Mayyas winning America's Got Talent was worth so much more than $1 million for Lebanese viewers.
The dance troupe’s victory, which earned them the seven-figure prize on Wednesday night, offered a sliver of hope to the country and its population, who continue to battle a flurry of crises and bad news.
“We haven't shed happy tears in so long in this country and Mayyas made it happen,” says Reem Nasra, 24, a recruiter in Beirut.
Mayyas first made international headlines when they received a golden buzzer from judge Sofia Vergara for their performance during the auditions, securing their spot in the semi-finals.
"There are no words to explain to you what we were feeling over here," Vergara said at the time. "It was the most beautiful, creative dancing I have ever seen."
We haven't shed happy tears in so long in this country and Mayyas made it happen
Reem Nasra,
24
Since then, the Lebanese group put on a series of breathtaking routines as they advanced to the final. And, their journey to the top connected with compatriots around the world.
“They are an example of what a synchronised group of Lebanese are able to achieve,” says Eli Lattouf, 26, a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard Medical School in the US. “Such a win delivers a global message.”
Watch the moment Mayyas won on 'America's Got Talent' here
Lebanon is currently facing an economic crisis described as one of the worst in 150 years by the World Bank. According to a UN study, the financial collapse has pushed more than 80 per cent of the population into poverty while inflation and living expenses reached record highs.
The country’s plight has made global news, highlighting everything from its fuel crisis to the deadly Beirut port blast in 2020.
To see Lebanon represented in a different light, as a beacon of art and culture, was refreshing, says Lattouf.
“Most people know the Lebanon they see on the news, which might not be totally misleading, unfortunately,” he tells The National. “This time the world sees not one, but a group of Lebanese, full of art, creativity and discipline.”
Lattouf’s sentiment is echoed by many other Lebanese people, who are proud of the group’s outstanding representation on a global platform.
“This is our Lebanon, the real one,” says Rima Hijazi, 26.
Watching from her home in Choueifat, south-east of Beirut, the agricultural engineer fortunately had electricity overnight to stream the final live. Many other households across Lebanon were without power, which prompted private TV station LBCI to campaign for generator owners to keep the lights on ahead of the show.
Lebanon’s electricity crisis is merely one of the many obstacles Mayyas had to overcome while rehearsing.
Despite the many hindrances, the girls put in long hours of work, determined to grab the title.
According to the group's founder and choreographer Nadim Cherfan, the team were in the studio on a daily basis and would “only leave when the power goes off”.
“When it’s about art, nothing stands in your way,” he previously told The National.
Watch Mayyas perform during the auditions on 'America's Got Talent'
Their hard work and diligence made them all the more deserving of the win, according to many Lebanese. It is also testament to the country’s potential, despite the odds.
“This win means that despite everything we are going through, our will to live and be successful beats all miseries,” says Yara Youssef, 25, a marketing coordinator in Beirut.
Between pride and hope, Mayyas also evoked a solemn feeling for some.
“It's a bit sad knowing that if you have potential here in Lebanon, you have to leave in order to reach your goals,” Hijazi tells The National. “We’re in the wrong spot to bloom.”
But despite their international achievement, Mayyas are returning to Lebanon, where they will continue to work on their art.
While Cherfan has been asked why he continues to work in Beirut, he is adamant on going back to where they started.
“I’m never leaving my country because my country has never left me,” he says.
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
More on Quran memorisation:
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
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.”
At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020
Launched: 2008
Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools
Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)
Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13
Impact in numbers
335 million people positively impacted by projects
430,000 jobs created
10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water
50 million homes powered by renewable energy
6.5 billion litres of water saved
26 million school children given solar lighting
