American-Yemeni YouTube sensation Adam Saleh's debut solo single – hip-hop track Tears, featuring UK singer Zac Knight – will drop on iTunes Sunday, August 16.
Saleh has cultivated a loveable, funnyman persona through nearly 700 YouTube videos, ranging from daily vlogs to comedy sketches, that mostly promote Islam. But his new single, a solemn affair that finds Saleh comforting a bereaved family member, is part of his goal to branch out.
“I am only 22 and I want to try everything,” he tells me. “I don’t want to be someone in his 50s saying I wish I done this and that. I always want to try new things.”
Such as his decision to take his jokes and banter to the live stage: Saleh is set to perform a one-man show in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in December, with dates and the venue to be revealed soon.
What was the inspiration for Tears?
It is a song that’s dedicated to my cousin, whose father passed away. She got married and her father wasn’t there and she was very sad about it and she had tears. I wanted to do something about that, to write a song to say that I am there for you, so I began writing some lyrics and it really began from there. I think a lot of people can relate to this song because they would know of people who helped them and stood by there side.
You are coming to the UAE soon for a solo show. Since everyone knows you from your YouTube videos, how would you describe the Adam Saleh live experience?
The live show is much more fun because you get to interact with the people and it is all unedited. It is more like comedy sketches and I dress as different characters and I move around, I do some crowd challenges, a little bit of stand up and some inspirational talk and question and answers. It is really one big variety show.
Going back to when you first started recording YouTube videos in 2012, was the goal always to represent Islam in a positive way?
No, at the beginning I did it for fun. Then I noticed that I was gaining a big following and I thought, you know what? This is a chance for me to use the opportunity to show how peaceful and amazing Islam is.
Once you realised that, did the new responsibility take away from the fun of making videos?
I don’t think it affected things much. If you check all my videos it is not just all funny. I do talk about some more serious stuff at times or talk about certain good themes.
Can you tell us about your appearance as guest on Ellen DeGeneres’s talk show in 2012?
It was so exciting. I was picked to be on the show after I made a video of myself dancing in public as part of her Dance of Dare competition. She called me up and invited me to the show and she gave me a lot of gifts. I did have some time to chat with her before and afterwards. She is so nice and funny. She actually played this mini-prank on us where she scared us because she was hiding behind the bush and jumped out. She is really sweet.
Is your entertainment career a full-time thing at the moment?
Right now it is full-time for me. But at the same time, I am also going to university and doing online classes. I am doing a degree in criminal justice and arts. I have about a year left. I am slowing down a little but I am determined to get that degree.
Did you every think of crossing over from YouTube to getting your own show on television?
I am happy with YouTube. I will still do YouTube no matter what, even if I get on television. The reason why I love it is that I can do and say whatever I want. Now obviously, I don’t do anything that’s offensive but there is no restrictions. I mean, I can talk about my religion Islam. It is hard to find anyone talking good about Muslims on television. So when people see that different side on YouTube they relate to it and they are happy, and then when you promise them there will be a new video next week they will be excited. It is a bit more disorganised than television, but with the vlogging and stuff its more raw and natural.
You appeared on the big screen last year, in the drama American Shariah. How was that experience?
That’s right, in the film I played a guy named Jihad and I was accused of being a terrorist because of my name. It was a hard experience because on YouTube it’s easy, you just record whatever you want and wear whatever you want. With the movies everything has to be perfect and we would spend hours recording just one minute of the movie. At the same time it was a good thing to do and I am looking for more opportunities.
What do your parents think about your international fame?
At the beginning they were weird about it. They were like ‘You should focus more on school’. But they knew I love doing what I do, which is filming, making YouTube videos and making people smile. Once they knew this was my passion they supported me. Whenever I go overseas they are always worried and they call me 20 times a day to find out what I am doing. But I like that, it shows that they care about me and I care about them. It is always good to feel supported.
Finally, do you ever fear getting sucked in by the money and celebrity status that comes from fame?
Anything with fame and money, you gotta think last about that. It doesn’t matter as long as I remain humble and true to myself. I think I have always been myself ever since my first video.
• Tears by Adam Saleh (featuring Zac Knight) is out on iTunes on Sunday, August 16
sasaeed@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
'Shakuntala Devi'
Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Director: Anu Menon
Rating: Three out of five stars
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
Star%20Wars%3A%20Episode%20I%20%E2%80%93%20The%20Phantom%20Menace
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Big%20Ape%20Productions%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20LucasArts%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsoles%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PC%2C%20PlayStation%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
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.”
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Carzaty%2C%20now%20Kavak%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarzaty%20launched%20in%202018%2C%20Kavak%20in%20the%20GCC%20launched%20in%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20140%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Automotive%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarzaty%20raised%20%246m%20in%20equity%20and%20%244m%20in%20debt%3B%20Kavak%20plans%20%24130m%20investment%20in%20the%20GCC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5