Male grooming has long gone past the taboo stage, not least in this part of the world. But while there is an increasing number of unisex five-star spas for gents in Dubai, they are harder to come by in Abu Dhabi.
Urban Male Lounge, at Abu Dhabi’s World Trade Centre Mall, is a newborn twin of the UML at The Galleria, and a masculine sibling to its sister NStyle International chain of nail bars. While many posh spas let self-importance get in the way of relaxation, the package part of UML’s menu is rife with a playful side. And right at the top of the tree, above options such as The Player and The CEO, is the Chairman of the Board leviathan: 240 minutes – a whole four hours of head-to-toe attention.
The marathon begins with a hot lather shave that left me looking about 10 years younger. Then it was out of the salon and into one of a mini-warren of treatment rooms for the dual-therapist attack of The Deal Maker manicure and the Hole-in-One pedicure. The television, remote control and headphones took second place to a gentle snooze and staring idly into space.
The next element was the Hoof It Off Callus Eliminator. I’d assumed that it would be a fairly superfluous, or painful, treatment. Neither preconception proved entirely accurate: though I’m quite conceivably an inch shorter now, the combination of skin-softening foot wraps and vigorous filing ensured soles to be proud of.
Next up was the main event: the Thai Blend Hot Stone Massage. Mixing techniques, as that title suggests, the male therapist went tough on the Thai influence via a series of semi-agonising contortions that revealed their full muscle-loosening effect days later. I was left to relax for a moment before the Revitalizer Facial, a multi-layered face fixer of masks and peels based around products from the top British skincare brand Heaven.
I wasn’t actually offered the final part of the Chairman package, although I will put the lack of a shoe shine down to a sensible glance at the lack of suitable footwear – the polish would probably have ruined a pair of Adidas.
After four hours of pampering, the Chairman of the Board will leave you feeling like a boss.
• A 240-minute Chairman of the Board package at Urban Male Lounge, World Trade Centre Mall, Abu Dhabi, costs Dh1,000, plus taxes. Call Urban Male Lounge at 800 865 for bookings
aworkman@thenational.ae
Saturday's results
West Ham 2-3 Tottenham
Arsenal 2-2 Southampton
Bournemouth 1-2 Wolves
Brighton 0-2 Leicester City
Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool
Everton 0-2 Norwich City
Watford 0-3 Burnley
Manchester City v Chelsea, 9.30pm
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
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Fixtures
Friday Leganes v Alaves, 10.15pm; Valencia v Las Palmas, 12.15am
Saturday Celta Vigo v Real Sociedad, 8.15pm; Girona v Atletico Madrid, 10.15pm; Sevilla v Espanyol, 12.15am
Sunday Athletic Bilbao v Getafe, 8.15am; Barcelona v Real Betis, 10.15pm; Deportivo v Real Madrid, 12.15am
Monday Levante v Villarreal, 10.15pm; Malaga v Eibar, midnight
GYAN’S ASIAN OUTPUT
2011-2015: Al Ain – 123 apps, 128 goals
2015-2017: Shanghai SIPG – 20 apps, 7 goals
2016-2017: Al Ahli (loan) – 25 apps, 11 goals
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
A%20QUIET%20PLACE
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
THE BIO:
Sabri Razouk, 74
Athlete and fitness trainer
Married, father of six
Favourite exercise: Bench press
Must-eat weekly meal: Steak with beans, carrots, broccoli, crust and corn
Power drink: A glass of yoghurt
Role model: Any good man
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Company%20profile
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TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi