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Sunset on Abu Dhabi

So my time in Abu Dhabi is coming to an end. I fly home to London next Friday and begin 6 weeks of qualification leave…I am incredibly happy that in a few weeks I will be a qualified lawyer and an associate in a Bank Finance department.

But before that, I have lots to do and people to see. I will be spending time in Milan, Geneva, Portugal and of course in London. It has been a fascinating 6 months here in the United Arab Emirates and I have the majority of it! I’ve also learnt an awful lot about myself!

Now, it’s time to get back to loved ones and enjoy the rest of the European summer.

Royal Stables, Abu Dhabi

Royal Stables 01: Abu Dhabi, UAE
A friend in Abu Dhabi has recently bought a horse and I jumped at the chance of heading up to the Royal Stables to take some photos. I’ve never taken many ‘portraits’ of the equine variety although fortunately am very comfortable around horses! Over two early-morning visits, I think I picked up some useful skills and some nice photos in the process.
The learning process…I love it! Click on the image above for the full set.

WOMAD Abu Dhabi 2010 Photos

This week was the second outing for WOMAD Abu Dhabi and I was fortunate enough to get a press pass for the first two evenings. There is SO much going on at these festivals; I concentrated my efforts on two cracking bands, Babylon Circus and Trans-Global Underground.
There was disappointment after Damien Marley pulled out of the last night, but from what I saw, WOMAD Abu Dhabi was another huge success.

Click through for more photos on Flickr or purchasing options on Zenfolio.

Red Bull Air Race

After an epic Friday with the ‘trainee’ gang (meaning an all-you-can-eat brunch, PJ O’Reillys (Royal Meridian), Pearls & Caviar (Shangri La), Chameleon (The Fairmont) and then Etoiles (Emirates Palace), rest and recuperation was required.

Up early to grab our spots on the beach, we ended up having a great view of the Red Bull Air Race off the Corniche from the Hiltonia Beach Club. Whilst we couldn’t hear the commentary, we could tell who was doing well and who wasn’t (including wincing as one pilot was disqualified for ‘dangerous flying’ as he swooped barely a meter above the water).

All in all, good fun although the weather is definitely heating up!

Click the photo for the rest of the gallery.

Maximo Park at Wakestock

Wakestock Abu Dhabi organised a number of international artists to perform in the evenings after the wakeboarding.
I must admit I didn’t know Maximo Park very well before their concert but I was impressed; they were simply superb.
Paul Smith (lead singer, pictured) had such incredible charisma on stage, he was fantastic to photograph. I had trouble choosing a photo to use here (the rest can be found here).

Aside

Wakestock

Abu Dhabi is perfectly arranged for beach-related sports events. The Corniche is a fantastic stretch of beach which this weekend hosted Wakestock, 2010′s (and Abu Dhabi’s) first stop on the ‘Wakeboard World Series’ tour.

Superyachts Galore

ADYS Mosaic

I was lucky enough to get a pass to the 2nd Abu Dhabi Yacht Show at the incredible Yas Marina, which has already hosted the Formula 1 (on the Yas Marina Circuit) at the end of 2009. It was a scorching day and attendance was good; a mixture of awe-struck guests (myself included), brokers, press and yacht owners. It was quite easy to spot who was who!
I had a good wander around with my camera and as you can see, it was an incredible spectacle (despite there not being enough proper sailing yachts!). Not only were the boats ‘super’ and ‘mega’ but the Yas Hotel is easily the most impressive hotel I have been in. I will definitely be going back at night for some dinner and drinks to see the colour-changing cladding.

1st Day in Abu Dhabi

After a relatively painless flight, I arrived in Abu Dhabi late on Thursday evening. I was immediately whisked off to The Yacht Club at the AD Intercontinental for drinks with Zoe, an old friend from Durham. It was a wonderful way to welcome me to AD!
Friday (the first day of the weekend here) saw me having lunch at the Hilton Beach Club (Vascos restaurant) with a few other guys from the office, and I snapped this after getting a taxi back to the hotel in the late afternoon.
The weather is unbelievable, 30 degrees during the day, not much below 20 degrees in the evening.

Tomorrow I move into my apartment and I start work on Sunday.