Who are the comedians performing live at The Junction's online stand-up series?

There's nothing like a good stand-up show to lift spirits in trying and unprecedented times.

Now, you probably already know that, and you've probably gorged on every Netflix comedy special there is. But there's a new stand-up series with more regionally-tailored material that is about to kick off. And – unlike prerecorded comedy specials online – this one will be streamed live.

The Junction, a performing arts space in Dubai's Al Serkal Avenue, is hosting the A'muse'd stand-up series on its Instagram page every night at 8pm between Sunday, May 17 and Wednesday, May 20.

Starting the series is Gaurav Gupta. The Indian comedian – who is a dentist by profession – is a veteran of the stand-up stage, basing his jokes on relatable family dynamics and social situations. He is set to “share what keeps him ticking” on Sunday, May 17.

Amit Tandon and his wife Sonal Gera Tandon, are the next to perform on the A’muse’d series. Tandon, who has performed more than 1,400 shows so far, will prove that his “married guy” moniker is what keeps his comedy fresh.

He was also one of the first three Indian comedians on Netflix, after he was featured in the Comedians of The World comedy special, a platform that had a select set of 47 comics from around the world. The Tandons are set to perform on Monday, May 18.

Anshu Mor is performing at the same time on the following day, May 18. Mor is recognised as one of the fastest rising stars in the Indian comedy scene. In 2016, he left a corporate job with dreams of pursuing a career in stand-up. Within the first year he had performed in more than 100 shows and had shot two one-hour specials. Mor will be performing with his 19-year-old son Suryaditya for Tuesday's performances. The duo will showcase their unique and hilarious father-son chemistry.

Vipul Goyal will wrap up the series with a performance on Wednesday, April 20. Goyal is touted as one of the top comedians of India. The Humorously Yours star is known to take jabs at everything from politics and Facebook to Indian dads and trains.

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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.”

Cultural fiesta

What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

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Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.

- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law

Who are the comedians performing live at The Junction's online stand-up series?

The performing arts space in Dubai’s Al Serkal Avenue is hosting the A’muse’d stand-up series on its Instagram

Cultural fiesta

Our legal columnist

Imperial%20Island%3A%20A%20History%20of%20Empire%20in%20Modern%20Britain

Labour dispute