Abu Dhabi should follow the lead of Ireland and other parts of Europe and the US, and charge per plastic bag at stores (Abu Dhabi dives deep for another world record, April 24). It would encourage people to bring in reusable bags and cut down on the plastic bags I see floating in the ocean, strewn across parks and stuck in trees. Also, putting a deposit on bottles, cans and plastic would create a market for them.
Many people would continue to toss those items aside but others would pick them up for the cash value. It would also serve as a source of income for charitable groups and schools for fundraising.
These are simple green solutions that are being successfully employed in other areas around the world.
Patricia Perry Geiger, Abu Dhabi
Crime can take place anywhere in the world
It is sad that violence against Emiratis in London has tainted perceptions of the UK as a safe destination (They pointed a gun to my head', Emirati victim of second London attack says, April 24). Judging from some readers' response, it also appears that some expatriates feel their choice of the UAE as their place of temporary domicile renders them safe from the clutches of violence.
While some may accept the old adage that there are “lies, damned lies, and statistics”, it is only earlier this week that The National published data indicating that the murder rate in the UAE is 2.6 per 100,000 as against the UK figure of 1 per 100,000. This would indicate that perception and reality are two very different beasts.
While I genuinely love living in the UAE, in my first year here a female driver toppled my car and nearly killed me (yes, another stereotype, that only male drivers are dangerous). Two years ago my house was burgled and my daughters seldom walk outside our house without being hassled by men.
The media massages people’s fears, but let us not hold any one place up as safer than another without accepting the fact that everywhere can be safe and anywhere can be violent.
David Jay, Ras Al Khaimah
Crime can happen anywhere in the world. And anyone can fall victim to a crime at any time. It is not specifically confined to London.
Statistically, victims of crime are not the wealthy, so there is no particular reason to “target” people of one nationality or another. It is more to do with opportunism – whatever is unguarded, unlocked or available means easy access. Those who follow the advice of the UK police are simply being wise. Being wise provides an individual with an extra layer of security. Anywhere in the world.
So stop the panic. Is everyone this summer going to stay away from Brazil because it has a lot of crime? Or India because females have been attacked? Emiratis have been going to London for a very long time returning unscathed.
As for requests to have more police on the streets. The British police patrol on their feet all over towns and cities. The country is alive with CCTV and they are out dealing with road behaviour in a manner I am yet to see in the UAE. What the police need is people following their advice.
Judith Finnemore, UK
My youngest son lives in London and he was badly beaten a couple of years ago by a gang that wanted to steal his bike. He was lucky that he could manage to keep his bike and came off with a black eye and some serious bruises. He still lives in London as he loves it. There doesn’t seem to be any real punishment in my mind to make these people stop. The gang members that attacked my son were not from the UK. This is one of the reasons I moved to the UAE, which I find truly safe. I hope the couple are fine. As for the attack on my son, I think he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Please don’t judge all people in the UK as thugs.
Carol Barber, Dubai
It’s an awful news. I hope the victims are OK, but these attacks are not exclusively aimed at Emiratis. Unfortunately there are countless attacks on innocent people from all over the world in London and all over the UK.
Ashamedly, the UK isn’t as safe a place as it once was. The punishment in the UK isn’t a deterrent in the way that it should be, which is a major problem.
Paul Ellis, Dubai
Life in UAE is what one makes of it
I am comenting on the article Alcoholics Anonymous in UAE: 'attendees are getting younger' (April 21). Life in the UAE is what you make of it. Just don't compare it to the "West".There is enough of a drug and alcohol problem there as well.
When we compare things, we set ourselves up for failure. It isn’t a perfect world, but far from it. I like the sun in the UAE and the fact that I’ve made some lovely friends. I do enjoy a spot of retail therapy and going out. Most things become a bit of a drudgery after a while. The 42°C temperature might drive me crazy, but winters are lovely.
Jayadevi Machaya Palekanda, UK
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Top%2010%20most%20competitive%20economies
%3Cp%3E1.%20Singapore%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Switzerland%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Denmark%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Ireland%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Hong%20Kong%0D%3Cbr%3E6.%20Sweden%0D%3Cbr%3E7.%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E8.%20Taiwan%0D%3Cbr%3E9.%20Netherlands%0D%3Cbr%3E10.%20Norway%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
