From Al Ain to Al Dhafra and Abu Dhabi city, a series of coming festivals will spotlight the UAE’s living traditions – from handicrafts to maritime heritage and large-scale cultural showcases. Together, they capture the breadth of Emirati heritage, linking past and present, and ensuring that the country’s living traditions remain part of everyday life.
Traditional Handicrafts Festival
Now in its 11th year, the Traditional Handicrafts Festival celebrates the artisans and craftspeople who keep the UAE’s material heritage alive. This year’s theme, A Journey through Community Traditional Craftsmanship, ties into the Year of Community and focuses on connecting heritage with sustainable livelihoods.
Four main pavilions – Emirati Gahwa, Traditional Weaving, Traditional Fashion and Metal & Leather Crafts – will offer live demonstrations, interactive workshops and storytelling sessions. Visitors can follow new heritage trails linking the festival to Al Jimi and Al Qattara Oases, plus attend evening music programmes and children’s events. Entry is free, with extended weekend hours until midnight.
Saturday to November 20; Souq Al Qattara, Al Ain
Al Sila Marine Festival
Celebrating Emirati maritime heritage, the fifth Al Sila Marine Festival combines traditional sailing and rowing competitions with a family-friendly waterfront souq. Sixty-four events are scheduled across marine, beach, heritage and sports categories, with total prizes exceeding Dh6.4 million.
Highlights include the 43-foot dhow sailing race, which gives participants a chance to win more than Dh3 million in prizes, as well as a traditional 40-foot rowing race and the Barakah Bawanish sailing race. A weekend market run by families will showcase local cuisine, crafts and children’s workshops, while performances and cultural activities reflect the etiquette and seafaring traditions of the region.
November 7 to 16; Al Dhafra Region
Sheikh Zayed Festival
One of Abu Dhabi’s largest annual cultural events, the Sheikh Zayed Festival brings together heritage, entertainment and global culture over five months. The festival grounds will feature expanded international pavilions, an ice-skating rink, amusement park and a Heritage Village highlighting traditional crafts, falconry and camel racing.
On the weekends, visitors can see drone and fireworks shows, folk performances and cultural parades representing countries from across the world. The event continues to grow as a symbol of the UAE’s vision to honour the legacy of UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, while creating new opportunities for community engagement and cultural exchange.
Saturday to March 22; Al Wathba Show Grounds
Al Dhafra Festival
The 19th Al Dhafra Festival brings together camel owners, horse breeders and heritage enthusiasts from across the UAE and wider Gulf. Known for its large-scale camel beauty contests, the festival also features falconry, saluki racing, horse shows and traditional craft competitions.
Across four stations, 355 camel competition rounds will offer prizes totalling Dh88.7 million, alongside 17 other heritage events with more than 1,500 prizes worth Dh5.6 million. Beyond the races, the festival celebrates desert culture through poetry, music and markets selling traditional Emirati products.
Until January 22; Al Dhafra Region
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Company%20Profile
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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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Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
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Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
Torbal Rayeh Wa Jayeh
Starring: Ali El Ghoureir, Khalil El Roumeithy, Mostafa Abo Seria
Stars: 3
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Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
The 15 players selected
Muzzamil Afridi, Rahman Gul, Rizwan Haider (Dezo Devils); Shahbaz Ahmed, Suneth Sampath (Glory Gladiators); Waqas Gohar, Jamshaid Butt, Shadab Ahamed (Ganga Fighters); Ali Abid, Ayaz Butt, Ghulam Farid, JD Mahesh Kumara (Hiranni Heros); Inam Faried, Mausif Khan, Ashok Kumar (Texas Titans
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
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