SHEIKH MOHAMMED treats Mike de Kock team and guests to desert lunch

Photo by K Shea In May last year, we were honoured with the arrival of Sheikh Mohammed  bin Khalifa Al Maktoum’s  caravan of four aircraft, one dedicated to his chefs and Arabic culinary delights, another to man-servants and security, and two to the Sheikh’s personal party. And what a party (or feast) it was. This past weekend, His Highness was at it again, dispensing his own personal brand of hospitality to Mike de Kock’s revellers, who were celebrating the most spectacular run of Dubai Carnival success in history.

On Saturday the Mike De Kock team and the owners of Sun Classique, Warne and Wendy Rippon, Lionel and Caroline Cohen, were invited to a desert lunch and De Kock said: “Sheikh Mohammed and his assistants have shown us extraordinary hospitality, they have made us feel very special. What we treasure is that they do everything they do with humility, which is heartwarming. We have taken a great liking to these wonderful people and the resfreshing way they go about their business.

“The Sheikh has taken us under his wing and has shown us things that we are privileged to see. He communicates warmly and has been most hospitable and accommodating not only to me, but also to my guests, who leave here quite astonished with the respect that is paid to them.”

Mike De Kock spoke about the desert lunch and said: “Once in a while the Sheikh and company have lunch in the desert, about an hour away from his Palace, to clear their minds and become one with nature. They put rugs down for us and then served some of their unique dishes.”