Every day, it seems, a new eatery, coffee house, cafe or restaurant opens in Dubai, and every day, it also seems, one closes. Longevity in the city is not a given – the external factors affecting a business's financial viability can be many and volatile, and competition is often tough and constantly evolving. So it's rather refreshing to be able to welcome an establishment where the bottom line is not as important as its reason for being. Say hello to 701.
As the nomenclature suggests, this innovative art gallery/working studio/coffee shop/performance venue occupies space on the seventh floor of Prime Tower in the heart of Business Bay. And that space totals an impressive 8,650 square feet inside and out, although the terrace area – complete with a large, artificial lawn and a sizeable swimming pool with uninterrupted views of the Burj Khalifa – is unlikely to be busy for another couple of months.
The business has been building steadily and organically – something that's evidently important to its two founders, Kuwaiti property developer and investor Faisal Al Saleh, and Australian food-and-beverage consultant and restaurant concept expert Michael Stojkovic. "This is a space for artists, first and foremost," says Al Saleh. "This building is one of my developments, and the idea came to me to open a venue that would help entrepreneurs and creatives, and assist in developing the UAE's art scene. That's when Michael came into the picture, to help turn this vision into a reality."
Stojkovic is from Sydney and has been in the UAE for five years, in which time he has been involved in the launches of some of Dubai’s big-name venues. “When I met Faisal and was shown this space, I immediately wanted to come on board,” he recalls. “It’s a unique place with incredible views from the terrace, and the concept had to be right. And I believe we’ve achieved that – there’s nowhere else like it. We have resident artists here, we support them and provide them with a platform for their creativity. And it’s a place where anyone can come in, hang out, enjoy great coffee and food, while experiencing the creation of works of art.”
There's space for six resident artists, with one area currently unoccupied. There's enough room for more, but Al Saleh maintains that he doesn't want to up the numbers, as it would impinge on the quality of the experience on offer. There's a New York loft vibe here, with a vast, polished concrete floor, exposed ventilation equipment and, as you might expect, urban artworks painted over almost all available wall space. As for the coffee, it's from Seven Fortunes Coffee Roasters and right up there with the best in Dubai.
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“I’m not in this for commercial reasons,” Al Saleh asserts. “I want this to be a place that encourages entrepreneurism, creativity and a sense of community. It’s the wrong time of year for it right now, obviously, but when it gets cooler we will be able to host incredible events using the outside area as well.”
The stunning cityscape vistas on offer are enough of a draw – New Year’s Eve here would be incredible – but apart from the large pool and showers, which visitors are free to use should they wish, there’s visual stimuli in the form of yet more art-covered surfaces that Stojkovic refers to as an “activation wall”. Currently, it’s host to thought-provoking works produced by Canadian artist Denial Art and 701 resident Just One.
Leadership workshops, artist exhibitions, stand-up comedy nights, puppy Pilates classes on the terrace and weekly business seminars that help up-and-coming business owners navigate the legal minefields of setting up – these are some of the uses this venue has already been put to. And there's much more in the pipeline. "We don't just see art as being something on a canvas," Stojkovic says. "We look at food and coffee as art. Fashion, too."
Unlike many studios and galleries, there's no intimidation at play here – it's a multifaceted space where everyone is welcome. Yes, you can meet and talk to the artists themselves, and you can purchase their work if you so wish, but there's no pressure – and that's entirely intentional. Al Saleh and Stojkovic want to encourage artists in their pursuits, and the areas they occupy are provided rent-free, which makes another refreshing change. They have succeeded in achieving a relaxed atmosphere that's welcoming to all, even if all you want to do is open your laptop, do some work and enjoy some remarkably fine coffee.
SERIES INFO
Cricket World Cup League Two
Nepal, Oman, United States tri-series
Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Fixtures
Wednesday February 5, Oman v Nepal
Thursday, February 6, Oman v United States
Saturday, February 8, United States v Nepal
Sunday, February 9, Oman v Nepal
Tuesday, February 11, Oman v United States
Wednesday, February 12, United States v Nepal
Table
The top three sides advance to the 2022 World Cup Qualifier.
The bottom four sides are relegated to the 2022 World Cup playoff
1 United States 8 6 2 0 0 12 0.412
2 Scotland 8 4 3 0 1 9 0.139
3 Namibia 7 4 3 0 0 8 0.008
4 Oman 6 4 2 0 0 8 -0.139
5 UAE 7 3 3 0 1 7 -0.004
6 Nepal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 PNG 8 0 8 0 0 0 -0.458
Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)
Thursday
Burnley v Watford (9pm)
Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)
Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)
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Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
HIV on the rise in the region
A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.
New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.
Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.
Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.
Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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Uefa Nations League: How it works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday Benevento v Atalanta (2pm), Genoa v Bologna (5pm), AC Milan v Torino (7.45pm)
Sunday Roma v Inter Milan (3.30pm), Udinese v Napoli, Hellas Verona v Crotone, Parma v Lazio (2pm), Fiorentina v Cagliari (9pm), Juventus v Sassuolo (11.45pm)
Monday Spezia v Sampdoria (11.45pm)
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
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'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'
Rating: 3/5
Directed by: David Yates
Starring: Mads Mikkelson, Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Jude Law
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