There are three pretty good reasons why I don't own a Harley-Davidson. Oddly enough, the views of Mrs Langton, who once rode a Honda 50, do not figure among them.
In order of precedence they are: that the price of even a quite modest bike would cover the annual school fees of the youngest and make a contribution to the costs of the other two at university.
Secondly, that to ride around on the roads of the UAE without the protection of the largest, strongest steel box possible seems tantamount to committing suicide. Which is illegal here, by the way.
Oh, and lastly, I don't know how to ride a motorbike.
Yet here we are at the Harley-Davidson showroom on the Sheikh Zayed Road, with six lanes of traffic thundering by outside and the rumble of the Dubai Metro overhead.
You can tell it's a Harley showroom because there is a massive dude with a scarf knotted around his skull sprawled in a corner next to something made of chrome. And that Angie, the local marketing manager, is blonde, dressed entirely in black and has a nose stud. Also, there are quite a lot of bikes and most of them look a bit scary.
We are here to experience Jumpstart, which is Harley-Davidson's way of letting you test one of their bikes even if the only prior experience you have on two wheels comes with a wicker basket and a Mickey Mouse bell. It is a motorbike that does everything a bike should do - except move.
Angie leads the way to the workshops at the back of the showroom. On the way she picks up a brochure. The models have names like "Street Bob", "Cross Bones" and "Rod Muscle". The XR 1200X promises "X-Rated Fun." I just want a promise that it won't hurt.
In a corner of the workshop is a bike mounted on its stand; the rear wheel resting on rollers.
That's it? Angie nods. The set-up doesn't exactly conjure up images of the open road, of roaring along empty desert highways, or twisting into mountain hairpins. On reflection, that's probably a good thing.
We are joined by Harley-Davidson's master technician. His name is Kannan and he sports a chain with a little gold bike and a 'tash and sideburns combo like that worn by Samuel L Jackson's character in Pulp Fiction. It feels like it would be rude to ask if he has a last name.
Kannan strides over to the Jumpstart set-up. The bike looks low to the ground, but also quite big, if not on the scale of the gigantic crimson Electra Glide tourer on the other side of the room. Asking all sorts of important technical questions seems like a good way to stall for time. Starting with, what kind of bike is it? "All the details are in the brochure," Angie says brightly. "Or you can look them up online." (Later, I do just this and see that the bike is a Softail Night Train, with an air-cooled, twin-cam engine that displaces 1584cc with torque of 117Nm @ 3,200 rpm. I still have no idea what any of this means.)
Somehow I am now sitting on the bike, with Kannan helpfully pointing out the controls. It feels oddly a bit like sitting on a horse, except a lot more complicated. There is a gear selector for the left foot and a brake for the right. The left hand controls the clutch lever and the right, the throttle, whose anti-clockwise twist seems, for some reason, counter-intuitive.
Suddenly it seems like a very good idea that the bike can't move.
A large chrome knob in front of the handlebars twists a quarter turn to the left and a red light comes on. Kannan points to a button on the right handlebar. Suddenly the master technician seems to be miming, that is his lips are moving but the only sound is a monstrous roar. For a car driver, the nearness of the engine is simultaneously thrilling and terrifying. The bike feels as if it has a life of its own; that you don't so much ride it, as tame it.
Kannan points out the gear changes. Pull in the clutch lever, flick the foot control up (or is it down?), increase the throttle. Release the clutch, gently. Gently! The engine races ahead and then, inevitably, the bike stalls. There is silence and the faint scent of hot oil.
We try this several times until a ragged change up to top gear and 100kph is achieved. "It takes about three days to get used to it," Kannan says sympathetically.
On the road, the engine would be cooled by the rush of air, but sitting stationary it is beginning to radiate heat.
I catch my leg against the exhaust pipe and feel a burning sting through the jeans. It feels like a rebuke. The bike has won.
That's really all there is to Jumpstart. Afterwards, I talk to Angie about the reality of riding a bike in the UAE. You can pass the test after a few weeks' training, but the driving school bikes are the sort of machines you most often see delivering pizzas. Making the jump up to a Harley is a whole new ball game.
Hence the very real value of Jumpstart. "You have to feel comfortable before you purchase the bike," explains Angie - and she's talking about a lot more than just the price tag.
As for this easy rider, the only practical alternative to four wheels would seem to be the wife's old Honda 50. Like the bikes I sometimes see thundering towards the horizon on the Sheikh Zayed Road, riding a Harley-Davidson seems a long way away.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Why are you, you?
Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
From this question, a new destiny.
For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
Our dream is to unite that which has been
separated by history.
To return the many to the one.
A great story unites us all,
beyond colour and creed and gender.
The lightning flash of art
And the music of the heart.
We reflect all cultures, all ways.
We are a twenty first century wonder.
Universal ideals, visions of art and truth.
Now is the turning point of cultures and hopes.
Come with questions, leave with visions.
We are the link between the past and the future.
Here, through art, new possibilities are born. And
new answers are given wings.
Why are you, you?
Because we are mirrors of each other.
Because together we create new worlds.
Together we are more powerful than we know.
We connect, we inspire, we multiply illuminations
with the unique light of art.
Ben Okri,
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Company%20Profile
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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.
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
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City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on Quran memorisation:
Company%20Profile
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Secret Pigeon Service: Operation Colomba, Resistance and the Struggle to Liberate Europe
Gordon Corera, Harper Collins
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
Squads
Sri Lanka Tharanga (c), Mathews, Dickwella (wk), Gunathilaka, Mendis, Kapugedera, Siriwardana, Pushpakumara, Dananjaya, Sandakan, Perera, Hasaranga, Malinga, Chameera, Fernando.
India Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Pandey, Rahane, Jadhav, Dhoni (wk), Pandya, Axar, Kuldeep, Chahal, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar, Thakur.
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
