When Scott Price first moved to the UAE in 2010, he didn't expect to still be here a decade later. The chef had been working for Gordon Ramsay in London for about six years when he was offered the chance to relaunch Verre by Gordon Ramsay, located at the Hilton Dubai Creek.
"I came [to Dubai] for a few days to take a look and really enjoyed it. I'd always wanted to work abroad and it was a good opportunity. I never thought it would last this long," he tells The National.
Dubai is very supportive. People are realising that it's up to you, what you do in this city
Fast-forward 11 years and Price has made a notable dent in the UAE's food scene. His first venture with friend and fellow chef Nick Alvis, Table 9, was widely acclaimed, followed by the launch of folly by Nick & Scott in 2017, at a time when home-grown fine-dining restaurants were something of a scarcity. Most recently, the duo have expanded with the opening of folly Workshop at Time Out Market Dubai.
It is career highlights such as these that make Price's departure from the UAE a bittersweet experience. On Monday, the chef announced he will be moving back to the UK, leaving Alvis to spearhead folly and folly Workshop.
Price is still “trying to wrap his head around” the move, he says. “At the moment I’m still in denial,” he says with a laugh. “It’s going to be strange getting on a plane and not coming back. The hardest part is saying goodbye to the team and restaurant.”
What's next for Scott Price?
But, the chef believes it’s the right next step for his family. Price will be moving to the Scottish countryside, where he and his wife are planning their next venture: Moorside Farmhouse, a self-contained bed and breakfast with bespoke dining experiences.
“It’s a couple of miles from where I grew up,” he says. “There’s going to be a lot of work to do, from farming to rearing animals, but I’m looking forward to it. We’re going to offer a luxury and bespoke guesthouse experience, one wherein I can cook for guests if they wish, look after them as if they were in the restaurant. We want to redefine the bed-and-breakfast concept.”
He says the idea stemmed from a desire to spend more time with his young children, aged 3 and 1, and be closer to family in the UK.
“Especially with Covid-19 and not being able to fly, you realise how important it is to live near family when you have young children.”
But he’s not ready to say goodbye to Dubai just yet. Price and his wife are also in the process of setting up consultancy company Centre Stage Hospitality, which aims to help people in the UAE launch their own brand.
“Nick and I have been given good opportunities in Dubai. We have gathered a lot of experience and I’d like to now support other young talent that have an idea but don’t know how to get to that end-stage or pitch to an investor,” he says.
“I’ve always enjoyed bringing out the best in people and birthing new careers.”
On the evolving food and beverage landscape
Dubai may very well be the best place for launching such a career. Price moved to the UAE aged 28, overseeing different restaurants at the Hilton Dubai Creek. When there was an opening, he brought in Alvis, who he had previously met in 2005 when they were both working for Ramsay.
When their contracts ended, the pair decided to team up and launch Table 9, their first joint concept.
At the time, there weren't a lot of home-grown, fine-dining concepts ... but in a year, we had more customers than the Gordon Ramsay restaurant we worked at
“I’d worked with more than 1,000 chefs throughout my career, but for some reason, Nick and I just got on very well,” Price recalls. “We’re big mates. You can’t run a business together unless you have a good relationship – it’s simply not going to work.”
Even so, starting a new venture together was scary. “The first night Table 9 was open, I remember standing at the restaurant thinking ‘what have we done'?” Price says. “But it really kicked off. It was amazing – it wasn’t about marketing or branding either, just two guys wanting to run a restaurant and cook good food.”
Is that the secret to running a successful restaurant in Dubai?
“You need to be honest about what you’re doing,” says Price. “It’s all about fundamentals. People want good food, value for money, to be looked after, a consistent product. There are a lot of places that are all smoke and mirrors and they don’t always work.”
These are some of the lessons they brought with them when they launched folly, a fine-dining venue with Burj Al Arab views and a creative menu (think crispy hen’s egg with pancetta and maple syrup, and lamb saddle with whipped pine nuts and salsa).
The restaurant has won a string of accolades since opening, which Price says was a sign that the UAE was ready for more home-grown venues.
“At the time, there weren’t a lot of home-grown, fine-dining concepts and a lot of investors were nervous. But in a year, we had more customers than the Gordon Ramsay restaurant we worked at," he says.
"It’s amazing to see how much the market has matured, and the demand for local restaurants. People are realising that it is an experience you can’t find anywhere else in the world – as opposed to a concept that’s imported from the UK or US.”
Despite 2020 being a hard year for the industry, Price believes the UAE is on the right trajectory.
“The market is only getting bigger. The future is looking good,” he says.
For those thinking of setting up their own business, Price's advice is to “go for it".
"I’m the kind of person who would rather know than have regrets about something not happening.
“Dubai is very supportive. People are realising that it’s up to you, what you do in this city. If you have an idea, you can make it happen.”
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.”
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ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
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The biog
Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology
Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India
Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur
How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993
Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters
Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
The five pillars of Islam
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
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.
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