Bravo announces 'The Real Housewives of Dubai', set to premiere in 2022

Bravo has announced that its popular Real Housewives franchise is coming to the UAE, with The Real Housewives of Dubai set to premiere in 2022.

The series will be the network’s first international series outside of the US, Bravo says, and promises fans to expect “over-the-top opulence, jaw-dropping modern architecture and wild nightlife scene”.

"Everything’s bigger in Dubai,” executive producer of Real Housewives Andy Cohen said, “and I couldn’t be more excited to launch Bravo’s first international 'Housewives’ series in a city I’ve been fascinated by for years, with an outstanding group of friends as our guides.”

Bravo has not yet revealed the cast for Dubai, which will be the 11th city in the Real Housewives network.

Much like the US versions of the show, which include The Real Housewives of Atlanta, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and the original The Real Housewives of Orange County, the series will follow a group of woman as they navigate their relationships, careers and ultra-wealthy lifestyles.

While Bravo says this will be its first international series, local television networks have reproduced the series around the world, including in Cheshire, UK and Melbourne, Australia, as well as Israel.

After it was announced on Twitter on Monday, there were plenty of reactions across social media about the release. Lots of people said they hoped the show would include a mix of cultures.

"It will be fascinating to see the blend of cultures. I hope Bravo will give the respect to the UAE to my special place in the world Bravoholics, #RHODubai and #RHODXB," wrote Twitter user Katie Lawson.

"#RHODubai better include “real” as in local native born and bred," another user wrote.

Other people speculated as to who might make the cast.

"[Caroline Stanbury] better be the reason for this franchise launching in Dubai! I *need* her back on TV!" wrote one Twitter user.

While others called for some celebrities who call Dubai home to make an appearance.

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Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series

Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga

Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa

Rating: 2.5/5

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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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Company Profile

Founder: Omar Onsi

Launched: 2018

Employees: 35

Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)

Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners

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