The concept of a grand tour in motoring terms brings to mind summer trips around the Mediterranean in dapper vehicles, staying in luxury hotels and viewing the finest sights in whatever country you happen to stop off in.
Such a trip doesn’t have to be regionally confined to Europe though. This is the kind of journey you could make wherever you can find the sights – not least the Middle East.
And, should you decide to do such a thing in, say, the UAE and Oman, you could do worse than making the trip in Maserati’s compact SUV the Grecale.
With this in mind, The Ritz-Carlton organised its own take on the classic experience comprising all the elements above.
The co-ordinators made what they had in mind, officially calling the event the Grand Tour.
It consisted of a trip from Dubai to Muscat, taking in the region’s most fun roads to drive on while discovering the best of what the region had to offer en route.
The Grecale range, comprising the GT, Modena and Trofeo, make for solid choices as grand tourers in the classic sense.
Each is fancy enough to attract a few glances, but not too over the top in a supercar style.
Crucially, the trio all have the same comfortable and roomy interior, with enough power to eat up the kilometres as you head in search of your next destination.
All-wheel-drive is standard across the range – useful if you have to head over a few bumps, which is always possible on a trip of this sort – but while the GT and the Modena rattle along nicely with 4-cylinder 2-litre engines, Maserati has cranked up the Trofeo with a V6 3-litre unit that reduces the 0-100kph time down to 3.8 seconds and ups the top speed to 285kph.
Not that grand touring is about speed and power, of course.
Suffice to say that rolling into the two Ritz-Carlton venues situated in Dubai, the brand’s most northerly outlet in Ras Al Khaimah and finally the biggest of the quartet in Muscat, does not make you want to hurry.
Hotel chains generally retain a uniform feel among their various outlets, but, aside from the extreme efforts made to give visitors a luxury experience, Ritz-Carlton’s four Grand Tour venues stand out for having a very different appeal for customers.
The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC hotel sits within one of the city’s most bustling financial districts and is one for those who like to be at the centre of things.
The emirate’s other venue, The Ritz-Carlton Dubai, is in the Marina District and offers a more beach-orientated and less hectic experience.
The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert is one for lovers of the outdoors, being situated within a nature resort.
Meanwhile, Al Bustan Palace in Muscat stands as an unquestionably visually spectacular destination, being housed in a building that was, indeed, once a palace.
The route between these hotels takes in some of the region’s most visually dramatic terrain, giving a proper sense of what the region has to offer.
Taking a trip like this makes you realise that, while flying is faster, taking a little more time and pulling in anywhere you fancy in a fun set of wheels ticks a lot of boxes as well.
As we said, a grand tour is not just for Europe, after all.
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Granta
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
The Uefa Awards winners
Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)
Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League
Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
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
SPECS
Mini John Cooper Works Clubman and Mini John Cooper Works Countryman
Engine: two-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 306hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: JCW Clubman, Dh220,500; JCW Countryman, Dh225,500
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 – Group 1 (PA) $65,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $65,000 (Turf) 1,800m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic – Listed (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,600m
8.15pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $195,000 (T) 2,810m
8.50pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (T) 2,000m
9.25pm: Meydan Challenge – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,400m
