Al Barza majlis at Abu Dhabi's Qasr Al Watan: Where dignitaries like US President Donald Trump are welcomed

Live updates: Follow the latest on Trump's Gulf trip

Qasr Al Watan’s Al Barza majlis will welcome US President Donald Trump during his visit to the UAE.

The Emirati majlis is a place of gathering and council that can hold up to 300 guests and is decorated with impressive chandeliers and golden finishes.

“The Emirati majlis is the UAE’s deep-rooted cultural tradition of hosting meetings for members of the community to deliberate and share information among each other,” explains a Qasr Al Watan statement about the space. “Historically, a barza refers to a majlis session during which important matters can be brought to the attention of a sheikh.”

Its sheer scale makes Al Barza an attraction in and of itself. It is the second-largest room in the palace, after the adjacent Great Hall.

Qasr Al Watan’s Al Barza can host up to 300 people. Photo: Qasr Al Watan

Abu Dhabi’s presidential palace, Qasr Al Watan, or the Palace of the Nation, was completed in 2017 and opened in 2019. It explores the UAE's history and traditions through a vast collection of cultural artefacts, art and rare manuscripts.

The political and faith leaders who have visited include the Pope Francis, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin. Qasr Al Watan has also hosted multiple UAE cabinet meetings. The latest one was held on May 6 was chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

Visitors who take a guided tour of Qasr Al Watan or make use of the multimedia headsets on offer can learn more about the traditional role of majlises, which are “designated spaces for cultural, political and social gatherings that embody the spirit of participatory politics in the UAE”.

The Power of Words sculptures by Emirati artist Mattar bin Lahej were unveiled at Qasr Al Watan at 2019. The series of three sculptures was inspired by the words of Sheikh Zayed, the Founding Father of the UAE. A golden one is located inside, off the Great Hall, while two silver sculptures can be found in the garden.

Tours of Qasr Al Watan

To enhance the visitor experience at Abu Dhabi’s Qasr Al Watan, self-guided tours were made available in English, Arabic, German, Russian and Chinese in March last year. Visitors can rent a multimedia guide and headset at the palace’s ticketing booth.

Qasr Al Watan at Al Ras Al Akhdar, Abu Dhabi, is open daily from 11am-8pm; children's entry from Dh30, adult entry from Dh65

Countries recognising Palestine

France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra

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.

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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.”

Results

2-15pm: Commercial Bank Of Dubai – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Al Habash, Patrick Cosgrave (jockey), Bhupat Seemar (trainer)

2.45pm: Al Shafar Investment – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Day Approach, Ray Dawson, Ahmad bin Harmash

3.15pm: Dubai Real estate Centre – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Celtic Prince, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly

3.45pm: Jebel Ali Sprint by ARM Holding – Listed (TB) Dh500,000 (D) 1,000m; Winner: Khuzaam, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson

4.15pm: Shadwell – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Tenbury Wells, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer

4.45pm: Jebel Ali Stakes by ARM Holding – Listed (TB) Dh500,000 (D) 1,950m; Winner: Lost Eden, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson

5.15pm: Jebel Ali Racecourse – Handicap (TB) Dh76,000 (D) 1,950m; Winner: Rougher, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson

Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”

THE BIO

Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren

Favourite travel destination: Switzerland

Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers

Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum

The biog

Favourite book: Animal Farm by George Orwell

Favourite music: Classical

Hobbies: Reading and writing