Live updates: Follow the latest on Trump's Gulf trip
US President Donald Trump accepted Qatar’s offer of a luxury Boeing 747 but the plane would need to be retrofitted to standards that the Air Force One currently maintains, and this is no mean feat.
Turning the 747 into the plane reserved for use by America's leader, essentially a flying White House, could cost about $1 billion and take up to three years, an analyst said.
“If this goes ahead, what we’re looking at is a fit-out cost somewhere between $800 million and $1.2 billion to bring the Qatari royal family’s 747 up to the level of Air Force One,” Dean Mikkelsen, an independent security, aviation, maritime and energy analyst, told The National.
That includes stripping out the gold-plated luxury interiors and replacing them with a secure communications systems, EMP shielding, missile defence, and even aerial refuelling capability.
“You’d also need to add a secure command suite, medical bay, and facilities for the president’s team, military aides and press corps – essentially turning it into a flying White House,” Mr Mikkelsen said.
That will be a time-consuming job. “Realistically, you're looking at two to three years to fully convert and certify it to US Air Force standards,” he said.
US plane maker Boeing is already in the midst of efforts to convert two 747s to replace current Air Force One planes, which it expects to complete by 2027.
A new commercial Boeing 747-8 costs about $400 million, making the retrofit bill twice as expensive.
The Qatar plane – 89 seats and an opulent French-designed interior – will need major refurbishments to meet the required standard.
Turning the Qatari jetliner into Air Force One would cost billions of dollars and take years to accomplish, Richard Aboulafia, managing director of Washington-based aviation consultancy AeroDynamic Advisory, told The National.
“The aircraft would need to be completely stripped down and reassembled, with advanced mission equipment and capabilities integrated inside. It would be a new aircraft, effectively,” he said.
“Starting over again with the Qatar plane wouldn’t produce a usable Air Force One until 2030 or later.”
From Giant pandas to embroidered saddle: Gifts given to US presidents - in pictures
The “flying Oval Office” has 4,000 square feet of interior floor space, according to Boeing's website.
Among its accommodations are a conference/dining room, quarters for the president and the first lady, an office area for senior staff members, an office that turns into a medical facility when needed, two galleys that can provide 100 meals at one sitting and multi-frequency radios for air-to-air, air-to-ground and satellite communications.
The main differences between Air Force One and the standard Boeing 747 include navigation, electronic and communications equipment and its interior configuration and furnishings, among other features.
Meanwhile, Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on Wednesday that the Gulf nation's offer to donate a luxury plane to the US was not a personal gift.
“It is a government-to-government transaction. It has nothing to do with personnel, whether it's on the US side or on the Qatari side, it's the Ministry of Defence and Department of Defence,” he said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday, dismissing claims that Qatar was using it as a way of influencing Mr Trump.
He added that ultimately, if the US needs something and it’s legal, the Qataris will help, but not because they seek anything in return.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Buy farm-fresh food
The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.
In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others.
In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food.
In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra.
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End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300
more from Janine di Giovanni
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
Directed: Smeep Kang
Produced: Soham Rockstar Entertainment; SKE Production
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Jimmy Sheirgill, Sunny Singh, Omkar Kapoor, Rajesh Sharma
Rating: Two out of five stars
Chatham House Rule
A mark of Chatham House’s influence 100 years on since its founding, was Moscow’s formal declaration last month that it was an “undesirable
organisation”.
The depth of knowledge and academics that it drew on
following the Ukraine invasion had broadcast Mr Putin’s chicanery.
The institute is more used to accommodating world leaders,
with Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher among those helping it provide
authoritative commentary on world events.
Chatham House was formally founded as the Royal Institute of
International Affairs following the peace conferences of World War One. Its
founder, Lionel Curtis, wanted a more scientific examination of international affairs
with a transparent exchange of information and ideas.
That arena of debate and analysis was enhanced by the “Chatham
House Rule” states that the contents of any meeting can be discussed outside Chatham
House but no mention can be made identifying individuals who commented.
This has enabled some candid exchanges on difficult subjects
allowing a greater degree of free speech from high-ranking figures.
These meetings are highly valued, so much so that
ambassadors reported them in secret diplomatic cables that – when they were
revealed in the Wikileaks reporting – were thus found to have broken the rule. However,
most speeches are held on the record.
Its research and debate has offered fresh ideas to
policymakers enabling them to more coherently address troubling issues from climate
change to health and food security.
