KINGSCLIFF, NSW // Since winning the 2004 Middle East Rally Championship, Sheikh Khalid al Qassimi has been the UAE's most prominent motorsport personality in seasonal competition.
His regional successes aside, al Qassimi's arrival on the international scene came to when Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority signed a long-term sponsorship partnership with World Rally Championship manufacturer Ford. Two years ago, the Emirati driver was granted the keys to the team's newly-created third car. His role: be Abu Dhabi's official ambassador in the ultra-competitive global off-road series.
Fast forward to this January, and al Qassimi had gone through a difficult season-and-a-half of adjustment. After patiently biding his time to adapt to the rigours of round-the-world competition, al Qassimi began the present WRC season feeling strangely "comfortable." He believed he had graduated from nervous new-kid-on-the-block status - his subsequent form ample proof that he has.
Nine rounds in, al Qassimi has claimed four top-eight finishes and amassed six points.
The "King of the Jumps", a name bestowed on him by his fellow WRC drivers, is now the most successful Arab driver in rally history.
However, on the eve of Rally Australia - which starts tomorrow - al Qassimi is under no illusions there is plenty left to learn.
"[Australia] is a new challenge and I'm really looking forward to it," he said. "I don't know anything about the terrain, so I just hope the stages are enjoyable. Hopefully the stages will be wide and offer plenty of traction and control - that will help build my confidence."
Mental strength is not one of al Qassimi's shortcomings, but inexperience (ironically, at 37 he is one of the WRC's oldest drivers) certainly is.
In the last two years, al Qassimi's passport has been running out of pages. New countries and experiences, strange terrains and alien cultures.
However, with a completely new rally route, Australia - another country and event al Qassimi is crossing off his "to do" list - offers a unique chance to be in the majority.
"It is a new rally for everyone, we are all in the same position and hopefully I can get a good result. I think top 10 is achievable, but in my heart I'm hoping for points," al Qassimi said.
"Things come quickly when you find the pace, but I have to discover the location and stages first - maybe one or two points are achievable."
Al Qassimi's team director, Malcolm Wilson, agrees with his driver's assessment: "The good thing [for Khalid] is the fact Australia is new for everybody. It will be a good tester; we'll be able to draw comparisons of Khalid's times with other drivers and see how he is progressing," said Wilson.
"This rally has a bit of everything. The stages are fast, narrow, tight and have twisty sections; it might suit Khalid - certain sections will be similar to conditions in the Middle East."
Al Qassimi hopes his boss is right. Points now mean everything; simply finishing - the initial objective when he joined the team - is no longer enough. However, as is often the case, al Qassimi's limited - in this case zero - opportunities for pre-rally testing will hinder his chances before he starts a stage.
"Being familiar with the car takes time," he said. "My teammates have done 500km-1,000km of testing in the last month and the feeling is there is for them.
"Even the best drivers can't produce performances if they don't test - they told me this. It is something we have to figure out and we're trying to find a solution, but it's not easy," he said.
Even planned tests can fall through. "We had planned to do a tarmac test before Rally Spain [which follows Australia] because my last asphalt rally was eight months ago in Ireland," al Qassimi admitted.
"But the date I was given clashes with the Eid holidays and I have promised my father I will go with him to visit the President. You have to weigh it up, travelling eight hours for a one hour test is not always going to work."
In Australia, al Qassimi is going about his work looking fresh and relaxed.
For once, his journey has been a little less arduous than those of his peers.
emegson@thenational.ae
ELECTION%20RESULTS
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The%20specs
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Results
5.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m
Winner Spirit Of Light, Clement Lecoeuvre (jockey), Erwan Charpy (trainer)
6.05pm Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner Bright Start, Pat Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
6.40pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner Twelfthofneverland, Nathan Crosse, Satish Seemar
7.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Imperial Empire, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
7.50pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m
Winner Record Man, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
8.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner Celtic Prince, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
KINGDOM%20OF%20THE%20PLANET%20OF%20THE%20APES
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
THE SPECS
Cadillac XT6 2020 Premium Luxury
Engine: 3.6L V-6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 367Nm
Price: Dh280,000
Dubai World Cup Carnival Thursday race card
6.30pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes Group Three US$200,000 (Turf) 2,000m
7.05pm: Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,600m
7.40pm: UAE Oaks Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
8.15pm: Zabeel Mile Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,600m
8.50pm: Meydan Sprint Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,000m
9.25pm: Handicap $135,000 (D) 1,400m
10pm: Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,600m
Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
- Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Price: from Dh498,542
On sale: now
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