ABU DHABI // If Rashed al Muhairi's models are as convincing as he thinks they are, not even the UAE Air Force will be able to distinguish between a radio-controlled Hawker Hunter and a real military fighter jet when his aeroplanes soar at this month's Al Ain Aerobatic Show. "I'm telling you, you will see it in the sky but you will not know. Is it real, or is it the model?" said Mr al Muhairi, the leader of the Jet Masters aeronautical model hobbyists team. "Only if I stand next to it, you can tell it's not the real one. When it's flying, it does all the manoeuvres of the real jet."
Building the models is not child's play. Mr al Muhairi, who works for the Dubai Police, spent more than three months sanding and gluing together a Dh120,000 (US$32,700) kit in his Jumeirah home. The model weighs 20 kilograms and is roughly three metres long. His team of 30 hobbyists from Italy, Germany, France, the UK and the UAE are rushing to complete several models of UAE Air Force fighters before the show.
"We still have to programme and install all the electronics," he said. The models include a Mirage 2000, an F-16 and an MB-339. They are roughly a third of the size of the originals and can fly as fast as 480 kph. "We need to finish our models before the show or we cannot sleep," he said. "We are building and working until 4am all the time." It is the second year that Mr al Muhairi, 36, will display his models at the show.
Last year's exhibit was popular, he said. "A lot of people enjoyed our section and it made me so happy." This year, he hopes that a free workshop on flying model aircraft, during which people will be able to experience flying one on a computer simulator, will help inspire a love of model aeronautics among a new generation. "It's the first time we're having this, and it will be a very good chance for people to try what it's like to fly the models," Mr al Muhairi said.
"There is an instructor who sits next to you. He will show you the controls and the commands and what happens when you push the buttons," he said. "It's going to be fun." Mr al Muhairi, who has more than 20 model aeroplanes in his collection, said the Al Ain air show was the best opportunity for him to showcase his hobby. "There's a lot of marketing for the radio-controlled aeroplanes in Al Ain and this part of the world," he said.
The show runs for three days starting on Jan 28 at Al Ain International Airport. Aerobatic teams from around the world will perform, and the Aero GP racing circuit will make its Middle East debut. The Aero GP event will include three main competitions: a simulated dogfight, target practice and aerobatics. It will also feature a race pitting at least six aircraft against one another. Among the pilots scheduled to compete in the Aero GP event are Britons Mark Jefferies, Andy Bickmore and Will Curtis.
"People don't normally get to see five to seven aeroplanes together, jostling for a position, so it's definitely going to become a bit of a spectacle," Mr Bickmore said. "The real pleasure is actually going to be out there, being able to fly in this region, because it's got some good natural wonders, and that's something I've always wanted to do. It's going to be fantastic."
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
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
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate
It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
It’ll be summer in the city as car show tries to move with the times
If 2008 was the year that rocked Detroit, 2019 will be when Motor City gives its annual car extravaganza a revamp that aims to move with the times.
A major change is that this week's North American International Auto Show will be the last to be held in January, after which the event will switch to June.
The new date, organisers said, will allow exhibitors to move vehicles and activities outside the Cobo Center's halls and into other city venues, unencumbered by cold January weather, exemplified this week by snow and ice.
In a market in which trends can easily be outpaced beyond one event, the need to do so was probably exacerbated by the decision of Germany's big three carmakers – BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi – to skip the auto show this year.
The show has long allowed car enthusiasts to sit behind the wheel of the latest models at the start of the calendar year but a more fluid car market in an online world has made sales less seasonal.
Similarly, everyday technology seems to be catching up on those whose job it is to get behind microphones and try and tempt the visiting public into making a purchase.
Although sparkly announcers clasp iPads and outline the technical gadgetry hidden beneath bonnets, people's obsession with their own smartphones often appeared to offer a more tempting distraction.
“It's maddening,” said one such worker at Nissan's stand.
The absence of some pizzazz, as well as top marques, was also noted by patrons.
“It looks like there are a few less cars this year,” one annual attendee said of this year's exhibitors.
“I can't help but think it's easier to stay at home than to brave the snow and come here.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
