Affairs
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Great Sheikhs
Abu Dhabi is built on oil but the city is morphing into a technology and culture superpower. Who are the visionaries on the ground turning dreams into bricks and mortar?
Friends in the north
At the tip of North Africa, a short hop from Sicily, the city of Tunis is enjoying its time in the sun, benefiting from an influx of foreign business and investment.
Observation
As Lebanon prepares for elections, the wider picture looks rosy. The country is reeling back its skilled workforce from Dubai and tourism could rise if it capitalises on its unique character.
Muscle display
The fitness industry appears to be outrunning the economic downturn. At the Fibo trade show in Essen in April, optimism was high – and so was the number of million-euro equipment deals.
Saddle up
This summer, cycle around the Cyclades in primary colours, checked socks and comfortable pedal shoes and buy a copy of ‘Rouleur’ for something to read on the verge.
Floating a new idea
Once consigned to history, the airship is being reinvented for the eco generation. British firm Hybrid Air Vehicles is creating a cargo airship that is spacious, fast and green.
Bruno Contgiani
A terrible accident led Bruno Contigiani to found the Art of Slow Living movement. He practises what he preaches with a leisurely ‘last’ lunch at Elio Locanda Italiana in Tokyo.
Track record
Switzerland’s reputation for being the most efficient country in the world is not undeserved: SBB, the state-controlled railways, has a 96 per cent punctuality rate and slick service.
Villa de Leyva
This small colonial town offers great opportunities for overseas buyers thanks to the ease and low cost of purchasing property. It is an enclave of painters, writers and drop-outs, who have flocked here.
Observation
In London, a lack of innovative architecture stems not just from developers but from building regulators crushing creativity. On the eve of our Quality of Life Survey, Tyler Brûlé offers some solutions.
