South Korea's LG Electronics launched its battery-powered face mask fitted with two air purifiers in the UAE, amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The mask called PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier, comes with two air filters and a special case that disinfects the mask with ultra-violet light.
“While this device could not be any timelier, demand for portable protection and access to clean air is not new. For years, we have seen growing interest and concern for maintaining good air quality,” said Hongju Jeon, president of LG Electronics in the Gulf region.
“We are seeing interest in sectors ranging from government and B2B organisations, right through to everyday consumers.”
The market of protective gear is booming. The global sale of disposable masks is set to increase to $166 billion this year, from around $800 million in 2019, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
The PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier, which weighs 126g and can be used from four to eight hours, is available in the UAE at select outlets of Carrefour, Sharaf DG and ACE stores for Dh699. Two H13 HEPA Filters will be provided in the box, with additional filters available for Dh59.
LG’s new mask comes with dual fans that allow users to take in clean and filtered air. They are fitted with patented respiratory sensors that detect the cycle and volume of the wearer’s breath and adjust fan speed accordingly. The fans automatically speed up to assist air intake and slow down to reduce resistance when exhaling to make breathing effortless, LG said.
The PuriCare face mask has been in development since 2017 and undergone gone three years of R&D and product testing.
While undertaking research, LG identified common challenges for mask-wearers, including regulating air flow without becoming too warm or claustrophobic and having glasses fog up. Additionally, as people become more conscious of the environment, the need for a more sustainable solution was clear.
LG’s face mask has been designed based on facial shape analysis. The device fits snugly around the user’s face to minimise air leakage around the nose and chin. A silicone pad seeks to promote comfortable fit for hours and reduce the fogging up of glasses, while an inner cover prevents contamination, LG said in a statement.
About 75 per cent of used masks, as well as other pandemic-related waste, will end up in landfills, or floating in the seas. The UN Environment Programme estimates that in addition to the environmental damage, the impact on tourism and fisheries is about $40bn.
The mask comes with rechargeable 820 milliampere hours battery that offer up to eight hours of operation in low mode and two hours on high.
LG will soon release a case for its face mask, which can charge the device in two hours and send notifications to the user’s smartphone when filters need to be replaced.
All components of the PuriCare Wearable – from the filters to the ear straps – are replaceable and recyclable, according to the company.
The two HEPA filters will prevent harmful airborne matter, such as viruses, bacteria and common allergens, from entering the wearer’s respiratory system.
The biog
Hobby: "It is not really a hobby but I am very curious person. I love reading and spend hours on research."
Favourite author: Malcom Gladwell
Favourite travel destination: "Antigua in the Caribbean because I have emotional attachment to it. It is where I got married."
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
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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.”
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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10.
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South Korea
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
James Mustich, Workman
Who are the Soroptimists?
The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.
The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.
