Elmo and Cookie Monster. Courtesy Sesame Workshop
Elmo and Cookie Monster. Courtesy Sesame Workshop

All the way from Sesame Street to Dubai

Elmo Makes Music will have all of the 34-year-old show’s favourite characters, including Abby Cadabby and Big Bird making music out of pots, spoons, bin lids and cookie jars from September 29 to October 4 at Madinat Theatre.

Afshan Ahmed

September 24, 2014

Elmo and his famous neighbours from Sesame Street are coming to Dubai next week with a new musical stage show.

Elmo Makes Music will feature all of the 45-year-old show's favourite characters, including Elmo, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby and Big Bird – who promise to make music with pots, spoons, bin lids and cookie jars.

With the revival of Iftah Ya Simsim – the Arabic version of Sesame Street that was broadcast in the region from 1979 until 1991 – due to start filming in Abu Dhabi later this year – the timing couldn't be better.

Alex Mir, the managing director of the show organisers DNA PR and Events, says his daughter had helped to persuade him to bring the latest live version of the children’s show to the UAE.

“Elmo is like a rock star for children and they go crazy when they see him,” he says. “My 2-year-old daughter is a big fan, and we saw the requirement for good children’s entertainment here.

"So we sat down with the Sesame Street team and have planned many more shows in the next few months for Dubai and the region."

The Broadway-style production features work from the Emmy Award-winning writer and Sesame Street puppeteer Joey Mazzarino, the writer Christine Ferraro and the playwright Annie Evans.

Elmo Makes Music is one of the several Sesame Street shows touring the world this year and is produced and presented by VEE Corporation in association with Sesame Workshop, which makes the television show.

The stage show – which presents its young audience with entertaining lessons in patience, acceptance and teamwork – features 24 songs, including The Hustle, You Should Be Dancing, Rockin' Robin and the classic sing-alongs C Is for Cookie and The Alphabet Song. (Trivia alert: Elmo and Cookie Monster are among the highest ranked TV and cartoon characters among children between the ages of 2 and 5.)

“It’s a family show and will appeal to toddlers, 10-year-old children, teenagers and even adults,” says Mir. “Parents who grew up watching the show continue to appreciate the educational element of this programme.”

• Elmo Makes Music is at Madinat Jumeirah Theatre from Monday until October 4. Tickets are Dh199 for children and Dh299 for adults from www.ticketmaster.ae

aahmed@thenational.ae

What's in the deal?

Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024

India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.

India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.

Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments

India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery

Countries offering golden visas

UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.

Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.

Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.

Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.

Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence. 

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

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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.”

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. 

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  • Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
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  • By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
  • Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
  • Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.

 

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How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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