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Doing it in Dubai - cars
Crazy Qataris
Those urban cowboys who never shift their four wheel drive vehicle out of two wheel mode have always been easy targets for criticism. But it does not apply to a team of Qatari stunt drivers who give a whole new meaning to the term "two wheel drive". As guests of Al Habtoor Group, the team of six young daredevils entertained large crowds at the Metropolitan Hotel with their unique brand of two-wheel driving. The drivers performed tricks including stopping and continuing after picking up a small object off the road and zig-zagging between traffic cones. Team leader Abdul Aziz Ali Al Ansari, who was responsible for talent spotting the youngsters while they were practising their manoeuvres secretly along off-road tracks said: "Despite appearances the sport is very safe because we keep the speed down to about 20 kilometres per hour." Unlike their US and European counterparts, the team do not use ramps to entice their vehicles onto two wheels. But just how it is done remains a closely guarded secret. The Dubai visit was the first time the group had performed their stunts outside Qatar. Trips to Egypt, Jordan and possibly Europe are in the planning stage. And now that the enthusiastic Dubai crowds have been given a glimpse of their skills, a stadium tour of the UAE is expected soon. Ansari also suggested that a shot at a world distance record for two-wheel driving was on the cards. The team want to break the long-standing benchmark of 310 kilometres set by a Swede in 1989. The Qatari drivers are also planning a shot at the speed record, which currently stands at 179 km/h.
Star Gazing
Fancy a Lebanese?
Al Basha Lebanese restaurant, at the Metropolitan Resort and Beach Club, Dubai
A tasty swedish model
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Dubai's autograph hunters, movie fans and star stalkers were treated to a chance to see their entertainment idols in person last month. Word spread quickly throughout Dubai that Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, Cindy Crawford, Wesley Snipes, Amitabh Bachchan, Patrick Swayze and Tia Carrere were all staying at the Metropolitan Palace Hotel. In town for the opening of a new theme restaurant, the 'beautiful people' attracted a gang of die-hard fans who camped outside the Metropolitan Palace. Although it proved harder for fans to get into the Metropolitan Palace than trying to negotiate entry to Carter's in the 'wrong' clothes, 
loyal fans managed to catch sight of their idols several times outside the hotel. The less eccentric of the bunch even stopped to chat. Patrick Swayze was by far the people's choice, posing for pictures and joking with his fans. The Metropolitan Palace Hotel, which also welcomed Jean Claude Van Damme in January, is fast establishing a reputation as Dubai's 'home to the stars'. The luxuriously appointed hotel, with its tight security and prime location, (Dubai International Airport is only five minutes away) means it is a base for many of the VIPs that visit Dubai. Rumour has it that Arnold Schwarzenegger will be visiting soon, so fans might want to head down to the Metropolitan Palace now to make sure they get a good spot. You never know who you might bump into!
The choice of cuisine available in Dubai means that you could satisfy your hunger with food from a different part of the globe every night for months. You could be in India for breakfast, Germany for lunch and Polynesia for dinner, all in one day. But as different kinds of food become trendy, and fads come and go, Lebanese food has been a mainstay of the Dubai restaurant scene for years. Lebanese food is often loosely classed as 'Arabic' food, yet this term is misleading. Most Arabic food eaten in Dubai, and through most 
of the Gulf, is based on Lebanese-style cuisine. It is the most popular of Arabic foodstyles. We had lunch at Al Basha Lebanese restaurant at the Metropolitan Resort and Beach Club in Jumeirah and left satisfied. Situated on a terrace overlooking the Arabian gulf, Al Basha is enclosed by large windows during the summer to keep in the a/c and open-air during the winter. We had a choice of hot and cold starters and grilled, fresh seafood, all of which were extremely tasty. The bread at Al Basha is cooked fresh on a traditional Lebanese oven (which looks like a big, upside-down wok mounted on bricks) while two Lebanese musicians get down on the tableh and oud. The atmosphere is relaxed and you don't have to go there for a meal. You can stand at the bar and enjoy the live music, or just order coffee and shisha. All in all, a pleasant place in which to while away a few hours. Al Basha is open 12-12 seven days at the Metropolitan Resort and Beach Club, telephone +971-4-845000.
Daab drivers are a loyal breed. Once you had made the leap, ditching your German BMW 5-series for these tasty Swedish models, you were probably hooked for life. Quirky looks, a reputation for safety and a legendary rally history all added to the Saab reputation. However, with intense competition in its class, competing against not only BMW but popular models from Mercedes, Audi and fellow Swedish marque Volvo, Saab can no longer rely on customer loyalty and a cult following to sell its cars. The new Saab 9-5, with its spacious interior, array of gadgets and safety features including the brilliant yet simple Active Head Restraint system, designed to prevent whiplash, show that Saab is trying hard to beat off the competition. Buyers can choose from a 2.0 litre engine producing 150bhp or the bigger 2.3, giving 170bhp. Both are turbo-driven, and judging by its performance on a short test drive, if the 9-5 was any faster it would probably take-off. We particularly enjoyed pushing the 'S' button on the gearstick, followed by pressing the accelerator pedal to the floor as fast as possible. The 'S' definitely doesn't stand for slow! With icy-cold air-conditioning and an incredibly loud CD player as standard, plus a nifty retractable drink holder that appears from nowhere out of the dash, there are plenty of gadgets to play with. Our only dificulty was trying to find where to put the key to start it up when we first got in. Strangely, the ignition is positioned below the gearstick next to the bottom of the seat. Obviously Saab still wants to retain a little bit of its popular quirkiness.
To test drive the new Saab 9-5, call Al Habtoor Motors on +971-4-235630.