Abu Dhabi // A handful of Vancouver citizens gathered over the weekend to wave goodbye to one of the city's infamous FastCat ferries as it began a lengthy voyage to Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi Mar, a yacht builder and refurbisher, bought three of the catamaran-style ferries from a Canadian company last month. The first, Voyager, was loaded onto a cargo ship and began its 40-day journey to the Gulf on Saturday.
The company will refit the ferries for use in the Gulf and begin operating them next year.
Route details, fares and freight charges are scheduled to be released in late September, but destinations are likely to include Qatar, Bahrain and possibly southern Iran.
The high-speed ferries caused a political scandal in Vancouver, leaving the career of the British Columbia premier who commissioned them in tatters.
Built by the government with hopes of reviving the local shipbuilding industry, they cost more than C$450 million (Dh1.5 billion), more than double their original budget.
When the ferries finally made it to the water, they had to be withdrawn from service and were sold to a Canadian company for just $20m. Abu Dhabi Mar did not disclose how much it paid for the ferries.
"The route [where they were used in Vancouver] was too short to take advantage of the vessels' speed, and the cost of operation compared to a conventional ferry on the same route was very high," said John Mears, president of the company that loaded the ferries for their trip to Abu Dhabi.
The ferries, which operate at 68kph, have very high fuel consumption and were prone to breaking down. They also caused a large wake in the shallow waters around Vancouver, reportedly damaging waterfront homes near the ferry route.
Abu Dhabi Mar said it did not envision the same problem in the Arabian Gulf, because it is deeper.
"I think all of BC is glad to see them finally go to an area where they can be used. It's been painful to have them tied up in Vancouver not being used," Mr Mears said.
The ships are virtually brand new, with Voyager never having carried any passengers. Each vessel has space for 1,000 passengers and up to 250 vehicles, depending on their size.
The first ferry is expected to arrive around October 6. The next cargo ship is scheduled to depart on October 13, arriving 40 days later, then returning to Vancouver to load the last ferry in late November.
lmorris@thenational.ae
23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees
Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
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The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
Australia (15-1): Israel Folau; Dane Haylett-Petty, Reece Hodge, Kurtley Beale, Marika Koroibete; Bernard Foley, Will Genia; David Pocock, Michael Hooper (capt), Lukhan Tui; Adam Coleman, Izack Rodda; Sekope Kepu, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Tom Robertson.
Replacements: Tolu Latu, Allan Alaalatoa, Taniela Tupou, Rob Simmons, Pete Samu, Nick Phipps, Matt Toomua, Jack Maddocks.
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
RESULT
Huddersfield Town 1 Manchester City 2
Huddersfield: Otamendi (45' 1 og), van La Parra (red card 90' 6)
Man City: Agüero (47' pen), Sterling (84')
Man of the match: Christopher Schindler (Huddersfield Town)
One-off T20 International: UAE v Australia
When: Monday, October 22, 2pm start
Where: Abu Dhabi Cricket, Oval 1
Tickets: Admission is free
Australia squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Darcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa, Peter Siddle
Fixtures
Wednesday
4.15pm: Japan v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: UAE v Italy (Group A)
6.45pm: Russia v Mexico (Group B)
8pm: Iran v Egypt (Group B)
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
