My flight back from Cairo on Sunday evening was uneventful, save for a brief bout of turbulence that left me gripping my arm-rests and the rotund gentleman beside me sweating profusely from his face.
Still, at least I was on a flight. The Icelandic cloud of doom hovering over Europe meant that I abandoned my mother, sister and small brother because they were unable to fly home to London. So in Cairo they remained, stranded like refugees (of a sort), sunbathing and licking Movenpick ice-creams beside the hotel pool as I waved goodbye.
The travel agent, a smartly dressed Egyptian lady called Elizabeth, arrived at the hotel early on Sunday morning to talk through their options. She found us lolling like sea lions by the pool, already thinking about which flavour of ice-cream we wanted to fill that brief gap between breakfast and lunch.
Elizabeth said she would have coffee flavour, so I was despatched to gather them on the basis that my flight back to Abu Dhabi remained unaltered.
I wandered back along the pool's edge, clutching five cones between sticky fingers, to discover a debate between Elizabeth, my mother and my brother.
"Just think of the adventure," Mum was telling Henry, with wobbly levels of enthusiasm herself. Elizabeth, it turned out, had floated the idea of a meandering train trip from Cairo, through Libya, briefly skirting through Tunisia and then into Algeria where, she thought, one might be able to get a boat across to Gibraltar. Henry looked unimpressed at this, which he demonstrated by shrugging and turning silently to his pistachio ice cream.
"Where was The English Patient filmed?" piped up my sister, Rosie, unplugging herself from her iPod and sitting up on her sunbed. "Wasn't that around there?"
Rosie, a romantic, was pitching herself as Kristin Scott-Thomas on a heroic journey across rolling African sand dunes. But my mother, a realist, was worried about the train facilities. And Henry, an 11-year-old schoolboy, had surmised that the train's on-board entertainment systems would probably be poor.
Elizabeth blinked, then told us that she had a German group of 22 female students in Cairo whose professor had paid for them all to extend their stay for a night. But now it appeared the volcano was going to continue belching, and they were such a big group he didn't know what to do.
I sensed some kind of parable in this. Was Elizabeth suggesting that those with an escape route should snatch it? It was not to be. My mother decided they'd stay put for one more night and evaluate the situation in the morning. And yet, the urge to cast out across North Africa hadn't caught on the next day either. "Elizabeth says Tangiers ferry a possibility," mused an email from Cairo. "But just tucking into poolside snack." That Dunkirk spirit, it seems, cannot compete with a good ice-cream.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
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The biog
Alwyn Stephen says much of his success is a result of taking an educated chance on business decisions.
His advice to anyone starting out in business is to have no fear as life is about taking on challenges.
“If you have the ambition and dream of something, follow that dream, be positive, determined and set goals.
"Nothing and no-one can stop you from succeeding with the right work application, and a little bit of luck along the way.”
Mr Stephen sells his luxury fragrances at selected perfumeries around the UAE, including the House of Niche Boutique in Al Seef.
He relaxes by spending time with his family at home, and enjoying his wife’s India cooking.
Opening day UAE Premiership fixtures, Friday, September 22:
- Dubai Sports City Eagles v Dubai Exiles
- Dubai Hurricanes v Abu Dhabi Saracens
- Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
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CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The five pillars of Islam
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The Intruder
Director: Deon Taylor
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy, Meagan Good
One star
Results
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) US$100,000 (Dirt) 2,000m, Winner Bandar, Fernando Jara (jockey), Majed Al Jahouri (trainer).
7.05pm Meydan Classic Listed (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,600m, Winner Well Of Wisdom, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m, Winner Star Safari, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
8.15pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner Moqarrar, Fabrice Veron, Erwan Charpy.
8.50pm Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 2 (TB) $300,000 (T) 2,810m, Winner Secret Advisor, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
9.25pm Curlin Stakes Listed (TB) $175,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner Parsimony, William Buick, Doug O’Neill.
10pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m, Winner Simsir, Ronan Whelan, Michael Halford.
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m, Winner Velorum, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
Brief scores
Barcelona 2
Pique 36', Alena 87'
Villarreal 0
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Day 3 stumps
New Zealand 153 & 249
Pakistan 227 & 37-0 (target 176)
Pakistan require another 139 runs with 10 wickets remaining
Company%20Profile
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