Over the past few months, we have witnessed increased debate among FNC members in the UAE over the state of the Arabic language. Some of these debates have pushed for enforcing Arabic as the teaching language in all government schools and universities. Others focused on boosting the stature of Arabic language overall in our communities. Whether some of us are for or against these positions, the fact remains that our Arabic language is facing a battle for survival.
When I was at school in the UAE, the subjects taught in Arabic were almost equal in number to those taught in English. Religion, social studies, geography and history were delivered in Arabic. Maths, science and business studies were delivered in English. I was never really aware of the impact of such a split on my Arabic language skills until recently.
A 16-year-old daughter of a friend of mine called me up for help with an Arabic language assignment. She was tasked with writing an essay on a topic of her choosing. As I sat down to review her first draft, I was simply shocked.
Her essay contained a flood of slang Arabic words, a couple of English words and too many grammatical errors to count. She is an honors student. She is also a student in one of the private schools that follow a fully English curriculum, except for the Arabic language class.
She speaks to her friends, who are a mix of Arabs and non-Arabs, in English. At home, she speaks to her parents in English. At malls and in restaurants, she speaks to the staff in English. She tells me that the only people she speaks Arabic to are her grandparents, and mainly because they are not comfortable conversing with her in English. She obviously stands little chance at nailing her Arabic essay.
Not long after that incident, I happened to be with my daughter in a toyshop. An Arab lady walked in with her two daughters. Immediately, our girls started playing together. It was not long before one of the daughters rushed to tell her mother that she didn't understand what my daughter was saying. The little girl was speaking to her mother in English; my daughter spoke Arabic.
As I acted as a translator between the two girls, I understood from the mother that she only speaks to her girls in English and French. This way, she explained, they will be fluent in two foreign languages early on. Fluent in two foreign languages, I thought to myself, but can't speak their own mother tongue. Something just didn't add up.
The factors that are contributing to the demise of the Arabic language and its use amongst its native speakers are numerous. Some of these are institutional, in the form of schools and universities that have dropped the focus on enriching Arabic language skills in students.
Others are part of the westernization and globalization that our region - and other regions of the world - are being exposed to. And sadly, some of these factors come from within us. I can't help but associate the tendency of native Arabic speakers to avoid speaking in Arabic to a lack of pride in who we are and what we are.
Globally, I think we face a lot of scrutiny as Arabs. From some quarters, we are constantly questioned on our culture, beliefs and traditions. We are associated in the minds of some with chaos and anarchy. In western media, some even portray the Middle East as aggressive. In news bulletins, we are the troubled region. And to an extent, these are indeed some of the realities of our communities and societies that we continue to battle on a daily basis.
But there is also another side to the story. There are a lot of things to be proud of as Arabs. There is a history of bright advances and civilisation that we brought to this world. There is a set of values we carry that cherishes family and community. There is a genuine dose of empathy and care that we extend to all around us, local and foreign. There is humbleness and generosity so engrained in our culture. There are Arab cities and citizens who are trying to rise above the chaos. There is a future that is ours to shape.
There is a lot more to be proud about. And perhaps it all starts here. Perhaps we ought to restore our pride in who we are before we can restore the stature of our Arabic language.
Rana Askoul is a Dubai-based writer and leadership development consultant with a focus on the Middle East
www.ranaaskoul.com
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2005 Beat Andy Roddick
2006 Beat Rafael Nadal
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2012 Beat Andy Murray
2014 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2015 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2017 Beat Marin Cilic
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
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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.
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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.”
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