The beach at St Regis Saadiyat Resort was the unlikely venue for the final event of Sotheby's first Abu Dhabi Collectors' Week on Friday.
With a giant curved screen, a desk of phone bidders and the Guggenheim museum rising in the distance, it was clear this would be no ordinary auction.
Held outdoors – which, despite the safety of the UAE seemed like a risky move in the wake of the Louvre gem robbery – it felt more like an upscale beach club than a venue where millions of dollars would soon be changing hands.
Staged as a three-day extravaganza of exhibitions, gemstones, F1 cars and a half-shredded Banksy artwork, these were just an amuse-bouche for the main event, the outdoor sale.
Staged in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Investment Office, this was Sotheby's grand entrance to the UAE capital. Taking place alongside the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Middle East and Africa Summit, Abu Dhabi Finance Week and Bitcoin Mena, it drew a global crowd.
Auction results
Lot 201 was Jane Birkin's personal Le Birkin Voyageur bag. One of only five bags given to her by the French luxury house Hermes – an act that kick-started the famous “Birkin Bag” style – the singer personalised it, inscribing the interior with words and drawings, as well as her signature. The first of the five bags was sold by Sotheby's in Paris in July for $10.1 million, so interest was expected to be high.
Hosting the auction was Paul Redmayne, senior vice president of luxury sales at Sotheby's, who described the Birkin as a piece of fashion history. With a presale estimate of $220,000 to $440,000, after some spirited phone bidding, it sold for $2,856,000.
“This is really the beauty of auction,” Morgane Halimi, Sotheby's global head of luxury handbags and fashion, explained. “When you have such provenance and an iconic piece we know, and we have seen it in July, the price can go high.
“This is just proof that when a bag has an impeccable story, we have collectors who would like to pay to add this beautiful piece to their collection.”
Next was the Precision & Brilliance: Prestigious Jewels & Watches from an Important Private Collection sale, offering an array of jewellery, single gemstones and timepieces.
Lot 332 was a Panthere Massai ladies watch by Cartier, with white and coloured diamonds, onyx and emerald quartz. With an estimate of $100,000 to $200,000, its final hammer price was $139,700.
Lot 333 was an unnamed pair of coloured and white diamond earclips, with an estimate of $100,000 to $200,000 that sold for $215,900.
Lot 334 was a Bvlgari ring with a marquise-shaped diamond weighing 4.02 carats, with a presale estimate of $80,000 to $120,000 that sold for $100,000.
Lot 337 was a Boucheron emerald ring, with an estimate of $300,000 to $500,000. With a central Colombian, unenhanced emerald-cut emerald weighing 7.88 carats, and surrounded by pear-shaped and marquise-shaped diamonds, it went under the hammer for $508,000.
Lot 339 was the Desert Rose, the largest pear-shaped fancy vivid orangy-pink diamond in the world, at 31.68 carats. Certified by the GIA as being a natural colour with VVS1 clarity, the presale estimate was between $5 million and $7 million. Bids crept upwards in $50,000 increments before finally reaching $8.8 million, an auction record for an orangy-pink diamond.
Lot 340 was a Rolex Daytona Albino watch, one of only a handful made, and the first one brought to market. Dated circa 1971, this stainless steel watch was given a presale estimate of $500,000 to $1 million. The hammer price was $952,500.
Lot 342 was an exceptionally rare collection of four Patek Philippe watches in 18k yellow gold, pink gold, white gold and platinum, with double dials and 21 complications. The estimated price was between $10 million and $20 million, and the hammer came down for a final price of $11.9 million.
Pakistan squad
Sarfraz (c), Zaman, Imam, Masood, Azam, Malik, Asif, Sohail, Shadab, Nawaz, Ashraf, Hasan, Amir, Junaid, Shinwari and Afridi
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Match info:
Wolves 1
Boly (57')
Manchester City 1
Laporte (69')
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Asia Cup Qualifier
Final
UAE v Hong Kong
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Afghanistan Premier League - at a glance
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Fixtures:
Tue, Oct 16, 8pm: Kandahar Knights v Kabul Zwanan; Wed, Oct 17, 4pm: Balkh Legends v Nangarhar Leopards; 8pm: Kandahar Knights v Paktia Panthers; Thu, Oct 18, 4pm: Balkh Legends v Kandahar Knights; 8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers; Fri, Oct 19, 8pm: First semi-final; Sat, Oct 20, 8pm: Second semi-final; Sun, Oct 21, 8pm: final
Table:
1. Balkh Legends 6 5 1 10
2. Paktia Panthers 6 4 2 8
3. Kabul Zwanan 6 3 3 6
4. Nagarhar Leopards 7 2 5 4
5. Kandahar Knights 5 1 4 2
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
India squad for fourth and fifth Tests
Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rahul, Shaw, Pujara, Rahane (vc), Karun, Karthik (wk), Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Pandya, Ishant, Shami, Umesh, Bumrah, Thakur, Vihari
Previous men's records
- 2:01:39: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) on 16/9/19 in Berlin
- 2:02:57: Dennis Kimetto (KEN) on 28/09/2014 in Berlin
- 2:03:23: Wilson Kipsang (KEN) on 29/09/2013 in Berlin
- 2:03:38: Patrick Makau (KEN) on 25/09/2011 in Berlin
- 2:03:59: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 28/09/2008 in Berlin
- 2:04:26: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 30/09/2007 in Berlin
- 2:04:55: Paul Tergat (KEN) on 28/09/2003 in Berlin
- 2:05:38: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 14/04/2002 in London
- 2:05:42: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 24/10/1999 in Chicago
- 2:06:05: Ronaldo da Costa (BRA) 20/09/1998 in Berlin
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Abu Dhabi GP weekend schedule
Friday
First practice, 1pm
Second practice, 5pm
Saturday
Final practice, 2pm
Qualifying, 5pm
Sunday
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps), 5.10pm
Results
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m | Winner: ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Ibrahim Aseel (trainer)
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m | Winner: Al Shamkhah, Royston Ffrench, Sandeep Jadhav
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 1,200m | Winner: Lavaspin, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
8.15pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,200m | Winner: Kawasir, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m | Winner: Cosmo Charlie, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
9.20pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m | Winner: Bochart, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 2,000m | Winner: Quartier Francais, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
MATCH INFO
Northern Warriors 92-1 (10 ovs)
Russell 37 no, Billings 35 no
Team Abu Dhabi 93-4 (8.3 ovs)
Wright 48, Moeen 30, Green 2-22
Team Abu Dhabi win by six wickets
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Profile of VoucherSkout
Date of launch: November 2016
Founder: David Tobias
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers
Sector: Technology
Size: 18 employees
Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake
Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars”
Who are the Soroptimists?
The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.
The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.
Brief scores:
Manchester City 3
Bernardo Silva 16', Sterling 57', Gundogan 79'
Bournemouth 1
Wilson 44'
Man of the match: Leroy Sane (Manchester City)
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