I am instructed to pick up the Multivan from Volkswagen's swishy head office in Dubai, where I am met in its leather-seated, coffee house-cool reception area by Denis Schreiber, a young man whose job it is to check vehicles in and out of the car maker's press fleet.
Schreiber is a student intern, temporarily transplanted to this country from Ostfalia Hochschule für angewandte Wissenchaften(a university for applied sciences that is also, uncoincidentally, based in Volkswagen's hometown of Wolfsburg). No doubt before he arrived here he wondered if, in the line of his duties, he might be tossed the keys to an Audi R8 for the weekend, or told to take a Touareg out for a good thrash in the desert. I'm not sure he ever imagined having to explain the complexities of an upmarket people carrier to a slightly sweaty Englishman.
As we walk towards the vehicle in the heat of the midday sun, I tell Denis I am a boring family man who is genuinely looking forward to taking the Multivan for a long drive. He thinks I might be joking.
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The Multivan is, you understand, aimed squarely at a certain kind of customer. That man (and yes, there is something distinctly masculine about this vehicle) is probably operating in the middle years of his life, he is definitely married and has at least a couple of children. He is stoic in his approach to adversity. Indeed, the only crisis he has so far encountered in his midlife involved the words "global" and "financial", instead of "sports cars" and "secretaries".
He is the type of chap who, even if he had the money, would disregard a Lamborghini Reventon as "woefully impractical" because it lacks a set of back seats to park the kids in. He thinks a Porsche Panamera looks quite nice but laughs at its titchy boot and its almost complete absence of rear headroom. He worked out some time ago that he is not cool - in fact, come to think of it, he may never have been cool, at any stage in his life - and yet he's perfectly, erm, cool with that. If truth be told, I bear more than a passing resemblance to that man. Schreiber, of course, does not. He is young and restless, while I am old and listless.
Based on VW's Transporter Group T platform, the Multivan's blood lines can be traced back to the split-screen camper van that was the transport of choice for hippies in the Sixties. Quite what those tuned-in, turned-on, dropped-out Woodstock veterans would make of the latest generation model is difficult to know. If the Mk1 had character, the Mk5 has cargo space. Its straight back and sides are unlikely to impress anyone with even a passing interest in aesthetics. Beauty, it is fair to say, is not one of the Multivan's strong suits.
Thankfully, those set-square lines all start to make sense once you hop inside. That high roof and long body deliver an enviable amount of space for passengers. In the Highline specification on test here, you get seven well-proportioned leather seats, arranged in two rows of two single chairs and a rear bench for three further passengers. The middle pair can be rotated to face forwards or backwards, while both second and third rows can be moved up and down the cabin or folded away to extend legroom or storage capacity. An additional rail-mounted fold-out round table and storage cubby, complete with cup holders and magazine rack, sits in this area too.
Predictably, the cabin is peppered with all manner of smart storage solutions, including under-seat drawers and a bottle cubby upfront that's big enough to hold a familysized 1.5L bottle of water. This may all sound like trivial stuff, but these little touches matter a great deal in the family market. As do the Multivan's three-zone climate control, long list of safety features, its DVD unit and its Digital Voice Enhancement system, which deploys microphones and small speakers in the vehicle's roof lining, and means the driver can hold a normal conversation with a passenger in the back of the van without having to bellow at the top of his lungs. Clever stuff.
Those Transporter roots reemerge once you move out on the open road. Drive the Multivan for any distance and you find yourself leaning forward over the steering wheel, hands on its top, your elbows at its base, mimicking the style of deliverymen the world over.
But here's the surprise. You'll end up being impressed by how responsive the Multivan's 3.2L V6 engine is - Volkswagen claims a top speed of 205kph - and you'll allow yourself a wry smile every time you flick its six-speed automatic gearbox into sport mode.
You'll grow to love its workmanlike attitude on the road, its uncomplaining nature, its rock-solid build quality and how unfussy the whole package feels. You'll appreciate its upmarket touches, like its electrically sliding side doors. You'll do this while you reconcile yourself to driving around town in a vehicle that has almost no street credibility. Even your own children will chastise you for looking like a painter and decorator on your way to your next job.
But you will tell them that they are too young to fully comprehend such matters, that they will eventually know better. That one day they too will realise the future of motoring is not shaped like a Ferrari or an Aston Martin but looks, instead, more like a delivery van with windows. Or, to be precise, a Volkswagen Multivan with privacy glazing and integral courtesy blinds.
The Specs
Price Dh157,000 (base) / Dh195,000 (as tested)
Engine 3.2L V6
Gearbox six-speed automatic
Power 232hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 315Nm @ 2,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined 12L/100km
Results
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m; Winner: Mcmanaman, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
6.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Bawaasil, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Bochart, Fabrice Veron, Satish Seemar
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Mutaraffa, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
7.50pm: Longines Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,00 (D) 1,900m; Winner: Rare Ninja, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.25pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Alfareeq, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9.35pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Zorion, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi
The Sheikh Zayed Future Energy Prize
This year’s winners of the US$4 million Sheikh Zayed Future Energy Prize will be recognised and rewarded in Abu Dhabi on January 15 as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainable Week, which runs in the capital from January 13 to 20.
From solutions to life-changing technologies, the aim is to discover innovative breakthroughs to create a new and sustainable energy future.
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
57%20Seconds
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Points tally
1. Australia 52; 2. New Zealand 44; 3. South Africa 36; 4. Sri Lanka 35; 5. UAE 27; 6. India 27; 7. England 26; 8. Singapore 8; 9. Malaysia 3
What you as a drone operator need to know
A permit and licence is required to fly a drone legally in Dubai.
Sanad Academy is the United Arab Emirate’s first RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) training and certification specialists endorsed by the Dubai Civil Aviation authority.
It is responsible to train, test and certify drone operators and drones in UAE with DCAA Endorsement.
“We are teaching people how to fly in accordance with the laws of the UAE,” said Ahmad Al Hamadi, a trainer at Sanad.
“We can show how the aircraft work and how they are operated. They are relatively easy to use, but they need responsible pilots.
“Pilots have to be mature. They are given a map of where they can and can’t fly in the UAE and we make these points clear in the lectures we give.
“You cannot fly a drone without registration under any circumstances.”
Larger drones are harder to fly, and have a different response to location control. There are no brakes in the air, so the larger drones have more power.
The Sanad Academy has a designated area to fly off the Al Ain Road near Skydive Dubai to show pilots how to fly responsibly.
“As UAS technology becomes mainstream, it is important to build wider awareness on how to integrate it into commerce and our personal lives,” said Major General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief, Dubai Police.
“Operators must undergo proper training and certification to ensure safety and compliance.
“Dubai’s airspace will undoubtedly experience increased traffic as UAS innovations become commonplace, the Forum allows commercial users to learn of best practice applications to implement UAS safely and legally, while benefitting a whole range of industries.”
SPECS
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Red Sparrow
Dir: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Egerton, Charlotte Rampling, Jeremy Irons
Three stars
RESULTS
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Turf) 2,200m
Winner: M'A Yaromoon, Jesus Rosales (jockey), Khalifa Al Neydai (trainer)
5.30pm: Khor Al Baghal – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: No Riesgo Al Maury, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6pm: Khor Faridah – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Mahmouda, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: AS Jezan, George Buckell, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
7.30pm: Khor Laffam – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m
Winner: Dolman, Antonio Fresu, Bhupath Seemar
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.
MATCH INFO
Europa League final
Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
FA Cup fifth round draw
Sheffield Wednesday v Manchester City
Reading/Cardiff City v Sheffield United
Chelsea v Shrewsbury Town/Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United/Oxford United
Leicester City v Coventry City/Birmingham City
Northampton Town/Derby County v Manchester United
Southampton/Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City
Portsmouth v Arsenal
