Animenia 2024 is coming soon
Animenia 2024 is coming soon
Animenia 2024 is coming soon
Animenia 2024 is coming soon

Animenia Abu Dhabi 2024 - boundless creativity, live concerts and non-stop action

Anime festival runs for five days from October 23 at Manarat al Saadiyat

Advertorial

October 19, 2024

Get ready for an anime festival like no other as Animenia takes over Abu Dhabi from October 23-27 at Manarat al Saadiyat. Dive into the vibrant world of anime with immersive themed exhibits, creative workshops and gaming, star-studded live entertainment, exclusive meet and greets, mouthwatering street food, retail, and an epic cosplay competition with more than Dh400,000 of prizes up for grabs.

Don’t miss out on the anime event of the year, as Animenia is set to be a true celebration for every fan across the country. Here’s a sneak peek of the incredible adventures waiting for you:

Anime World

Step into the enchanting world of Animenia and experience your favourite anime shows spring to life with immersive, themed exhibits. Each world is packed with thrilling activities, endless photo ops, and a collector’s haven where you can meet fellow traders, discover exclusive treasures, and even swap-coveted items.

Fans of Attack on Titan can test their courage by scaling Wall Maria, and channel their inner Scout with a photo opportunity designed to mimic the ODM training. Those ready to become ninjas can enter Naruto's Konohah Village, where a thrilling Ninja Obstacle Course and mind-bending Mirror Maze await.

Fans of Jujutsu Kaisen can dive into the chaos of the Shibuya Incident and immerse themselves in the different characters’ domain expansions. Meanwhile, those seeking something more kawaii can head to Sanrio’s Hello Kitty exhibit, to join Hello Kitty, Kuromi, and friends for some fun digital and analogue games. For the ultimate throwback, Spacetoon fans can delight in the nostalgic journey through this beloved childhood universe, revisiting iconic cartoon moments with every step.

Hello Kitty at Animenia
Hello Kitty at Animenia

Workshops and gaming

Explore creativity and culture at Animenia’s exciting workshops and action-packed gaming zone! Get ready to bust some moves at the Anime Dance Workshop with Real Akiba Boyz and learn the iconic choreography from your favourite anime tunes alongside the incredible dance group. Alternatively, join Gunpla and build your very own Gundam miniatures with OtakuME while Tamiya model car racing invites you for some high-speed fun.

Get stuck into an Origami workshop with expert guidance as you master the intricate art of paper folding and create your own masterpiece before exploring the soulful sound of the traditional Japanese instrument with the Shamisen session with Kuni-Ken. Finally, discover the serene Japanese Tea Ceremony and become a pro in the graceful art of matcha or relax with a beloved Japanese pastime with Nurie colouring.

On the gaming side, the Gaming Zone powered by AD Gaming promises to deliver thrills with an action-packed line-up of VR, esports, and more. Although the full details are still under wraps, expect to dive into immersive worlds, challenge your friends in competitive esports, and experience gaming like never before.

Meet and greets

Animenia is bringing fans the ultimate chance to meet some of the most iconic creators, artists, and voice actors from the anime and gaming world. This is the perfect chance to snap a photo, grab an autograph, and even have a quick chat with the creative minds behind some of your favourite shows and games. Adding to the excitement, fans will also have the opportunity to take part in Q&A sessions with top anime stars.

Among the special guests are Eiji Shiroi, creator of Capcom and SNK characters, and Hidetoshi Omori, the animation director behind hits like Gundam, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and Dragon Ball. Square Enix art director Isamu Kamikokuryo will be there, along with Keiichiro Toyama, the mastermind of Silent Hill, and Kenji Watanabe, Digimon’s chief designer. Meet Kikuko Inoue, the voice behind iconic characters like those from Oh! My Goddess and Captain Tsubasa, and Sonic the Hedgehog’s creator, Naoto Ohshima.

Fans can also meet Ryo Horikawa, the voice of Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z, along with SUDA51, director and designer of No More Heroes, and Takashi Tokita, the director of Live A Live and Final Fantasy. Don’t miss out on Yoko Shimomura, the music composer for Super Mario and Kingdom Hearts, Yusuke Naora, the art director for Final Fantasy, and Yutaka Abe, the talented artist behind Detective Conan. With even more special guests yet to be announced, make sure to secure your Meet and Greet Day Pass now, allowing you to delve deeper into the minds behind these iconic manga and video games.

Attack on Titan at Animenia
Attack on Titan at Animenia

Live entertainment

At the centre of all the anime mania, fans can look forward to some show-stopping performances including the incredible headliner Rasha Rizk on October 25, known for her unforgettable vocals on Detective Conan, Dragon Ball Super, Hunter X Hunter, and more. The excitement continues on October 26 with headliner FLOW, the legendary five-member rock band behind anime classics like ‘GO!!!’ from Naruto and the theme songs for Code Geass and Tales of Zestiria the Cross, delivering a high-energy show packed with anime anthems. Supporting acts include angela, the duo behind hits from Stellvia in Space, and Saudi pop sensation Mojo, blending urban beats with anime vibes.

Kicking off on October 23, the festival starts strongly with the legendary Yoko Takahashi, known for her iconic track from Neon Genesis Evangelion, as well as captivating performances from Japanese songstress Junna up until October 25. Fans will also be treated to an epic lineup of Anison bands including Snowkel, Blinding Sunrise, Kuni-Ken, Koyomi, and Catch Me Yesterday, alongside a special debut from Powerglove, performing their iconic video game music covers for the first time in the region. Adding to the fun, expect high-energy dance performances by local legends Team Anime DXB and internet sensations Real Akiba Boyz. Stay tuned as many more special guests are yet to be announced!

Cosplay

Animenia will be a haven for cosplayers, setting the stage for the ultimate cosplay competition, boasting a prize pool of more than Dh400,000, the biggest prize ever offered in an anime festival. Have the chance to strut your stuff with solo and group categories and special awards for Best in Craftsmanship, Best in Performance, and Best in Anime Adaptation, offering numerous opportunities to win big.

Judging this epic competition will be cosplay icons Yuegene Fay from Thailand, Rian CYD from Indonesia, Naythero from France, and SayoChuu and SabCosplay from Latvia, with special guests including Reika from Japan and VEGA Cosplay from Saudi Arabia also scheduled to be in attendance. Register by October 20 at animeniaabudhabi.com for the chance to showcase your talent and take home the cash prize.

Naruto at Animenia
Naruto at Animenia

Retail and street food

Foodies will also be in for a treat as Animenia will be serving up delicious and authentic Tokyo street food with a selection of tantalising dining options, featuring everything from mouthwatering ramen to sweet mochi, bringing the vibrant flavours of Japan right to Abu Dhabi. The festival will also host an array of regional and international brands, with an eclectic mix of anime accessories, collectable merchandise, and trendy anime streetwear, allowing guests to take home an adorable keepsake from this epic event.

Admission

Secure a spot with the Day Pass Weekday or Day Pass Weekend starting from Dh65 and a limited number of Five-Day Festival Passes at Dh425. Alternatively, Concert General Standing Admission tickets give anime and music lovers access to the general standing zone at the concert as well as one-day access to the Animenia Abu Dhabi festival grounds for Dh185. Guests can also geek out with the Meet & Greet Day Pass tickets for Dh145. For the ultimate anime experience, visitors can opt for the Super VIP Pass for Dh1,995 which gives access to everything at Animenia including full access to the festival grounds on all five days, access to all meet and greets, two concert tickets, and more!

Tickets are now on sale at www.ticketmaster.ae and www.platinumlist.net.

More information is available at animeniaabudhabi.com and social media channels.

While you're here
Company Fact Box

Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019

Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO

Based: Amman, Jordan

Sector: Education Technology

Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed

Stage: early-stage startup 

Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

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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.

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.”

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While you're here
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?

The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.

Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.

New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.

“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.

The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.

The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.

Bloomberg

Updated: October 19, 2024, 6:34 AM