Same same, but different. That’s the look and feel the founders of Tr88house, arguably Dubai’s most eccentric family entertainment destination, are going for. And if the sneak peek The National got inside the 65,000-square-foot Bluewaters Island destination is anything to go by, they seem to have succeeded.
Consider: floating cocoon lights illuminate 12-metre-high treetops, where you might just spot a fairy or two. On-ground, you can tee off on a miniature nine-hole golf course, but one that’s located in a glow-in-the-dark tropical rainforest, complete with crouching tigers, perching toucans and illuminated tribal figurines.
Elsewhere, a game of laser tag takes on a mystical air, played as it is in a bioluminescent jungle filled, we are told, with “strange, abandoned technologies”. Players can hide behind neon-sprayed walls or blend in with the wildlife.
While these two arenas are more likely to appeal to teenagers and adults, Tr88house aims to be a destination for all the family. Those with younger children can make a beeline for Munchkin Monster, the venue’s sprawling soft-play area.
Designed to stimulate young minds, the space is part-jungle, part-maze, part-“ocean” (or ball pit, if you’d rather). From makeshift tree houses and cartoon animals to slides, swings and ropes, there is plenty to keep little ones engaged and entertained.
More family fun is to be had in Skyfall trampoline park, which features a gravity-defying slack line, climbing wall, ninja course and bouncing court in addition to a number of trampolines for children and adults of all ages. Done up in lashings of pumpkin orange, this area, too, channels Tr88house’s overarching psychedelic vibe.
“TR88house is not a business venture or a theme park … I call it a ‘journey into a dream’,” says James Kamyar, chief executive and co-founder of 88Alpha, a hospitality and entertainment management company. “A dream that grew when the world came to a standstill due to the pandemic. It’s a collective effort of artists, where every detail adds up to something [proving] there are no boundaries, no limit to imagination.”
If all this high-octane energy leaves you feeling famished, there are no fewer than six restaurants to feast at.
Asianica offers Asian-inspired street food dishes such as noodle salad from Bangkok, chicken bites from South Korea, Tokyo-style ramen and Thai curry.
Burger8 serves Wagyu and chicken burgers, plus hot dogs and loaded fries. Sample the signature Ghost burger, which comes with red peppers and a fried egg; and the Gangster dog, stuffed with Flaming Cheetos.
Arabic food lovers can head to Little Beirut for everything from zaatar and halloumi fries to pocket sandwiches and fatteh, plus a delectable-looking osmanliyah (two layers of crispy kunafa with qashta and sugar syrup).
8taly does freshly baked focaccia, all manner of pizzas and a “truffleshroom” mac and cheese.
Healthier gourmands can sample the fare at Greenlett, which offers superfood salads, and gluten-free and keto-friendly bowls.
Finally, Coffeelicious claims to offer “whimsical desserts like no other” (in addition to hot and cold beverages). The bombs, in particular, combine a medley of flavours, from coffee fudge and mascarpone cream to toasted marshmallows, biscuit crumbs and hot fudge.
Tr88house opens on Sunday, December 19
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
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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.”
On racial profiling at airports
Results:
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 2,000m - Winner: Powderhouse, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap Dh165,000 2,200m - Winner: Heraldic, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.40pm: Conditions Dh240,000 1,600m - Winner: Walking Thunder, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash
8.15pm: Handicap Dh190,000 2,000m - Winner: Key Bid, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
8.50pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 1,200m - Winner: Drafted, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
9.25pm: Handicap Dh170,000 1,600m - Winner: Cachao, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
10pm: Handicap Dh190,000 1,400m - Winner: Rodaini, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
