Ireland is small, which makes it an easy country in which to navigate and meet people.
Q&A:Days are longer so you won’t be caught short
What currency is used in Ireland? Unlike the neighbouring UK, Ireland is part of the euro area, and its currency is the euro. The country joined the euro in 2002 in part to attract foreign businesses interested in a low-tax, low-cost hub for doing business with the rest of Europe.
Where are the most popular tourist destinations in Dublin? The city is littered with them, and tourists flock to Dublin in the summer. The most heavily trafficked area is the Temple Bar neighbourhood in the centre of the city, a network of footpaths with scores of restaurants, pubs and shops.
What is the weather like? Ireland's climate is often pleasant, but it rains a lot. So bring an umbrella. The best time to go is without question the summer, when temperatures are most bearable. If you go between June and August, do not expect the sun to set until at least 9pm.
Is it smart to rent a car? Sure. The traffic in Ireland is by and large orderly and calm, and car hire is relatively inexpensive. Renting makes sense if you plan to take long trips across the country, or if you simply prefer the extra freedom.
Dublin may be the centre of the country's commercial life, but there is plenty of vibrancy in smaller cities including Galway and Cork on the west, which are only a few hours' drive from Dublin. The views across the countryside from Dublin are gorgeous, replete with sheep-dotted pastures and horse stables that emerge as the eastern flatlands give way to the hilly west.
Most business travellers, however, will probably spend the bulk of their time in Dublin. And where to stay in the capital is not a tricky choice. There are a wide range of suitable options and the place is relatively safe. It is probably wise, though, to choose a hotel near where you will be spending most of your time, because taxis are expensive. A ride across town could easily run you €20 (Dh105.75) or €30 - a bit rich, even if you can expense the fares.
Another factor to consider is your proximity to public transportation, as a nearby train or bus stop can make getting to and from meetings a snap. Dublin's new Luas tram system makes getting around the city especially easy.
If your main business lies in Dublin's financial district, the Gibson Hotel is a good choice. A double room will set you back about €100 a night, and it is right next to a Luas stop that bisects Dublin's International Financial Services Centre. If you want to be closer to the city centre, the Hilton hotel in Dublin 2 is a good choice, as are the fancier places that ring St Stephen's Green.
Top 5: Restaurants in Dublin for business meetings.
1 Dax Restaurant, 23 Pembroke Street Upper.
2 The Pig's Ear, 4 Nassau Street, Dublin 2.
3 The Larder, 8 Parliament Street.
4 Il Vicoletto, 5 Crow Street, Temple Bar.
5 The Blackboard Bistro, 4 Clare Street.
Source: TripAdvisor
Entertaining clients in the city is as easy as choosing a hotel, although your best bets probably lie outside areas packed to the gills with tourists. For an informal and solidly Irish meal, The Pig's Ear is a good pick. But Dublin is teeming with all kinds of cuisines, and boasts some very good Italian and French restaurants. They include the Blackboard Bistro, a cosy French place, and Il Vicoletto, an Italian spot worth checking out even though it is in the bustling Temple Bar neighbourhood.
The Quote: "Ireland. Great for the spirit – very bad for the body." Hugh Dancy, English actor
afitch@thenational.ae
The specs
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On sale: now
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Juvenile arthritis
Along with doctors, families and teachers can help pick up cases of arthritis in children.
Most types of childhood arthritis are known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis. JIA causes pain and inflammation in one or more joints for at least six weeks.
Dr Betina Rogalski said "The younger the child the more difficult it into pick up the symptoms. If the child is small, it may just be a bit grumpy or pull its leg a way or not feel like walking,” she said.
According to The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases in US, the most common symptoms of juvenile arthritis are joint swelling, pain, and stiffness that doesn’t go away. Usually it affects the knees, hands, and feet, and it’s worse in the morning or after a nap.
Limping in the morning because of a stiff knee, excessive clumsiness, having a high fever and skin rash are other symptoms. Children may also have swelling in lymph nodes in the neck and other parts of the body.
Arthritis in children can cause eye inflammation and growth problems and can cause bones and joints to grow unevenly.
In the UK, about 15,000 children and young people are affected by arthritis.
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.”
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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.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
