Okay, so you might not be a Sheikh, celebrity or VIP, but that doesn’t mean you can’t live in the lap of luxury.
What’s it like to live a millionaire’s lifestyle, we wonder? The elite, international private members’ club, Quintessentially Lifestyle, knows exactly what it’s like – as it’s them you turn to when you want a ticket to that sold-out concert, private jet to Timbuktu or the best table at the world’s number one restaurant, El Celler de Can Roca.
Membership manager Mohamad Hachem, says, ‘Our members request tickets to events such as the Cannes Film Festival at the last minute; they want us to source hotels abroad in high season, a recommended personal shopper in Milan or a rare luxury watch for an anniversary. Our female members join to get a Chanel, Birkin or Hermès handbag without joining a waiting list, while men request the latest mobile or tablet – one client wanted the iPhone 5 48 hours after it was released in the US. We accept any challenge.’
The price of such a service? Membership starts at Dhs10,000 and runs up to Dhs165,000 for the global elite package, which gets you an account manager, 24-hour personal assistant, an airport meet and greet service, entrance to private events and pretty much any other service you can dream up.
‘Our Abu Dhabi clients are 60 per cent men, 40 per cent women,’ adds Mohamad. ‘They’re typically 30-45 years old, and about half are Emirati – including some members of the royal family. The rest are mostly wealthy Iranians, Germans and Americans.’
If you haven’t got a spare Dhs165,000 or so sitting in the bank, that’s no reason not to expect the royal treatment. With a few tweaks to your diary you can transform this weekend from one of rags to one of riches…
Friday
A real rich person might wake up late on a Friday morning well rested after a night in a limited-edition, handmade Baldacchino supreme bed designed by Stuart Hughes. At Dhs24,200,003 (£4m), the four-poster is the world’s most expensive bed, as it’s made from ash, cherry and chestnut wood, Italian silk and gold leaf, with a diamond-studded headboard. The interior, made out of 24k pure gold, weighs 107kg.
A diamond-studded headboard? Pah! Stuart Hughes’s got nothing on the gold king-size bed available from The One in Khalidiya. Invest in the 180 by 200cm Jagger for Dhs4,495 and you can live like a king for a fraction of the price – saving Dhs24,195,508.
Shopping works up an appetite and what better meal to enjoy than fish eggs. The most expensive caviar comes from sturgeon, which is native to the Caspian Sea north of Iran. The lighter it is, the older the fish is – which makes the delicacy even more expensive. If only the best will do, ship in 50g in a 24-carat gold tin from Caviar House & Prunier in Harrods, London, for Dhs3,025. That’s about 3.5tbsp, so bank on buying triple that to fill you up.
A more affordable option is brunch at Pearls and Caviar in the Shangri-La Hotel, which comes with caviar from Tarskaya in Russia. The brunch is Dhs250 with soft drinks – saving you Dhs8,825.
Once lunch has settled, a playboy would hop in a flashy sports car, say a gold Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4. Designed by Robert Gülpen, the boy racer is made from a 500kg solid block of gold and boasts a
powerful V12 engine and 700bhp braking system, a seven-speed transmission gear system, and reaches 100km/h in less than three seconds. The vehicle is built on a lightweight carbon-fibre base which is then covered with solid gold. The headlights, meanwhile, are encrusted with diamonds and 700 precious stones are woven into the fabric of each seat. It has bulletproof glass too because, well, why not? The world’s most expensive car will set you back Dhs27,000,000, of which Dhs2,4000,000 will go to charity.
But if you think you can’t afford life in the fast lane, then think again. Splash out on an experience at the Formula One grand prix track, Yas Marina Circuit, in a Yas Radical SST sports car that was built especially for the track. With a 210bhp braking system and the ability to reach 100km/h in less than 3.8 seconds, when you’re racing around the track you’ll soon forget you don’t own it. It might cost Dhs1,200 for a 25-minute drive (Dhs440 as a passenger) but consider it a bargain compared to the Aventador – as you’ll have saved Dhs26,998,800.
The traditional Bedouin wedding dish of an entire camel stuffed with an entire lamb, that’s been stuffed with a few chickens, that are lined with fish or eggs might be a feast fit for a Sheikh, but when the camel alone will set you back Dhs3,000-12,000 it might seem a touch on the extravagant side. Besides, that’s a lot of food, isn’t it?
Still, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t feast like a king, so mosey on down to Rosewood Abu Dhabi’s pan-Indian restaurant, Spice Mela, on January 22-24. The restaurant will be hosting Kings and Queens nights, with a unique tasting menu inspired by meals prepared at the royal courts of Awadh, Kashmir, Hyderabad and Bhopal. The menu will include nehari shorba, slowly braised lamb with nutmeg, royal cumin and yoghurt, kakori, a lamb kebab made with gram flour, saffron and caramelised onion, and shahi tukra, an Indian dessert made from eggless bread pudding and smoked bread. It’ll only cost Dhs295 (Dhs460 with grape pairings), saving you a potential Dhs11,705.
After dinner, most fat cats would be gasping for a glass of bubbly, but for the flush, a magnum just won’t cut it. A Melchizedek, the largest bottle available, holds 30l of the stuff – the equivalent of 40 standard 750ml bottles. Armand de Brignac came up with the cunning plan of producing a gold Melchizedek with a label made from pewter which is polished and applied by hand. Tempted? Then whack about Dhs25,425 on your credit card, unless you’d like to pay in cash, of course.
Wannabe socialites without the budget to match could take advantage of the free bubbly on offer during ladies night at Cristal in Millennium Hotel on Mondays 7-9pm, The Yacht Club at InterContinental on Wednesdays 7pm-1am or Ornina 9pm til midnight, also on Wednesdays. So your total saving…the full Dhs25,425.
Saturday
In Greek mythology, everything King Midas touched turned to gold. But anyone made of money can have the golden touch. If you’re Mr Moneybags, start your day with a cup of aforementioned Kopi Luwak coffee, which, at Dhs162 for 45g (1.6oz) Fair Trade Kafé Balos Civet Coffee, might well seem like you’re drinking liquid gold. That’ll make enough for your morning coffee – just.
But if you don’t fancy drinking coffee made from animal droppings – or you’re not stinking rich – then treat yourself to a super cappuccino in Le Café in Emirates Palace, which comes flecked with shavings of real gold leaf. At Dhs50, you’ll breakfast like a king and in the process still save yourself Dhs112.
Sticking with the precious metals theme, ladies of leisure might enjoy a morning by having a two-hour gold facial at Sisters Beauty Lounge, during which sheets of pure gold are applied to the face until it glows – for the princely sum of Dhs2,000.
But if that’s out of your budget unless you strike gold, why not go for a diamond magnetic body polish at Atarmia Spa instead? They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend and after diamond dust is massaged into your skin to polish away pollution and leave you feeling silky smooth, you may well agree. The hour-long treatment costs Dhs480 – saving you Dhs1,520.
Even if you’re loaded you might still crave a dirty burger for lunch, but a Dhs20 Big Mac from McDonalds just won’t cut it. So you could recreat the mythical (and frankly absurd) burger devised by the New York City food truck, 666 Burger. Wanting to create the most obscene burger around, 666 Burger came up with the idea as a marketing ploy to pull in clients. A Kobe beef patty would be stuffed with foie gras, topped with lobster, truffle and caviar and slathered in Champagne steam-melted Gruyère. Next, it would be doused with barbecue sauce flavoured with Kopi Luwak coffee beans – a rare delicacy collected from the droppings of a wild cat-like animal in Indonesia called the luwak – before being served in a gold leaf wrapper by a man in a mink coat, just because he can. The price of this treat – just the Dhs2,446 ($666).
Thst ideas out of your price range? Then opt for Jones the Grocer’s signature Wagyu burger, which is a mere snip at Dhs78 – saving you Dhs2,368. The gourmet café serves the slab with salad and melted cheese on a chopping board. 
No meal is complete without a dessert so for those of you with a sweet tooth why not order a Golden Phoenix cupcake from the boutique cafe and bakery, Bloomsbury’s. The sweet treat comes with 23-carat edible gold sheets and is presented on a 24-carat gold stand. It can be all yours for Dhs3,700 as long as you order it 48 hours in advance.
If that’s out of your price range, treat yourself to a red velvet cupcake at Magnolia Bakery. And at Dhs15, you’ll be saving Dhs3,685.
Anyone who’s anyone has a stylist, but to fly renowned celebrity Hollywood stylist Rachel Zoe – who’s worth an estimated Dhs9,182,250 ($2.5m) – to Abu Dhabi and back business class and use her services for a single red carpet event it would set you back Dhs208,658, based on an hourly Dhs7,350 rate. But if you’re true glitterati, that should just be pocket change.
In case you’re not rolling in it, ladies can opt to get a tailor-made suit or dress instead at Joury Tailors. A blazer costs Dhs350 while trousers and skirts are Dhs90 each, and a basic dress design would be in the region of Dhs180-200, excluding fabric. Men can have a suit made at Ansar Tailors for around Dhs1,500 including fabric, which takes seven to 10 days to complete – saving you around Dhs20,7158.
After that, big spenders might go for dinner at The Forge, the fine dining steakhouse at The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi. The most expensive item on the menu, the 450g Canadian beef tenderloin, is Dhs500, and could be paired with a simple Dhs130 seared duck foie gras salad. A typical meal for two with soft drinks costs around Dhs1,300.
If that makes your eyes water, opt for dinner at Saudi Cuisine VIP instead. That way, you can still dine like a VIP, but it’ll be your mouth that’s watering. Once a shabby shack on Defence Road, after word got out about its traditional rice and meat dishes the restaurant became popular with royalty before moving to its current location in Khalidiya. Now a cosy spot decorated with sheepskins and majlis floor cushions, a meal for two costs Dhs50-200 That saves you about Dhs1,250. Kerching!
After feasting, nobility would typically retire to their palace. A number of former royal residences around the world have been turned into exclusive hotels. A real jet setter might fly to Ciragan Palace Kempinski in Istanbul, Turkey, for a night. Once the home of Sultan Abdulaziz, it’s now a five-star hotel on the Bosphorus Strait with its own jetty and heliport. No wonder it won best hotel in Europe at the 2013 World Travel Awards. A night in the sultan suite, which comes with a 180-degree view of the river, 24-hour butler, handmade marble hammam and gold-plated and crystal bath taps, costs Dhs150,608.
Alternatively, you could splash out on a night in a coral room with a garden view in Emirates Palace, which costs Dhs2,250, saving you Dhs148,358.
Sunday
The well-off can take a day off at no notice, surely? Where better to visit, then, than Kanz Jewels in Dubai, which is home to a 64kg gold ring studded with 5.1kg of Swarovski gems, making it the largest ring in the world. It’s not for sale, but it’s estimated to be worth around Dhs11,000,000 – and you can buy a replica.
Looking for something a touch more modest? Then hot foot it to Damas in Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre, where you can pick up an 18-carat white gold ruby ring for Dhs1,500 – saving you Dhs10,998,500.
After finishing lunch, a wealthy tycoon would typically sail their private yacht, and how does Azzam sound? At 180 metres, it’s not only the world’s longest private sailboat, but it’s the most expensive, too – as it cost a whopping Dhs2,222,104,477 ($605m). Packed with technology, it comes with a bulletproof master suite, missile defence system, two helipads, a cinema, two pools and its own submarine.
The affluent would sail their vessel to a private island, such as Musha Cay in the southern Bahamas, near Cuba. The 700-acre island belongs to illusionist David Copperfield but can be yours for just Dhs137,734 per day, although there’s a minimum four-night stay. Still, all meals are included, so at least you’ll save on eating out.
But if that’s out of your range, you can still get the royal treatment by chartering a boat to take you on a private tour of local uninhabited islands. The four-hour tour with Captain Tony’s runs 9am-1pm or 2-6pm and costs Dhs2,800 for eight to 12 people – saving you Dhs54,8136. Umbrellas, deckchairs, buckets and spades, soft drinks and sandwiches are included. Now if that’s not living the high life than we don’t know what is!
Total saved
Total cost of living the high life: Dhs2,505,803,739 (just over Dhs2.5 billion)
Total cost of living the high life lifestyle on a budget: Dhs14,963
Total saving: Dhs2,505,788,776
Your Little Black Book
Fit for a king? Suitable for an emperor? Ideal for a princess? Then we’ll have these businesses on speed dial, thank you very much
Quintessentially Lifestyle
www.quintessentially.com (02 622 4545).
Baldacchino supreme bed
www.stuarthughes.com (00 44 845 054 3553).
Gold king size bed
The One, on Khalidiya Street, Abu Dhabi Mall and in House of Fraser, www.theone.com (02 681 6500).
Sturgeon caviar
Caviar House & Prunier, Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge. SW1X 7XL London, UK, www.caviarhouse-prunier.com (00 44 207 730 1234 ex2648).
Tarskaya caviar
Pearls and Caviar, Shangri-La Hotel Qaryat Al Beri, Khor Al Maqta, www.shangri-la.com (02 509 8888).
Gold Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4
www.lamborghini.com (00 39 051 959 7282).
Yas Radical SST
Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Island, www.yasmarinacircuit.com (02 659 9800).
Kings and Queens night
Spice Mela Rosewood Abu Dhabi Melchizedek, Armand de Brignac. Email through site www.armanddebrignac.com
Champers
Cristal, Millennium Hotel, Khalifa Street, www.millenniumhotels.ae (02 614 6000).
The Yacht Club
InterContinental, Bainouna Street, www.dining-intercontinental-ad.ae (02 666 6888).
Ornina
Al Raha Beach, Al Bandar Marina, www.ornina.ae (02 556 6090).
Kopi Luwak coffee
Kopi Luwak Direct, email support@kopiluwakdirect.com, www.kopiluwakdirect.com
Gold leaf cappuccino
Emirates Palace, West Corniche Road, www.kempinski.com (02 690 7999).
Gold facial
Sisters Beauty Lounge, Villa one, Khalifa Bin Shakhbout Street, Al Bateen, www.sistersbeautylounge.com (02 222 2502).
Diamond body polish
Atarmia Spa, Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas, Saadiyat Island, www.abudhabi.park.hyatt.com (02 407 1170)
Wagyu burger
Jones the Grocer, various locations, Khalidiyah branch, Pearl Plaza Tower, next to ORYX hotel, www.jonesthegrocer.com (02 639 5883).
Golden phoenix cupcake
Bloomsbury’s, www.ilovebloomsburys.com, Al-Wahda Mall, 02 643 8610; Mushrif Mall (02 491 4537).
Red velvet cupcake
Magnolia Bakery, The Galleria at Sowwah Square, Al Maryah Island, www.magnoliabakery.com (02 674 9380).
Stylist
Email bookings@rachelzoe.com, www.rachelzoe.com.
Tailor-made dress
Joury Tailors, behind Al Muhairy Centre, opposite Souk, Khalidiyah (02 631 7323).
Tailor-made suit
Ansar Tailors, ground floor, behind HSBC off Airport Road. Email abdul29@eim.ae (02 633 7958).
The Forge
The Ritz-Carlton, Khor Al Maqta’a. www.ritzcarlton.com (02 818 8282).
Saudi Cuisine VIP
Behind Corniche Towers, Khalidiya. (02 665 5355).
Ciragan Palace Kempinski
Ciragan Caddesi 32, 34349, Istanbul, www.kempinski.com (00 90 212 326 4646).
Gold ring
Kanz Jewels, Kanz Tower, Gold Market, Dubai, www.kanzjewels.com (04 235 2806).
Gold ruby ring
Damas, Ground floor of Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre, Muroor Road (02 621 6544).
Musha Cay
Email mushcay@kurtzahlers.com, www.mushacay.com.
Captain Tony’s
Yas Marina, Yas Island, www.captaintonys.ae (02 650 7175).
