• Boho dresses at the new Anthropologie store in The Dubai Mall. Courtesy Anthropologie
    Boho dresses at the new Anthropologie store in The Dubai Mall. Courtesy Anthropologie
  • Urban Outfitters brings edgy fashion to Abu Dhabi's Yas Mall. Courtesy Urban Outfitters
    Urban Outfitters brings edgy fashion to Abu Dhabi's Yas Mall. Courtesy Urban Outfitters
  • The Dubai store marks Anthropologie's first branch in the UAE. Courtesy Anthropologie
    The Dubai store marks Anthropologie's first branch in the UAE. Courtesy Anthropologie
  • The new interior of Urban Outfitters in Yas Mall. Courtesy Urban Outfitters
    The new interior of Urban Outfitters in Yas Mall. Courtesy Urban Outfitters
  • Anthropologie offers fashion as well as homeware. Courtesy Anthropologie
    Anthropologie offers fashion as well as homeware. Courtesy Anthropologie
  • Urban Outfitters is filled with kitschy collectables. Courtesy Urban Outfitters
    Urban Outfitters is filled with kitschy collectables. Courtesy Urban Outfitters
  • Urban Outfitters offers shirts, tops and T-shirts that are designed to be layered. Courtesy Urban Outfitters
    Urban Outfitters offers shirts, tops and T-shirts that are designed to be layered. Courtesy Urban Outfitters
  • Colourful dresses at the first Anthropologie store in Dubai. Courtesy Anthropologie
    Colourful dresses at the first Anthropologie store in Dubai. Courtesy Anthropologie
  • Newly arrived to the capital, Urban Outfitters is young and laid-back. Courtesy Urban Outfitters
    Newly arrived to the capital, Urban Outfitters is young and laid-back. Courtesy Urban Outfitters
  • Brightly coloured and patterned homeware at Anthropologie. Courtesy Anthropologie
    Brightly coloured and patterned homeware at Anthropologie. Courtesy Anthropologie
  • There are plenty of homeware options at Anthropologie. Courtesy Anthropologie
    There are plenty of homeware options at Anthropologie. Courtesy Anthropologie
  • Books and colourful homeware at Anthropologie. Courtesy Anthropologie
    Books and colourful homeware at Anthropologie. Courtesy Anthropologie

Fashion

First look: Anthropologie comes to Dubai and Urban Outfitters opens in Abu Dhabi

Finally, the wait is over as the American stores bring their laid-back aesthetic to the region

Sarah Maisey

May 30, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

Not one but two hotly anticipated new shops opened in the UAE this weekend.

In the capital, Urban Outfitters unveiled its latest venue in Yas Mall, while in Dubai, Anthropologie opened its first UAE outpost at The Dubai Mall.

Visitors to the capital's Yas Mall can now enjoy the new store, which is part of a larger Dh500 million refurbishment that is taking place over the next 18 months. The project will herald the arrival of many international retail outlets at the venue, including an Ethan Allen.

The opening marks the first Urban Outfitters in the capital, building on the success of The Dubai Mall shop that opened in 2019.

As with all Urban Outfitters shops, the new arrival offers laid-back, slightly preppy, streetwear, accessories and footwear (think Vans, Fila and Champion) to an audience of ages 18 to 30.

With its range of kitsch collectibles, sunglasses and easy-on-the-pocket prices, it has won legions of fans the world over.

The new Anthropologie store in The Dubai Mall. Courtesy Anthropologie
The new Anthropologie store in The Dubai Mall. Courtesy Anthropologie

Since being founded in Philadelphia in 1970, Urban Outfitters has made its name offering fashion cross the genders in muted tones, with plenty of jeans, layerable tops and low-top trainers.

In Dubai, meanwhile, Anthropologie opened its doors at The Dubai Mall.

A sister company of Urban Outfitters, both were founded by URBN chairman and president Dick Hayne, and Anthropologie opened in 1992.

Aimed at an older, largely female crowd, the shop taps into a creative slant with plenty of patterning that runs across floaty dresses, boho jewellery and even printed bed linen.

Filled with big name brands such as Levi’s, Birkenstock and Calvin Klein, the collection is aimed at what the company describes as its five muses: "soft & delicate; boho chic; easy cool; elegant classic and modern sporty."

Filled with everything from homeware to arty books, it is safe to say there is plenty of choice at the new Dubai branch.

While you're here
The biog

Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball

CREW
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERajesh%20A%20Krishnan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETabu%2C%20Kareena%20Kapoor%20Khan%2C%20Kriti%20Sanon%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5-litre%204-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECVT%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E119bhp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E145Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh%2C89%2C900%20(%2424%2C230)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More on animal trafficking
While you're here
Score

Third Test, Day 1

New Zealand 229-7 (90 ov)
Pakistan

New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat

All or Nothing

Amazon Prime

Four stars

Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

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.”

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

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

On Women's Day
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
NO OTHER LAND

Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

Directed by Sam Mendes

Starring Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays

4.5/5

Fashion