Pauline Madani's stone terrace in Dubai.
Pauline Madani's stone terrace in Dubai.
Pauline Madani's stone terrace in Dubai.
Pauline Madani's stone terrace in Dubai.

Hard on the outside


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For an eco-friendly, low-maintenance and elegant outdoor space, lay it out in natural stone. Despite the recent heavy rain showers that resulted in World Water Day being called off in Abu Dhabi, conserving water should still be the priority of eco-conscious gardeners everywhere, not least in this part of the world. An obvious solution is an elegant low-maintenance stone patio, to reduce the amount of irrigation as well as to blend with the arid landscape.

Nehme Moujaess, the president of Terraverde, a Dubai-based landscaping and irrigation specialist, said that there has been a growing interest in sustainable gardens, which reduce the impact on the environment. "Stone has become more popular because it enhances landscape design while also being low-maintenance and still bringing a touch of the natural," he explains. Stone areas are nothing new, indeed many gardens in the UAE are paved from corner to corner as a matter of course, with greenery added afterwards in the form of potted plants. But well designed patios are becoming increasingly popular, especially with the trend for at-home entertaining.

"Paved walled gardens with Arabian pots can look spectacular," says Annie Hayes of Stone Concepts, a specialist stone supplier in Dubai. "But there are many ways to lay stone to make interesting shapes and designs." Pre-cut stone in different sizes, or coloured grouting to highlight the different shades within the stone, can enhance even the plainest of patios, she suggests. The other benefit is that stone does not date. "I don't think natural stone ever goes out of fashion," muses Hayes. "People always want something hardwearing, pleasing to the eye, and something they can clean easily."

"[Patios] also bring the outside in," she says. "Whether as a majlis, play area or just a place to chill out. Investing in a patio is something that can add tremendous value to your home. You don't need to spend an enormous amount. Plus, stone can be a wonderful way to save money on watering your backyard." Sunil Sawlani, the managing director of Royal Gardenscape, a paving and ornamental specialist firm based in Dubai, said that many of his customers are more focused on garden decoration.

"We have definitely noticed more interest in [this]," he says. "It's not enough to just pave an area and leave it bare." Artificially weathered paving, irregular, rustic shapes and contrasting colours are all popular in residential homes. Sawlani says that pre-cut tiles are the easiest option for budget-conscious garden designers as they are easy to lay. In more highly styled spaces, landscapers are introducing different architectural planes. Individual pieces are flat and uniform, with detailing provided by smaller areas of ornamental mosaic or carving.

"Smoother surfaces are better for areas where people walk or play, although rough textures can be used as borders or accents," says Moujaess of Terraverde. "For contemporary gardens, smooth pieces align with the overall theme, whereas a more rustic garden calls for natural cut stones in earthy tones. Boulders can be placed throughout the softscape or can be stacked near a pool with an added waterfall option. Smaller stones could be used to line pools and create borders."

For the searing heat of the UAE sun, lighter coloured stone is preferable, explains Sawlani. "Lighter shades - beige, pink, grey and yellow - blend easier with the colouring of the house. [But] although aesthetics are a factor, lighter colours are practical: they won't heat up as much under the glare of the summer sun." "Lighter colours definitely suit this climate better," agrees Hayes, suggesting slate quartzites, dense sandstone, limestone and travertine, as well as granites. Pale sandstone is also an option but Hayes cautions against laying the wrong kind outdoors. "Some sandstones are not really suited for this area as the region lies on very salty table water. The more porous the stone, the more it soaks up the salt and you end up with whitish markings on your sandstone."

Ivan Nowrouzi the managing director of Stoneville, a UK-based stone exporter, says a less porous stone is vital for this region. "It's important to choose a stone that is hard-wearing. For areas that are more likely to be used frequently, basalterra (the hardest wearing type of basalt) is much harder than travertine or sandstone, and travertine is a good choice for residential areas as it is durable and comes in a variety of colours," he advises.

Resilient and beautiful, travertine is sourced from various countries including Italy, Iran, China and Jordan and, because of this, it's widely available. Travertine is trendy, says Hayes, and is "a fabulous look for internal and external flooring". "A lot of our clients are using polished or honed travertine for their interior flooring and carrying the look outside with brushed-finish travertine around the pool area."

Travertine is a natural stone that is characterised by earthy tones. It gives a warm, aged look and each stone is unique. "The popularity of travertine is an excellent reflection of the trend for lighter, neutral colours that blend easily with any décor," says Moujaess. A patio can be an economic and aesthetically pleasing way of making your house more friendly to your guests as well as the environment.

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Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi

Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser

Rating: 4.5/5

Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

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1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

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Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species

Camelpox

Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.

Falconpox

Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.

Houbarapox

Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.

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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

'Worse than a prison sentence'

Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.

“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.

“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.

“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.

“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.

“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”

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4th ODI, January 16