The International Indian Film Academy Awards return to Abu Dhabi this month, celebrating all things Bollywood.
To be held on May 26 and 27 at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, the IIFA Awards, as they are popularly known, will kick off with IIFA Rocks, an evening dedicated to music and fashion.
The event will culminate in the awards gala, where Hindi films and performers of the past year will be honoured. The night will also feature performances by top Bollywood stars, hosted by actors Abhishek Bachchan and Vicky Kaushal.
This is the second year in a row Abu Dhabi is hosting the event. Cities that have previously hosted the awards include Dubai, Bangkok, New York, Colombo, Amsterdam, Madrid, Florida, Kuala Lumpur and Macau.
Here are all the performers to look forward to at the IIFA Awards 2023 in Abu Dhabi.
IIFA Rocks
On May 26, an evening dedicated to music and fashion will be hosted by acclaimed actor Rajkummar Rao and director Farah Khan, who also hosted last year.
The night will feature performances by rappers Badshah and Raftaar, music director Amit Trivedi, EDM producer Nucleya andsingers Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Ghoshal, Anusha Mani, Mika, Sukhbir Singh and Goldie Sohel.
“In 2017, Alia Bhatt had New York enthralled when she sang my song Kar Gayi Chull from her film Kapoor and Sons at the IIFA Awards,” Badshah said. "This year, I will be there in person to regale you with some of my popular hits. So, fasten your seat belts and prepare for a rocking landing."
Chauhan, who remains the youngest nominee for Best Female Playback Singer for Mehboob Mere from the film Fiza (2000), has been nominated 17 times and won the award twice for the Dhoom (2004) title track Dhoom Machale and Omkara’s (2006) Beedi.
“This year, IIFA gives me a platform to entertain my extended family of fans from across the world. It’s going to be an amazing spectacle, we will rock Abu Dhabi!” she said.
Designer to the stars Manisha Malhotra will showcase a special collection for the fashion segment. The designer, whose fashion career began in the 1990s by styling Bollywood films, will also be honoured with a special Outstanding Achievement for Fashion in Cinema award on the night.
“The collection is reflective of ‘old-world charm meets the new world’ to create something breakthrough and imaginative," Malhotra said.
Malhotra is set to open his flagship boutique at the Dubai Mall soon.
IIFA Awards gala
The awards gala on May 27 will be the highlight of the two-day event, with Bollywood stars Bachchan and Kaushal taking on hosting duties. Nominees are yet to be announced for the fan-voted awards, but performers this year include IIFA ambassador Salman Khan, Varun Dhawan, Kartik Aaryan, Ayushmann Khurranna, Kriti Sanon, Nora Fatehi, Jacqueline Fernandez and Rakul Preet Singh.
Khan and Fatehi also performed last year, while Aaryan, who was scheduled to perform, missed the event after testing positive for Covid-19.
"As we approach the biggest Indian celebration, I am very thrilled to return to the wonderful people of Yas Island, Abu Dhabi," Bachchan said. "It will be an absolute pleasure and honour to entertain and meet fans from all over the world. Looking forward to hosting the IIFA Awards."
Stars confirmed to attend the awards gala include Alia Bhatt, Hrithik Roshan, Anil Kapoor, Kamal Haasan and Riteish and Genelia D’Souza.
Actors Aparshakti Khurana, Sunny Kaushal, Mouni Roy, Fardeen Khan, Esha Gupta, Mrunal Thakur, Dia Mirza, Rashii Khanna and Sheeba Chaddha will also walk the green carpet.
The cast of Netflix reality show The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives will also be represented by Neelam Kothari, Bhavna Pandey, Maheep Kapoor and Seema Sajdeh.
Tickets to the IIFA Awards 2023, starting at Dh110, are available at etihadarena.ae
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
RESULT
Arsenal 0 Chelsea 3
Chelsea: Willian (40'), Batshuayi (42', 49')
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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.”
HIV on the rise in the region
A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.
New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.
Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.
Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.
Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The specs: 2018 Renault Megane
Price, base / as tested Dh52,900 / Dh59,200
Engine 1.6L in-line four-cylinder
Transmission Continuously variable transmission
Power 115hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 156Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.6L / 100km
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Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
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THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
