British viewers are about to see a side of Dubai “they did not know existed”, says celebrity chef Jason Atherton of his coming cooking show on the UK's ITV network.
Premiering on July 8, Dubai Dishes will have 10 episodes, and will see the British restaurateur explore the city's local food scene.
“It is a cooking show but showcases a lot more than that. It will touch upon the very best of Dubai cuisine, from the chefs to the food, as well as the local culture,” Atherton tells The National.
The show will highlight how the emirate has evolved over the years, adds Atherton, who has worked in the UAE for more than two decades. He began his Dubai stint at Gordon Ramsay's Verre, which was one of the first international-chef-led fine-dining ventures in the country.
Since then, Atherton has charted his own culinary success. He owns 17 restaurants across the globe, from London and New York to Singapore. His most recent Dubai venture, City Social, opened at Grosvenor House in February this year.
His connection to the city, where he met his Filipina wife and got married at a church in Jebel Ali, makes Atherton a fitting ambassador of Dubai's gastronomic potential, which he has always championed.
“Dubai has so much more to it – the depth, culture, talent and regional reach, it all serves to be recognised,” he says.
To further drive this point, the show will feature several local chefs and dining venues that are making international strides, including the Orfali brothers, whose Jumeirah restaurant, Orfali Bros Bistro, has been lauded as the best restaurant in the Middle East and North Africa by the World's 50 Best group.
Renowned chef Howard Ko of Ce La Vi will also make an appearance in the show, says Atherton.
Atherton and his guest chefs will present about 40 dishes over 10 episodes, showcasing the diversity of the restaurant scene.
Another highlight of the series is how it's going to show Dubai's budding agricultural scene, which has come to support the local restaurant industry in recent years.
“Sustainability is so much better. Dubai has built actual farms in the desert, meaning produce is much more accessible,” says Atherton.
“It just shows a different side to Dubai; it isn’t just shiny and bling, it has a thriving economy and really does take food seriously.”
Atherton's next adventure
The chef is also getting ready to open a third venue in Dubai Marina.
When launching City Social and Tokyo-inspired speakeasy 7 Tales earlier this year, Atherton told The National a third spot was in the works, and that it is “probably the most ambitious restaurant I've ever opened”.
Shedding more light on the venture, the restaurateur reveals it will be called Row of 45, and will be located on the 45th floor of Grosvenor House, above City Social and 7 Tales.
The restaurant will have only 22 seats, and offer a tailored dining experience, says Atherton, adding that it will offer “local products and a first-class experience”.
No opening date has been confirmed.
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
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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.”
Key facilities
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Company profile: buybackbazaar.com
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Started: January 2018
Founder(s): Pishu Ganglani and Ricky Husaini
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech, micro finance
Initial investment: $1 million
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.
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