Ten seasoned and up-and-coming chefs in Dubai have shared their unique takes on classic Ramadan recipes, from a stir-fried Emirati ouzi to an Arabic coffee choux pastry.
Ramadan Recipes Guide, an initiative by Brand Dubai now in its fourth year, features 30 iftar and suhoor recipes for every day of Ramadan.
The campaign aims to celebrate the city's “culinary diversity and unique cultural blend”, says Fatma Almulla, city brand executive at Brand Dubai.
While past editions of the guide only featured recipes from restaurants and cafes, this year Brand Dubai has tapped 10 of the city's most popular chefs.
The dishes in this year's guide draw influences from different cuisines including Emirati, Italian, Mexican and Scandinavian. Healthier foods are also showcased, as well as recipes for those who are vegetarian or have gluten intolerance.
Some of the chefs and their Ramadan dishes featured this year include Izu Ani, who shares his recipe for harissa prawns. Ani is the man behind some of the most popular restaurants in Dubai including Gaia, La Maison Ani and Alaya.
Saud Al Matrooshi, the executive chef of Emirates Flight Catering, is also part of the guide, sharing his recipe for the aforementioned riff on Emirati ouzi. Al Matrooshi is responsible for developing Arabic dishes for the airline's in-flight services. He also heads the company's Emirati Kitchen Catering division.
Representing Iraqi cuisine with modern sensibilities, chef Shaheen shares how to make his version of beef stroganoff. The celebrity chef, who joined UK cooking show MasterChef in 2020, owns a restaurant in Dubai called Yaba, which showcases his take on Iraqi food.
Chef Karim Bourgi shows off his dessert expertise with his recipe for chocolate flan. He was named Mena's Best Pastry Chef by the World's 50 Best organisation this year.
Emirati spotlight
The guide also prominently showcases Emirati talent.
Amna Al Hashemi, who owns Mitts and Tray restaurant, which has two outlets in Dubai, is included. She studied pastry cooking and baking as well as nutrition at the International Centre for Culinary Arts. For the guide, Al Hashemi shares her recipe for a khabeesa trifle.
Chef Mohammad Al Banna's recipe for thareed lamb rib chops is also part of the guide, as well as Arabic coffee choux pastry by chef Maitha Al Warshaw and coconut sago, mango mousse and passion fruit trifle by chef Arwa Lootah.
Self-taught Emirati cook Sumaya Obaid shares her recipe for Moroccan chicken olives with lemon. Rising stars Abdulrahman and Maitha Al Hashmi, also known as “The Twin Emirati Chefs”, share their date meatball with herbal labneh recipe.
Recipes from restaurants
Ten restaurants are taking part in the guide this year, with each of them sharing two iftar and suhoor ideas, to complete the 30-day recipes list.
Bait Maryam, led by Mena's Best Female Chef 2023 Salam Dakkak, is one of them. The Middle Eastern restaurant is part of Michelin’s Bib Gourmand category. For the guide, she shares how to make aubergine fattah and halawet el jibn.
Other restaurants participating include Terra Eatery, TBK, Fat Uncle, The Bread Basket and Maria Bonita, sharing recipes for an array of dishes such as sourdough Emirati qirs, almond coconut basbousa with cream and no-bake rutab custard casserole.
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
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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.”
