DUBAI // Clemens Schmid will drive in the first round of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East next month, despite his car being left in “1,000 pieces” after a high-speed crash in Germany last weekend.
The Austrian, who won the 2012/13 championship and was second last year, was scheduled to appear at the unveiling of Al Nabooda Racing’s driver line-up in Dubai on Tuesday, but he was unable to travel after being ordered by a doctor to rest and recover from a mild concussion.
Schmid, 24, competing in the 17th round of the Carrera Cup at Hockenheim on Sunday, spun off the track before re-entering and being hit forcefully from behind by another competitor.
Both drivers safely exited their cars unassisted and Schmid’s team manager, Walter Lechner, said his compatriot will be fine to compete in the opening round of the GT3 season in Bahrain on November 14.
“The car is in 1,000 pieces, but Clemens was able to step out of the car and insisted he was fine,” Lechner said Tuesday.
“He had to go to the medical centre and the doctor said he should take it easy for a couple of days to recover, as he was suffering a little bit from concussion.”
Schmid will be joined this season at Al Nabooda Racing, the reigning champions, by Ahmad Al Harthy. The pair look to secure their marque a third consecutive team championship.
The Omani made his debut in the series in 2011/12 when he contested eight rounds and won his first race, in Abu Dhabi.
“I’ve always rated that win at Yas Marina Circuit as one of my greatest achievements,” Al Harthy said. “To win a race that had the best Middle East drivers always provides a great sense of pride.”
The series is in its sixth season and will this year race in Bahrain, Dubai and Qatar. With Al Nabooda Racing having won the previous two championships, team manager Vijay Rao, seated next to the team’s trophies as they glinted in the morning sun, spoke of his intention of “pulling off the hat-trick”.
“Our success over the past two seasons has made us eager for more, but it has also made us the team to beat,” Rao said. “We’ll need to work harder than ever to keep hold of our No 1 spot, but we have a combination of drivers who are up to the task.”
Like all motorsports, the one-make series requires steep financial investment. The Porsche GT3 cup car costs US$231,000 (Dh848,400) and depreciates by roughly $40,000 per season.
Participation fees are as high as $135,000, and the additional expense of fuel, brakes, tyres and more, and the series requires serious commitment.
Al Harthy promised to provide exactly that.
“This season, I expect the grid to definitely be a lot stronger,” he said. “But I am determined to learn as much as possible from Clemens and am totally dedicated to getting the best results for the team.”
gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
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Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
RESULT
Bayern Munich 5 Eintrracht Frankfurt 2
Bayern: Goretzka (17'), Müller (41'), Lewandowski (46'), Davies (61'), Hinteregger (74' og)
Frankfurt: Hinteregger (52', 55')
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
A cheaper choice
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
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Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Grubtech
Founders: Mohamed Al Fayed and Mohammed Hammedi
Launched: October 2019
Employees: 50
Financing stage: Seed round (raised $2 million)
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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