The impressive BMW S1000R offers so much torque that it can take tight mountainous turns without the need to downshift. Photo courtesy BMW
The impressive BMW S1000R offers so much torque that it can take tight mountainous turns without the need to downshift. Photo courtesy BMW

BMW’s S1000R is a superbike for the road



BMW’s S1000RR, for those motorcyclists who have lived in a cave these last five years, is the fastest superbike on the planet. Even more astounding is that it has held the crown since 2009, an eon in a segment when the reign at the top of the horsepower heap is usually measured in months, not years.

It achieves its horsepower superiority by revving higher and harder than any superbike previous. Where most of its big bore competition sign off at 12,000 or so rpm, the S1000RR keeps revving higher on its way to an incredible 13,000rpm, 197hp power peak. To sample — preferably on a racetrack – that last extra kick of high-speed in the top of fifth or sixth gear is to know both elation and fear.

The mechanics behind all that high-speed horsepower are Formula One derived, BMW Motorrad borrowing some nous from car-side and developing a hugely oversquare 80mm x 49.7mm design that boasts a sky-high 13.0:1 compression ratio and some F1-style camshaft finger followers rather than motorcycling’s more traditional direct-to-bucket valve actuation system. Techno gobbledygook or not, virtually everything about the S1000 engine was designed so it could spin as fast as possible and produce more power than the rest of the superbike field (BMW has yet to wear the WSBK crown, but the S1000RR instantly transformed the formerly sleepy manufacturer of sport-tourers into a superbike powerhouse).

Pretty much everyone, however, assumed that intrinsic in this design would be a lack of bottom-end torque, those aforementioned bore and stroke dimensions hardly the classic route to punchy mid-range response. So when BMW announced that it would morph its clipped-on track-ready superbike into a high-handlebarred, oriental-style “naked” machine, the first question on everyone’s lips was how would all that high-revving power mesh with a chassis now geared to street riding?

Well, it turns out that we were all wrong about one thing: As successful as the S1000 has been at spinning its way to unprecedented horsepower, there’s absolutely nothing at all preventing it from also being, given the right tuning, as tractable as a Gold Wing. Indeed, with only minimal changes – a little camshaft timing and some fiddling with the inlet tract – the single-R has been transformed into a slightly detuned (if 160 still rompin’ and stompin’ horsepower can in any way be considered detuned) and imminently torquey road bike engine.

Comparing the two bikes’ dyno curves provided by BMW, the supposedly lesser single-R actually outmuscles the double-R by as much as 10Nm all the way from 3,000rpm to 9,000rpm. The R’s peak torque – 117Nm – remains the same. But make no mistake, BMW has managed to move all that grunt way down the powerband, making the naked S1000R more immediately responsive than the double-R.

And, indeed, it’s really quite amazing how tractable the new S1000R can be. Exiting hairpins high in the Majorcan mountains at barely 2,500rpm, there’s so much torque that downshifting is, thankfully — because the cold, damp Spanish roads were so darned slippery – rendered superfluous. Not having to deal with vagaries of wet weather traction while trying to contain a chomping-at-the-bit superbike is a surprise beyond the pleasant.

Even under this heavy load, the still highly tuned (160hp from just 999cc) four-cylinder accelerates up the steep Majorcan coastline with no snatching, no spitting and nary a performance concession to the fact that it is barely above idle. It’s amazing how a simple rejigging of the camshaft timing and some narrower, higher-velocity intake ports has the previously highly-strung BMW thinking it’s a Harley.

There will be some who still will lament the S1000R’s 33hp downgrade of the giant-killing original, even if I suspect the loss is more about bar stool bragging than any actual downgrade in performance. I’ll personally open myself to criticisms of wimpdom by opining that I think the reduction is a good thing. For one, it imbues the 1000R with the instantaneous throttle response that makes wheelies a doddle (and, know this, wheelies are the very raison d’être for this naked bike phenomenon). Less downshifting is required and the S1000R’s ability to scoot by slow-moving traffic is truly spellbinding. The only thing lost is the double-R’s final, 12,000rpm kick, where the superbike version slips in one final burst of mega-horsepower insouciance on its way to making those aforementioned 193 horses.

Even with its “meagre” 160 ponies, the S1000R – thanks to its rearward weight bias caused by its naked-bike mandated, upright riding position – starts to get decidedly light in the front end when that screaming 999cc four hits nine grand; it would be nigh on unmanageable if there was still another kick to come at 12,000rpm. Complain all you will about the softening of the power delivery but I’ll take tractability over inadvertent 160kph wheelies any day (it should be noted that the S1000R also has anti-wheelie control built into its DTC traction control system – it needs it).

Besides, for those hooligans who might be lamenting that the S1000 has been overly tamed, rest assured that tractable doesn’t mean civilised. The S1000’s engine actually remains just as insistent as the Double-R version, the highly tuned engine nervously “hunting” on steady throttle, as if it can’t quite believe anyone would bother riding it below 4,000rpm. It barks on overrun, occasionally spits when you back off from high revs and always howls like a superbike no matter what speed you’re cruising at. Naysayers, again looking at that 33hp deficit on the spec sheet, will try to decry the R as too civilised; in reality it still chomps at the bit like a Rottweiler with its eye on a particularly weedy poodle.

BMW tries to further tame the R’s wayward ways by kicking out the frame’s steering angle 0.8 degrees and increasing the trail by five millimetres, both measures contributing to the single-R’s 22mm longer wheelbase. All the changes are designed to render a little stability to what otherwise might be a hyperactive ride at high speeds (those who have never ridden a high-powered naked sports bike should note that just removing the aerodynamic front fairing and raising the handlebars to a comfortable riding position so dramatically shifts weight to the rear wheel so that the front end gets decidedly light and the steering twitchy). That said, the raked-out front end does render the R’s steering heavier at low speeds than the double-R’s, and not quite as linear. Again, critics will decry that 33hp deficit, but I’d suggest the more noticeable loss in real-world performance is that smidgen of reluctance to turn in that BMW built into the S1000R’s frame geometry in its quest for high-speed stability.

The resultant seating position, however, is comfy as a couch, the higher handlebar and slightly lower and further forward foot pegs a tonic to those of who suffer from wonky spines. The seat itself is also lower to the ground, despite being more generously padded than the RR’s perch. It all adds up to a bike more comfortable than a hyper-focused superbike but, as I mentioned above, with most of its capabilities.

That’s also true of the S1000R’s electronics. In base form, the naked bike’s high-tech handling enhancements are simpler than the RR’s, there being just two modes – Rain (which cuts max power to 136hp) and Road – managing traction and the engine output. But fit the optional Sports package and one gets a more sophisticated engine management system with racier Dynamic (which offers minimal intervention) and Dynamic Pro (which completely disables the Dynamic Traction Control and is definitely not for newbies) engine management modes.

As well, BMW offers its Dynamic Damping Control (DDC) as an option. By toggling through the ABS switch, one can alter both front and rear suspensions between Soft, Normal and Hard damping settings, this last largely reserved for track use, especially when the DTC system is in Dynamic or Dynamic Pro mode. Set to its softest position, however, compliance is almost sport-touring friendly.

If there’s an oddity to BMW’s naked bike, it’s that the company claims that the S1000R concept is a recent inspiration. Most motorcycle companies plan their naked versions at the same time as they start engineering the superbikes on which they are based, but Alexander Buckan, BMW’s chief designer, says the R’s styling was penned only recently.

In most aspects, there’s little effect of the S1000R being an afterthought, but one can tell the potent engine was designed to be covered by the RR’s all-encompassing superbike fairing and not to be exposed as motorcycle art (à la Ducati, for instance). The water pump and its attendant piping, for instance, would never be as prominently displayed on an engine destined from the start for naked use. That huge under-slung catalytic converter, partially hidden by the fairing on the RR, is no thing of beauty either.

These are, nonetheless, minor foibles on a bike that extends the appeal of motorcycling’s most powerful engine to a wider, less track-focused audience. Indeed, that’s the allure of the single-R version of BMW’s venomous S1000. It commutes in comfort. It will, if accessorised with saddlebags and a small windscreen, tour to destinations distant and still scare the heck out of you. That’s the magic of the naked versions of superbikes and none does it better than BMW.

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Singham Again

Director: Rohit Shetty

Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone

Rating: 3/5

Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eco%20Way%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Kroshnyi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Electric%20vehicles%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bootstrapped%20with%20undisclosed%20funding.%20Looking%20to%20raise%20funds%20from%20outside%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE

There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.

It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.

What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.

When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.

It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.

This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.

It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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Age: 24

Emirate: Abu Dhabi

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Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

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Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
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Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

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Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
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Tree of Hell

Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla

Director: Raed Zeno

Rating: 4/5

TRAP

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue

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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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.

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Squads

Pakistan: Sarfaraz Ahmed (c), Babar Azam (vc), Abid Ali, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Hasnain, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz

Sri Lanka: Lahiru Thirimanne (c), Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Avishka Fernando, Oshada Fernando, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dasun Shanaka, Minod Bhanuka, Angelo Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Isuru Udana, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara

Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history

4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon

- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.

50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater

1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.  

1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.

1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.

-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.

'The Sky is Everywhere'

Director:Josephine Decker

Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon

Rating:2/5

Result

Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City 2

Man City: Jesus (39), David Silva (41)

Company%20Profile
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Building boom turning to bust as Turkey's economy slows

Deep in a provincial region of northwestern Turkey, it looks like a mirage - hundreds of luxury houses built in neat rows, their pointed towers somewhere between French chateau and Disney castle.

Meant to provide luxurious accommodations for foreign buyers, the houses are however standing empty in what is anything but a fairytale for their investors.

The ambitious development has been hit by regional turmoil as well as the slump in the Turkish construction industry - a key sector - as the country's economy heads towards what could be a hard landing in an intensifying downturn.

After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.

The country has been hit by high inflation and a currency crisis in August. The lira lost 28 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2018 and markets are still unconvinced by the readiness of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tackle underlying economic issues.

The villas close to the town centre of Mudurnu in the Bolu region are intended to resemble European architecture and are part of the Sarot Group's Burj Al Babas project.

But the development of 732 villas and a shopping centre - which began in 2014 - is now in limbo as Sarot Group has sought bankruptcy protection.

It is one of hundreds of Turkish companies that have done so as they seek cover from creditors and to restructure their debts.

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:

Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE

Game is on BeIN Sports

India team for Sri Lanka series

Test squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubhman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wk), KS Bharath (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Sourabh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.

T20 squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Avesh Khan

RESULTS

2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: AF Senad, Nathan Crosse (jockey), Kareem Ramadan (trainer)

2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Ashjaan, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.

3pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Amirah, Conner Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Jap Al Yaasoob, Szczepan Mazur, Irfan Ellahi.

4pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup Prestige Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Jawaal, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri.

4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Manhunter, Ryan Curatolo, Mujeeb Rahman.

Company name: Farmin

Date started: March 2019

Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi 

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: AgriTech

Initial investment: None to date

Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs 

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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
DUBAI WORLD CUP RACE CARD

6.30pm Meydan Classic Trial US$100,000 (Turf) 1,400m

7.05pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m

7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

8.15pm Dubai Sprint Listed Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,200m

8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group Two $450,000 (D) 1,900m

9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,800m

10pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m

 

The National selections

6.30pm Well Of Wisdom

7.05pm Summrghand

7.40pm Laser Show

8.15pm Angel Alexander

8.50pm Benbatl

9.25pm Art Du Val

10pm: Beyond Reason

Know your cyber adversaries

Cryptojacking: Compromises a device or network to mine cryptocurrencies without an organisation's knowledge.

Distributed denial-of-service: Floods systems, servers or networks with information, effectively blocking them.

Man-in-the-middle attack: Intercepts two-way communication to obtain information, spy on participants or alter the outcome.

Malware: Installs itself in a network when a user clicks on a compromised link or email attachment.

Phishing: Aims to secure personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.

Ransomware: Encrypts user data, denying access and demands a payment to decrypt it.

Spyware: Collects information without the user's knowledge, which is then passed on to bad actors.

Trojans: Create a backdoor into systems, which becomes a point of entry for an attack.

Viruses: Infect applications in a system and replicate themselves as they go, just like their biological counterparts.

Worms: Send copies of themselves to other users or contacts. They don't attack the system, but they overload it.

Zero-day exploit: Exploits a vulnerability in software before a fix is found.

Drishyam 2

Directed by: Jeethu Joseph

Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy

Rating: 4 stars

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

Ten10 Cricket League

Venue and schedule Sharjah Cricket Stadium, December 14 to 17

Teams

Maratha Arabians Leading player: Virender Sehwag; Top picks: Mohammed Amir, Imad Wasim; UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Zahoor Khan

Bengal Lions Leading player: Sarfraz Ahmed; Top picks: Sunil Narine, Mustafizur Rahman; UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Rameez Shahzad

Kerala Kings Leading player: Eoin Morgan; Top picks: Kieron Pollard, Sohail Tanvir; UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Imran Haider

Pakhtoons Leading player: Shahid Afridi; Top picks: Fakhar Zaman, Tamim Iqbal; UAE players: Amjad Javed, Saqlain Haider

Punjabi Legends Leading player: Shoaib Malik; Top picks: Hasan Ali, Chris Jordan; UAE players: Ghulam Shabber, Shareef Asadullah

Team Sri Lanka Cricket Will be made up of Colombo players who won island’s domestic limited-overs competition

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2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2015 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2013 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes-GP)
2012 - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
2011 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
2010 - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2008 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2007 - Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)

From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases

A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.

One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait,  Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.

In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.

The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.

And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.

 

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8

Transmission: nine-speed automatic

Power: 630bhp

Torque: 900Nm

Price: Dh810,000


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