Abu Dhabi's first eco retreat has opened next to Jubail Mangrove Park and is now accepting reservations for people looking to spend a night immersed in nature.
Located on Jubail Island, adults-only hideaway Pura Eco Retreat offers a laid-back escape where the focus of each stay is its nature-filled surrounds.
The retreat takes its name from the popular Costa Rican phrase "Pura Vida" – which translates from Spanish to "pure life". The eco-focused hideaway also follows the Costa Rican lifestyle, which is all about slowing down and enjoying life's little pleasures. It’s exactly this essence that Emirati owner Ibrahim Al Mannaee is trying to capture at Pura.
"Abu Dhabi is made up of over 200 islands, but how many of us have actually experienced those private islands,"
Reachable via a sandy, single-track road that winds for about three kilometres through Jubail Island's mangroves, Pura Eco Retreat is housed in a gleaming white villa with a bright turquoise roof. As you are shuttled along the road towards the retreat, it's impossible not to notice the distinct change in the air. Gone is the thundering roar of traffic from the Sheikh Khalifa highway, replaced quite perfectly by the endless lapping of water and the occasional bird shrill.
Each of the exterior walls of Pura's main building has a huge purple wildlife mural, painted by artist Fatima Al Hammadi. Inside the glass entranceway is a sleek minimalist lobby where guests check-in. There's a recreation room in one wing of the house, which is due to open soon and will offer visitors a space to play games, read books and unwind, while the other side of the house has a small retail shop that's ideal for picking up any forgotten essentials.
For Al Mannaee, the retreat is a place to highlight Abu Dhabi’s natural archipelago landscape. “Abu Dhabi is made up of over 200 islands, but how many of us have actually experienced those private islands,” he says.
Private butlers and island-living
And while island-living is very much the highlight here, guests at Pura are not expected to fend for themselves in a nature-filled wilderness. Instead, butlers are on hand to show people to their rooms. Golf-buggies transport visitors to their dome-shaped suites where a well-stocked welcome pack awaits. A king-sized bed offers scenic views of the surrounding mangroves and all rooms come with coffee-making facilities, speakers and an en suite bathroom with linens and bespoke toiletries.
Each dome also has its own fire pit that staff can light on a nightly basis – the welcome pack contains chestnuts, ideal for toasting on this open flame. Outside, a colourful cabana offers a private spot for relaxing al fresco, accompanied by endless mangrove views.
Al Mannaee is hopeful that this close connection with nature, coupled with the home comforts that travellers want during a staycation, will entice people to visit.In keeping with the Pura Vida lifestyle, guests are encouraged to digitally detox, which is why there's no Wi-Fi in the domes. Instead, there are lots of complimentary activities to keep guests entertained. These include fat biking, kayaking, yoga, stargazing, birdwatching and more. Further along the shoreline, there’s a private beach and access to the water – exclusively for those staying overnight.
"Pura is for those who aren’t into venturing into full camping mode, giving up day-to-day comfort and luxuries.
"My best friend was one of the reasons I decided to open Pura. I looked at him, he is someone that I do everything with, but whenever I speak about camping, he doesn’t want to go all the way out into the desert,” explains the Emirati owner.
“I thought that if he could stay somewhere that offers a connection with nature, but with facilities like a comfortable bed, shower and meals, then maybe he – and others – would enjoy it.”
“We would like people to experience a different side to Abu Dhabi, Pura offers the chance to experience a rustic camping style experience, but in full comfort and close to the city."
In keeping with that ethos, the resort offers on-demand room service and a private al fresco dining set up outside each dome.
Bookings are open for dinner by the mangroves
Breakfast is taken on the terrace behind the main villa. A private oval-shaped pool backed by the mangroves sits beside a terrace where food is served under billowy white shades. On the platform behind this spot, beanbags and easy chairs have been set up to encourage people to sit, pause and drink in the view. This is also where yoga classes take place, giving guests the chance to practice their asana right on the edge of the mangroves.
Beyond this terrace is the main dining area. Dinner bookings are also available for the general public, but reservations are essential. The seating areas and tables have been crafted from wooden pallets with brightly coloured, locally made table runners and cushions covers. Overhead, lampshades created out of fishing baskets reminiscent of those used by local fishermen swing in the breeze and there are a few open tepee-style tables set out on the sand.
It's the perfect sundowner location. Later, as darkness falls, the place comes alive with cauldron-style firepits, solar lighting and a starlit sky. High tea and dinner are served daily with dishes blending local ingredients and meticulous cooking techniques – or "food for the soul" as Al Mannaee likes to say.
Calling itself an eco-retreat means that Pura takes steps to reduce its carbon footprint and give back to the local community. Located in a protected area, Pura has been created with as little environmental footprint as possible.
The team plans to collaborate closely with the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi to ensure activities fit with the natural environment. They have also been involved in planting more mangrove trees in the surrounding waters.
Upcycled materials have been used where possible and there are no motorised activities allowed on the water. The entire place is also a car-free zone, with guests parking instead at the nearby Jubail Mangrove Park, from where they are collected in golf carts.
A haven for birds, fish, crabs and gazelle
Within touching distance of Jubail Island's mangrove forests, Pura gives visitors a front-row seat to nature's beauty. Staff can provide binoculars for wildlife spotting, and there's certainly no shortage of opportunities. Having evolved to survive in the salty waters of the Arabian Gulf, the canopy is made up of grey mangrove trees where several species of birds nest, roost and feed. More than 90 different types of birds frequent the forest including flamingo, herons, dunlin and whimbrel. The threatened greater spotted eagle is also a regular visitor to the shoreline. And the birds are not the only creatures that call this place home.
Inside the mangrove canopy are frogs, seagrass, spiders and countless species of fish. Visitors with a keen-eye can spot mangrove snappers, silver mullets and milkfish as well as several types of crab, including ghost crabs and blue swimmer crabs. Some of these creatures are only found in mangrove forests, making the area truly unique. There are also free-roaming gazelle across Jubail Island, and staff at Pura have set up two feeding stations for the animals so chances of seeing one during a stay are high.
More accommodation coming in 2021
Much like the ever-changing mangroves and tides surrounding it, Pura is a place that's still developing. There are plans to add another five domes next year, and the spa will open in 2021. The owners are also researching the feasibility of constructing an on-site water plant that would allow the retreat to become more self-sufficient. For guests who want a rawer experience, three tents have been set up beside the mangrove forest that will soon be open for overnight reservations, likely to be joined by a few more next year.
With all this change, one constant remains the same at this secret enclave – an endless connection with nature.
"It's an escape. An escape from daily life, from noise, a chance to relax," says Al Mannaee. "The perfect itinerary for travellers would be to spend a few days in Abu Dhabi seeing some of the amazing places like The Louvre, Yas Island, Al Maryah Island, and then spend a final night on Jubail Island. Staying at Pura Eco Retreat is the ideal opportunity to visit Jubail Mangrove Park and the Seed, and the perfect way to wind down before your trip ends."
Overnight rates start from Dh1,800 on weekdays. Dinner reservations require a minimum spend of Dh225 (weekdays) and Dh265 (weekends). Booking is essential and can be made on staypura.com
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday Athletic Bilbao v Celta Vigo (Kick-off midnight UAE)
Saturday Levante v Getafe (5pm), Sevilla v Real Madrid (7.15pm), Atletico Madrid v Real Valladolid (9.30pm), Cadiz v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday Granada v Huesca (5pm), Osasuna v Real Betis (7.15pm), Villarreal v Elche (9.30pm), Alaves v Real Sociedad (midnight)
Monday Eibar v Valencia (midnight)
Dubai World Cup nominations
UAE: Thunder Snow/Saeed bin Suroor (trainer), North America/Satish Seemar, Drafted/Doug Watson, New Trails/Ahmad bin Harmash, Capezzano, Gronkowski, Axelrod, all trained by Salem bin Ghadayer
USA: Seeking The Soul/Dallas Stewart, Imperial Hunt/Luis Carvajal Jr, Audible/Todd Pletcher, Roy H/Peter Miller, Yoshida/William Mott, Promises Fulfilled/Dale Romans, Gunnevera/Antonio Sano, XY Jet/Jorge Navarro, Pavel/Doug O’Neill, Switzerland/Steve Asmussen.
Japan: Matera Sky/Hideyuki Mori, KT Brace/Haruki Sugiyama. Bahrain: Nine Below Zero/Fawzi Nass. Ireland: Tato Key/David Marnane. Hong Kong: Fight Hero/Me Tsui. South Korea: Dolkong/Simon Foster.
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
OTHER IPL BOWLING RECORDS
Best bowling figures: 6-14 – Sohail Tanvir (for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in 2008)
Best average: 16.36 – Andrew Tye
Best economy rate: 6.53 – Sunil Narine
Best strike-rate: 12.83 – Andrew Tye
Best strike-rate in an innings: 1.50 – Suresh Raina (for Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals in 2011)
Most runs conceded in an innings: 70 – Basil Thampi (for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018)
Most hat-tricks: 3 – Amit Mishra
Most dot-balls: 1,128 – Harbhajan Singh
Most maiden overs bowled: 14 – Praveen Kumar
Most four-wicket hauls: 6 – Sunil Narine
UAE Premiership
Results
Dubai Exiles 24-28 Jebel Ali Dragons
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 43-27 Dubai Hurricanes
Final
Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons, Friday, March 29, 5pm at The Sevens, Dubai
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
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What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
List of alleged parties
May 12, 2020: PM and his wife Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at least 17 staff
May 20, 2020: They attend 'bring your own booze party'
Nov 27, 2020: PM gives speech at leaving party for his staff
Dec 10, 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
Dec 13, 2020: PM and his wife throw a party
Dec 14, 2020: London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff event at Conservative Party headquarters
Dec 15, 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
Dec 18, 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
ALL THE RESULTS
Bantamweight
Siyovush Gulmomdov (TJK) bt Rey Nacionales (PHI) by decision.
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) bt Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR) by submission.
Catch 74kg
Omar Hussein (JOR) bt Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) by decision.
Strawweight (Female)
Seo Ye-dam (KOR) bt Weronika Zygmunt (POL) by decision.
Featherweight
Kaan Ofli (TUR) bt Walid Laidi (ALG) by TKO.
Lightweight
Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW) bt Leandro Martins (BRA) by TKO.
Welterweight
Ahmad Labban (LEB) bt Sofiane Benchohra (ALG) by TKO.
Bantamweight
Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR) no contest.
Lightweight
Mohammed Yahya (UAE) bt Glen Ranillo (PHI) by TKO round 1.
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) bt Aidan Aguilera (AUS) by TKO round 1.
Welterweight
Mounir Lazzez (TUN) bt Sasha Palatkinov (HKG) by TKO round 1.
Featherweight title bout
Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) by KO round 1.
Remaining fixtures
- August 29 – UAE v Saudi Arabia, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
- September 5 – Iraq v UAE, Amman, Jordan (venue TBC)
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Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
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.
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
The biog
Born: near Sialkot, Pakistan, 1981
Profession: Driver
Family: wife, son (11), daughter (8)
Favourite drink: chai karak
Favourite place in Dubai: The neighbourhood of Khawaneej. “When I see the old houses over there, near the date palms, I can be reminded of my old times. If I don’t go down I cannot recall my old times.”
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Itcan profile
Founders: Mansour Althani and Abdullah Althani
Based: Business Bay, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India
Sector: Technology, digital marketing and e-commerce
Size: 70 employees
Revenue: On track to make Dh100 million in revenue this year since its 2015 launch
Funding: Self-funded to date
Company%20Profile
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