Markus Thesleff (left) and Ramzy Abdul Majeed (right) co-founder of the luxury OKKU restaurant at the Monarch hotel in Dubai.
Markus Thesleff (left) and Ramzy Abdul Majeed (right) co-founder of the luxury OKKU restaurant at the Monarch hotel in Dubai.
Markus Thesleff (left) and Ramzy Abdul Majeed (right) co-founder of the luxury OKKU restaurant at the Monarch hotel in Dubai.
Markus Thesleff (left) and Ramzy Abdul Majeed (right) co-founder of the luxury OKKU restaurant at the Monarch hotel in Dubai.

Dubai restaurateurs plan expansion in London


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The founders of Okku, a luxury Japanese restaurant based in Dubai, aim to open an outlet in London this year. The move would be a departure from the typical retail model in the Emirates, where local retailers link up with big brands from the US and Europe and bring the concept to the Middle East.

"Dubai is a brand. Why not start a brand within a brand?," said Markus Thesleff, the co-founder of Okku, which opened in the Monarch Dubai hotel in February last year. Mr Thesleff and his fellow founder Ramzy Abdul Majeed are aiming to open the first London outlet by the end of this year, and one in Abu Dhabi next year. Retailers have had much success in the UAE, with double-digit annual sales growth prior to the economic downturn last year. International brands continue to look to it as well, and Dubai was rated the fourth most attractive destination for international brands, just behind London, Paris and New York.

Still, it is rare for a home-grown retail brand from the emirate to branch out, said Laurent-Patrick Gally, a retail analyst at Shuaa Capital. One example is the Japengo Cafe chain by BinHendi Enterprises, which is expanding across the GCC and plans to open in the Far East and the US. Mr Gally said the Okku brand had a good chance of success, based on the nature of the restaurant business. "When it is about entertainment, replicating these business concepts is easier than with other businesses. When you go to other urbanised areas, there is mix of population that is similar to the population melting-pot here. What people like in Dubai can be moved to New York and find people who like it, too."

New York is not on their radar yet, but other potential spots include Mumbai, Amman, Beirut, Cairo, Zurich, and Sao Paolo, said Mr Thesleff. The pair plan to open three outlets each year over the next two or three years, said Mr Abdul Majeed. But London was the current priority, he said. "For us, to create a brand, it is important for us to have international exposure. That is why London is a natural extension for us. We know the market, we know the place and we know the customer base."

Mr Abdul Majeed and Mr Thesleff met in 1995, playing rugby in the UK. Mr Abdul Majeed came to Dubai about five years ago and first discussed a possible venture in the Emirates with Mr Thesleff in 2006. Mr Thesleff, who is originally from Finland, was no stranger to the luxury food and beverage industry. He opened Pangaea, a private members club and lounge in New York City in 2001. He later launched two other clubs in London, AvivA and Maya.

The pair looked at the booming economy in Dubai and thought it would be the ideal breeding ground for a global brand, Mr Abdul Majeed said. "From the beginning, it was designed to be a brand launched in Dubai, nurtured in Dubai, and taken worldwide from Dubai. For us it was leveraging riding on the back of the Dubai brand, and then taking that story around the world. "For us, [the brand] is a powerful asset," he said.

The pair spent about US$10 million (Dh36.7m) to build the first Okku restaurant and hired 80 employees from 22 countries. The restaurant serves its high-end cuisine to between 7,000 and 9,000 diners a month, said Mr Abdul Majeed. The pair would not discuss revenues but said the operation became profitable this year. They are also introducing new restaurant concepts this year in the UAE: a contemporary Chinese restaurant, called Chinoize; a sports bar, a steak and seafood restaurant; and two or three beach clubs. They hope those chains, if launched and successful, might spread beyond the UAE, too.

"And why shouldn't they?" Mr Thesleff said. "You've got brands like Emirates, Etihad and Jumeirah. Why can't you do that with a restaurant?" aligaya@thenational.ae

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Know your Camel lingo

The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home

Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless

Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers

Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s

Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
If you go

The flights

Fly direct to London from the UAE with Etihad, Emirates, British Airways or Virgin Atlantic from about Dh2,500 return including taxes. 

The hotel

Rooms at the convenient and art-conscious Andaz London Liverpool Street cost from £167 (Dh800) per night including taxes.

The tour

The Shoreditch Street Art Tour costs from £15 (Dh73) per person for approximately three hours. 

PROFILE OF CURE.FIT

Started: July 2016

Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori

Based: Bangalore, India

Sector: Health & wellness

Size: 500 employees

Investment: $250 million

Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)

La Mer lowdown

La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
 

Why seagrass matters
  • Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
  • Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
  • Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
  • Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

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RACE CARD

6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group 1 (PA) Dh119,373 (Dirt) 1,600m

7.05pm Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (D) 1,200m

7.40pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Turf) 1,800m

8.15pm UAE 1000 Guineas Trial (TB) Dh183,650 (D) 1,400m

9.50pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,600m

9.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m

Japan 30-10 Russia

Tries: Matsushima (3), Labuschange | Golosnitsky

Conversions: Tamura, Matsuda | Kushnarev

Penalties: Tamura (2) | Kushnarev

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if you go

The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow. 
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes). 

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15 under: Paul Casey (ENG)

-14: Robert MacIntyre (SCO)

-13 Brandon Stone (SA)

-10 Laurie Canter (ENG) , Sergio Garcia (ESP)

-9 Kalle Samooja (FIN)

-8 Thomas Detry (BEL), Justin Harding (SA), Justin Rose (ENG)

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

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