Boyz II Men's Wanya Morris, Prachi Tehlan and Eva Longoria have all been in the UAE this week. Instagram
Boyz II Men's Wanya Morris, Prachi Tehlan and Eva Longoria have all been in the UAE this week. Instagram
Boyz II Men's Wanya Morris, Prachi Tehlan and Eva Longoria have all been in the UAE this week. Instagram
Boyz II Men's Wanya Morris, Prachi Tehlan and Eva Longoria have all been in the UAE this week. Instagram

Lifestyle

45 celebrities who were spotted in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ajman this week

It's been another busy week in the UAE with singers, models, influencers and athletes all hanging out in the emirates

Farah Andrews
Farah Andrews
Dubai

December 24, 2019

  • English
  • Arabic

This week, if you've been out dune bashing in the desert, visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque or chilling out at Atlantis, The Palm, it's very likely you'll have been mere metres away from a celebrity, because all three destinations seem to have been packed with stars over the past seven days.

From top secret performances to family visits, here are 41 celebrities, social media stars, athletes and singers that have been spotted in the UAE this week...

1. Katy Perry

Roar singer Katy Perry was flown into Dubai for a private performance at Atlantis, The Palm on Monday, December 16. The songstress took to the stage for Rise Dubai, marketing company Amway's Asia Pacific Leadership Seminar. As many as 6,500 people were flown into Dubai for the event.

2. Rafael Nadal

Tennis champ Rafael Nadal won Abu Dhabi's Mubadala World Tennis Championship this week. While he may have been focused on the on-court action, he did have some time for a beach photoshoot with the #InAbuDhabi sign on Saadiyat Island, as you do.

3. Richard Branson

Virgin entrepreneur Richard Branson paid a visit to a number of his UAE enterprises last week. He stopped by Virgin Megastore at The Dubai Mall to support the launch of Made51 products on Tuesday, December 17. He also visited the Virgin Radio studios and decorated a Christmas tree with DJ Brent Black.

4. Eva Longoria

No stranger to Dubai, she got engaged to Jose Baston in Dubai in 2015, Eva Longoria has had a busy week. As well as hosting the Global Gift Gala, the actress has been out in the desert and dined on a gold steak at Salt Bae's Nusr-Et.

5. Boyz II Men's Wanya Morris

RnB crooners Boyz II Men performed at Dubai's Coca-Cola Arena on Thursday, December 19. Making the most of his time in the emirates, the charismatic Wanya Morris shared photos from the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and Burj Khalifa.

Boyz II Men's Wanya Morris at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and Burj Khalifa. Instagram
Boyz II Men's Wanya Morris at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and Burj Khalifa. Instagram

6-9. Ekta and Tusshar Kapoor and family

Bollywood power family, Ekta Kapoor, Tusshar Kapoor, Jeetendra and Shobha Kapoor were in Dubai together on Saturday, December 21. They relaxed on the Palm Jumeirah and visited PlayTown Dubai.

10. Maya Jama 

British radio presenter Maya Jama flew over to Dubai for a solo holiday. She checked into the Burj Al Arab (pictured below) and dined at Miss Lily's.

11. Hrithik Roshan

Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan attended a private event in Dubai on Wednesday, December 18. At the event he danced with fans and posed for photos with the crowd.

12. Jacqueline Fernandez

Bollywood star and regular Dubai visitor Jacqueline Fernandez attended the Global Gift Gala with Eva Longoria and sisters and Dubai residents, Huda and Mona Kattan.

13. Azzy

Canadian vlogger Azra Bajrami, known as Azzy, has made the most of her trip to the UAE. She has diligently documented her visit, with stops (and photoshoots) in the Abu Dhabi desert, at Al Qudra, atop the Burj Khalifa, at Atlantis The Palm, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Burj Al Arab and in Bur Dubai.

14. Prachi Tehlan

Indian actress, netball and basketball player, Prachi Tehlan, has been exploring Dubai. She stopped off at the Burj Khalifa and admired the view from the 124th floor.

15-17. So Solid Crew

Three members of British garage and hip hop group So Solid Crew were in Dubai to perform at nightclub The Hideout on Thursday, December 19. Members Romeo Dunn, Lisa Maffia and Dan Da Man took to the stage and performed some of their biggest hits.

They also went quad biking in the desert and enjoyed an Xclusive Yachts boat party.

18. Mohanlal 

Malayalam cinema star Mohanlal was in Dubai for surgery on Saturday, December 21. Posting a photo with his doctor, while wearing a cast, he thanked Dr Bhuvaneshwar Machani, saying he had the procedure at Burjeel Hospital For Advanced Surgery.

19. Swae Lee Lee Swae

American rapper Swae Lee Lee Swae hit the desert for some dune quad biking on Monday, December 16.

20. Ananya Panday

Indian actress Ananya Panday has been living her best life in Dubai, chilling out at popular beach bar, Barasti.

21. Alec Smith

Athlete Alec Smith was in the UAE for the Dubai CrossFit Championships, from Wednesday, December 11 to Saturday, December 14. As well as working out, while in town he paid the desert a visit and went for a swim with a Burj Al Arab backdrop.

22-23. Hannah Bronfman and Brendan Fallis

At the beginning of the month, entrepreneur Hannah Bronfman and her DJ husband Brendan Fallis visited Abu Dhabi for the first time. But Fallis has just posted the visit on YouTube, starting with their Etihad flight, checking into Emirates Palace, with beach days, a Louvre Abu Dhabi visit, lunch at Zuma, a Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque trip and a day at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

24. Baddy Oosha 

Nigerian singer Baddy Oosha seems to have been shopping up a storm in Dubai. The popular musician posted a number of shots inside stores, tagging himself in Dubai and at Global Village.

25. Marcus Majella

The Brazilian comedy actor and director was in Dubai and during his visit he took a Seawings seaplane ride and visited the Palm Jumeirah.

26. Riza Syah

Indonesian model Riza Syah has been spotted around Dubai, with a visit to Bur Dubai featuring an abra ride, theme park Motiongate and a desert safari all on his agenda.

27. Omoni Oboli

Actress, scriptwriter, filmmaker and author Omoni Oboli has been cruising around the region. Aboard the Jewel of the Seas, she stopped off in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, paying the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque a visit. She has since sailed onto Oman.

28. Steph Olive

Blogger Steph Olive was in town on Monday, December 16 and posted a photo of a desert encounter with a falcon.

29. Karina Kasparyants 

Russian actress and blogger Karina Kasparyants took on three emirates when in the UAE. She started at the Fairmont Ajman, then travelled south to Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, before stopping in Dubai to pose with a Burj Khalifa backdrop in Downtown Dubai, and visit the Dubai Miracle Garden, the desert and Dubai Marina.

30. Katrin Daviosdottir

Icelandic athlete and fittest women on earth, Katrin Daviosdottir, has been exploring the UAE with her sister and partner Streat Hoerner. She worked out at Barry's Bootcamp Dubai and spent the day in the desert.

31. Chiara Maci

Italian chef Chiara Maci is currently in Dubai with her family. They have been staying at Jumeirah Al Qasr, but also visited Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa. They made a few essential stops in Old Dubai, including a Dubai Creek abra ride and a trip to Arabian Tea House.

32. Timea Gelencser

Hungarian model Timea Gelencser checked into the One & Only Royal Mirage Dubai, she dined at Play Restaurant & Lounge and headed to the capital to watch the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.

33. Sana Khan

Indian influencer, model and actress Sana Khan flexed her Instagram chops on a 'Gram friendly flamingo at Nikki Beach Resort and Spa Dubai.

34. Kristina Mladenovic

Tennis pro Kristina Mladenovic has been doing her pre-season training at the American School of Dubai.

35. Mathi Sellanes 

Uruguayan YouTube star Mathi Sellanes went on a desert motorbiking day out, waving the UAE flag as he went.

36. Maddy Burciaga

French actress and influencer Maddy Burciaga has been staying at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach. She's explored the desert, posed in front of the Burj Al Arab and visited the Belhasa farm where she befriended a white lion.

37. Julia Godunova

Reverberatsiya actress Julia Godunova let out her inner child at Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi. She also visited Dubai Marina.

38. YBN Cordae

American rapper YBN Cordae was another guest at the Belhasa farm. He met the family's white lion cub on a stop during his The Lost Boy in America Tour. 

39. Elisabetta Gregoraci

Italian fashion model, actress and TV personality Elisabetta Gregoraci is at Atlantis, The Palm. She is in town with her son, Falco Nathan Briatore, and dined at Nobu Dubai.

Italian TV personality Elisabetta Gregoraci at Atlantis, The Palm, with son, Falco Nathan Briatore. Instagram
Italian TV personality Elisabetta Gregoraci at Atlantis, The Palm, with son, Falco Nathan Briatore. Instagram

40. Anastasia Potapova

Russian tennis player Anastasia Potapova enjoyed a chilled out lunch at a Dubai branch of Paul Bakery and Restaurant.

41. Benjamin Verbic

Slovenian professional footballer Benjamin Verbic has been in Dubai for some winter sun. Staying at the Five Palm Jumeirah Dubai, he's also been seen partying at Nikki Beach Dubai while in town.

42-43. Maria Sharapova and Novak Djokovic

There are lots of tennis personalities in town at the moment, and Maria Sharapova shared this snap of herself and Nadal (mentioned above) and Novak Djokovic. All three played at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.

44. Michelle Keegan

Another regular visitor to Dubai, the British actress shared this photo of herself on the Dubai Marina promenade.

45. Kelvin Fletcher

The Strictly Come Dancing winner showed off his core strength with an impressive photo he posted during his family holiday in Dubai. Captioned "Desert life", Fletcher's impressive human flag left his fans in awe.

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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.”

if you go

The flights
The closest international airport to the TMB trail is Geneva (just over an hour’s drive from the French ski town of Chamonix where most people start and end the walk). Direct flights from the UAE to Geneva are available with Etihad and Emirates from about Dh2,790 including taxes.

The trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc takes about 10 to 14 days to complete if walked in its entirety, but by using the services of a tour operator such as Raw Travel, a shorter “highlights” version allows you to complete the best of the route in a week, from Dh6,750 per person. The trails are blocked by snow from about late October to early May. Most people walk in July and August, but be warned that trails are often uncomfortably busy at this time and it can be very hot. The prime months are June and September.

 

 

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.

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2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks

2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit

2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”

2022:  Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency

July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”

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Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants

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FFP EXPLAINED

What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.

What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.

What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.

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Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

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