Here are eight exhibitors and events not to miss at this year’s Design Days Dubai.
1. Lumière
The Lumière installation by Commonplace Studio promises to be a highlight of this year’s fair. The piece aims to remind us of the beauty of clouds – the real thing, rather than the ones we more commonly think of in an age of cloud computing, ubiquitous networks and unseen data centres. For Lumière, a total of 28 pendant lamps are suspended in space; embedded into each bulb is a custom-built micro-projector that sends images of moving skies onto the frosted underside of each bulb. The view differs depending on your vantage point and serves as “a reminder that having your head in the clouds is truly a beautiful thing”.
• www.victor-hunt.com
2. Posa Project
The Posa Project, designed by Massimo Faion and presented by Beirut’s Carwan Gallery, will make its world debut at Design Days Dubai. It’s a decidedly UAE-friendly affair – an installation of four collectable falcon perches, complemented by a live falcon show. For this collection, Faion reimagined the traditional sport of falconry in a modern context and combined solid beech rings with bases crafted from Italian marble, with brass, gold and matte-silver finishes. Proving that functionality is key, however beautiful your creation, the perches can be separated from their sturdy bases and pitched directly into the sand.
• www.carwangallery.com
3. Popcorn Boxes Workshop
Design Days Dubai’s expansive public programme features talks, workshops and film screenings designed to educate and entertain. Among the workshops are a portfolio review and mentorship session for up-and-coming designers, a lesson in steam-bending wood by the designer Stefano Santilli and an exploration of Arabic letterforms with Lara Assouad. But we’d head to the Popcorn Boxes Workshop, which will see the pop-art-inspired Lebanese designer Rana Salam (pictured), in collaboration with Cinema Akil, help participants create their own unique popcorn boxes using visual elements gathered from their immediate surroundings. The best-designed box will be used to serve popcorn to attendees of the fair’s film screenings on Friday.
• Tuesday, 4.30pm to 6.30pm, Studio, free admission, registration necessary
4. Film screenings
As part of its efforts to educate visitors on the history of design, this year’s Design Days Dubai will feature two film screenings. These include a 26-minute look at the genius behind Mies van der Rohe’s iconic Barcelona Chair, which was designed in 1929 to furnish the German Pavilion at the International Exposition in Barcelona, but remains a classic to this day. The second film will look at Serge Mouille’s Black Lamps from 1953.
• March 20, 5pm to 6pm, Studio, free admission
5. FBMI
The UAE’s own carpet company, the Fatima Bint Mohammed Initiative, will exhibit for the second time at Design Days Dubai. As part of its 2015 showcase, the brand will display a selection of carpets designed for FBMI by the fashion designer Norma Kamali. Also on display will be the new Stone Wash collection, which uses a traditional antique wash process in which natural vegetable dyes are used in the carpet knotting. Finally, FBMI will offer demonstrations of carpet weaving and wool spinning, followed by a hands-on experience for any visitor wishing to try their hand at the art of knot tying.
• www.fbmi.ae
6. World Design Capital Taipei 2016
Several pieces by Taiwanese designers will be on display at the fair as part of Design Days Dubai’s Special Projects. This showcase is part of Taiwan’s efforts to highlight the talent of its home-grown designers following Taipei’s recent appointment as the World Design Capital 2016. Based on the concept of overcoming the limitations of resources, a number of the showcased pieces will incorporate traditional practices – such as bamboo weaving – with a modern twist
• www.taipeidesign.org.tw
7. Audi Design Talk: David/Nicolas
The founders of the Beirut-based studio David/Nicolas will take to the stage during Design Days Dubai’s Audi Design Talk series for an hour-long discussion on the brand’s “retro futuristic” approach. Founded in 2011 by David Raffoul and Nicolas Moussallem, the gallery aims to create timeless works of art that reference a variety of design periods. Earlier this year, David/Nicolas collaborated with the Lebanese non-profit design initiative House of Today to showcase the Loulou/Hoda installation. This was the brand’s first solo exhibition and featured 20 pieces that came together to create a visual reconstruction of a Lebanese grandmother’s home.
• Monday, 6pm to 7pm, Studio, free admission
8. House of Today
Established in 2012, the non-profit, collaborative design platform House of Today will exhibit for the first time at this year’s fair. The initiative will present an edited version of Naked: Beyond the Social Mask, first displayed last December in Beirut. House of Today’s primary focus is to identify, showcase, nurture and connect with up-and-coming Lebanese designers. Founded by the Lebanese entrepreneur Cheirine Magrabi Tayeb, the organisation also aims to provide a platform for these designers to build their profiles and communicate with an international audience.
• www.house-of-today.com
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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.
Miguel Cotto world titles:
WBO Light Welterweight champion - 2004-06
WBA Welterweight champion – 2006-08
WBO Welterweight champion – Feb 2009-Nov 2009
WBA Light Middleweight champion – 2010-12
WBC Middleweight champion – 2014-15
WBO Light Middleweight champion – Aug 2017-Dec 2017
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
The years Ramadan fell in May
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
SCORES IN BRIEF
Lahore Qalandars 186 for 4 in 19.4 overs
(Sohail 100,Phil Salt 37 not out, Bilal Irshad 30, Josh Poysden 2-26)
bt Yorkshire Vikings 184 for 5 in 20 overs
(Jonathan Tattersall 36, Harry Brook 37, Gary Ballance 33, Adam Lyth 32, Shaheen Afridi 2-36).
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
Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
Ukraine
Capital: Kiev
Population: 44.13 million
Armed conflict in Donbass
Russia-backed fighters control territory
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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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.”
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Results
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner No Riesgo Al Maury, Szczepan Mazur (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner Marwa W’Rsan, Sam Hitchcott, Jaci Wickham.
6pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner Dahess D’Arabie, Al Moatasem Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi.
6.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m
Winner Safin Al Reef, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
7pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 2,200m
Winner Thulbaseera Al Jasra, Shakir Al Balushi, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
7.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh 80,000 2,200m
Winner Autumn Pride, Szczepan Mazur, Helal Al Alawi.
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.