It isn't every day you get to meet a world champion, whether past or present, so when the offer comes through to hook up with a former MotoGP champ, you don't take too long to say "yes please". The UAE is an obvious destination for the rich and famous for many reasons and, a couple of weeks ago, Nicky Hayden was in Dubai, where he was a special guest at the opening of the Middle East's first Ducati Caffè.
Situated opposite the ice rink in the Dubai Mall, it's Ducati's latest "concept restaurant and lounge bar", following Rome, Shanghai and Bangkok, and the owners are planning further outlets in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Beirut, Riyadh and Jeddah within the next couple of years. It's something we're all having to get used to, this dilution of a brand's magic with gift shops, merchandise ranges and even theme parks. I've come to accept this as a positive, though, because they help swell the company coffers and help them carry on developing and building superb vehicles.
And it's motorcycle racing that Hayden is famous for (he's Valentino Rossi's teammate at Ducati), so I arranged to meet him the day after the opening of the new venue. Far better, I reasoned, to sit down with him when there aren't hundreds of autograph-hungry fans baying for his attention. So the Ducati dealership just outside Dubai Autodrome seemed like a good idea.
He was quite obviously exhausted by the time he arrived, surrounded by a small army of flunkies, and it turned out that, just a day before arriving in Dubai, he'd done 80 test laps at the Mugello race circuit in Italy. No wonder his eyes were all over the place and it was obvious the last thing he wanted to do was to answer a hack's inane questions. So, eschewing the usual "what was it like to win the championship in 2006" nonsense, I thought I'd get his thoughts on how companies such as Ducati can attract new, young riders to life on two wheels - many of whom find the idea of motorcycling to be quite terrifying.
"We need to educate people," he slowly drawled in his Kentucky accent. "Riding bikes is a great think to do, a great sport. But you need to learn the basics before going wild out there. And while it can be dangerous, there are enormous benefits from riding a bike, no matter where you are in the world. You can cut through traffic, for instance, getting from point A to point B a lot faster than if you were in a car."
As he spoke, I couldn't help but notice some serious scar tissue on his forearms. Hayden has had some pretty big accidents in his racing career, so I asked him if this might be what puts off new riders. "If you think like that then maybe motorcycling isn't for you," he said, almost as a put down. "You could say practically anything in life is dangerous, so my advice would be to get the proper schooling, wear the protective gear and not ride like a moron." Quite.
How about Ducati recently being taken over by Audi? Does he think it'll turn out like a two-wheeled Lamborghini, where the parent company helps move a precious brand into the premier league? "Time will tell, but all I can say is that the vibe with everyone I speak to is good. They see it as a positive. Audi has a lot of resources and, if you're going to have a brother, you want a strong one. So far, they seem to be encouraging Ducati to keep on doing its thing and we're producing some incredible, next-level bikes, like the Panigale."
And with that, he was off to say hello to some invited customers who had turned up while we were talking. It was a whistle-stop visit, here and gone in 48 hours but, for sports people like Hayden, life is all about being in the fast lane, isn't it?
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
Company%20Profile
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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if you go
The flights
Fly direct to Kutaisi with Flydubai from Dh925 return, including taxes. The flight takes 3.5 hours. From there, Svaneti is a four-hour drive. The driving time from Tbilisi is eight hours.
The trip
The cost of the Svaneti trip is US$2,000 (Dh7,345) for 10 days, including food, guiding, accommodation and transfers from and to Tbilisi or Kutaisi. This summer the TCT is also offering a 5-day hike in Armenia for $1,200 (Dh4,407) per person. For further information, visit www.transcaucasiantrail.org/en/hike/
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The%20Specs
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Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 6 (McTominay 2', 3'; Fernandes 20', 70' pen; Lindelof 37'; James 65')
Leeds United 2 (Cooper 41'; Dallas 73')
Man of the match: Scott McTominay (Manchester United)
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5