There is no way of saying this that will not seem smug to anyone unable to escape the wall of heat and humidity dominating summer days and nights.
Without straying too far, I was able to swim in cool waters towards small dhows anchored off the shore. After that feeling of wading in simmering soup when bathing off Abu Dhabi, it brought perverse pleasure to have to brace myself before plunging into the Arabian Sea.
This was Oman. Next day, in a lovely shaded square beside the souq in Nizwa, I sipped coffee outside at noon, no streaming sweat to declare me antisocial.
Along the elegant promenade of Muttrah port, I later passed couples and groups of friends taking in the evening air, a gentle breeze rippling through the abayas and dishdashas.
The expat experience, if it is to have meaning, involves exploration, and mixing with people who are not just other expats. I thought so when I lived in France, appalled by Britons who avoided their Breton neighbours or treated Périgord as Dordogneshire. And I naturally think so here.
In truth, July and August did not seem a great time for anything more adventurous in the UAE than mingling with date growers in Liwa, visiting Al Ain and Dubai and otherwise sheltering in air-conditioned buildings or cars.
It was time to keep a promise made here a little while ago, to ensure that the gap between my third and fourth visit to Oman was a lot shorter than the 22 years between second and third.
It was also time to suspend my distaste for 4x4s; the planned journey was certainly tout terrain enough to justify that.
Abdullah, our driver, knew all the wadis, sinkholes, scenic diversions and pretty villages that we would probably have missed.
He made light of rough tracks that skirted stretches of roadway swept away by last year's floods. And he proved a dab hand at negotiating the crazy angles and drops of the dunes at Wahiba Sands.
A lot was packed into three days. Setting off, I had received messages from friends in Washington, DC, and Paris, asking in envy: "Are you really going turtle-watching?"
To which the answer, in the end, was yes and no. Once we'd seen a couple of green turtles flapping in their huge craters on the beach, without even shaking enough sand off their backs to reveal skin, that was pretty much that so far as Abdullah was concerned, and he led us away. In the morning, others boasted about how much they had seen. And they'd been back in the early morning - when Abdullah insisted turtles never came ashore - and spotted more.
But the disappointment did not tarnish the magic of Oman; it merely fed the resolve to return. And there was time for one last novelty to make the trip memorable. Though it was frequently hot, indeed very hot, the climate was refreshingly varied. Leaving Muscat, we actually witnessed rain. Remember that?
@Email:crandall@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Mountain%20Boy
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Company%20profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
Andor
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Brief scores:
Toss: South Africa, chose to field
Pakistan: 177 & 294
South Africa: 431 & 43-1
Man of the Match: Faf du Plessis (South Africa)
Series: South Africa lead three-match series 2-0
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Lampedusa: Gateway to Europe
Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta
Quercus
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Timeline
1947
Ferrari’s road-car company is formed and its first badged car, the 125 S, rolls off the assembly line
1962
250 GTO is unveiled
1969
Fiat becomes a Ferrari shareholder, acquiring 50 per cent of the company
1972
The Fiorano circuit, Ferrari’s racetrack for development and testing, opens
1976
First automatic Ferrari, the 400 Automatic, is made
1987
F40 launched
1988
Enzo Ferrari dies; Fiat expands its stake in the company to 90 per cent
2002
The Enzo model is announced
2010
Ferrari World opens in Abu Dhabi
2011
First four-wheel drive Ferrari, the FF, is unveiled
2013
LaFerrari, the first Ferrari hybrid, arrives
2014
Fiat Chrysler announces the split of Ferrari from the parent company
2015
Ferrari launches on Wall Street
2017
812 Superfast unveiled; Ferrari celebrates its 70th anniversary
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Kill%20
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The biog
Name: Sari Al Zubaidi
Occupation: co-founder of Cafe di Rosati
Age: 42
Marital status: single
Favourite drink: drip coffee V60
Favourite destination: Bali, Indonesia
Favourite book: 100 Years of Solitude
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
