1 Middle East Film & Comic Con
• April 3-5, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai
The Middle East Film & Comic Con (MEFCC) is back for the third year and has moved to a new, larger home. The guest list is topped by Stan Lee, the Marvel linchpin and creator of some of the biggest comic and movie heroes of the last half century, who will be giving an exclusive video Q& A at the event. Also appearing will be the Robot Chicken creator and Family Guy voice-actor Seth Green, the former Doctor Who Sylvester McCoy and the martial artists Tony Jaa and Michael Jai White. Tickets are available from Virgin Megastores, Ticketmaster and Time Out Tickets; Dh85 for single day, Dh160 for weekend, Dh500 for weekend VIP. Visit www.mefcc.com
* Chris Newbould
2 Avicii
• April 4, Atlantis Beach at Atlantis The Palm, Dubai
The Swedish DJ is picking up where his French counterpart David Guetta left off in pummeling the airwaves with crossover dance hits. His 2013 debut album True has already spawned two chart-toppers, with the rave-meets bluegrass stompers Wake Me Up and Hey Brother. The 24-year-old's shows are also a visual treat with a plenty of fireworks and streamers. Tickets begin from Dh250. Visit www.atlantisthepalm.com
* Saeed Saeed
3 Yoga & Happiness Festival
• 8am-6pm, April 4, Park Rotana Hotel, Abu Dhabi
It’s about time the capital got its own yoga festival and here, finally, is the first. This all-day event features a variety of yoga and meditation sessions. Festival tickets are Dh325, which includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, all classes and speakers. Begins with a mass gathering for morning yoga, ends with a 30-minute “happy trance dance”. For details and the line-up, go to
www.happinessandyogafest.com
* Ann Marie McQueen
4 World Beats Festival at Ferrari World
• Until April 7, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
The mammoth Abu Dhabi leisure facility is hosting an in-house festival featuring DJs, bands and dance troupes suitable for the whole family. The Italian balloon aerialist group Dall'Alto will have their acrobatic manoeuvres matched with a performance by a saxophonist. The UK group Petro Beats will belt out covers of pop hits using instruments made from car parts, while an American hip-hop dance ensemble will also be there to bust out the latest moves to a thumping beat. Off course, Ferrari World's signature rides will be available for adrenalin junkies. For more details go to www.ferrariworldabudhabi.com
* Saeed Saeed
5 Bhoothnath Returns
• in UAE theatres April 10
Amitabh Bachchan reprises his role as a ghost in Bhoothnath Returns, the sequel to the 2008 horror-comedy Bhoothnath. In Bhoothnath Returns, the 71-year-old and his street-kid pal go up against a corrupt politician, so expect lots of slapstick comedy and clichéd horror gags. Ranbir Kapoor makes a cameo appearance, as does the great Shah Rukh Khan (he had a supporting role in the original). The celebrated filmmaker Anurag Kashyap also features in the cast credits. But we’re going to watch it for Big B — because he’s still a big draw.
* Christine Iyer
6 Fashion Forward
• April 10-13, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai
Just a year old, Fashion Forward has become the local industry's most important event and, for the third season, 18 of the most exciting names in Middle Eastern fashion will take centre stage. Look out for the dapper menswear label The Emperor 1688, the Dubai-based Taller Marmo, the promising contemporary womenswear brand Kage, and the showstopping Filipino couturiers Ezra and Furne One. Headlining the d3 Fashion Talks, an in-conversation series, is Fern Mallis, credited for creating New York Fashion Week; Ennio Capasa, the designer of the Italian fashion house Costume National; and the British presenter and Vogue contributing editor Alexa Chung. Tickets to shows and events can be purchased at www.fashionforward.ae from Tuesday.
* James Gabrillo
7 The Alma Chamber Orchestra
• April 15, Emirates Palace
Led by the conductor Lionel Bringuier and artistic director and first violin soloist Anne Gravoin, The Alma Orchestra is composed of 43 musicians hand-picked from France's leading musicians. Its debut Middle Eastern performance will present Wael Binali's Earth, Mendelssohn's Concerto for Violin No 2 and Beethoven's Symphony No 7. "The Alma Chamber Orchestra has chosen Abu Dhabi for its premiere in the Middle East as this city represents the capital of the Arab culture," said the statement announcing the concert. "The concert taking place in the Emirates Palace is an honour, as it embodies the cultural heritage that His Highness Sheikh Zayed has successfully conveyed." Tickets begin at Dh170 from www.ticketmaster.ae
* Saeed Saeed
8 The IPL opening ceremony
• April 16, Abu Dhabi
The first phase of the Indian Premier League kicks off in the capital with the defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) going up against Shah Rukh Khan's Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). But before that is the opening ceremony which, if last year's is anything to go by, will be swarming with Bollywood stars. Among the celebrities in the VIP box will be SRK himself. Then there are all the other Bollywood team-owners to look out for — Juhi Chawla, Preity Zinta, Shilpa Shetty. The dashing Ranbir Kapoor also might make an appearance — he's the brand ambassador for Pepsi, the chief sponsor of the tournament. At Sheikh Zayed Stadium, match begins at 6.30pm. Visit www.iplt20.com
* Christine Iyer
9 Lionel Richie
• April 17, Dubai Media City Amphitheatre, Dubai
The legendary crooner was last in the UAE a year ago performing at a private celebration. This time around, all are welcome to see the 64-year-old belt out four decades worth of hits covering pop, funk and R& B. Vintage fans who disliked Richie's progression to the slick sound of his 1980s hits shouldn't fret — a healthy smattering of Commodores songs are part of the set-list including Brick House, Fancy Dancer and Three Times a Lady. Tickets begin from Dh295 at www.timeouttickets.com
* Saeed Saeed
10 The Imagineer
• April 17-19, Meydan IMAX theatre, Dubai
This production by the Vegas-based Le Petit Cirque will use 11 acrobats to tell the story of a man trying to decipher his dreams against a giant IMAX backdrop amid the pulsing beats of techno. The show is directed by the former Cirque du Soleil artist Alexander Stroynov, while the troupe will be led by the Kosovo-born dancer and acrobat Halil Gashi, who spent three years performing in The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil. Tickets are priced from Dh150 and are available on platinumlist.net
* Afshan Ahmed
11 Sarah Geronimo
• April 24, du Forum, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
This will be the first time Geronimo — arguably the most popular young singer in the Philippines today — has taken on the capital. Abu Dhabi is also the only Middle Eastern destination in the 25-year-old pop star's world tour, dubbed Perfect 10. Geronimo, who catapulted to fame after winning a reality singing show in 2003 at the age of 14, is also a film actress and a coach in the Philippine version of The Voice. Tickets cost from Dh80 at www.ticketmaster.ae
* James Gabrillo
12 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
• April 25, du Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
Fresh from their Grammys triumph, the Thrift Shop duo embody hip-hop's ethos, with a do-it-yourself attitude that propelled their album The Heist from obscurity when it was released in 2012 to selling more than seven million copies. For those wanting more grit to their MCs, the announcement of Wiley as the supporting act should suffice. With nine albums already recorded, the British rapper shouldn't have problems coming up with a killer set-list. Tickets start from Dh295 and are available at www.ticketmaster.ae and Virgin Megastore outlets across the UAE. For more information, visit www.thinkflash.ae
* Saeed Saeed
13 Abu Dhabi International Book Fair
• April 30, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center, Abu Dhabi
The capital's premiere book gathering returns for its 24th edition, putting the literary focus on Abu Attayeb Al-Mutanabbi. Expect lots of discussion surrounding the famed 10th-century Arab poet by leading scholars and writers throughout the week-long event. Other authors on the bill include the celebrated Canadian short-story author Alice Munro and the influential Lebanese musician Charbel Rouhana, who will be signing copies of his latest album Tashweesh. With Sweden being the festival guest of honour, expect sessions on the popular Swedish-noir fiction genre with the best-selling author Kristina Ohlsson in attendance. Visit www.adbookfair.com
* Saeed Saeed
14 A History of the World in 100 Objects
• April 23-August 2, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi
The exhibition is meant to give art lovers a taste of the anticipated Zayed National Museum to be open by 2016. A collaboration between the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and the British Museum, the exhibition aims to synthesise the history of the world through an evocative display of 100 objects. The display items are meant to echo the themes defining the Zayed National Museum such as faith, people, heritage and knowledge. Among the items are a burnt bowl used for cattle farming in Northern Iraq in 5600 to 5200 BCE and gold coins that showcase the spreading of Islam in the seventh century. Visit www.saadiyatculturaldistrict.ae
* Saeed Saeed
15 Billy Bishop Goes to War, The Fridge
• April 24-26, Dubai
The British actor James Gaddas, who became a household name with the television show Bad Girls, is coming to Dubai with the musical Billy Bishop Goes to War. Gaddas will play 18 different roles in a fast-paced depiction of the life of Canada’s highest-scoring fighter pilot in the Second World War. He first took on the role of Bishop in a Royal Shakespeare Company musical at the age of 22. At The Fridge, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai. Tickets cost Dh100 and will be available at the door, refreshments include fish finger sandwiches and Eton mess from Ghaf Kitchen.
* Afshan Ahmed
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
MATCH INFO
What: Brazil v South Korea
When: Tonight, 5.30pm
Where: Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Bio
Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Key features of new policy
Pupils to learn coding and other vocational skills from Grade 6
Exams to test critical thinking and application of knowledge
A new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance, Assessment, Review and Analysis for Holistic Development) will form the standard for schools
Schools to implement online system to encouraging transparency and accountability
Episode list:
Ep1: A recovery like no other- the unevenness of the economic recovery
Ep2: PCR and jobs - the future of work - new trends and challenges
Ep3: The recovery and global trade disruptions - globalisation post-pandemic
Ep4: Inflation- services and goods - debt risks
Ep5: Travel and tourism
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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.
Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
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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.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
The five pillars of Islam
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Scoreline
Arsenal 3
Aubameyang (28'), Welbeck (38', 81')
Red cards: El Neny (90' 3)
Southampton 2
Long (17'), Austin (73')
Red cards: Stephens (90' 2)
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
The years Ramadan fell in May
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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