Happy new school year

Ramadan Kareem and happy new school year. In the oft forgotten years before having school-age children, my year began along with everyone else's, on Jan 1. But these days, mentally at least, it is the academic rather than the Gregorian calendar that governs my year, starting with the first day of the school year and ending with the last. I do however get a two-month bonus pause, aka the summer holidays, between each end and the next beginning.

As we staggered tearfully out of school at the end of June, September seemed so deliciously far away and everyone I knew needed a break and a complete cessation of normal routine. A month or so later, after the novelty had worn a little thin, the first day of term seemed frighteningly far away, but in the end, as usual it's hit us like a juggernaut and today I found myself yet again staggering tearfully out of school after depositing my charges into the education system for another school year.

My annual pledge to bring calm and order into our lives has failed earlier this year, long before the onslaught of clubs and after school activities throw us into turmoil. In fact we've been functioning in a loosely organised frenzy since returning to Abu Dhabi. Apart from the usual raft of play dates and shopping for school supplies, we've fitted in decorating, procuring furniture and moving eldest into her own room. Having nagged us for her own space for over a year, we were surprised when she spent her first night "alone" curled up at the bottom of youngest's bed.

Less surprisingly my quest to achieve supermum status, namely by catching up on school assignments - spelling and maths for the eldest; practicing phonics with the youngest; sending postcards to the teacher and goodness knows what else - somehow never really made it out of the in tray. And my best friend's casual remark the day before school started that her daughter had just completed a collage to present to her new teacher confirmed my suspicions. I am a chronic underachiever when it comes to supermumdom.

The new year didn't exactly get off to a cracking start either. Delayed by a couple of RTA diversions on route we eventually arrived at the junior block late, flustered and completely disorientated. Where was I supposed to deposit my brand new junior? Panic set in until I noticed her best friend in a moving line. So, without even a goodbye, I shoved eldest into the care of said best friend and marched youngest, who thankfully was attached to me like glue, to her quarters. The trouble was, after rather lengthy goodbyes I noticed as I exited the classroom, that she was in fact still attached to me like glue.

Friends asked if I'm sad or relieved the kids are back at school and I don't have an answer yet. I'm in shock. I hardly know who I am, let alone how I feel.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

How Voiss turns words to speech

The device has a screen reader or software that monitors what happens on the screen

The screen reader sends the text to the speech synthesiser

This converts to audio whatever it receives from screen reader, so the person can hear what is happening on the screen

A VOISS computer costs between $200 and $250 depending on memory card capacity that ranges from 32GB to 128GB

The speech synthesisers VOISS develops are free

Subsequent computer versions will include improvements such as wireless keyboards

Arabic voice in affordable talking computer to be added next year to English, Portuguese, and Spanish synthesiser

Partnerships planned during Expo 2020 Dubai to add more languages

At least 2.2 billion people globally have a vision impairment or blindness

More than 90 per cent live in developing countries

The Long-term aim of VOISS to reach the technology to people in poor countries with workshops that teach them to build their own device

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.”

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

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These days, mentally at least, the academic rather than the Gregorian calendar governs my year

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

How Voiss turns words to speech

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Pharaoh's curse

Crime%20Wave