The story behind one of the most iconic automobile brands takes to the road this week, with the start of Harley and the Davidsons on Discovery Channel.
It sounds like the title of a kids cartoon adventure, but the historical drama tells how three working-class young men – brothers Walter and Arthur Davidson and their friend Bill Harley – set out at the turn of the 20th-century on a quest to revolutionise the motorcycle industry in the United States, at the time dominated by the manufacturer Indian.
They put their lives and livelihoods on the line to create their dream bike – and were rewarded with a place in the annals of American cultural history for their creation. Harley-Davidson has a cult following in the Middle East, just as in many parts of the world, though while the name is familiar to most people, it is not exactly a part of mainstream culture.
However, actor Bug Hall, who plays Arthur Davidson, says the three-part mini-series will appeal far beyond devotees of biker culture. “You know, they’ve really done something special here,” he says. “On the one hand they have a historical piece that’s really appealing from a historical perspective. On the other hand, we have this otherworldly slice of Americana, which appeals to, I think, a whole different type of crowd.
“On top of that, you’ve got this action-packed, racing-driven plot ... because it’s Indian versus Harley-Davidson and it’s just race, race, race, and crash, crash, crash – which I think appeals to a younger audience and guys more like me.”
Discovery Channel prides itself on the educational value of its shows, so beyond all the racing excitement, we can presumably expect plenty of interesting historical details about the era and the people being portrayed.
“There is some I’ll say to watch out for,” says Hall. “When we were researching these guys, we discovered that they always buttoned only their bottom suit buttons. There’s a lot of little stuff like that.
“But for the most part, Discovery was way ahead of us on what the story was and what the history was in the context, and it was our job really to just dig into the men themselves and bring that to life.”
Robert Aramay, who plays William Harley, was impressed by the history of the bike itself. “There is along the way, some points in the story where you see specific developments of parts of the bike,” he says. “For example, the introduction of a certain gas tank or something like that, so there is trivia on the development of the bikes in the story also.”
An almost mythical scene has developed around the Harley- Davidson thanks to its portrayal in film and on TV over the years, with numerous films featuring marauding biker gangs. More recently, acclaimed TV drama Sons of Anarchy has kept bad-boy biker image alive.
However, Hall says this side of motorcycle culture is a relatively recent development. “We don’t touch on that much in the show only because it didn’t exist for so long,” he says. “Motorcycles, I think, have always been associated with a kind of rowdiness. There is a certain interior rowdiness that leads you to want to get on a bike, and you know, nearly kill yourself day in and day out. “As far as the crime itself, that really didn’t come along until much later.” Aramayo says the early signs of this bad-boy culture is hinted at.
“I do think that Michiel’s [Huisman, who plays Walter Davidson] character is a stereotypical bad boy,” he says. “I mean, he loves to ride, and that’s all he wants to do.
“We have a few characters like that in the show. I think we see the beginnings of a culture develop throughout our show, through various different forms. I think that culture has changed over time and people’s perception towards it has changed – however, I think we have the beginnings of a culture.”
• Harley and the Davidsons begins on Discovery Middle East on Thursday September 29 at 10pm
cnewbould@thenational.ae
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
Where to Find Me by Alba Arikha
Alma Books
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Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
