art and design. Founder May Wong’s Above Second Gallery (which formerly occupied a space above, you’ve guessed it, Second Street) showcases work from street artists and other counterculture creatives to put a different spin on Hong Kong’s contemporary art scene, and acts as an incubator for new talent.

This year’s exhibitions have included Capital Games, featuring the work of US graffiti artist Alec Monopoly, Vices by Hawaii-born post pop artist Aaron Kai and more recently, British stencil artist Nick Walker’s Entropy. Wong and Co collaborated with major Hong Kong developer Swire Properties and artists from all over the world in 2013 to create the city’s first ever street art exhibition, featuring three weeks of events, in a bid to boost awareness and appreciation of the blossoming local scene and its protagonists.

9 First Street, Sai Ying Pun | +852 3483 7950 | above-second.com | 52 |

PIZ Z A, PA STA & PR OF IT

Looking for a lucrative business opportunity? Passionate about great food and even better returns? Then 800PIZZA, the leading name in authentic Italian food in the UAE, will certainly hit the spot. Since 2007, 800PIZZA is synonymous with the finest wood-fire pizzas and traditional pastas, among many other delectable dishes. If you’re interested in joining our family and starting your own 800PIZZA franchise, please contact us for all the details.

009714 3306491

franchising@800pizza.ae

Under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai

16 - 19 March 2016 Dubai Design District (d3) Register for complimentary admission at

dubaiphotoexhibition.ae

Garry Fabian Miller In Blake’s Room

dubaiphotoae

This photograph, like much of the artist’s work, was produced without recourse to a camera, recalling the earliest days of photography. The image suggests a primal definition of colour and shape that, while pleasing, can be difficult to understand and may instill a sense of unease in the viewer.

See it, and more than 700 other photographic masterworks selected by 18 of the world’s leading curators, at Dubai Photo Exhibition. And see photography from a global perspective.

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Culinary Boutique

To stand out in the crowd among Dubai’s rapidly growing foodie set, you need to offer something a little different. At Culinary Boutique you don’t just eat, you learn how to cook it all too

words & images: sandra tinari t times it seems as if there’s at least one food venture per resident in Dubai, such is the burgeoning local food scene and community. Catering to this increasing number of gourmands, both local and tourist, is Jumeirah’s newest food destination: Culinary Boutique.

Combining a café, cooking school, event space and baker y, the unique Dubai concept, founded

by Emirati entrepreneur Hessa Al Qassim, aims to cater to those who are simply passionate about food. With a fresh, expansive menu and emphasis placed on not only enjoying the food, but learning how to make it, Culinar y Boutique is fast establishing itself as a real local hotspot. | 55 |

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Culinary Boutique is the plaCe to Cook, taste and Be

Our menu flavours are inspired by the Mediterranean with highquality fresh ingredients.

Our recipes are all made here, onsite, and include mushroom truffles, quail eggs and lobster tails. Favourites so far would be our homemade French toast, the burrata and beetroot salad, the wagyu burger sliders, and our speciality lavender cake and cappuccino.

This is a new venture in Dubai. It brings a cooking school, a gourmet restaurant and an events venue all in one place.

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This whole thing came from the love I have for cooking and exceptional food.

I wanted to share it with ever yone, as well as creating an unforgettable experience in the city.

You can try cooking classes from all over the world. Just book them online – they’re suitable for all skill levels. We have more than 100 to choose from. We will even have occasional collaborations with international chefs, who will host their menus and dishes with us.

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our Aim iS for the fooD to tAke on Another DimenSion, preSenteD Like A pieCe of Art

The architecture and interior is entirely bespoke. I aimed to have the overall design merge with the themes of our dishes… our aim is for the food to take on another dimension, presented like a piece of ar t.

Foodies coming to Dubai should visit old authentic areas in Dubai like Al Bastakiya, now called Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, to experience the food culture and really get in touch with the UAE’s history. culinaryboutique.com

A convenient way to visit Dubai’s top attractions is with City Sightseeing’s hop-on, hop-off bus. Learn more at citysightseeing-dubai.com

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A collection of stories from around the world

My Writing Life

The Auckland Plan

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FROM COOL URBAN DISTRICTS TO LUSH ROLLING GREENERY, PERFECT SURF TO SOME OF THE BEST BEACHES ON EARTH. NEW ZEALAND’S LARGEST CITY IS MORE THAN WORTH THE TRIP

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WORDS: MEGAN SINGLETON

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s recently as ten years ago, Auckland as a destination simply wasn’t a viable option – at least not for much of the globe, and certainly not as a onedestination trip. It was just too far and too expensive. Then technology changed and long-haul flights altered the way we travelled. While rising oil prices dented that enthusiasm, it would never halt the long-terms plan, and now the advent of ultra-long haul flights is changing the way we see the world once again, bringing cities closer than every before. None more so than Auckland.

New Zealand’s largest city has a plan – the Auckland Plan to be exact. A strategy put into action in 2012, it aims to address everything from employment to education, housing to the environment all in an ambitious bid to make it officially the world’s most liveable city by 2040.

It’s clearly a strategy that’s slowly paying off too, as it rises through the rankings incrementally each year (third in the 2015 Best Quality Of Life survey

by Mercer – behind Vienna and Zurich,

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ninth in the 140 Most Liveable Cities In The World by The Economist).

IN THE CITY Sprawling across two harbours, the Waitemata and the Manukau, Auckland is surrounded by countless beaches and dotted with islands in the Hauraki Gulf. It’s home to one third of New Zealand’s population and the traffic issues like those of other major first world cities are now the norm.

But while the residents groan under their city’s soaring popularity, visitors make for places like the west coast beaches of Piha, Muriwai and Bethells, which are laid in black sand so soft it feels like walking on velvet.

The locals know to wear footwear in the heat of the day as it becomes scorching hot, and that huge amounts of sunscreen is a must anywhere in New Zealand. These western beaches are excellent for surfing and sunsets and while public transport is almost non-existent, if you can get there under your own steam, a perfect way to end a day is with fish and chips straight out of the paper on the beach watching the sun to melt into the horizon facing Australia.

It’s not hard to realise that Aucklanders love the water and it’s said there’s an average of one boat for every four people

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tied up in marinas or parked on trailers in driveways.You’ll see yachts, powerboats and luxury launches bobbing on the harbour as fishermen anchor at their secret spots and friends and families sail to nearby islands like Motuihe, Motutapu or Waiheke Island.

The latter has enjoyed its busiest summer ever after being voted in the top five of Lonely Planet’s Best Regions In The World To Visit in 2016. Famous for its many wineries and sensational views, a ferry to Waiheke Island takes about 35 minutes from downtown Auckland to Matiatia wharf where a bus will take explorers up the hill about two kilometres into the quaint village of Oneroa. Cafes and restaurants overflow and the street is edged with boutiques, real estate businesses and classy souvenir shops.

Another island perfect for day trips is Rangitoto. It’s almost perfectly round so looks the same from anywhere in the city and is close enough to Auckland to paddle a kayak out to – or a ferry for the less energetic. It’s a magical way to be on the sparkling waters of the Hauraki Gulf, which you can follow up with a walk around its perimeter or a hike on the path to the top of this volcanic crater for some sensational views of the city.

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a cricket match in summer or braving the winter chill at a rugby or football game.

School-aged sport is part of the national psyche here, but New Zealanders don’t grow exactly out of it. Rugby League fans will want to make the pilgrimage to Mount Smart Stadium to watch the Warriors and if you’re in Auckland when the national teams are playing you could catch the Black Caps cricket team or the All Blacks filling Eden Park with passion like you’ll have rarely seen before.

Cuisine

For those with less time, just a taxi ride across town is Mission Bay, another of Auckland’s sandy gems. A huge park with a children’s playground at one end and a fountain in the middle. it’s the likely playground for an impromptu ball game amongst the picnickers. But those without a basket need not worry as across the road from this family-friendly beach area host of restaurants and bars all bumping tables on the pavement.

Walks Auckland offers everything from tenminute strolls through native bush or along coastal walkways to full day hikes that set you amongst the city’s natural side. Expect to see native birds like the heavy kereru (wood pigeon) taking off with branches bowing under its beating wings. Meanwhile, the piwakawaka (fantail) will fly along with you as you walk, sometimes stopping on a branch to check that you’re still around. You’ll hear the distinctive call of the tui, identified by its little white beard, but what you won’t see is the kiwi. New Zealand’s avian symbol of national pride only comes out at night and even then, never in the city. However Auckland Zoo has an impressive kiwi

enclosure and you might be lucky enough to spot them on Motuihe, Motutapu and Rangitoto islands where the Department Of Conservation has been working tirelessly with volunteers on tree planting and pest eradication to help the little flightless bird survive.

City Parks In summer Auckland hosts all manner of outdoor events, many of them free.

Local musicians play concerts in parks and outdoor movies are popular under the Southern Cross night sky.

Wander around Auckland’s neighbourhoods on a Saturday morning and you’ll see families on the sidelines of

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New Zealand’s culinary scene is one of the best-kept secrets in the world. For some reason the national tourism board brags little about the abundance of fresh fruit, vegetables, seafood and rolling fields dotted with sheep and cattle. Talented chefs all over the country transform the mainly organic ingredients into real food art. And you don’t need to spend a fortune to taste what Kiwis take for granted either. Try a salad with char-grilled peaches and prosciutto, or a fresh fish slider with a glass of white served chilled directly from the barrel at a casual bistro in the heart of the city.

Some of the country’s finest chefs have trained in Michelin-starred restaurants abroad, but with that system not in New Zealand, their international experience and qualifications are often a humble accolade that very few know about. New Zealanders laugh at the phrase ‘grass-fed beef ’ on menus around the world as they can’t imagine cattle being fed any other way. And when a juicy steak served medium rare set on kumara (sweet potato) mash and drizzled with a rich jus arrives at your table, you understand why.

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those in the know leave the city for the western beaches of piha, muriwai and bethel. perfect for surfing and sunsets...

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For at least the last decade the fusion of ethnic cuisine with locally grown ingredients has seen the rise and rise of themed restaurants serving up the tastes of Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South America and beyond. It would take a full year of dining out every night to try all of Auckland’s top restaurants, but a good place to start is the Viaduct, Britomart and Wynyard Quarter all located next to each other on the waterfront. Here celebrity chefs run their own restaurants alongside smaller, family run establishments. You’ll find the flavours of Mexico next to Vietnam, Italy and India all bursting with satisfied diners next to the white tablecloths of fine dining establishments like Euro Bar, Soul Bar and Fish Restaurant.

Weekend brunches are almost compulsory in Auckland where coffee baristas enter competitions to win the coveted prize of creating the perfect flat white. Cafes in neighbourhoods all over the city pride themselves on their Saturday and Sunday morning menus with eggs benedict being a staple or avocado smashed with feta and topped with beef bacon served on toasted ciabatta being one of the best choices you could make.

Luxury In New Zealand luxury accommodation, scenery, and great food go hand-in-hand.

You can try a five-star hotel with an awardwinning spa or have your luxury quota via a boutique bed and breakfast. In Auckland you can stay on the beach, in the heart of the city, secluded in the bush or out on an island. You could rent a farmhouse on a west coast beach or stay in a hidden inner city boutique hotel frequented by your fellow passengers in first class and likely run into a pop star in town for a gig.

For those with a few dollars to throw around, a helicopter ride over the 48 volcanic cones that Auckland is studded with is an excellent way to spend a day. But you’ll also see folks disembarking choppers at wineries and golf courses or heading further afield to play a round as far north and Kauri Cliffs or down to Hawkes Bay at Cape Kidnappers.

Sometimes luxury just means a private car and a driver to take you out to a beach

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and eat those fish and chips out of the paper on a blanket as the sun goes down – and there are companies that do that too.

CuLturaL ExpEriEnCEs While Rotorua might get the majority of New Zealand’s culture points, you can certainly have an authentic experience of what makes the country unique through various businesses and meet some delightful characters keen to share their stories.

Take an Auckland Maori Tour and you’ll spend the day with a local Maori guide who will tell you stories of Auckland’s history as you visit significant sites that are tapu (sacred) to the Maori people. These tours include a visit to the Auckland War Memorial Museum where a replica pa (meeting house) allows visitors to take their shoes off and step into another culture, see the hand carved totems presented from all the tribes around New Zealand and even experience the haka (war dance) made famous by the All Blacks rugby team.

A full day tour also covers the black sands of the volcanic west coast beaches, so if renting a car and driving out there is not your idea of fun, then one of these tours provides the best of both worlds.

Award-winning TIME Unlimited Tours provide cultural tours, walking tours or even day trips down to the Lord Of the Rings Hobbiton movie set or the breathtaking Waitomo Caves.

Emirates’ new non-stop service from Dubai to Auckland starts this month. Read more on p86.

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There are eight shopping malls spread around the city, many are so huge that a day spent there won’t be long enough. They have hundreds of local and international brand stores, restaurants and cafes, cinemas and supermarkets. But for a more local experience Ponsonby Road is worth spending some time browsing along. The new Ponsonby Central is a hub of dining and shopping experiences and the surrounding streets have seen the arrival of New Zealand fashion brands taking up residence.

Queen Street is an easy shopping day from Britomart, at the lower end, which is the city’s public transport hub with the main train station and bus network. For a touch of old-style glamour, the centuryold family owned Smith And Caughey’s department store provides an upscale shopping experience over three floors, and Farmers is a New Zealand institution as a mid-range department store that also recently expanded into their new Queen Street building.

Newmarket is another popular location, anchored by the 277 (pronounced two-double-seven) shopping mall and home to some of the same businesses as Queen Street and the various shopping malls around town.

The main difference here are the locally owned and operated stores on Nuffield Street, Teed Street and Osbourne Street which are worth making time to visit.

The Emirates Airline Festival Of Literature

My Writing Life Four writers reveal all

Words: Gareth Rees Illustration: John Marsland

ANTONY BEEVOR that I write. You need to have somebody who, like my wife [the writer Ar temis Cooper], will go through and put a line by a paragraph just saying ‘boring’ or ‘don’t understand’, which no editor nowadays would dare do. They seem to be too afraid to edit well-known writers.

That’s a big mistake.

ilitary historian Anthony Beevor has published 11 non-fiction books, including the multi-award winning bestsellers Stalingrad and Berlin: The Downfall 1945. His work has been translated into 30 languages and his books have sold more than six-and-ahalf million copies worldwide.

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ARE YOU WORKING ON A BOOK AT THE MOMENT?

WHEN DID YOUR INTEREST IN MILITARY HISTORY START?

DESCRIBE YOUR WRITING PROCESS

My interest in history started, like with most people, at school, with a brilliant teacher at [Royal Military Academy] Sandhurst. I studied military history under John Keegan, who was a fantastic teacher.

All my mother’s side of the family had been writers, and I suppose with the innocence and arrogance of youth I thought, ‘Why can’t I be a writer too?’

I started off with novels, not military history at all, and I had a great editor. I would come out of meetings after about two hours feeling totally crushed and humiliated, but I learnt more from her than I could have possibly done in any creative writing course.

Four of the novels were published, but I certainly wasn’t surviving financially off them, even though a few were translated.

The publisher said, ‘This is crazy, you studied history, you’ve been in the army, why don’t you do military history?’

It’s not just a question of sitting down and writing the whole time. It’s just over two years’ research to just under one years’ writing. The research and the marshalling of the material are just as impor tant as the writing, if not more so, in a way, because if you haven’t got new material there’s no point, in my view, writing the book.

During the writing period, I cut myself off in the countryside. I write in a barn that I’ve converted. It’s got bookshelves all the way round, and a large ping-pong table that is usually covered in maps and documents and so forth, which I’m afraid means not much ping-pong. I will try and start work by nine o’clock in the morning.

I’ll break for lunch, and then have a quick power nap and a walk. I will work on through until about 7.30pm, and then we’ll have dinner.

I’m incredibly lucky being married to another writer. She edits everything

HOW DID THAT EXPERIENCE FEED INTO YOUR MILITARY HISTORY BOOKS? I can’t say for certain, but it must have influenced the way that I like to see things visually. I think a writer has to write the sort of book that they want to read.

People ask, ‘Do you think about your audience?’ The answer is no. I just hope that they like what I like. In the old days military history was written top down, it was a very sort of collectivist version, and I wanted to know what it was like for the people on the ground. This is why John Keegan was such an influence, because with his book, The Face Of Battle, he turned military history upside down.

You can’t stop. My next one, which will be my last one on the Second World War, is going to be Arnhem.

This came about largely because I did a chapter-and-a-half on it in the lead-up to Ardennes 1944: Hitler’s Last Gamble, and I realised it was a terrible waste of a good subject. I wasn’t doing it justice. So that’s going to be the next one, and that’s what I’m working on at the moment. I will be delivering in October 2017 ready for publication in May 2018.

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED? For opening up the subject. Up until Stalingrad most publishers estimated that selling about 7,000 copies was the measure of a really good military history book, because military history was limited to military buffs. What I found so astonishing is that Stalingrad seemed to knock away the barriers of the genre.

I was writing the history of humanity rather than just military history.

ESSENTIAL READING

STALINGRAD (1998) Multi-award winning account praised for its compelling storytelling that redefined the genre of military history.

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BERLIN: THE DOWNFALL 1945 (2002) A No 1 best-seller accompanied by a BBC television programme on his research methods.

ARDENNES 1944 (2015) This book on Germany’s final throw of the dice is Beevor’s penultimate work on the Second World War.

MICHAEL DOBBS fter more than a decade working for British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Michael Dobbs began his career as a writer with 1989’s House Of Cards, the first in a three-book series featuring Machiavellian politician Francis Urquhart.

One of the world’s foremost political novelists, he is the author of 20 novels, an executive producer on the popular Netflix series House Of Cards, which his based on his books, and a member of the House Of Lords.

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YOU DIDN’T WRITE YOUR FIRST BOOK UNTIL YOU WERE IN YOUR FORTIES. WHY DID YOU DECIDED TO WRITE HOUSE OF CARDS? I’d had a terrible falling out with Margaret Thatcher, [during] the 1987 election campaign, when I was her chief of staff, and I had been asked after the election if I would write the story of what was euphemistically called the “swinging handbag”, in other words to dish the dir t.

I didn’t want to do it. I thought that was dishonourable. But it did get me thinking, ‘Should I write something?’ I sat down beside a swimming pool with a pen and a pad and a bottle of wine and by the time I’d finished I had on it only two letters, FU, and that’s why my character is called Francis Urquhart. It all began with being beaten up by Maggie Thatcher, a bottle of wine and those two initials.

work of enter tainment, not a work of instruction’.

YOU’RE THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ON THE NETFLIX SERIES HOUSE OF CARDS. HOW PRECIOUS ARE YOU WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR HANDLING OF YOUR ORIGINAL MATERIAL? I’m not precious, but there are some standards that I like to see maintained.

Selling a book for television is like selling your house. It has new owners, you move out, they move in, and there is no point saying, ‘Well, you shouldn’t have redecorated that room in that way’ or ‘You shouldn’t have put on that hideous extension’. It’s pointless sitting on the doorstep and shouting through the letterbox. It achieves nothing.

With the Netflix series, I’ve said ‘I want to be par t of this. I want to be par t of the team. But it’s your baby, it’s your house now’. They were very kind and they said, ‘Look, you designed it, you built it, stay as par t of the team, here’s your room, here’s the dining room, have dinner with us any time you want’. I enjoy having my ideas kicked around a little bit by others.

WHAT ARE YOU WRITING AT THE MOMENT? I’m not writing books at the moment.

Politics was a huge chunk out of my life.

Which is one of the reasons why I have

ESSENTIAL READING

HOW DID YOUR COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS IN THE POLITICAL WORLD REACT TO THE BOOK? Nobody in politics has come up to me and said, ‘this is a disgrace’. They’ve all rather enjoyed it, because they realise it’s drama and not documentary. People do occasionally confuse the two. Prime Minister Renzi of Italy was recently photographed going into a bookshop and purchasing copy of House Of Cards, which I thought was very nice. To mark the occasion I wrote him a little letter saying, ‘Thank you very much, I hope you enjoy it, but please remember it is a

been very busy working in collaboration with others on television. We’ve got a full series of House Of Cards about to come out this month, and I’ve got other proposals for television shows still in the pre-development stage.

HOUSE OF CARDS (1989)

WINSTON’S WAR (2002)

A GHOST AT THE DOOR (2013)

The original novel, based on UK politics, that inspired the current Netflix sensation.

Inspired by a childhood obsession, the Churchill series is a blend of fiction and historical fact.

Dirty wars and political influence is the basis for the Harry Jones series.

This is the latest.

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ANTHONY HOROWITZ uthor of the popular Alex Rider, The Diamond Brothers and The Power Of Five series for young adults, Anthony Horowitz has also written books for adults, including two Sherlock Holmes novels, The House Of Silk and Moriarty, and the most recent James Bond novel Trigger Mortis.

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WHEN DID YOUR LOVE OF READING AND WRITING START? When I was around ten, at a really rather unpleasant school in Nor th London. The school library was the one room where I felt comfortable, and I began to read. I wasn’t what you might call a very serious reader, in my choices, but I loved stories.

I used to tell stories to the other boys in the dormitories. I knew at that age, without any question, that I would be a writer. I remember having a huge ledger and a pen and I was always scribbling away, and at night I would design the covers for the books. I still remember drawing penguins onto pieces of paper and wondering what colour Penguin book I would eventually be published in.

YOUR BOOKS ARE WRITTEN TO ENTERTAIN. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT NOT BEING REGARDED AS A ‘LITERARY’ AUTHOR? It’s funny you should ask me that, because the book I’ve just finished writing is about a writer who wants to write literary fiction, who wants to be considered a ‘great writer’, and the book is about what happens when he becomes successful for writing my sorts of books. I have always been aware of both my abilities and my shortcomings as a writer, and I’ve never had any pretention to being a ‘great writer’. I think what I do, I do well, but I am very happy to be somebody who entertains and who gives people pleasure.

HOW CAREFULLY DO YOU PLAN YOUR BOOKS? I’m very strong on structure. I never write anything until I have a very good idea

of where I’m going. The analogy is that if I visit a foreign city – the book is the foreign city – I have to have a guidebook, I have to have a map, because otherwise I won’t see anything. But having drawn the map up very carefully, it doesn’t mean I have to rigorously follow it. It gives me the freedom to go in different directions from those I have expected, but nonetheless I have to have it.

DO YOU HAVE A WRITING ROUTINE? I try to avoid routine. I always think that as soon as you get into a routine as a writer you are deadening the experience.

I work very long hours, maybe around eight or ten hours per day. If I don’t feel like writing – it happens very rarely – I’ll go out and have fun, but writing is my passion, so most days I’m doing it.

I had my workspace specially built for me, and there’s nothing in the room that isn’t connected with my work. My office has windows that look out over an extraordinary panorama. I’ve got Saint Paul’s Cathedral and the Old Bailey in front of me and I’m surrounded by cranes and skyscrapers and building, so it’s a very busy view. When I need a break I go downstairs and play the piano to rest my mind.

ESSENTIAL READING

STORMBREAKER (2000)

THE HOUSE OF SILK (2012)

TRIGGER MORTIS (2015)

The first installment of the best-selling Alex Rider series has since been made into a movie and video game.

A best-selling Sherlock Holmes story and the first time the Conan Doyle Estate authorised a new Holmes pastiche.

Horowitz is the latest author to be chosen by the Ian Fleming Estate to write a James Bond novel.

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NOURA AL-KHOORI oung Emirati writer Noura Al-Khoori has published two children’s books, Fanteer The Fluffy Flamingo and Golden Dates, and is a scriptwriter for the Arabic version of Sesame Street, Iftah Ya Simsim.

Two of them are from the first version of Sesame Street that was aired in the late-1970s, but we enhanced their physical appearances and their characters a little bit. That’s No’man, the camel, and Melsoon, the bird. And we created a brand new character, Shams, a very ambitious, enthusiastic little girl.

YOU TRAINED AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A WRITER?

AS THE MOTHER OF FOUR CHILDREN, HOW DO YOU FIND TIME TO WRITE?

Y

I write about animals and natural geography. I always had an intuition, a gut feeling that I would eventually write, because I started keeping a journal when I was 11. In school, I always wanted to do biology. I didn’t know that years later science and writing would both merge.

My biggest inspiration was my children. I had three young children at home [when I first started writing], aged from zero to five, and I had to come up with lots of impromptu ideas for bedtime stories. I joined a workshop for emerging writers run by the Goethe-Institut and UAEBBY, the UAE Board on Books for Young People, and my two books, both published in 2013, were a product of that project.

There’s loads of support for writers in the UAE, and it’s only getting better.

It’s really hard now that I run a house with three children who are at school and a baby at home. I used to have a routine. Now I just write whenever I get the chance. Usually it’s either very early in the morning, at the crack of dawn, before everybody wakes up, or just before I go to bed.

WHERE DO YOU WRITE? I have a really tiny balcony that I manage to fit a little chair on. At 11pm I will light a candle and sit with a pot of camomile tea and write, if the weather permits. I am in the hear t of Abu Dhabi, right in the centre of a busy residential area, but the view is not too bad.

ESSENTIAL READING

FANTEER THE FLUFFY FLAMINGO (2013) Al-Khouri’s first book charts the adventure of Fanteer, a flamingo that gets lost on a trip to the Mangroves

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT? I just submitted a story about refugees.

It’s an adventure about a boy who has had to leave his country, but I have done it in a very subtle way, so there is no mention of war, no mention of refugees, no mention of refugee camps, but all of this is suggested through his actions and his dialogue. I tend to write for the age my kids are at, and I would definitely like to move into tween books next.

THE EMIRATES AIRLINE FESTIVAL OF LITERATURE IS THE LARGEST LITERARY FESTIVAL IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AND WILL WELCOME MORE THAN 140 OF THE WORLD’S LEADING WRITERS TO DUBAI

AS WELL AS YOUR TWO CHILDREN’S BOOKS, YOU ARE A SCRIPTWRITER ON THE ARABIC VERSION OF SESAME STREET, IFTAH YA SIMSIM. HOW MUCH OF A CHALLENGE WAS IT WRITING FOR SUCH AN ICONIC SHOW? It was quite stressful at times, but it was a wonderful experience. We got to travel to New York and attend a workshop on writing for Sesame Street. We were given an idea and we had to write and deliver it at the end of the day. So it wasn’t like having the luxury of six months to write a book. We didn’t change the main Sesame Street characters, but we did come up with three characters specifically for the Arabian Gulf region.

MARCH 1 TO 12 emirateslitfest.com

Check out the Audiobooks collection on ice Digital Widescreen. Highlights this month include Tom Clancy’s Threat Vector , Danielle Steele’s 44 Charles Street and Leadership Dubai Style by Dr Tommy Weir.

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Essential news and information from Emirates Non-stop to Auckland

Inside Emirates

Route Map

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NON-STOP SERVICE TO AUCKLAND Emirates has begun a new non-stop service from Dubai to Auckland.

It becomes the fifth daily service to New Zealand for the airline, with three A380 double-decker services to Auckland via Australia, a daily Christchurch service with a Boeing 777-300ER and the new non-stop service operated with a Boeing 777-200LR. With a flight time of just under 16 hours from Dubai to New Zealand and 17 hours, 15 minutes in the opposite direction, journey times have been cut by almost three hours each way.

“This will be a boon to many business people, tourists, expatriate New Zealanders and other travellers in Europe, parts of Africa and the Middle East,” said His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group.

“Tourists, in particular, will now have more options – travelling to Auckland with a stopover in Australia on one of our three daily A380s, flying non-stop direct into Auckland, or flying to the South Island on our daily Christchurch service.

New Zealand currently hosts about three million tourists a year and we want to do our part to cater for that flow and grow that figure above current expectations.”

The flights will feature Emirates’ gourmet meals, fine wines and more than 2,000 channels of inflight enter tainment on large, individual screens. Passengers will also have the airline’s usual generous free baggage allowances – 30kg for Economy Class, 40kg for Business Class, and 50kg for First Class.

New Zealand exporters will also benefit from the new service, being able to access more capacity through Dubai, one of the world’s major cargo hubs, particularly of benefit with perishable goods for markets in the Middle East and Africa regions. New Zealand is renowned for its high quality produce, including dairy products.

EMIRATES ENVIRONMENT BOOST

The Emirates Group, comprising Emirates airline and dnata, has released its fifth annual environmental report for 2014-15.

Audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the report presents environmental performance data across a range of activities including airline operations, dnata’s cargo and ground handling businesses and a wide range of commercial activities on the ground – from engineering to catering.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group said, “As the scale of our operations expands, we are ever more conscious of our responsibility towards the environment and communities we serve.

“We are aware that our effor ts to reduce resource use will not only reduce our environmental impact, but will also help build our business resilience,” he added.

The Emirates Group has core areas of focus where the biggest impact can be made, but the Chairman stressed, “Every little effort counts especially when amplified at global scale.”

Airline operations constitute the main environmental concern of the Emirates | 86 |

Group. In 2014-15, Emirates continued to add new aircraft to its fleet, retire older aircraft, and prioritise fuel-saving operational techniques.

Emirates’ flight operations specialists worked with agencies in countries as far afield as the US, Austria, France, Malta, the Seychelles, Ethiopia, Kenya and Pakistan – as well as Dubai’s neighbouring emirate of Sharjah – to introduce or validate new performance-based navigation procedures, to help reduce fuel consumption and enhance operational safety.

Key highlights of the report included a continued reduction in aircraft noise emissions, a modest improvement in overall fleet fuel efficiency despite external operational challenges, and improvements in ground vehicle fuel efficiency.

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MORE CHOICE WHEN YOU TRAVEL

Emirates is boosting capacity across many of its destinations in 2016, notably Athens, Colombo, Los Angeles and Geneva.

Flights to Athens have increased to 12 per week. In addition to the daily non-stop service to Athens, there is now a new Dubai-LarnacaAthens service offered five times per week.

Services from Dubai to Malta are offered twice per week via Cyprus, and five times per week via Tunis.

Switzerland will see a second daily service to Geneva effective June 1, doubling capacity on the route and representing an

overall increase of 26 per cent for Emirates in Switzerland. Both of these new services are operated by a state-of-the-art Boeing 777300ER aircraft in a three-class configuration.

Commencing July 1, Emirates will be adding a second daily service from Dubai International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport.

The second Los Angeles flight will be operated with an Emirates’ Airbus A380-800 aircraft in a 3-class configuration with 14 private suites in First class, 76 seats in Business class and 401 seats in Economy class.

And reaffirming its commitment to Sri Lanka, Emirates has announced it will introduce an additional daily service between Dubai and Colombo.

Effective August 1, the airline will operate five daily flights between Dubai and Colombo every day except Wednesdays when it will operate four flights. The additional frequency will enhance the weekly services on the route to 34.

Customers on Emirates’ flights enjoy the famed hospitality of its multi-national cabin crew, as well as gourmet cuisine and Emirates’ award-winning ice entertainment system.

#World’sMostValuableAirlineBrand Emirates is once again the world’s most valuable airline brand, according to the 2016 Brand Finance Global 500 report.

The airline’s brand value increased 17 per cent year-on-year to reach a staggering US$7.7 billion.

For the fifth year running, the airline has also risen up in the global ranking of the world’s top brands to be placed at 171, an impressive 47 places above the next closest airline brand.

Emirates also retains its position as the most valuable brand in the Middle East. In addition, its brand value has more than doubled since 2009, when it first appeared on the Brand Finance Global 500 repor t.

Added to this, the brand has continued to impress on social media, recently becoming the first airline to have 1 million followers on Instagram.

Boutros Boutros, Divisional Senior Vice President Corporate Communications, Marketing & Brand said the group invests, “Strategically in building our brand” and that ethos is “reflected in everything we do.

“We have differentiated the Emirates brand not only through our marketing and sponsorships initiatives, but also through our competitive combination of quality products and services, and technology-driven customer initiatives that our teams deliver everyday both on the ground and on board,” he continued.

“We work hard to identify, anticipate, and meet the ever-changing needs of our diverse global audiences, as we firmly believe that this will position us to outperform in our industry now and in the future.” | 88 |

WIN ONE MILLION SKYWARDS MILES. DONATE A REASON TO SMILE

Thanks a Million is the annual charity prize draw by Emirates Skywards.

Over the past 15 years, it has helped change the lives of children around the world by collecting over Dhs3 million in ticket sales. Each year, one lucky winner becomes a Miles millionaire, with one million Skywards Miles to spend on flights across the Emirates worldwide network.

All the money raised is donated to the Emirates Airline Foundation. You can read more about the life-changing projects at emiratesairlinefoundation.org.

Raffle tickets for the charity prize draw cost just Dhs20, with a grand prize of one million Skywards Miles.

The lucky winner will be drawn at the Dubai World Cup on March 26, 2016, as well as the runner-up prizes of 500,000 and 250,000 Miles. You can find more information on the event at emirates.com

I N S I D E

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BIRD’S-EYE VIEW A groundbreaking film series sponsored by Emirates and Boeing, View From Above invites you on a journey to some of the most beautiful places on Earth. Here’s the story of how it was made WORDS: MATT MOSTYN

Most pilots would agree on one thing: the world is best seen from the air. But while they may be lucky enough to enjoy a view from above every day of their working lives, the rest of us don’t often get the same opportunity… until now.

Emirates and Boeing recently partnered to sponsor one of the largest aerial filming projects ever undertaken, using a special type of drone known as a quadcopter – and the results are breathtaking.

Spanning 18 destinations across five continents, the project brought together some of the world’s best drone pilot videographers to showcase some of Emirates’ most popular destinations as they’ve never been seen before.

Each short film has been meticulously crafted using the very latest technology, to reveal stunning footage shot from unusual perspectives. Produced and directed by MOFILM, and captured using DJI Inspire and Phantom Series quadcopters, the drones were able to access locations once only filmable using helicopters and other traditional fixed-wing craft. Yet even then, many of the shots seen here would have been impossible – as co-founder of MOFILM venture Mosaic, Jon Ratcliffe explains, “Before quadcopters came along, if you wanted to get aerial footage of say Sydney, the only way to do it was to hire a helicopter, which, first of all is pretty expensive, and secondly, they have their limitations.

You can’t fly too low, and you can’t get too close to things. So this gives us the opportunity to get some really incredible shots, which you’d never be able to see any other way.”

The films themselves are testament to that, plunging inside deep caves and through the jungle foliage of Sri Lanka, swooping across the rice paddies of Vietnam and diving between the branches of cherry blossom trees in Japan. Whether we’re flying just metres from the sides of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, zooming off the rocks of

Rio’s Sugarloaf Mountain or skimming the pine trees of a beautiful Scandinavian fjord, these films capture the magic of some of the most beautiful places on Earth from a bird’s-eye perspective.

Yet what’s even more interesting is the unique view these films offer of destinations we might otherwise think we’ve seen before.

“These are quite surprising takes on well-known places,” continues Jon. “They’re films you wouldn’t normally expect to see coming out of a particular country, and this was a result of our choice to use local filmmakers, and asking them to record their homes based on their own personal experiences of living there, and of knowing the locations so intimately. We challenged them to think of the most interesting way of capturing the places – and that innovation really shines through in the breathtaking, soaring panoramic shots taken across these diverse cities and rural landscapes.”

Filming in this way is no mean feat. There’s a great deal of skill involved in maneuvering these types of flying cameras, as Michael Condon, drone pilot for the Netherlands film explains: “If you don’t know what you’re doing, there’s a very high risk of things going wrong, with some rather expensive consequences – as you’ll see for yourself if you Google the top 10 drone crashes.

Obviously, the craft’s nose is the orientation point, but as soon as you begin to turn the craft, forward is no longer forward.

Learning that concept can be difficult.

“Then, when you combine flying and filming at the same time, it gets even harder.You have to be able to fly the right course, at the right speed, and it’s immensely difficult to keep an eye on both the quadcopter and what’s being recorded all at once.

“For that reason, we decided to work as a team, with me flying the copter and my assistant monitoring the video feed and giving me instructions, to ensure we got the best possible shots.

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I n s I d e

e m I r a t e s

It’s very challenging for one person to both fly and film without sacrificing something – and if you’re not exceptionally skilled, you’re more than likely to end up in a tree, or worse!”

The technology behind these pieces of kit has jumped dramatically in recent times. As MOFILMS’ Jon Ratcliffe explains: As little as three years ago, you literally couldn’t make this type of film – even using quadcopters.There were perhaps a handful of people who could do it… but the lower purchase price and improved technology has made it so much easier to record these films now, and in amazing quality HD.” In another development, the distorting ‘fisheye’ effect (often a result of filming with a GoPro camera) is now a thing of the past.

The battery life has been extended, to offer just under 25 minutes of filming at any one time. And with the craft’s four rotors and a built-in gimble, which hangs from the bottom of the copter and stabilises the 4K camera, any wobble or vibration is completely eliminated, enabling the recording of incredibly smooth footage.

According to Jon, the future is bright for this kind of video capture. “We’ve had the move to digital and the HD revolution – but in terms of the ways we’re now able to capture footage, this is actually one of the most significant developments in videography that there’s been in the last 20 years.”

Yet in spite of (and probably because of) these advances, there were more than a few logistical and bureaucratic challenges to contend with during the creation of the films. With such a rapidly emerging and evolving commercial activity, the legislation around filming in this way is changing fast to keep pace.

It’s no surprise that aerial camera filming is quite heavily regulated and so this was the key challenge for the team. Part of the problem comes from these types of remote-controlled machines being so new, and so governments are having to monitor and regulate them to ensure there’s no security threat, or opportunity for misuse.

There’s always the danger of people using new technology in detrimental ways, and in some regions, poachers had been sending drones into remote lands to track endangered animals, hence the concern. And even outside sensitive areas, there were all kinds of other safety and privacy concerns that challenged the team’s ability to film in certain locations.

What’s extraordinary is that the attention to detail that characterises this project extends even beyond the films themselves. Inspired by the childlike fun and excitement of being able to spin a globe and randomly select a destination wherever your finger lands, each film is viewable on a dedicated microsite via a quick spin of an animated 3D globe. The globe pulls in live information from around the planet – so it knows where you are in the world, adjusting the lighting to reflect day and night in real time – and it even pulls in real-time weather information to create realistic cloud effects.

Given the work put in to present these films with such drama and spectacle, it’s no surprise that the View From Above project has already been so well received. The films have been picked up and reported on by media channels around the world, and commented on widely on YouTube. They will soon be available on ice, Emirates’ award-winning in-flight entertainment system, so that travellers who prefer not to watch movies can instead play the films on a continuous loop, as a type of moving wallpaper.

As Jerry Verghese, Vice President, Global Brand Marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes observes, “The combination of technology, art and innovation to bring about these fabulous vignettes of Emirates’ destinations around the world is remarkable.”

Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, Marketing and Brand, Boutros Boutros, is impressed by how these films have reinforced the strength of the Emirates brand. “Our aim is to always connect with our audiences around the world, and we hope that people are inspired by these unique films.”

Project creator Jon Ratcliffe is also thrilled, “These films really are amongst the best aerial videos in the world at the moment – and they’ve been captured by what could be regarded as some of the best aerial video pilots in the world. We’ve got some really incredible and beautiful videos, which have turned out to be just as amazing as we hoped they’d be. It’s incredibly surprising to see the amount of beauty that exists in the world – and if you’re not able to go to these places and experience them for yourself, these films offer a window to the world that we might not normally get the chance to observe.”

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Be sure to check out the amazing destinations in the View from Above series for yourself at viewfromabove.emirates.com.

Destinations include Panama, Sydney, Seattle, Dubai, Rio, the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Poland, Japan, Germany, Norway, Seychelles, Italy, Greece, Vietnam, Ireland and the Maldives.

D e s t i n a t i o n

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D E S T I N A T I O N

CEBU & CLARK Starting March 30, Emirates will begin a daily service to Cebu and Clark.

Enjoy our guide to the idyllic beaches and vibrant city life of the Philippines With Emirates’ new flights to Cebu and Clark, there has never been a better or more convenient time to uncover the wonders of the Philippines.

South of the capital, the island of Cebu is the most populated in the Philippines, but is rich in cultural heritage while boasting plenty of places to eat and an abundance of entertainment.

Cebu City is certainly the hub of these experiences, but the rest of the island is a mix of endless beautiful beaches and idyllic natural hideaways. Head north to Bantayan or south to Moalboal where the crystal waters are perfect for diving, or south

to Panagsama Beach, where bars, restaurants and budget-friendly accommodation are available.

Clark is highlighted as a future gateway to the country and at the heart of Clark Freeport Zone. Despite that positioning, status, there’s far more to it than you might think.

Whether you’re after Duty Free shopping or fine dining, fantastic hotel options or spa breaks, Clark has it all. In the spirit of the country, it also embraces the outdoors, with hot air ballooning, sky-diving, and natural hot springs all worth visiting while you’re there.

EAT

STAY

DO

CAFÉ LAGUNA Grab a great overview of Philippine cuisine with some Cebu specialities thrown in for good measure. Fish soups are crammed with delights, while the butter chicken is a favourite for locals and tourists alike. It’s all about delivering maximum flavour Filipino style. cafelaguna.com

ABACA BOUTIQUE RESORT The perfect spot for couples to unwind on a water’s edge paradise. Beautiful beaches, impeccable landscaping and quality dining culminate in an exceptional stay. Spacious suites and villas are romantic and relaxing, so expect honeymooners and those escaping the bustle of the city. abacaresort.com

HANG WITH THE SHARKS As you would expect from a country made up of islands, there are plenty of opportunities to witness its incredible marine life. French Kiss Divers have a great reputation in ensuring a safe and thrilling experience. +63 977 152 5586

MATAM-IH This Kapampangan restaurant in Clark is a visual treat. The food is indigenous so expect, crocodile, stuffed frogs and plenty of bugs.

But don’t worry, there are plenty of less daunting dishes for the more conservative diner. +63 454 992 382 CARNIVORE CEBU Quality meats and fish cooked to perfection, American-style restaurant Carnivore is certainly a cut above. Using fresh ingredients for its menu that changes monthly, slow cooked beef neck with marrow and wild cobia have been recent dishes delighting diners. +63 32 231 1440

RADISSON BLU CEBU Usually it’s a good idea to stay uptown when lodging in Cebu City and the Radisson Blu is a great option for access to shopping and comfort.

Considering the five-star rating it’s also reasonably priced. radissonblu.com WIDUS HOTEL With its large convention centre, host of amusements and modern rooms, Widus Hotel is a firm favourite in Clark’s Freeport Zone. Business travellers extol the location and cleanliness, while families highlight the range of choice in eateries and activities. widus.com

UNCOVER THE CULTURE An abundance of cultural sites should be on your ‘must visit list’. Head to the 16th century Fort San Pedro before heading to the nearby Basilica del Santo Niño. Also take in the spectacular and utterly unique Heritage of Cebu Monument. +63 121 348 8000 PLAY GOLF AT MIMOSA GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB Sat in the foothills of Clark, there are plenty of beautiful holes to take on at this fantastic country club. The 36-hole championship course boasts lakes, wooded valleys and dry riverbeds. After your round, refuel at one of the six restaurants on the grounds. mimosagolf-countryclub.com

EMIRATES STAFF TIPS Namerita Basilia Rina Customer Service Agent

GO ISLAND HOPPING

You need to rent a pumpboat to take you to beautiful islands around Cebu. One of the best is Capitancillo: absolutely beautiful.

BE A CULTURE VULTURE

The Heritage of Cebu monument in Parian showcases the significant events of Cebu and other prominent local historical figures.

EK 338 departs Dubai 2.55am arriving at Cebu at 3.50pm. It departs Cebu at 5.25pm and arrives in Clark at 6.45pm. The return flight departs Clark at 8.20pm, and arrives in Dubai at 1.25am the next day.

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C O M F O R T

WELLNESS IN THE AIR To help you arrive at your destination feeling relaxed and refreshed, Emirates has developed this collection of helpful travel tips.

Regardless of whether you need to rejuvenate for your holiday or be effective at achieving your goals on a business trip, these simple tips will help you enjoy your journey and time on board with Emirates today.

SMART TRAVELLER

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER Rehydrate with water or juices frequently. Drink tea and coffee in moderation.

TRAVEL LIGHTLY

WEAR GLASSES

Carry only the essential items that you will need during your flight.

Cabin air is drier than normal, therefore swap your contact lenses for glasses.

BEFORE YOUR JOURNEY Consult your doctor before travelling if you have any medical concerns about making a long journey, or if you suffer from a respiratory or cardiovascular condition.

Plan for the destination – will you need any vaccinations or special medications?

Get a good night’s rest before the flight.

Eat lightly and sensibly.

AT THE AIRPORT

USE SKIN MOISTURISER Apply a good quality moisturiser to ensure your skin doesn’t dry out.

KEEP MOVING Exercise your lower legs and calf muscles.

This encourages blood flow.

DURING THE FLIGHT

Allow yourself plenty of time for check-in.

Avoid carrying heavy bags through the airport and onto the flight as this can place the body under considerable stress.

Once through to departures try and relax as much as possible.

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Chewing and swallowing will help equalise your ear pressure during ascent and descent.

Babies and young passengers may suffer more acutely with popping ears, therefore consider providing a dummy.

Get as comfortable as possible when resting and turn frequently.

Avoid sleeping for long periods in the same position.

MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE Loosen clothing, remove jacket and avoid anything pressing against your body.

WHEN YOU ARRIVE Try some light exercise, or read if you can’t sleep after arrival.

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V i s a s ,

q u i c k

c o n n e c t

Guide to us customs & immiGration Whether you’re travelling to, or through, the United States today, this simple guide to completing the US customs form will help to ensure that your journey is as hassle free as possible.

CUSToMS DECLARATIoN FoRM All passengers arriving into the US need to complete a Customs Declaration Form. If you are travelling as a family this should be completed by one member only. The form must be completed in English, in capital letters, and must be signed where indicated.

ElEctronic SyStEm for travEl authoriSation (ESta) If you are an international traveller wishing to enter the United States under the Visa Waiver Programme, You must apply for electronic authorisation (ESTA) up to 72 hours prior to your departure.

ESta factS: Children and infants require an individual ESTA. The online ESTA system will inform you whether your application has been authorised, not authorised or if authorisation is pending.

A successful ESTA application is valid for two years, however this may be revoked or will expire along with your passport. apply onlinE at www.cbp.gov/ESta nationalitiES EligiblE for thE viSa waivEr*: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom** * SubjEct to changE ** only britiSh citizEnS qualify undEr thE viSa waivEr programmE. | 96 |

&

q u a r a n t i n e

i n f o r m a t i o n

Cut the queue at JFK with quiCK ConneCt If you’re connecting through New York JFK, you can avoid long waiting times in US immigration and queues for connecting flights with the Quick Connect service. US Customs and Border Protection Agency created the special service for passengers who have a connecting flight within three hours of arrival at New York JFK.

Follow theSe StePS:

1

2

3

4

have your boarding card or ticket for your connecting flight ready for the ground staff as you exit.

You’ll be given a Quick Connect card. Continue to the Quick Connect queue in the Arrivals hall.

After passport clearance, claim your baggage and clear US customs, regardless of your final destination.

If your bag is tagged to your final destination, hand it to emirates staff at the transfer counter for your onward flight.

quarantine in australia Australia has strict biosecurity laws, so when you arrive you’ll need to declare certain food, plant or animal items on your Incoming Passenger Card.

You also need to declare equipment or shoes used in rivers and lakes or with soil attached. All aircraft food must be left on board. Please take particular care when you complete your Incoming Passenger Card – it's a legal document and false declarations may result in a penalty.

quarantine in Japan Japan has strict rules around exposure to livestock and bringing in livestock items.

You will need to go to the Animal Quarantine Counter if: • you have recently been to a livestock farm • are bringing livestock products into Japan • your visit to Japan will involve contact with livestock the counter is in the baggage claim area. If you’re bringing meat and livestock products into Japan without an import certificate, you must see the animal quarantine officer. | 97 |

U A E

S M A R T

G A T E

BE SMART! USE UAE SMART GATE AT DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

NATIONALITIES THAT CAN USE UAE SMART GATES

UAE

Andorra

Australia

Austria

Bahrain

Belgium

Brunei

Canada

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Iceland

Ireland

Italy

Japan

Kuwait

Liechtenstein

Luxembourg

Malaysia

Monaco

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Oman

Portugal

Qatar

San Marino

Saudi Arabia

Singapore

South Korea

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

*UK

USA

GO THROUGH IMMIGRATION IN SECONDS AND GET YOUR VISIT TO DUBAI OFF TO A FLYING START Citizens of the countries listed on the right and UAE residents can speed through Dubai International airport by using UAE Smart Gate.

If you hold a machine-readable passport or E-Gate card you can check in and out of the airport within seconds.

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

USING UAE SMART GATE IS EASY

1

Have your E-Gate card or machinereadable passport ready to be scanned

2

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

OK!

3

Go through the open gate, stand in the blue footprint guide on the floor, face the camera straight-on and stand still for your iris scan.

When finished, the next set of gates will open and you can continue to baggage claim

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

REGISTERING FOR UAE SMART GATE IS EASY To register, just follow the above process and then spend a few moments having your details validated by an immigration officer. That’s it! Every time you fly to Dubai in future, you will be out of the airport and on your way just minutes after you landed. | 98 |

UAE SMART GATE CAN BE USED BY:

• Machine-readable passports from the above countries • E-Gate cards

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Anywhere in the world, whatever you need, we are committed to offer the best level of service and responsiveness at each stage of your project.

We supply brand new vehicles, original spare parts and accessories from Middle East (Dubai, UAE) or Europe (Antwerp, Belgium)

We are a premium central purchasing group for corporate customers : multinationals, NGOs, mining operators, oil, forest, construction industry, etc.

At your service : our team is fluent in Arabic, English, French, Farsi, Hausa, Hindi, Igbo, Italian, Kabyle-Amajil, Malayalam, Nepali, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Turkish, Urdu, Yoruba,...

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R O U T E

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M A P

R O U T E

M A P

NEW ROUTES: Auckland direct: non-stop service starts March 1 Cebu and Clark: daily service starts March 30 Panama City: daily service starts March 31 Yinchuan and Zhengzhou: four times weekly service service starts May 3

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R O U T E

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M A P

R O U T E

M A P

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THE FLEET Our fleet contains 252 aircraft made up of 237 passenger aircraft and 15 cargo aircraft BOEING 777-300ER

Emirates is the world’s largest operator of this aircraft, which joined the fleet in 2005.

Number of Aircraft: 115 Capacity: 354-442 Range: 14,594km Length: 73.9m Wingspan: 64.8m

BOEING 777-300

Since 1999, Emirates operates two and three-class versions of the 777-300.

Number of Aircraft: 12 Capacity: 364 Range: 11,029km Length: 73.9m Wingspan: 60.9m

BOEING 777-200LR

Number of Aircraft: 10 Capacity: 266 Range: 17,446km Length: 63.7m Wingspan: 64.8m

BOEING 777-200ER

In 2005, the Boeing 777-200LR set a new world record for distance travelled non-stop when it landed at Heathrow airport, London, after a journey of 21,601km (11,664 nautical miles) from Hong Kong - the long way round. Emirates received its first 777-200LR in August 2007.

Emirates’ first Boeing 777-200ER joined the fleet in 1997.

Number of Aircraft: 6 Capacity: 274 Range: 14,310km Length: 63.7m Wingspan: 60.9m

BOEING 777F

Number of Aircraft: 13 Range: 9,260km Length: 63.7m Wingspan: 64.8m For more information: emirates.com/ourfleet | 104 |

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

AIRBUS A380-800

Emirates has operated the A380 since 2008, and is the world’s largest operator of this aircraft.

Number of Aircraft: 75 Capacity: 489-615 Range: 15,000km Length: 72.7m Wingspan: 79.8m

AIRBUS A340-500

This ultra-long range passenger airliner was introduced to the Emirates fleet in 2003. This saw the launch of the First Class Suite which has since been rolled out on the Boeing 777 and Airbus A380.

Number of Aircraft: 1 Capacity: 258 Range: 16,050km Length: 67.9m Wingspan: 63.4m

AIRBUS A340-300

Similar in many respects to Emirates A330-200s, the A340-300 is equipped with four engines giving it an enhanced range.

Number of Aircraft: 4 Capacity: 267 Range: 13,350km Length: 63.6m Wingspan: 60.3m

AIRBUS A330-200

First added to the fleet in 1999, this aircraft operates predominately on shorter-haul routes.

Number of Aircraft: 14 Capacity: 237-278 Range: 12,200km Length: 58.8m Wingspan: 60.3m

BOEING 747-400ERF

Number of Aircraft: 2 Range:9,204km Length: 70.6m Wingspan: 64.4m Aircraft numbers through end March 2016 | 105 |

This aircraft is capable of carrying up to 117 tonnes. The deck-side cargo door, with a height of approximately three metres, allows the uplift of oversized shipments that cannot be accommodated in the belly-hold of passenger aircraft. The nose door allows the carriage of long pieces.

K n o w l e d g e

destination How a city works. This month: Rome

Great dateS in roman hiStory

Wolf – Rome’s mascot is a shewolf that cared for the brothers Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome.

Trevi Fountain – Every night Cat – Roman law demands cats live around 3,000 euros are collected from without disruption in the place where the Trevi fountain, with the money they were born, which is why there donated to the charity Caritas. are hundreds prowling the Colosseum.

Source: Caritas

Source: eBtL

Source: rome Council website

rome’s top attractions bar chart

#1 The Colosseum (4 million tourists a year)

#2 Pantheon (3.75 million tourists a year)

#3 Trevi Fountain (3.5 million tourists a year)

#4 Sistine Chapel (3 million tourists a year)

#5 The Roman Forum (2.5 million tourists a year)

Source: eBtL – italian tourist office

Vatican City is the smallest country in the world, and the only one that exists within a city.

It’s encircled by 3.2km of walls.

The majority of Vatican City’s 600 citizens live abroad.

It has two national sports teams, who play cricket and football.

Source: Vatican City

735BC Rome founded by its first king, Romulus.

46BC Julius Caesar invents the Julian calendar we use today.

AD107 Rome builds the first-ever shopping mall, the Mercati di Traiano.

AD117 The Roman Empire reaches its territorial peak, spanning 2.5 million square miles.

AD435 Last gladiatorial fight takes place at Colosseum, which has claimed 500,000+ lives in its history.

AD476 Rome’s last Emperor Romulus Augustulus abdicates and Rome is taken over by the Goths.

AD1303 Rome’s first university, La Sapienza, is founded. It remains the largest in Europe and the second largest in the world.

AD1849 Republic Of Italy formed by Mazzini and Garibaldi in Rome.

AD1870 Rome named capital city of Italy, taking the title from Florence.

AD1957 Treaty Of Rome signed forming the European Economic Community (later EU).

World’s oldest cities timeline 1

2

3

4

5

6

Jericho 9,000BC

Byblos 5,000BC

Aleppo 4,300BC

Damascus 4,300BC

Susa 4,200BC

Rome 625BC

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