The 2020 Formula 1 season draws to a close this weekend with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Returning to Yas Island from Thursday, December 10, with the race taking place on Sunday, December 13, proceedings this year are set to be a little different.
The coronavirus pandemic means that this year’s race will be held behind closed doors, with no paying spectators allowed.
The virus has also put paid to the planned entertainment schedule that usually accompanies the race, which in years gone by has seen the likes of The Killers, Guns N' Roses and The Weeknd play to thousands of fans at du Arena.
While none of that will be going ahead this year, a number of Abu Dhabi’s bars and restaurants will be celebrating the weekend with race-themed events.
Here are some ways to get into the F1 spirit in the capital …
Coya Abu Dhabi’s Peruvian pit lane
One of the capital's top restaurants will be transformed into a Peruvian pit lane for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. On Sunday, December 13, Coya Abu Dhabi will be showing the action live – each table will be equipped with individual iPads and there will also be big-screen televisions – while the kitchen will be serving a race-themed menu.
A sharing-style platter will feature steamed buns filled with beef cheeks, passion fruit, hollandaise and pickled cucumbers; grilled prawn maki rolls; wagyu carpaccio maki rolls and yuca frita with Chilean sea bass, shrimp and manchego. There will also be a choice of main courses, with options including Coya favourites such as beef ribs and chargrilled sea bream. The menu is priced at Dh450, inclusive of premium beverages.
The menu will also be available on Saturday, although without the main race action.
Saturday and Sunday, December 12 and 13; 4.30pm-7.30pm; Dh450; Coya, Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi, Al Maryah Island; 02 306 7000; coyarestaurant.com
Stars 'n' Bars launches race weekend brunches
Between Friday and Sunday, December 11 and December 13, popular Yas Island spot Stars 'n' Bars will be celebrating race weekend with three themed brunches. Close enough to hear the roar of the cars as they fly around the nearby Yas Marina Circuit, the brunches will take place between 1pm and 5pm, and will feature a mix of sharing starter platters and an a la carte main course. There will also be an after-party from 5pm to 8pm, with a number of deals available. Reservations are mandatory.
Friday to Sunday, December 11 to 13; 1pm-8pm; from Dh395; Stars 'n' Bars, Yas Marina, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi; 02 565 0101, starsnbars.ae
Cipriani serves up Italian classics and circuit views
The chic Yas Island favourite will be welcoming race fans across the F1 weekend, serving up the Italian dishes they’re famous for, alongside views of the Yas Marina Circuit.
From Friday to Sunday, December 11 to December 13, guests will be treated to the restaurant's signature a la carte menu for lunch and dinner, which features an array of traditional family dishes and classic Italian treats built on Cipriani's concept of "simple Italian food made to perfection".
Menu highlights include carpaccio, steak tartare, baked tagliolini with veal ham, and homemade ricotta gnocchi al gorgonzola. Reservations are mandatory (limited to three hours), with access to Yas Marina only for guests with reservations.
Friday to Sunday, December 11 to 13; 12pm-12am; a la carte; Cipriani, Yas Marina, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi; 02 657 5400, ciprianiyasisland.com
Iris Yas Island's lounge-style brunch
Cool and chic, with an unapologetically fun-loving air, head to Iris Yas Island for a race-day weekend that will have you lingering long after the last car has crossed the finish line. Brunch is served from 1pm to 5pm, with an array of dishes brought to your table, including dumplings and gyoza, sushi, fish tacos and delicious pastas.
Dine against a backdrop of chilled party music as the vibe carries on long after the sun goes down.
Friday to Sunday, December 11 to 13; 1pm-5pm, ladies' package Dh350, men’s package Dh500; Iris Yas Island, Yas Marina, Building 1, ground floor, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi; 055 160 5636, irisabudhabi.com
Mr Miyagi’s Race-Y weekend brunch
Anything goes (well, almost) at this fun and vibrant venue that's a firm favourite with the post-work Yas Island crowd. Extending their usual opening hours until 4am over the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend, pre-book your package and tuck into five courses of delicious Japanese dishes, while enjoying three hours of free-flowing beverages between December 11 and 13.
Friday to Sunday, December 11 to 13; 1pm-4pm and 4pm-7pm, Dh249 (pre-pay only), 7pm-4am (a la carte menu with minimum spend); Mr Miyagi's Abu Dhabi, Yas Marina, Yas Island; 02 565 1150, mr-miyagis.com
Aquarium's brunch 'til dawn packages
Right in the heart of Yas Marina, enjoy gorgeous views while you tuck into fresh seafood and soak up the race-day atmosphere at Aquarium Seafood Restaurant. This year, the award-winning restaurant will be transformed into a lounge over Formula One weekend, making the terrace the centre of all the action. Get into the F1 spirit against a soundtrack of revving engines and live entertainment, and enjoy daily race promotions and packages across several sessions which run from 1pm to 3am.
There are four packages to choose from: the brunch session from 1pm to 4pm, sunset session from 4pm to 7pm, evening session from 7pm to 10pm and the night session from 10pm to 4am. All are available across the three days of the race weekend from Friday to Sunday, December 11 to December 13.
Friday to Sunday, December 11 to 13; 1pm-4pm (Dh350, unlimited brunch and house beverages), 4pm-7pm (Dhs350, unlimited canapes and house beverages), 7pm-10pm (Dh350, dinner and welcome bubbles), 10pm-4am (Dh250 minimum spend, credited to the bill); Aquarium Seafood Restaurant, Yas Marina, Yas Island; 02 565 0007, aquariumyasmarina.com
Casa De Cuba’s Race to Cu-bar brunch
The energetic Abu Dhabi hotspot is throwing its doors open again, just in time for the F1 weekend. Reopening on Friday, December 11, this Cuban favourite will be hosting guests across the three-day Grand Prix weekend, offering three different timings and two packages.
Package timings are from 1pm to 4pm or 4pm to 7pm, and after 7pm, diners can choose from the a la carte menu, with a minimum spend required. For Dh249, enjoy free-flowing beverages and a tapas bites sharing platter, while resident DJ Thomas Gavin plays the best Latino, salsa and reggae tunes all weekend.
Friday to Sunday, December 11 to 13; 1pm-4pm, 4pm-7pm Dh249 (pre-pay only), and from 7pm-4am (a la carte menu with minimum spend); Casa De Cuba, Yas Marina, Yas Island; 056 7247 435, micasadecuba.com
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8
Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Price: from Dh850,000
On sale: now
'C'mon C'mon'
Director:Mike Mills
Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman
Rating: 4/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
SANCTIONED
- Kirill Shamalov, Russia's youngest billionaire and previously married to Putin's daughter Katarina
- Petr Fradkov, head of recently sanctioned Promsvyazbank and son of former head of Russian Foreign Intelligence, the FSB.
- Denis Bortnikov, Deputy President of Russia's largest bank VTB. He is the son of Alexander Bortnikov, head of the FSB which was responsible for the poisoning of political activist Alexey Navalny in August 2020 with banned chemical agent novichok.
- Yury Slyusar, director of United Aircraft Corporation, a major aircraft manufacturer for the Russian military.
- Elena Aleksandrovna Georgieva, chair of the board of Novikombank, a state-owned defence conglomerate.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
F1 drivers' standings
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56
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THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S24%20ULTRA
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MATCH INFO
Barcelona 4 (Messi 23' pen, 45 1', 48', Busquets 85')
Celta Vigo 1 (Olaza 42')
Copa del Rey final
Sevilla v Barcelona, Saturday, 11.30pm (UAE), match on Bein Sports
JOKE'S%20ON%20YOU
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
TWISTERS
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
Rating: 2.5/5
The nine articles of the 50-Year Charter
1. Dubai silk road
2. A geo-economic map for Dubai
3. First virtual commercial city
4. A central education file for every citizen
5. A doctor to every citizen
6. Free economic and creative zones in universities
7. Self-sufficiency in Dubai homes
8. Co-operative companies in various sectors
9: Annual growth in philanthropy
