Maybe it's because my conversations with friends and family in the UK have recently been peppered with talk of snow, floods, storms and icebergs (spotted off the northern coasts this winter), but my daily walks along Abu Dhabi's Corniche have been particularly cheered of late by the sight of so many plants and trees in flower. Horticulturally this is no surprise, but for somebody from Europe the impact of seeing the clashing pink, purple and orange bracts of Bougainvillea glabra and the hot yellow, orange and red panicles of caesalpinia pulcherrima in benevolent January sunshine is difficult to overestimate.
Although these colourful blooms most immediately vie for my attention, it's actually the quieter, architectural spires of succulent plants belonging to the family agavaceae that have really dominated Abu Dhabi's seafront in recent weeks. Of these, the most spectacular are the glorious, two-metre tall panicles of off-white, bell-shaped flowers that belong to the evergreen yucca but these have also been joined in my affections by the flower spikes of the various species of agave that are also planted along the route.
I'll go no further before making a confession: I'm unable to identify the particular species of yucca in question with 100 per cent confidence. In my defence I'd say that yucca can often be difficult to identify precisely because many plants that are commercially available are crosses or hybrids. For example, the plants that caught my eye have characteristics that could identify them as either yucca gloriosa (Spanish dagger) or yucca aloifolia (Spanish bayonet) and if pushed, I'd say they are the latter but I'm happy to stand corrected.
Both species originate in the south-eastern United States, are salt- and drought-tolerant and thrive in sandy soils, so perhaps it's not surprising that they also feature heavily in gardens and public landscapes where these factors are an issue. This also makes them particularly useful for UAE gardeners. However, as their common names suggest, the yucca is also armed with vicious spines that can pierce clothing and skin, so they need to be located with care away from pathways and in areas where they are unlikely to harm children and pets. As an accent plant or focal point in a low-water-demand xeriscape, however, yucca look particularly effective when planted alongside drifts of Aloe vera (whose yellow and coral pink flowers can also be seen at the moment) as well as their fellow family members the agave.
As with so many plants that are grown primarily for their structural and architectural qualities, agave are often planted as single specimens or as pot plants. However, I always believe that these desert dwellers benefit most from massed planting because this highlights the often subtle differences between species and maximises their visual impact. Of the several hundred members of the agave genus, those most commonly seen in the UAE include the giant century Plant (agave americana), the graceful dwarf agave desmettiana, and the elegant swan's neck agave (agave attenuata), the latter of which is named after the plant's tall, curving flowering stem that bears pale yellow and white flowers that complement the plant's glaucous-blue foliage.
Growing to a height of six metres at a speed of up to seven centimetres a day, the mast-like flowering stems of agave always fill me with wonder and sadness in equal measure. Depending on the species and growing conditions, agave can live for up to 25 years before a single flowering and seed setting, an event that represents the end of their life cycle. Fortunately this swansong is often accompanied by the production of new life in the form of juvenile offshoots that spread out from the plant's central rosette via underground rhizomes. For gardeners whose prize specimens fail to produce these "pups" (as they are known in the trade), a visit to the garden centre may soon be in order.
I once worked at a plant nursery in central London that proudly displayed a giant pair of two-metre-wide agave for more than 16 years that were simply too large and too expensive to move or to sell. They'd been cared for by the same gardener for that whole time and when both plants started to produce flower spikes within days of each other I remember he fought hard not to shed a tear.
The flowering spikes, which grew to an eventual height of more than four metres, attracted local journalists and parties of schoolchildren who came to see a plant that was literally growing and dying before their eyes. Blooming largely unnoticed along Abu Dhabi's Corniche, the inflorescences of agave desmettiana are quietly attracting a slightly different crowd of inquisitive warblers and iridescent purple sunbirds, all eager to taste the rich nectar afforded by this once in a lifetime opportunity.
garden@thenational.ae
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Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
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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
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
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The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta
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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.
Results
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1hr 32mins 03.897sec
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull-Honda) at 0.745s
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) 37.383s
4. Lando Norris (McLaren) 46.466s
5.Sergio Perez (Red Bull-Honda) 52.047s
6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 59.090s
7. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) 1:06.004
8. Carlos Sainz Jr (Ferrari) 1:07.100
9. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri-Honda) 1:25.692
10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin-Mercedes) 1:26.713,
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo and dual electric motors
Power: 300hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,500-3,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.0L/100km
Price: from Dh199,900
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
HEADLINE HERE
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T20 SQUADS
Australia: Aaron Finch (c), Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Hussain Talat, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shinwari, Hassan Ali, Imad Wasim, Waqas Maqsood, Faheem Ashraf.
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Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
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.
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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
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh135,000
Engine 1.6L turbo
Gearbox Six speed automatic with manual and sports mode
Power 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
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TUESDAY'S ORDER OF PLAY
Centre Court
Starting at 2pm:
Elina Svitolina (UKR) [3] v Jennifer Brady (USA)
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) v Belinda Bencic (SUI [4]
Not before 7pm:
Sofia Kenin (USA) [5] v Elena Rybakina (KAZ)
Maria Sakkari (GRE) v Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) [7]
Court One
Starting at midday:
Karolina Muchova (CZE) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) v Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR)
Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) v Dayana Yastermska (UKR)
Petra Martic (CRO) [8] v Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) v Anett Kontaveit (EST)
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
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