"We wanted to provide a Manhattan experience with Mayfair finishes, right here in the heart of Dubai," claims Raju Shroff, director of Signature Developers, which is making its foray into the UAE's luxury property market with The 118 in Downtown Dubai. A personal tour through the two show apartments lends his claim credence – but only once I amable to locate the unmarked, single-lane entrance, rendered more confusing still by a directional arrow that points the wrong way.
The luxury condominium tower comprises 28 residences, including two duplex penthouses and 26 single-storey, four-bedroom apartments, which are priced at a staggering Dh22 million a pop. Although property prices in Dubai are reportedly on the downslide, the developers believe the luxury-home segment operates within its own rarefied framework. Case in point: half of The 118’s apartments have already been sold.
The homes have a whole floor to themselves and are available in two formats: classic and contemporary. Accordingly, the two show apartments, which have been designed by Lebanon’s Studio Dori Hitti Architects, have been mocked up in both styles, right down to the modern or antiquated ironmongery on the door knobs.
Designer Dori Hitti offers tips on creating these two very different design aesthetics. “The classic-themed interiors feature curvilinear designs – rounded ceilings and the like – in a warmer palette and marble flooring throughout.
“Meanwhile, the contemporary-themed interiors have rectilinear forms in a cooler palette; and parquet flooring in the bedrooms and marble flooring in the living and public areas. All units feature stone and pearlescent finishes, with timeless neutral colour palettes,” he explains.
'Designer furniture gives the house a personality'
While the units are available unfurnished, the show apartments come equipped with high-end furniture from Fendi Casa, Roberto Cavalli Home and Gianfranco Ferre Home. These designer accessories are in line with 118’s promise to offer potential buyers with some of the most luxurious interior options available on the market.
From the singular pieces of artwork and sculptures (many from Al Quoz’s 1x1 Art Gallery), to the opulent chandeliers and state-of-the-art gadgetry, the show homes are striking without being over the top. Units that come fitted with these furnishing options will set buyers back by between Dh25 million and Dh28 million.
“The right fixtures and fittings play an important role,” says Shroff. “Designer furniture gives the house a personality, makes it stand out from other properties and reflects the lifestyle of the residents. Most owners of such homes are proud of their living space, and love hosting and entertaining their family and friends or business associates in it. The pieces [we have selected] not only look great, but are also functional and provide the utmost comfort.”
Hitti adds: “Designer furniture gives a house its own identity. Every single detail, whether it’s a piece of furniture, texture, finishes or paint colour, plays a vital role in making the house distinctive.”
Some of the pieces on display include: full-length mirrors, bedside table lamps, chandeliers and arm chairs from Roberto Cavalli Home Interiors; Fendi Casa rugs, mirrors and bedsteads; and Gianfranco Ferre beds, pillows, comforters side tables and stools. Kitchen appliances, which come affixed in each unit, are from German brands Miele and SieMatic, and include a two-door fridge, one-door freezer, plush cabinetry and a flame-topped gas hob.
The building's public areas
This lavishness extends to the building’s public areas, where a custom-made light installation from Italy’s Preciosa Lighting in the lobby makes a fitting first impression. The 1,600-kilogram objet d’art is crafted from Bohemian crystal, light amber and smoky taupe glass. “The brief was to create the dancing tentacles of an octopus. This unique piece represents both form and function, completes the look and shape of the atrium, and is in keeping with the flowing water installations,” says Sarah Hamid, project director at California’s Hirsch Bedner Associates, which designed the lobby and other common areas.
Further up, the community living floor features a gym overlooking the nearly Olympic-sized pool, which in turn has a wraparound jogging track. A spa and lounge room make up the rest of this level, which, surprisingly, does not have a dedicated space for a children’s play area, so common in even regularly priced high-rises. This may be a consideration for some buyers.
Another potential complaint is that the roof deck overlooks a dusty construction site as of now. So while the 200-seater space can be used to entertain large parties, it will not be fitted out until work on the tower next door is completed. Fortunately, smaller groups – of 50 people or so – can fit in the living rooms of the 6,600-square-foot apartments, which have terraces with foldable doors, and offer mixed views of the Dubai Canal and the twinkling lights of Downtown Dubai but also the aforementioned construction site.
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Is investing in a celebrity's property worth it?
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A home-automation system for the lights, curtains, AC and music is pre-fixed in the apartments.The flats start from floor 14, with the levels below reserved for parking and other services. Maids rooms (with marbled flooring) aside, each floor gets its own chauffeur’s quarters, with separate lifts for staff. Likewise, the kitchen has dual entryways, plus separate pantry and laundry rooms.
The bedrooms are located a long corridor away, with linen closets concealed within the walls along the way. Three rooms in each apartment come with their own balconies, while the fourth is ideal for the little ones, or can be easily integrated into the master bedroom. Floor-to-ceiling windows let in plenty of natural light, and the master bedroom has a walk-in closet, and separate bathtub and shower areas in the bathroom.
“The vision of a truly unique address was initiated early on by exploring the idea of lateral living. One of the things you can notice in The 118 is the transition from one space to another, as we designed the interiors to maximise functional living space,” says Hitti. “The floor plans and layouts of the residences were developed first, and the exterior shell of the tower was created later. This ‘inside-out’ approach helped us optimise the living experience and allow owners to have an absolute sense of individualism. Through this synchronistic duality, they can enjoy the comforts of a private and pristine mansion, while still being surrounded by a bustling city.” Now if only they got those signboards up.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Rest
(Because Music)
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
Ready Player One
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance
ENGLAND WORLD CUP SQUAD
Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Six things you need to know about UAE Women’s Special Olympics football team
Several girls started playing football at age four
They describe sport as their passion
The girls don’t dwell on their condition
They just say they may need to work a little harder than others
When not in training, they play football with their brothers and sisters
The girls want to inspire others to join the UAE Special Olympics teams
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Quick%20facts
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
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
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
Persuasion
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 3
Gayle (23'), Perez (59', 63')
Chelsea 0
Rashid & Rajab
Director: Mohammed Saeed Harib
Stars: Shadi Alfons, Marwan Abdullah, Doaa Mostafa Ragab
Two stars out of five
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
Champion%20v%20Champion%20(PFL%20v%20Bellator)
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Company%20Profile
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