< PreviousCOVER STORY | TOMASO RODRIGUEZ 40 C EO M I D D L E E A S T JA N UA RY 2 0 2 1 into its own cloud kitchens, after having created significant partnerships with cloud kitchen operators in the region. Cloud kitchens are delivery-only kitch- ens, where all processes are custom-de- signed for quality and speed, equating to more convenience for both vendors and customers. Having had its cloud kitchen plans postponed due to the pandemic, talabat opened its first kitchen in Abu Dhabi in November. With a mixture of local, regional and international brands – cloud kitchens have quickly become a staple of food delivery. “Cloud kitchens offer brands a relatively low-cost entry into the F&B industry, Rodriguez says. “When you compare them with a traditional bricks and mortar restaurant, we take care of all the overheads, and there is also no need for wait-staff or their own delivery fleet, so all that the businesses need to worry about is making great food for their customers. “Our expansion plans for our own cloud kitchens are equally as ambitious as our talabat marts. We see Cloud Kitchens as complementary to tradi- tional bricks and mortar restaurants. Delivery is never going to replace the ambience and experience of dining out, it’s an experience that I think we all really enjoy.” Being a better partner is also high on talabat’s lists of priorities for 2021. The organisation wants to work closely with their restaurant partners to increase their value as a strategic partner, to make sure that talabat is providing the best possible returns for them. “Every business has their fair share of challenges. For us, when we champion being a purpose driven business – this is one of our major work-on areas and an area that we are putting a heavy focus on in 2021. We need to make sure that we are truly providing value-based input and solutions for their business. We understand that without our partners, we would not have a business, and are firmly committed to transforming our relationships,” Rodriguez says. Lastly, talabat is doubling down its ef- forts in two of its newest markets; hyper- growth in Egypt, where the organisation rebranded from Otlob last year, and Iraq where they are launching this year. “Both of these markets have massive growth potential, especially with a com- bined population of almost 140 million with an immense love for food. In the upcoming years talabat will continue to invest significantly in these countries to stimulate growth in a range of delivery- related sectors. “Many restaurants still use phone orders as the primary means of non- physical ordering, and through helping them to transform their offering and bring them online, we not only help them with their digitisation, we will also be able to increase their orders, visibility, capabilities, and ultimately help them to be more profitable and expand their Partnership Rodriguez says talabat need to make sure that it provide value-based input and solutions for its partners Hand in hand Being a better partner is high on talabat’s lists of priorities for this year $17.7M Talabat’s investment in its delivery-only grocery business talabat MartJA N UA RY 2 0 2 1 C EO M I D D L E E A S T 41 ning how we can make our products and services better for our customers, and in return, provide a more secure future for these families in uncertain times. To achieve this, we need to create an app which continues to be part of the daily fabric in our customers’ lives. In 2021, talabat customers can expect even more selection, convenience, as well as better and faster service to cater to every pos- sible need in the food or groceries realm. We’re also working on some top secret surprises! Light at the end of the tunnel “With the first doses of vaccines being shipped, the world sees a light at the end of the tunnel and Expo 2020 couldn’t come at a better time to bring some much needed optimism. Talabat will proudly be there showcasing a futuristic new kitchen concept and the future of delivery and quick commerce. So what do I want to achieve in 2021? Simply put, continuing to lead the best tech com- pany in MENA, and bringing the best people together to make the life of our communities we serve a little better.” businesses. We’re working hand in hand with the Egyptian government to support this digital transformation in the country, and want to forge similar relationships in Iraq.” 2021 - A defining year for Tomaso? “I believe you can redefine who you are and where you are going, at any point in time’ Rodriguez laughs. “However, look- ing back at 2020 it has been a year with many forks in the road, a year where I had to take stock, and evaluate life. 2020 was a challenging year for everyone – in one way or another. Some suffered per- sonal or economic losses, families have been unable to reunite for a long time and we’ve all been feeling a bit more lonely. In this gloomy scenario, I can’t help but think how talabat has played and can continue to play its part. “When you consider our employees, riders and restaurant partners, today, tens of thousands of families rely on talabat to make a living. “What keeps me up at night is plan- “WHAT KEEPS ME UP AT NIGHT IS PLANNING HOW WE CAN MAKE OUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES BETTER FOR OUR CUSTOMERS”42 C EO M I D D L E E A S T JA N UA RY 2 0 2 1 PLEASURE PIAGET’S HOLIDAY COLLECTION STYLE WATCHES TRAVEL ACCESSORIES JAEGER- LECOULTRE REVISITS ITS DIVING HERITAGE WITH A NEW MASTER CONTROL COLLECTION DEEP AND MEANINGFULJA N UA RY 2 0 2 1 C EO M I D D L E E A S T 43 “THE DESIGN OF A SPORTS WATCH IS OFTEN MORE ASSERTIVE AND MORE EASILY RECOGNISABLE” HE MASTER CONTROL COLLECTION is a collection created in 1992, which was inspired by the legendary watches created by Jaeger-LeCoultre in the 1960s. Today, we have decided to keep this vintage spirit, as it is part of the collection’s DNA, but we wanted to bring it into present with deeply improved movements, a revised design, as well as making it more contempo- rary, lighter and more modern,” says Lionel Favre, product design director at Jaeger-LeCoultre. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s timepieces for 2020, as always, exude a disciplined approach to design, classical, technical yet restrained. “We have great ambitions for the Polaris collection, which represents our sports segment and our desire to offer watches with a more contemporary style that combines watchmaking tradi- tion and timeless design, two strong elements of our Maison’s DNA.” The new collection features two new models, the Polaris Mariner Memovox and the Polaris Mariner Date, which are in the spirit of the first Polaris Memo- vox from 1968, which was designed for diving and warned the diver, thanks to the alarm, that he was coming back to the surface. The ‘sporty elegant’ category is particularly popular with buyers at the moment, perhaps because people rediscovered the allure and benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle during “T lockdown. “Sports watches have always attracted interest for their practicality and durability,” says Favre. “Today they are particularly ap- preciated for casual wear/easy to wear in all circumstances. The design of a sports watch is often more assertive and more easily recognisable, which is perhaps one of the reasons for this growing success.” For the diver in you The new Polaris Mariner Memovox integrates a striking mechanism in a watch with a sapphire crystal case-back and a water-resistance of 300 meters Creative mind Lionel Favre, product design director at Jaeger-LeCoultre44 C EO M I D D L E E A S T JA N UA RY 2 0 2 1 Despite all that 2020 wrought, Breguet unleashed some seriously fi ne timepieces, watches that refl ect the refi ned Breguet aesthetic including its engine-turning arts, signature styles and of course the watchmaker’s prodigious technical prowess. Befi tting a marque whose namesake founder is considered to be a pioneer of watchmaking, Breguet watches exude confi dence, excellence in engineering and a visual harmony, the ultimate gift to get 2021 off to a fl ying start. BREGUET BREGUET REINE DE NAPLES 8918 The new Reine de Naples features bright white grand feu enamel for the fi rst time, offset with diamonds, blued hands in steel and a blue leather strap. The Case is oval, in 18-carat white gold with a fi nely fl uted caseband. The bezel and dial are fl ange set with diamonds and the dial is in grand feu enamel dial. BREGUET TRADITION 7038 With its eyecatching orange calfskin leather strap and rare, brown Tahitian mother-of-pearl dial, this 37mm watch for women is a boutique exclusive. It boasts a power reserve of 50 hours; decorated with rosette guilloche on the barrel, there is also a ring of d iamonds set into rose gold, encircling the unusual brown, irridescent dial. WATCHES JA N UA RY 2 0 2 1 C EO M I D D L E E A S T 45 WATCHES BREGUET MARINE HAUTE JOAILLERIE 9509 POSEIDONIA Tahitian mother-of-pearl and diamonds have been artfully united to evoke light dancing on the sea’s surface. Turn over the highly jewelled timepiece, and the sapphire caseback reveals an extra-thin, self- winding 591C calibre, whose bridges are engine-turned by hand with the Marine motif – inspired by the deck of a ship. BREGUET CLASSIQUE TOURBILLON EXTRA-PLAT AUTOMATIQUE 5367 Breguet’s extra-thin tourbillon receives a deep blue update in 2020 thanks to grand feu enamel, a highly skilled and rare artistic craft that is mastered by only a handful of artisans. Beneath this vivid blue surface lies the 581 calibre, Breguet’s thinnest tourbillon at an astonishing 3mm in width. BREGUET TRADITION QUANTIÈME RETROGRADE 7597 Inspired by a calibre invented by Breguet at the end of the 18th century, this self-winding calibre is equipped with a reverse in-line lever escapement with silicon horns, as well as a Breguet balance spring in silicon. It draws on Breguet’s pared-back design, but allows the onlooker to admire the movement including the retrograde date. MARINE TOURBILLON ÉQUATION MARCHANTE 5887 This model in rose gold includes a civil minute hand and a second minute hand showing solar time directly. At the heart of the movement is a cam on a sapphire disc that completes a full rotation per year, duplicating the equation of time cycle. This disc allows one to see the tourbillon located underneath. BREGUET CLASSIQUE 7137 This timepiece features a full expression of engine-turning; a panier maillé basket weave pattern for the power reserve display, a damier checkerboard pattern for the date display and a clous de Paris hobnailing pattern for the main part of the dial. 46 C EO M I D D L E E A S T JA N UA RY 2 0 2 1 Diving straight into the ambitious fusing of proprietary materials, Panerai fuses Carbotech and Goldtech to present a glittering new diving watch. The luxurious choice of materials belies the pure functionality of this tool watch that offers its wearer ultimate accuracy, precision and functionality beneath the ocean fl oor. Three hundred metres, give or take, making it one of the most prestigious deep diving watches on the market today. Panerai’s long heritage with diving and the oceans stems back to its roots as a manufacturer and supplier to the Italian Navy, and along with its unimpeachable aquatic credentials, its affi nity with Italian design in abundantly clear. Its robust 44m dimensions make it a watch with undeniable presence – athletic and confi dent, its innate elegance offers a pleasing foil to the outsize proportions. Underscoring its functionality, the unidirectional rotating bezel, screwed in caseback and luminescent indeces, hands and dots make it immediately functional and legible under water, even in the dark conditions of deep sea diving. A thick black rubber strap with titanium buckle can be swapped for a sportech one; the watch is presented in a box made from recycled materials, which has been seen in several brands in 2020, and is a good step in the industry becoming more respectful of its environment. THE PANERAI SUBMERSIBLE GOLDTECH OROCARBO IS A PROFESSIONAL DIVING WATCH WITH HIGHLY PRECIOUS AND EXPERIMENTAL AESTHETICS SUNKEN TREASURE Robust The Panerai Submersible GoldTech OroCarbo is powered by Calibre P.900, made entirely by Panerai Precious metal The case is made of Satin Panerai Goldtech and the strap is black rubber WATCHES JA N UA RY 2 0 2 1 C EO M I D D L E E A S T 47 WATCHES The Bremont Hawking Limited Edition Collection features a timepiece for men in either black and stainless steel, rose gold and black dial, or blue dial and white gold, with the women’s version featuring a dial encircled by diamonds – the fi rst time this precious gem has featured in a Bremont timepiece. The chronometer, which features a retrograde seconds hand and grand date, features a material with historical signifi cance that connects the watch to its inspiration – something that Bremont is known for. In this case, the watch features meteorite, which symbolises the cosmos that was the focus of a lifetime of study and work for Professor Hawking. Additionally, the watch contains four wooden discs inlaid into the back, which are taken from the desk at which Hawking did much of his work and which was one of his most treasured possessions. BREMONT’S LATEST COLLECTION PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE BRITISH SCIENTIST WHOSE LIFE’S WORK ENRICHED HUMANITY’S UNDERSTANDING OF THE COSMOS AND THE NATURE OF TIME AND SPACE BREMONT AND A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME The watch boasts an impressive 42-hour power reserve housed within its 41mm case and is limited to 388 stainless steel, 88 rose gold and 88 white gold pieces; this number references the year, 1988, that Hawking’s seminal work, A Brief History of Time was published. Tim Hawking comments: “The wood sample in the timepiece originates from an oak, William & Mary slope-front bureau desk drawer thought to date back to the early 18th century. My father’s paternal grandmother received it as a gift upon her retirement as headmistress from a school she had founded for girls in Boroughbridge, Yorkshire. It was given to my father in 1975 upon his return to the UK after his year’s visiting fellowship to Caltech, Pasadena, and would remain with him until his death in 2018. My father’s work was primarily theoretical. Nevertheless, he was a person who placed great value on precision craftsmanship and the interplay of design and technology. The Hawking family are delighted that its legacy may live on further now in the Hawking Bremont timepieces.” Complementing the men’s timepiece, Bremont is also releasing a women’s version with a dial made entirely from stunning, silvery meteorite. The rotor is inspired by the swirling of a black hole, a nod to the black hole theory in Hawking’s work and it also includes some of the oak veneer from the desk at which he did so much of his work. Inspired by a genius A 42-hour power reserve underscores that this mechanical watch is not just beauty, but brawn tooUTOPIA BY THE SEA THE JUMEIRAH AT SAADIYAT ISLAND RESORT IN ABU DHABI PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE STILL, TO BE CALM, SWITCH OFF THE PHONE AND IGNORE YOUR EMAILS BY SCOTT ARMSTRONG HE MAXIM ‘A CHANGE IS AS good as a rest’ has been bandied about since the mid-1800s so it must contain a foundation of truth, but I’d suggest there is one thing that trumps this statement, when it is possible to combine a change with rest. Or at least, that is how it seems sat on the pristine white powder beach of Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island, the crystal clear waters of the Arabian Gulf lapping at the shoreline as the UAE’s winter weather provides the perfect conditions for a staycation. As we reflect on the past 12 months and all of its ills, it is worth remember- ing there have been gifts too, one being a heightened appreciation of moments and experiences, and especially the freedom to change the scenery from our own four walls to something refreshingly different. So, with the mission of celebrating that and blending change with rest, I headed down the Sheikh Zayed highway to the five-star luxury of the Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort. The 90-min- ute drive from the emirate of Dubai to Abu Dhabi provided that first sense of difference, particularly with the journey punctuated by the border crossing. This is a relatively simple affair with a DPI test taking no more than 10 minutes en route, and the checkpoint taking another 10 to 15 minutes if you time it right (avoid 4pm basically). And the journey is worth it, for Saadiyat is a beautiful island, where protected dunes and a natural beach create a sense of being totally away from the world, a place where Hawksbill turtles make their home and pods of dolphins can be spotted by the fortunate. The tranquility this creates is akin to a wifi dampening field, in that you want to put the phone down, quiet the voices in your head telling you to check emails, and just breathe in deeply. That natural beauty creates an opportunity and a challenge; how to complement the surroundings without intruding on that sense of peace, but Jumeirah have tackled this well with their Saadiyat Island resort. Their elegant solution is understated affair. Low rise, only six floors high, an exterior of crisp whites to echo the pan- tone of the sands combined with acres of tinted glass, this is a resort that settles into its surroundings rather than standing out. It deliberately lets the sea and the sky be the main event here. The interior however, does make a statement, cleverly using those acres of glass to create an incredible sense of light, which bounces of the gleaming marble floors of the lobby and up on to the 1,000 blown-glass jellyfish sculptures adorning the high ceiling. Wherever you go in the Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island you cannot escape the ocean, the huge panes that form the exterior ensure its presence is never obscured. The view remains inescapable from the rooms too, with long balconies pro- viding the ideal viewing platform of the dunes and blue waters beyond. Accom- modations here are again subtle yet luxu- rious, whites blend with driftwood creams T HOTEL | SAADIYAT ISLAND 48 C EO M I D D L E E A S T JA N UA RY 2 0 2 1“WHEREVER YOU GO IN THE JUMEIRAH AT SAADIYAT ISLAND YOU CANNOT ESCAPE THE OCEAN” and beige to create a spa-like haven. These are rooms in which to fall asleep with the curtains open, the balcony door ajar and let the waves and the gulls on the wing wake you the next morning. This is a retreat more than resort, it’s a step away from noise and worry and stressful decisions. That’s true of dining at the Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island too. White Restaurant in the central atrium provides the perfect spot for breakfast by the beach. In many hotels, this first meal of the day can be an underwhelming tasteless affair, nothing more than a box ticked, but here in White the fare on offer is bursting with flavour. Eating by the ocean continues at Tean, the resort’s Middle Eastern restaurant. While, I would never claim to be an expert, the hummus with lamb on the starters is possibly one of the best in my decade or more in the Gulf. Service too here excels, epitomised by the likes of Naeem from Pakistan, our server who anticipated our needs and in whom Jumeirah would struggle to find a better ambassador. Meanwhile, Mare Mare, Jumeirah’s traditional open-air Italian venue can be summed up in one word –Tiramisu. Up to this point I’d say I was ambivalent on this coffee-flavoured favourite from the 80s, but at Mare Mare the first spoon- ful is a doorway to an alternate reality where world just melts away into bliss, it’s almost Zen (hat tip to Dean Walsh for the recommendation). However, Mare Mare offers more than dessert, with the Black Squid Ink Tonnarelli with mixed seafood sauce impressing, the pasta cooked to perfect al dente. If you have little ones then do yourself a favour, order them the Mickey Mouse pizza, because even this simple margherita (with additional dough ears) is Italian at its best. The cherry on top of the cake at this resort is its spa, a sprawling 2,700 sq m treatment centre that includes a hydro pool, cold plunge pool, sauna, steam, rhassoul, salt room and ice fountain. Here my male therapist apparently spent 60 minutes working his magic on muscles knotted by life’s daily burdens, but men- tally where I was time had no meaning. Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island is a place to be still, to be calm. Even if this is sat by the family pool watching the joy on your daughter’s face as she plays with newfound friends (and you sip something cold with their parents), or simply float- ing in the sea gazing at the spires of Abu Dhabi’s cityscape off in the distance. Taken as a whole Jumeirah at Saadi- yat Island achieves that almost utopian equation of change plus rest. Al fresco Mare Mare is a traditional Italian dining venue JA N UA RY 2 0 2 1 C EO M I D D L E E A S T 49Next >