Having already equipped its Bentayga customers with fly-fishing kits and high-end picnic hampers, Bentley has unveiled a new dedicated accessory for falconry enthusiasts. The Bentayga Falconry by Mulliner sees the British carmaker's premium SUV fitted with everything you might need for a successful falconry expedition – barring the bird itself.
The car is handcrafted by Mulliner, Bentley’s personal commissioning division, which is based in Crewe in the United Kingdom. Housed in the boot of the Bentayga Falconry are two separate units: a so-called master flight station and a refreshment case. The master flight unit features a veneered drawer, within which sit GPS tracking antennae, tools, tethers for the birds and a sleek, 3.5-inch, wooden-handled Buck knife. Beneath this is a stowage tray with the GPS bird-tracking unit, a pair of binoculars and handcrafted leather bird hoods and gauntlets.
The refreshment case, meanwhile, houses three metal flasks, durable cups, a blanket and face cloths. Two individual perches are stored in a separate case that slots into a hard pocket built into the inside of the boot, and there is also a removable transportation perch and tether attached to the central armrest. Which should be quite enough for even the most committed of falconry fans.
Extending on the theme, a desert scene unfolds above the glove compartment on the passenger side. Handcrafted from 430 individually selected pieces of wood, the marquetry scene centres on a soaring Saker falcon, one of the most sought-after and valued birds in the world. Woods from around the globe are used in the piece, including chestnut, eucalyptus pommelé, holly, lacewood, maple, olive ash and ripple sycamore.
Each of the 430 pieces of wood in the inlay have undergone four separate processes of cutting, sand shading, pressing and double cutting, before being assembled by hand over a nine-day period. The level of detailing is exquisite – the vanes of each individual feather are achieved by cutting the shape from specific veneers, while sand shading, a classic handcrafting technique that enhances definition, adds a darker gradient to the tips of the wings.
“The Bentayga Falconry showcases what’s possible with our skilled craftspeople,” says Geoff Dowding, director of Mulliner. “They can devise elegant and exquisitely executed bespoke solutions to complement any lifestyle or hobby. Falconry is regarded as the sport of kings in the Middle East, so it was vital that the kit we created was as luxurious as it was practical and durable to appeal to our valued customers there and around the world.”
The full kit, including the boxes, tray, in-car perch, perch stowage, all equipment and marquetry, is priced at US$100,000 (Dh367,300), and requires about 400 man-hours to create.
Read this and more stories in Luxury magazine, out with The National on Thursday, June 15.
sdenman@thenational.ae
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WHAT ARE NFTs?
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are tokens that represent ownership of unique items. They allow the tokenisation of things such as art, collectibles and even real estate.
An NFT can have only one official owner at one time. And since they're minted and secured on the Ethereum blockchain, no one can modify the record of ownership, not even copy-paste it into a new one.
This means NFTs are not interchangeable and cannot be exchanged with other items. In contrast, fungible items, such as fiat currencies, can be exchanged because their value defines them rather than their unique properties.
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
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Champions League Last 16
Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) v Bayern Munich (GER)
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Benfica (POR) v Ajax (NED)
Chelsea (ENG) v Lille (FRA)
Atletico Madrid (ESP) v Manchester United (ENG)
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Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL
Al Nasr 2
(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)
Shabab Al Ahli 1
(Jaber 13)
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