Plans to build a home-grown supercar, the Dubai Roadster, are to be applauded, and not just by petrolheads. In pursuing his dream of developing his own car, former racing driver Rashid Al Shaali is following in the footsteps of great engineering entrepreneurs such as Jack Brabham, whose eponymous race cars were ubiquitous in the 1960s and 1970s, and Colin Chapman, whose Lotus company built both sports cars and Formula One vehicles.
Mr Al Shaali, whose cars will feature a pioneering titanium chassis, hopes to have 25 Roadsters ready for sale at next year’s Dubai Motor Show. Even at a hefty Dh400,000 per car, he has already received plenty of interest from potential customers.
His may only be a small-scale operation, but Mr Al Shaali is demonstrating that you can turn a love of something into a viable business.
The message for people about to enter the workforce is that you don’t have to settle for a job in a bank or a government office if that’s not what you want to do. With the right idea, a lot of passion, entrepreneurial drive, the requisite financial backing and a little luck, you can go out there and do something that is both challenging and a lot of fun.
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
More from Armen Sarkissian
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
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
T20 World Cup Qualifier
Final: Netherlands beat PNG by seven wickets
Qualified teams
1. Netherlands
2. PNG
3. Ireland
4. Namibia
5. Scotland
6. Oman
T20 World Cup 2020, Australia
Group A: Sri Lanka, PNG, Ireland, Oman
Group B: Bangladesh, Netherlands, Namibia, Scotland
'Nope'
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