The 2025 Escalade takes design inspiration from Cadillac's finest offerings. Photo: General Motors
The 2025 Escalade takes design inspiration from Cadillac's finest offerings. Photo: General Motors
The 2025 Escalade takes design inspiration from Cadillac's finest offerings. Photo: General Motors
The 2025 Escalade takes design inspiration from Cadillac's finest offerings. Photo: General Motors

2025 Escalade plays ‘a pivotal role in Cadillac’s vision for the future'



For over two decades, the Cadillac Escalade has stood as an beacon of luxury, power, and prestige, setting benchmarks in the full-size SUV segment. With each new generation, Cadillac has continued to push the boundaries of innovation, elevating the Escalade's status as the ultimate statement of refinement and technology.

The 2025 Escalade is no exception. Designed to embody Cadillac’s rich heritage while embracing the future of mobility, the latest iteration offers cutting-edge features, an enhanced design and advanced technologies tailored for discerning consumers in the Middle East.

Cadilac Escalade 2025. Photo: General Motors
Cadilac Escalade 2025. Photo: General Motors

As Cadillac strengthens its presence in the region, the launch of the 2025 Escalade is a pivotal moment, further solidifying its role as a leader in the luxury automotive landscape.

Here, Jack Uppal, president and managing director for General Motors Africa and Middle East, talks about the latest model of the SUV.

What does the launch of the 2025 Escalade mean for the brand in the Middle East?

The 2025 Escalade launch embodies a significant milestone for the Cadillac brand in the Middle East, reflecting a storied legacy and a forward-thinking vision. The Escalade, being the pinnacle of our Cadillac offerings in the region, symbolises a unique bond we share with our discerning customers, a bond strengthened by an unprecedented number of new customers year over year. This remarkable achievement stands as a testament to the unwavering loyalty of our clientele and their profound admiration for our iconic model.

As we unveil the 2025 Escalade, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to transcending the benchmarks of luxury, an ethos that has been at the core of our brand for 25 years. This launch heralds a new chapter in our journey, solidifying Escalade's prestigious status as an emblem of luxury and innovation in a market that holds these attributes in the highest regard.

What are the standout features of the new Escalade?

The 2025 Escalade takes design inspiration from Cadillac's finest offerings, epitomising elevated luxury and innovation. The exterior showcases meticulous enhancements that continue the successful design narrative initiated with the 2021 model year. Among these are a newly reimagined, more assertive, front-end design and refined rear lighting. Notably, functional lighting elements have transitioned from a horizontal to a vertical arrangement, further amplifying the distinctive Cadillac identity day and night.

One of my personal favourites is the power open-and-close door system, which elevates convenience to new heights. This system allows all four doors to open and close at the touch of a button or automatically for the driver upon detecting the key fob, adding a touch of effortless sophistication.

Inside, the new Escalade captivates with a stunning 55-inch pillar-to-pillar screen, seamlessly paired with an 8-inch command centre. This combination offers an immersive infotainment experience complete with voice control, navigation and integrated Google built-in services.

Cadilac Escalade 2025. Photo: General Motors
Cadilac Escalade 2025. Photo: General Motors

These remarkable features, coupled with Cadillac's relentless dedication to innovation and attention to detail, ensure that the Escalade maintains its esteemed position as a leader in the luxury SUV market.

Could you elaborate on some of the advanced technologies in the Escalade, such as driver-assistance features or in-car connectivity systems, and their relevance to Middle East consumers?

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade is a showcase of advanced technology, designed to enhance convenience, safety and connectivity for the Middle East families’ busy schedules.

The luxury SUV offers a new depth of in-car entertainment through the curved pillar-to-pillar 55-inch total diagonal display for an immersive and personalised infotainment experience with voice control, navigation, an app store and more.

A key highlight is OnStar which provides real-time updates and remote access, ensuring that passengers feel informed, safe, and in control no matter where their journey takes them. Through OnStar Connected Services, users can access real-time updates on vehicle performance, receive navigation assistance, and request roadside assistance, to name a few.

The luxury SUV features a curved pillar-to-pillar 55-inch total diagonal display. Photo: General Motors
The luxury SUV features a curved pillar-to-pillar 55-inch total diagonal display. Photo: General Motors

In an era of autonomous driving and electric mobility, how does the new Escalade fit into Cadillac’s broader vision for the future, and the brand's evolution globally and regionally?

The Escalade plays a pivotal role in Cadillac's vision for the future, globally and in the Middle East. The Escalade serves as a bridge between Cadillac's strong heritage and its innovative future.

We have already announced the ESCALADE IQ - this will mark a significant milestone as the electric version of the Escalade, cementing our commitment to electric mobility.

The Escalade remains a key example of Cadillac’s evolution, perfectly balancing the demands of changing consumer preferences with the brand's commitment to luxury, technology, and performance. It showcases how Cadillac can innovate and adapt without compromising on the excellence and sophistication that have defined the brand for over a century.

*Auto open/close door feature is unavailable in the Middle East at the start of sale. Feature will be available at a later date.

While you're here
The Matrix Resurrections

Director: Lana Wachowski

Stars:  Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick 

Rating:****

Farage on Muslim Brotherhood

Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.

Dhadak 2

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri 

Rating: 1/5

The Bio

Favourite holiday destination: Either Kazakhstan or Montenegro. I’ve been involved in events in both countries and they are just stunning.

Favourite book: I am a huge of Robin Cook’s medical thrillers, which I suppose is quite apt right now. My mother introduced me to them back home in New Zealand.

Favourite film or television programme: Forrest Gump is my favourite film, that’s never been up for debate. I love watching repeats of Mash as well.

Inspiration: My late father moulded me into the man I am today. I would also say disappointment and sadness are great motivators. There are times when events have brought me to my knees but it has also made me determined not to let them get the better of me.

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Hot%20Seat
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Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERemedy%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Microsoft%20Game%20Studios%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsoles%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%204%20%26amp%3B%205%2C%20Xbox%3A%20360%20%26amp%3B%20One%20%26amp%3B%20Series%20X%2FS%20and%20Nintendo%20Switch%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Brief scores:

Toss: South Africa, chose to field

Pakistan: 177 & 294

South Africa: 431 & 43-1

Man of the Match: Faf du Plessis (South Africa)

Series: South Africa lead three-match series 2-0

THE DETAILS

Kaala

Dir: Pa. Ranjith

Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar  

Rating: 1.5/5 

The Perfect Couple

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor

Creator: Jenna Lamia

Rating: 3/5

Tree of Hell

Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla

Director: Raed Zeno

Rating: 4/5

We Weren’t Supposed to Survive But We Did

We weren’t supposed to survive but we did.      
We weren’t supposed to remember but we did.              
We weren’t supposed to write but we did.  
We weren’t supposed to fight but we did.              
We weren’t supposed to organise but we did.
We weren’t supposed to rap but we did.        
We weren’t supposed to find allies but we did.
We weren’t supposed to grow communities but we did.        
We weren’t supposed to return but WE ARE.
Amira Sakalla

Company profile

Company name: Nestrom

Started: 2017

Co-founders: Yousef Wadi, Kanaan Manasrah and Shadi Shalabi

Based: Jordan

Sector: Technology

Initial investment: Close to $100,000

Investors: Propeller, 500 Startups, Wamda Capital, Agrimatico, Techstars and some angel investors

The biog

Name: Abeer Al Bah

Born: 1972

Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992

Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old

Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school

 

Updated: February 19, 2025, 2:00 AM