The Emirates Airlines Festival of Literature is not all about popular reads, the events also provide a platform for international and regional thinkers to discuss global issues and concerns. These are key the events and sessions from the opening weekend.
Read our interviews with authors Khaled Khalifa and Shari Lapena, both of who will also be appearing at the event.
Lessons from the Levant
Friday, 2pm
The turmoil surrounding the Arab World is arguably down to the infamous Sykes-Picot territorial agreement signed more than a century ago. Former British ambassador to Lebanon, Thomas Fletcher, and Eugene Rogan, researcher and author of The Arabs: A History, will be joined by Syrian journalist Dima Wannous to discuss the geopolitical ramifications of the agreement and the role that global powers play in regional strife.
William Dalrymple: The World’s Most Infamous Diamond
Friday, 6pm
Despite its glamour and beauty, the Koh-i-Noor diamond, which is currently on public display on London, has a sordid and bloody past. Scottish writer and historian William Dalrymple traces its journey from discovery in India, being the cause of violence perpetrated by the rulers from the Mughal and Persian empires, and its controversial acquisition by the British royal family.
Muhammad Yunus: A World of Three Zeroes
Friday, 7.30pm
Nobel Peace Prize winner and microfinance pioneer Muhammad Yunus appears at the literature festival to discuss his latest book, which looks at how altruism can become as potent an economic force as capitalism, working towards a world without poverty. He will also share stories of socially conscious businesses whose innovation did not come at the cost of their values.
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Read more: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature announces full line-up
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Digital Diplomacy: Omar Saif Ghobash
Saturday, 2pm
Omar Saif Ghobash, the UAE Ambassador to France and author of the powerful treatise, Letters to a Young Muslim, discusses the changing role of diplomacy in an online world. With foreign policy announced, and sometimes hindered, by heads of state in a space of a few tweets, Ghobash will look at how technology can be used responsibly by individuals and institutions in power. He will be joined in the discussion by Thomas Fletcher.
I Shall Be What I Want: Hawaa Mohamed Ahli
Saturday, 6pm
Emirati civil servant Hawaa Mohamed Ahli's rise in the Dubai Government's General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs came despite a speech disorder and hearing impairment. In a series of books, I Shall Be What I Want, Ahli interviewed prominent Emiratis with disabilities who broke down taboos and workplace barriers. She will use this event to share their stories.
Shashi Tharoor: Inglorious Empire
Saturday, 6pm
Whether through his potent writing or charismatic public addresses, flamboyant Indian politician Shashi Tharoor is a draw at any festival. He returns to the UAE to discuss his latest book, Inglorious Empire, which examines the role of the British Empire in India, arguing that it is a period that has been more mythologised than understood. He will be joined at the festival by William Dalrymple.
Five programmes for the kids
Jacqueline Wilson: The History Girls
Friday, 10am-11am, from Dh50, ages 9+
Al Baraha 3, InterContinental
Jacqueline Wilson, best known for her beloved characters that include the mischievous Tracy Beaker and headstrong Hetty Feather, presents her new book, Wave Me Goodbye, which tells the story of 10-year-old Shirley, an evacuee in the Second World War, who is sent to live in a strange old house with the mysterious Mrs Waverley. The first 200 ticket buyers will have the chance to meet Wilson for a book signing and photo.
Kiran Millwood Hargrave: The Girl of Ink and Stars
Friday, 2pm-3pm, from Dh50, ages 8+
Al Baraha 1, InterContinental
The award-winning The Girl of Ink and Stars is about a young girl who volunteers to guide the search around her island for her missing best friend with the help of maps and her knowledge of the stars. Her latest book, The Island at the End of Everything, is about a young girl who longs to return to her island home. The author will speak about her love of myth and folklore, and why islands make such magical fictional worlds.
Katy Hudson: Tortoises, Rabbits and Runaway Eggs
Saturday, noon-1pm, from Dh50, ages 4+
Al Baraha 1, InterContinental
Animal lovers will enjoy a reading session with Katy Hudson, whose character Tortoise plans to sleep through the winter, but his friends hope to convince him to experience the fun of the frosty season. Hudson, in conversation with Ciaran Kelly, will read from A Loud Winter's Nap, Too Many Carrots and The Runaway Egg, and will share how she creates her beautiful illustrations.
Philip Ardagh: The Eddie Dickens Trilogy
Saturday, 2pm-3pm, from Dh50, ages 7+
Al Baraha 3, InterContinental
Hop on a whirlwind tour of the Eddie Dickens Trilogy led by its award-winning author Philip Ardagh. The Victorian-era series begins with Eddie's parents catching a disease that turns them yellow and crinkly, forcing him to go live with Mad Uncle Jack and Even Madder Aunt Maud, and that's before he falls head-over-heels for a girl with a face like a camel, meets a murderous gang and finds himself traveling to America with a stowaway in his trunk.
Dinos in the Desert: Maitha Al Khayat and Elissa Elwick
Saturday, 2pm-3pm, from Dh50, ages 4+
Al Baraha 1, InterContinental
UAE-based author-illustrator Maitha Al Khayat and author Elissa Elwick present an interactive event that lets younger children shape the story of the unlikely friendship between a camel and a dinosaur. Children will collaborate to create the brand new story.
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Results:
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 2,000m - Winner: Powderhouse, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap Dh165,000 2,200m - Winner: Heraldic, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.40pm: Conditions Dh240,000 1,600m - Winner: Walking Thunder, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash
8.15pm: Handicap Dh190,000 2,000m - Winner: Key Bid, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
8.50pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 1,200m - Winner: Drafted, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
9.25pm: Handicap Dh170,000 1,600m - Winner: Cachao, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
10pm: Handicap Dh190,000 1,400m - Winner: Rodaini, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.”
Top 10 most polluted cities
- Bhiwadi, India
- Ghaziabad, India
- Hotan, China
- Delhi, India
- Jaunpur, India
- Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Noida, India
- Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Bagpat, India
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Scoreline:
Manchester City 1
Jesus 4'
Brighton 0
more from Janine di Giovanni
Results
Light Flyweight (49kg): Mirzakhmedov Nodirjon (UZB) beat Daniyal Sabit (KAZ) by points 5-0.
Flyweight (52kg): Zoirov Shakhobidin (UZB) beat Amit Panghol (IND) 3-2.
Bantamweight (56kg): Kharkhuu Enkh-Amar (MGL) beat Mirazizbek Mirzahalilov (UZB) 3-2.
Lightweight (60kg): Erdenebat Tsendbaatar (MGL) beat Daniyal Shahbakhsh (IRI) 5-0.
Light Welterweight (64kg): Baatarsukh Chinzorig (MGL) beat Shiva Thapa (IND) 3-2.
Welterweight (69kg): Bobo-Usmon Baturov (UZB) beat Ablaikhan Zhussupov (KAZ) RSC round-1.
Middleweight (75kg): Jafarov Saidjamshid (UZB) beat Abilkhan Amankul (KAZ) 4-1.
Light Heavyweight (81kg): Ruzmetov Dilshodbek (UZB) beat Meysam Gheshlaghi (IRI) 3-2.
Heavyweight (91kg): Sanjeet (IND) beat Vassiliy Levit (KAZ) 4-1.
Super Heavyweight ( 91kg): Jalolov Bakhodir (UZB) beat Kamshibek Kunkabayev (KAZ) 5-0.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
360Vuz PROFILE
Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin
The specs
Engine 60kwh FWD
Battery Rimac 120kwh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power 204hp Torque 360Nm
Price, base / as tested Dh174,500
