Caregivers at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi hold up artworks by students at Aspen Heights British School. Courtesy Cleveland Clinic
Caregivers at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi hold up artworks by students at Aspen Heights British School. Courtesy Cleveland Clinic
Caregivers at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi hold up artworks by students at Aspen Heights British School. Courtesy Cleveland Clinic
Caregivers at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi hold up artworks by students at Aspen Heights British School. Courtesy Cleveland Clinic

Art

Abu Dhabi school students cheer up frontline healthcare workers with handmade artworks

The pupils at Aspen Heights British School sent artistic messages of support to patients and caregivers at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Katy Gillett
Katy Gillett

June 07, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

Students at Aspen Heights British School have been busy while staying at home, not just with their schoolwork, but also with a new art project designed to cheer up caregivers at a nearby hospital.

The pupils created a range of paintings to brighten up the wards at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi for patients and caregivers working to beat the coronavirus.

We wanted them to know that we're all in this together

The paintings are being hung on the walls of the hospital’s isolation floors.

This includes a collaborative piece by sisters Keira and Khloe Ucat, aged 13 and 11, who were inspired by their favourite movie, High School Musical. They painted a wildcat, which is meant to represent the fighting spirit of those confronting the current pandemic. Yellow lights, also depicted in the painting, stand for hope.

"We wanted to support and encourage frontliners and patients during this tough time," said Keira. "We wanted them to know that we're all in this together and that we are supporting them by staying at home to prevent the spread of the disease.

"Tough times won't last but tough people do.”

An artwork by sisters Keira and Khloe Ucat, students at Aspen Heights British School. Courtesy Cleveland Clinic
An artwork by sisters Keira and Khloe Ucat, students at Aspen Heights British School. Courtesy Cleveland Clinic

To make sure the paintings meet the hospital’s strict infection control regulations, each artwork has been laminated and then disinfected before entering the facility.

They are also sterilised during routine cleaning rounds.

Sue Behrens, the hospital’s chief clinical and nursing officer, said: “These paintings have transformed our isolation units, providing a great source of hope and motivation for our caregivers who are working hard to beat this disease and supporting our patients who are fighting it while separated from their friends and family.”

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Read more:

Noticed pictures of rainbows appearing in your neighbourhood windows? Here's why

British artist Damien Hirst shares rainbow artwork tribute to NHS

Ras Al Khaimah artist turns scrap metal into a sculpture of Covid-19 virus 

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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.”

Art