They come in droves, returning again and again, enchanted by the gentle pace, the exquisitely simple life of swimming and lounging, sun salutations and no communication - there is no signal, no phone and no electricity. It's a place that is making its own legend, reviving almost lost traditions of farming for the villagers and introducing harassed urbanites to another, more beautiful way of life.
They return to their own worlds dazed, delighted - and hungry for more of the Sri Lankan food they are served at Ulpotha. It's not easy to come by, which is why the British food writer and chef Carina Cooper was moved to publish Ulpotha: A Kitchen in Paradise, a book that conjures up the experience of staying there - with the help of luscious photography by Ingrid Rasmussen - and offers a selection of recipes from the village, adapted for a western kitchen.
"I was cooking at the Galle Literary Festival about six years ago with Rose Gray and I met Giles and Veren, the owners of Ulpotha," she explains. "I'd always heard about Ulpotha and it was already on my list, so I ended up going there. I think lots of people had said they wanted to do a book but nobody had got it together, so I did."
As she describes it, Ulpotha was quite an experience. "It's a little village in the middle of the jungle surrounded by these rather strange boulder mountains. You're tucked into this semicircle of mountains with jungle on the side and you're swimming in this big freshwater lake and it's gorgeous - it's very gentle and beautiful.
"When you're in a very comforting place in nature, it just nurtures you, so you're sort of held, really, you don't even think where am I? Where's the nearest place or the nearest town? You're just present with what's going on there."
For a well-travelled cook like Cooper to be so impressed with what was, essentially, simple, rustic food that she wanted to bring the recipes back with her and share them in a book, is an indication of the almost mystical pleasure that visitors to Ulpotha find in their meals - and it's not just to do with good cooking.
"One, it's grown there," she says. "Two, it's organic. Three, it's cooked in clay pots on open fires, so you get all the minerals from the pots and you get slightly smoky aromas. And it's done not in a hurry - it's slow food and easy food, even though it doesn't take long to cook. And it's cooked in a really lovely ambience and I think that is really hugely important. You know, if you're cooking in a kitchen where people are screaming or shouting or angry or unpleasant, the food really does reflect that."
The food at Ulpotha may be simple and natural - one-pot curries, cakes wrapped in banana leaves and steamed in pots - but is it really possible to recreate the magic of one of the village's meals without dragging out the clay pots and lighting a fire in the back yard? And what of those extraordinary home-grown fruit and vegetables, untouched by artificial chemicals or preservatives? Well, says Cooper, there are ways around it: you can buy spices as fresh as possible and roast and grind them yourself; buy organic ingredients where you can; and substitute organic coconut milk and oil for the fresh coconut that is used throughout Sri Lankan food. (Of course, it's far easier to find proper coconut in the UAE than in Cooper's London stomping grounds.)
For the rare rice that is grown in the village, red rice will work; and terracotta or clay casserole dishes will help to achieve the ambience, if not the actual smokiness.
She is also careful to point out that these are adapted recipes - the Ulpotha cooks make the food to suit a more westernised palate, cutting down on the searing chilli used so liberally in the country's curries, and she herself has made them suitable for cooking domestically.
"You could say it's two steps from authentic Sri Lankan food," she says. "I've said in the book that these are not Ulpotha recipes; they're interpretations and expressions of Ulpotha food, so if I've done a beetroot curry, it would be based on the way they would have done one, but I'll have done it here, so it might have a few slightly different ingredients. It's an interpretation of Ulpotha; it'll give you a flavour of Ulpotha."
Warm aubergine salad (Serves four) as an accompaniment
1 large aubergine sliced into rough chunks
2 cloves garlic finely sliced1 tomato, thinly sliced into quarters
1 red onion thinly sliced
1 teaspoon of natural sugar
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of turmeric
Vegetable oil
Coconut oil
Sea salt flakes
In a frying pan, warm a swirl of vegetable oil, fry the aubergine until cooked. Remove and dry on kitchen paper. Place the chunks in a bowl, add salt, sugar, mustard and turmeric and mix well.Scantily cover the bottom of a heavy-based frying pan in a thin coating of coconut oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the onion, tomato and garlic. When the ingredients are almost cooked, add the aubergine mixture, season well and serve warm.
Beetroot curry
Serves four to six
2 dessert spoons of coconut oil
1 large red onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 large beetroot, cut into strips1/4 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods, crushed
A handful of curry leaves
400ml coconut milk
2 tablespoons of fragrant curry powder
1 handful of desiccated coconut, keep a little for decorationSea salt flakes
A handful of fresh basil
1 lime
Put the coconut oil in a large earthenware pot or casserole dish over a low heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté. When the onions start to soften, add the cinnamon stick, curry leaves, curry powder, chilli and desiccated coconut. Stir together well. Add the beetroot, stir well and sauté for a few more minutes. Pour over the coconut milk and add the crushed cardamom. Cover and simmer gently until the beetroot is tender but still crunchy, stirring occasionally. Season well with salt.Decorate with the fresh basil and sprinkle with a little bit of desiccated coconut and a squeeze of lime.
Ulpotha: A Kitchen in Paradise will soon be available for pre-order on Amazon
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Dubai World Cup Carnival card:
6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) | US$175,000 | 2,410 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (Dirt) | $100,000 | 1,400m
7.40pm: Handicap (T) | $145,000 | 1,000m
8.15pm: Dubawi Stakes Group 3 (D) | $200,000 | 1,200m
8.50pm: Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (T) | $200,000 | 1,800m
9.25pm: Handicap (T) | $175,000 | 1,400m
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
More on animal trafficking
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
if you go
The flights
Fly direct to Kutaisi with Flydubai from Dh925 return, including taxes. The flight takes 3.5 hours. From there, Svaneti is a four-hour drive. The driving time from Tbilisi is eight hours.
The trip
The cost of the Svaneti trip is US$2,000 (Dh7,345) for 10 days, including food, guiding, accommodation and transfers from and to Tbilisi or Kutaisi. This summer the TCT is also offering a 5-day hike in Armenia for $1,200 (Dh4,407) per person. For further information, visit www.transcaucasiantrail.org/en/hike/
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BLACK%20ADAM
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Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
Results:
6.30pm: Handicap | US$135,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres
Winner: Rodaini, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap | $135,000 (Turf) | 1,200m
Winner: Ekhtiyaar, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson
7.40pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (T) | 2,000m
Winner: Spotify, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm: UAE Oakes | Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,900m
Winner: Divine Image, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile | Group 2 | $250,000 (T) | 1,600m
Winner: Mythical Image, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.20pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
Winner: Major Partnership, Kevin Stott, Saeed bin Suroor
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
