Orchestral and percussion performances, as well as a ballet gala, are on the bill for Abu Dhabi Festival next year. Running from February until April, the programme will feature events at venues across the capital, including Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental and the NYU Abu Dhabi Arts Centre.
In celebration of over 50 years of diplomatic relations with the UAE, Japan is the country of honour. So expect some of the nation's best musicians and ensembles to feature at the event, under the theme Abu Dhabi – A World of Harmony.
An international programme, titled Abu Dhabi Festival Abroad, will also take place, including a world premiere of the opera Pelleas et Melisande at the Opera National de Paris. This co-production with the renowned French institute will be directed by Canadian-Lebanese writer Wajdi Mouawad, with further details to be revealed soon.
"The 22nd edition of the Abu Dhabi Festival gathers us under its inspiring theme, Abu Dhabi – A World of Harmony, to embody the position of the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, as a city that brings together endless cultures to meet, communicate, and exchange ideas, opportunities, and potential, in harmony and unity,” said artistic director Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo.
Here are some highlights:
The New Japan Philharmonic orchestra, February 7 and 8
The festival begins with two concerts by the celebrated orchestra, founded in 1972 by influential conductors Seiji Ozawa and Naozumi Yamamoto. With American star tenor Jonathan Tetelman as a special guest, the opening show’s programme will feature arias from Puccini’s operas Turandot and Manon Lescaut.
The following night will showcase Japanese pianist Kyohei Sorita performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No 1 before the orchestra plays Japanese composer Yasushi Akutagawa’s 1953 masterpiece Triptyque for Strings Orchestra.
From 8pm; Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
Kodo, April 8 and 9
Drumming meets theatre in this performance by the seasoned Japanese troupe. Since their debut international show in 1981, the ensemble has given about 7,000 performances in more than 50 countries. Meaning "heartbeat" in Japanese, Kodo’s Abu Dhabi show will be an intricate and dazzling display of percussion prowess. The largest drum used in the show weighs up to three tonnes and is made from the trunk of a single tree.
From 7.30pm; The Red Theatre, The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi
Yunchan Lim, April 11
The youngest-ever gold medal winner of the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition will make his UAE debut at the festival. Achieving the feat in 2022 at the age of 18, South Korea’s Yunchan Lim’s performance is expected to affirm the industry buzz surrounding him, with his interpretation of Bach’s epic Goldberg Variations.
From 7.30pm; The Red Theatre, The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi
Kuniko Kato, April 14
Renowned as a musical prodigy, Japanese percussionist Kuniko Kato – who plays various instruments, from the xylophone to the marimba – will present a programme of traditional and contemporary works. These include interpretations of works by modern composers Iannis Xenakis, Steve Reich, Arvo Part and Unsuk Chin.
From 7.30pm; The Blue Hall, The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi
Katia and Marielle Labeque, April 16
The French siblings are at ease playing with major international orchestras and baroque music ensembles. Favourites of influential US composer Philip Glass, they will present a cinematic programme featuring works by Glass and others, inspired by director and poet Jean Cocteau’s 1946 film version of Beauty and the Beast.
From 7.30pm; The Red Theatre, The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi
Korean National University of Arts Symphony Orchestra, April 18 and 29
The group has woven itself into South Korea’s cultural fabric since its founding in 1993. The first performance programme features works by Brahms and Tchaikovsky, in addition to an excerpt from the ballet Princess Bari by South Korean composer Geon-Yong Lee. The follow-up concert will feature US soprano Jessica Pratt and Mexican tenor Javier Camarena, performing aria duets from composers Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi.
From 7.30pm; The Red Theatre, The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi
All-Star Ballet Gala, April 22
Experience the excellence of some of the world’s most talented dancers, representing esteemed companies such as the UK’s Royal Ballet and Germany’s Bayerisches Staatsballett, in a repertoire of popular classic and contemporary pieces.
From 7.30pm; The Red Theatre, The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi
Unique Encounters with Rising Stars, April 26
Palestinian violinist Yamen Saadi returns to the festival for a concert alongside Spanish violinist Sara Ferrandez and star cellists Kian Soltani from Austria and Pablo Ferrandez from Spain. Expect a varied repertoire of pieces to be performed with precise technique and charm.
From 7.30pm; The Red Theatre, The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi
Riley Mulherkar, April 29
The US trumpeter is known for co-founding the Westerlies, an important New York brass band that performs a mix of jazz, modern classical music and folk. A 2020 winner of the Lincoln Centre’s Emerging Artist Award, Mulherkar will showcase his skill as a composer and arranger.
From 7.30pm; The Black Box, The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi
Tickets for shows are priced separately and will be available soon
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The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
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May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
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The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
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August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
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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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