Find a quiet corner at the Kino cafe to devour your latest book purchases. Pawan Singh / The National
Find a quiet corner at the Kino cafe to devour your latest book purchases. Pawan Singh / The National

What we're loving: facials, bookshop cafes and soundsticks



N.A.I.L.S. organic spa Citrus C facial

Since I moved to the UAE nearly five years ago, a mix of climate, air and water changes had sent my skin crazy, making it regress to worse than it was in my teenage years. After trying dozens of facials - everywhere from five-star hotels to small-scale spas and everything from ayurvedic to conventional - I was on the verge of despair until I found N.A.I.L.S. in Dubai Marina (in Trident Tower, close to Spinney's Dubai Marina Walk). Most facials tend to be overrated and often involve very expensive face washes, but the Citrus C facial (Dh450) uses a mix of extractions, deep cleansing and massage. After getting one every four to six weeks since March, my skin is transformed. It is no longer clogged and congested but instead is clearer and less prone to angry breakouts. Not only is N.A.I.L.S. affordable, clean and calm with a friendly staff, but its products are also all organic and natural. An added bonus is the free parking next door, a premium when visiting anywhere in the Marina these days. Contact N.A.I.L.S. on 04 447 3688 or visit www.nailsorganicspa.com.

* Melanie Swan

Harman Soundsticks III

If music is important to you and space is limited, the Harman company's Soundsticks are the audiophile answer to your prayers. There's no denying the visual appeal of these eye-catching creations (they've been added to the collection at MoMA in New York for their design), but does the sound live up to their looks? Resoundingly, yes. The satellite sticks each contain a mix of four treble and bass units, whose clarity and nuance are of a quality you'd expect from a much larger and more expensive hifi separates set-up, while the mushroom-shaped subwoofer unit has its own volume control that, at its trouser-ruffling maximum, will threaten to shake your furniture into firewood. It's light enough to be portable (although it is slightly bulky) and its audio mini-jack input will connect to pretty much any sound-producing device. Rarely has sound looked so good. Available at Harman House in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, and other selected retailers, Dh699.

* Kevin McCardle

Fit Studio flat-fee class membership

Kudos to Fit Studio, the boutique, classes-only gym that launched earlier this year in Abu Dhabi's Al Mamoura neighbourhood (in the Mubadala building near Jones the Grocer, off Muroor Road). The capital's gyms are notorious for charging too much for fitness classes - Dh50 and up - and rare is the centre where you can go to all the ones you want for one flat fee. But for the last few months Fit has been offering a Dh400, all-you-can-go monthly membership and my fitness level is soaring because of it. It's a great way to challenge myself and feel frugal at the same time, because not only do I get in better shape, but the more classes I attend, the cheaper they are. www.fitstudio.ae, 02 445 3395

* Ann Marie McQueen

Bookstore cafe

Perhaps I've been a little slow on the uptake with this one, but a recent discovery has made my twice monthly trips to Kinokuniya, the sprawling bookstore in Dubai Mall, that bit more pleasurable.

Kino is a smallish Japanese-style cafe nestled towards the back of the store and is, by all accounts, a delightful place to pass an hour or so getting stuck in to your latest purchases. The decor is bright, with splashes of colour and playful touches, light streams in through the large windows and the mood is serene, meaning that this place is conducive to actually getting work done as well as socialising. There are sofas, tables and booths for groups, and individual stations where you can sit and charge your laptop.

From what I've sampled so far, the food is fine, but both the coffee and green tea are good and it's nice to see healthy snacks such as edamame beans on the menu. Kino Cafe, Kinokuniya Bookstore, Dubai Mall.

*Emily Shardlow

Sunday's Super Four matches

Dubai, 3.30pm
India v Pakistan

Abu Dhabi, 3.30pm
Bangladesh v Afghanistan

Company%20Profile
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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

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

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

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.

Results:

6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) | US$175,000 2,410m | Winner: Bin Battuta, Christophe Soumillon (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer)

7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (Dirt) | $100,000 1,400m | Winner: Al Hayette, Fabrice Veron, Ismail Mohammed

7.40pm: Handicap (T) $145,000 1,000m | Winner: Faatinah, Jim Crowley, David Hayes

8.15pm: Dubawi Stakes Group 3 (D) $200,000 1,200m | Winner: Raven’s Corner, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

8.50pm: Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (T) $200,000 1,800m | Winner: Dream Castle, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor

9.25pm: Handicap (T) $175,000 1,400m​​​ | Winner: Another Batt, Connor Beasley, George Scott

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

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

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
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.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
GROUPS AND FIXTURES

Group A
UAE, Italy, Japan, Spain

Group B
Egypt, Iran, Mexico, Russia

Tuesday
4.15pm
: Italy v Japan
5.30pm: Spain v UAE
6.45pm: Egypt v Russia
8pm: Iran v Mexico

THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now

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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Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

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

DIVINE%20INTERVENTOIN
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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
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare

Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.

COMPANY%20PROFILE%3A
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Disclaimer

Director: Alfonso Cuaron 

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville 

Rating: 4/5

A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro
Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books 

The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 – 1923
Editor Ze’ev Rosenkranz
​​​​​​​Princeton

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs

Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 400hp

Torque: 475Nm

Transmission: 9-speed automatic

Price: From Dh215,900

On sale: Now

The specs

Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder

Transmission: 7-speed auto

0-100kmh 2.3 seconds

0-200kmh 5.5 seconds

0-300kmh 11.6 seconds

Power: 1500hp

Torque: 1600Nm

Price: Dh13,400,000

On sale: now

SPECS

Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now

Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cargoz%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Premlal%20Pullisserry%20and%20Lijo%20Antony%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2030%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Rating: 2/5
 
From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5


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