When the Chilean air force needed ideas for an operating base in the uncompromising Antarctica terrain, they knew who to call.
The region is one of most uninhabitable places on earth yet Russian company Aviatech supplied the country with a 600-square-metre inflatable hangar that could be built on the icy terrain of its Union Glacier camp.
Put simply, the company’s inflatable hangars do not need foundations, can be built within hours and do not usually require a building permit.
Now the company has established an office in Sharjah and is seeking more business deals at its booth in Idex as part of the Russian pavilion.
“We are looking for sales in the UAE,” said Aviatech’s Aleksas Fogel. “It has being going well and we have some Saudi Arabian and UAE companies interested. The companies are typically aviation such as civil companies operating small planes or helicopters.”
In the company’s 15-year history, it has built more than 200 of the hangars across the globe, from Indonesia to Kazakhstan, with the biggest more than 2,500 sqm.
They have been used to protect fighter jets and helicopters, in disaster management, for entertainment and sports facilities, to build remote workshops, forward operating bases and everything in-between.
The hangars can be used in extreme temperatures ranging from -60°C to +70°C and are designed to withstand hurricane force winds.
Sand bags are commonly used as weights meaning the hangars do not require any groundwork. They start at around $250 per square metre, but each unit differs in cost because of factors such as terrain and capacity.
“In a couple of days, you have warm conditions in the middle of Siberia,” said Mr Fogel.
“If you want to relocate a business, you can also relocate your house. You don’t need permits. It is that easy.”
Day two at Idex:
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HAEMOGLOBIN DISORDERS EXPLAINED
Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.
Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.
The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.
The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.
A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
Verdict: 4 Stars
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE