Speechless is a performance with no words, using body and music as the focus. Courtesy Tiffany Schultz
Speechless is a performance with no words, using body and music as the focus. Courtesy Tiffany Schultz
Speechless is a performance with no words, using body and music as the focus. Courtesy Tiffany Schultz
Speechless is a performance with no words, using body and music as the focus. Courtesy Tiffany Schultz

5 things to do today: Visit the Mother of the Nation Festival or see a stage act without words

Our daily round-up of things to do: Go to the Mother of the Nation Festival on Abu Dhabi's Corniche, watch a stage show without words, experience Ferrari World's latest attraction, plan a birthday party for your child or mingle with other professionals in your field.

Ellen Fortini

March 26, 2016

  • English
  • Arabic

Visit the Mother of the Nation Festival, which celebrates, commemorates and honours the inspirational values of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak through diverse activity zones, including a souq, a food and beverage area, a sports and fitness area, art markets and a zone dedicated to the conservation of the UAE's environment. From 4pm to midnight, Corniche, Abu Dhabi, www.motn.ae.

See Speechless, in which Colombian improvisers Felipe Ortiz and Daniel Orrantia, and Canadian DJ Mama Cutsworth give a performance with no words, using body and music as the focus, allowing anyone to understand the intertwining stories that unfold. From 8 to 10pm, Dh100, Courtyard Playhouse, Al Quoz, Dubai, www.courtyardplayhouse.com

Experience the family ride Benno's Great Race, one of several new attractions at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, which takes visitors on an adventurous journey with Benno the mouse and combines storytelling with an interactive experience in a timeless style. Open 11am to 8pm, from Dh250 for a one-day pass with unlimited access to the park, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. www.ferrariworldabudhabi.com

Plan your child's birthday party at Njoi, which is celebrating its first anniversary by introducing a range of party offerings, featuring two-hour exclusive hire of the venue, music, invitations, food and a special gift. Open 10am to 10pm, from Dh70 per child, Dubai Marina Mall, Dubai, 04 448 8488, www.njoi.ae

Attend the launch of the new industry night Cool Working People, and network and socialise within the service industry, including hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs and event organisations. Enjoy music by Saif and Sound and DJ Liutik as you exchange business cards and enjoy a night out. From 8pm to 2am, Up and Below, Courtyard by Marriott, World Trade Centre, Abu Dhabi, reservations at 02 698 2222

listings@thenational.ae

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While you're here

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.”

Sanju

Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani

Director: Rajkumar Hirani

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani

Rating: 3.5 stars

How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
What is Diwali?

The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.

According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.

In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.  

 

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