ABU DHABI // The high-velocity feeling hits visitors straight away as the roar of engines at full throttle fills the red dome of Ferrari World.
Speed is the theme in the world's largest indoor amusement park, which opens tonight after three years of construction on Yas Island.
The high-octane soundtrack that greets visitors provides a thumping introduction to the 86,000 square metre racing wonderland.
And the park's manager, Andy Keeling, wants to make one thing clear.
"It's not just for petrol heads," he said, his voice competing with the eight speedway simulators during a tour of Abu Dhabi's newest and biggest entertainment attraction.
With the massive F1 chassis of the Scuderia Challenge simulator bobbing above him on hydraulic stilts, Mr Keeling said Ferrari World would give visitors an emotional connection to the Italian sports car maker.
"The point is we're trying to capture this mystique, the charisma, and the thrill of Ferrari in here for anyone," he said. "That's what inspires all of this. We're creating memories."
Ferrari World not only boasts the world's fastest roller coaster - the 240kph F1-inspired Formula Rossa - it also bears the world's largest "Prancing Horse" logo, the symbol of Ferrari, which covers 3,000 sq m of the 20,000 sq m roof.
And that's not to mention the world's largest Ferrari merchandise outlet. Visitors will find a full-sized, carbon-fibre F1 replica car on sale - for an undisclosed price.
Until now, Mr Keeling said, the only way for UAE residents to experience a world-class leisure venue of this scale was to book a flight elsewhere.
"This has given the residents of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Al Ain 12 months of the year to have access to a world-class attraction, where we have a big domed building with 6,000 sq m of air-conditioned space," he said. "In the summer when you can't go to the zoo, this is always a pleasant experience."
Last Thursday, 3,000 special guests were invited to preview the attractions in the park. The building can hold 15,000 people.
On the duelling GT Challenge coaster, which launches competing trains along two tracks, passengers who raced in both carriages whooped and taunted one another as they hurtled towards the finishing line.
"The inspiration was to give the sensation of racing in a Ferrari 430 Spider," Mr Keeling said. "This evening, our team car won. We all turned and just waved to the other car behind us."
Another ride is the G-Force vertical drop that flings thrill-seekers 62metres up through the centre of the roof before falling with the same G-forces felt by high-performance drivers. The ride and the Formula Rossa were among the attractions still in trial testing last week. Both will be running tonight.
Dave Arnold, a theme-park fanatic and sound recordist who is filming a documentary on the Formula Rossa for German TV, has seen it launch several times. An online video of the ride in action "caused quite a stir among coaster enthusiasts", he said.
"Nobody believes it's as fast as it is. Everybody thinks they've sped the film up, but I've seen it move that fast. It's the same type of speed you'd reach skydiving. Very impressive."
Mark de la Cruz, 31, a Yas Hotel concierge, will be among those in the queue when the park is open to the public. Under the glow of theme-park lighting last week, he called the complex the country's "first real amusement park".
"We'll be back. People from all over every emirate are going to come to this park now," said Mr de la Cruz, from the Philippines. "It's a wonderful thing to have this for people to enjoy. For me, this is going to be Abu Dhabi's best attraction."
International guests including Stefan Zwanzger, known through his theme-park review website, www.thethemeparkguy.com, have arrived in the capital in anticipation of tonight's opening.
Mr Zwanzger, a German who has visited more than 120 international theme parks, couldn't wait for the doors to open, despite admitting he knows little about cars or Ferrari.
The rail-guided "dark rides", which feature the Speed of Magic 4-D ride and the Made in Maranello experience, are expected to be highlights.
"And I'm definitely curious about the fastest coaster in the world," he said. "I've heard you wear goggles on this coaster. I've never done that before - wearing goggles at 240kph."
For a developing city filled with office space and shopping, Mr Zwanzger said he was "fascinated" by the idea that Abu Dhabi now has a place "where all the locals and residents can come out, have fun and just scream together".
Standard Ferrari World tickets for visitors taller than 1.5 metres cost Dh225, because those heights can access more of the rides, and Dh165 for everyone else. Guests can also buy premium tickets that range from Dh270 to Dh375, which guarantee shorter queues and access to an exclusive refreshments lounge.
Ferrari World is open every day except Mondays. Tickets can be bought at www.ferrariworldabudhabi.com or at the entrance gates.
mkwong@thenational.ae
How to invest in gold
Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.
A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.
Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”
Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”
Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”
By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.
You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.
You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.
Results:
5pm: Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Tahoonah, Richard Mullen (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,400m | Winner: Ajwad, Gerald Avranche, Rashed Bouresly
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Lam Tara, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m | Winner: Duc De Faust, Szczepan Mazur, Younis Al Kalbani
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 2,200m | Winner: Shareef KB, Fabrice Veron, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,500m | Winner: Bainoona, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday Athletic Bilbao v Celta Vigo (Kick-off midnight UAE)
Saturday Levante v Getafe (5pm), Sevilla v Real Madrid (7.15pm), Atletico Madrid v Real Valladolid (9.30pm), Cadiz v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday Granada v Huesca (5pm), Osasuna v Real Betis (7.15pm), Villarreal v Elche (9.30pm), Alaves v Real Sociedad (midnight)
Monday Eibar v Valencia (midnight)
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tottenham 0-1 Ajax, Tuesday
Second leg
Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm
Game is on BeIN Sports
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
UAE SQUAD
Ali Khaseif, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Khalid Essa, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Salem Rashid, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Mohammed Al Attas, Walid Abbas, Hassan Al Mahrami, Mahmoud Khamis, Alhassan Saleh, Ali Salmeen, Yahia Nader, Abdullah Ramadan, Majed Hassan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Fabio De Lima, Khalil Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Muhammed Jumah, Yahya Al Ghassani, Caio Canedo, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
JAPANESE GRAND PRIX INFO
Schedule (All times UAE)
First practice: Friday, 5-6.30am
Second practice: Friday, 9-10.30am
Third practice: Saturday, 7-8am
Qualifying: Saturday, 10-11am
Race: Sunday, 9am-midday
Race venue: Suzuka International Racing Course
Circuit Length: 5.807km
Number of Laps: 53
Watch live: beIN Sports HD
Match info:
Leicester City 1
Ghezzal (63')
Liverpool 2
Mane (10'), Firmino (45')
More on Turkey's Syria offence
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The struggle is on for active managers
David Einhorn closed out 2018 with his biggest annual loss ever for the 22-year-old Greenlight Capital.
The firm’s main hedge fund fell 9 per cent in December, extending this year’s decline to 34 percent, according to an investor update viewed by Bloomberg.
Greenlight posted some of the industry’s best returns in its early years, but has stumbled since losing more than 20 per cent in 2015.
Other value-investing managers have also struggled, as a decade of historically low interest rates and the rise of passive investing and quant trading pushed growth stocks past their inexpensive brethren. Three Bays Capital and SPO Partners & Co., which sought to make wagers on undervalued stocks, closed in 2018. Mr Einhorn has repeatedly expressed his frustration with the poor performance this year, while remaining steadfast in his commitment to value investing.
Greenlight, which posted gains only in May and October, underperformed both the broader market and its peers in 2018. The S&P 500 Index dropped 4.4 per cent, including dividends, while the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index, an early indicator of industry performance, fell 7 per cent through December. 28.
At the start of the year, Greenlight managed $6.3 billion in assets, according to a regulatory filing. By May, the firm was down to $5.5bn.
