Fillet de Saumon Papilotte. Courtesy Eric Kayser
Fillet de Saumon Papilotte. Courtesy Eric Kayser

5 things to do today: Plan a Valentine’s Day meal or get in shape at Speed-Fit

OUr daily round up of things to do: register for events by Loom Ensemble, get in shape at Speed-Fit, try Kris Kros' new delivery menu and book a couple's pampering session at Raffles Spa.

Ellen Fortini

February 04, 2015

Book a four-course Valentine's Day meal at Eric Kayser at The Dubai Mall and enjoy a bresaola and Parmesan salad with a choice of soup, and either a fillet steak with mushroom gravy, chicken breast with boursin sauce or salmon with saffron lemon cream sauce (pictured), plus vegetables and a surprise dessert. Dubai Mall, Dubai, reservations at 04 388 2515

Register to take part in any of a number of events and workshops offered by Loom Ensemble, the resident artists at thejamjar, including a contemporary dance class, meditation and stretching, contemplation and creativity and the free movement jam. Classes are available as one-offs, from Dh50 to Dh100 per class per week, various timings on various days, thejamjar, Al Quoz, Dubai, www.loomensemble.com, 04 341 7303

Get in shape at Speed-Fit with electromyostimulation therapy, which is said to offer a comprehensive workout in two 15-minute sessions per week. The state-of-the-art club also offers customisable fitness regimens.From 10am to 10pm, from Dh190 for a trial training, One by Omniyat, Business Bay, Dubai, www.speed-fit.ae, 04 551 9740

Have lunch delivered to your door with the new delivery menu by Kris Kros, which features dishes from around the world, such as zesty chicken satay, Santa Fe fajita chicken salad, linguine black truffle, burgers and fruit and veggie mocktails for a healthy boost or pick-me-up during the day. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, Dubai, 800 7462253, www.kriskros.com

Book a romantic couples pampering experience with Raffles Spa's Ultimate Indulgence package, which includes a body scrub, massage and refreshments. From Dh1,499 per couple for a 90-minute treatment, Sheikh Rashid Road, Wafi, Dubai, 04 324 8888, www.raffles.com/dubai

Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction

Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.

Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.

Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.

Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.

Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.

What are the guidelines?

Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.

Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.

Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.

Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.

Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.

Source: American Paediatric Association
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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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Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi

Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah

Rating: 4/5

South Africa v India schedule

Tests: 1st Test Jan 5-9, Cape Town; 2nd Test Jan 13-17, Centurion; 3rd Test Jan 24-28, Johannesburg

ODIs: 1st ODI Feb 1, Durban; 2nd ODI Feb 4, Centurion; 3rd ODI Feb 7, Cape Town; 4th ODI Feb 10, Johannesburg; 5th ODI Feb 13, Port Elizabeth; 6th ODI Feb 16, Centurion

T20Is: 1st T20I Feb 18, Johannesburg; 2nd T20I Feb 21, Centurion; 3rd T20I Feb 24, Cape Town

Europe’s rearming plan
  • Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
  • Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
  • Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
  • Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
  • Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital

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