Al Sultan Sweets, founded by Syrian immigrants in the UAE, is among the places that will deliver during Ramadan. AFP
Al Sultan Sweets, founded by Syrian immigrants in the UAE, is among the places that will deliver during Ramadan. AFP
Al Sultan Sweets, founded by Syrian immigrants in the UAE, is among the places that will deliver during Ramadan. AFP
Al Sultan Sweets, founded by Syrian immigrants in the UAE, is among the places that will deliver during Ramadan. AFP

Food

Bring out the dessert: the traditional Arabic sweet shops delivering across the UAE this Ramadan

This is where you can get your sugar fix this Ramadan

Samia Badih
Samia Badih

April 30, 2020

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  • Arabic

While Ramadan is a month of many rituals, one thing you can't miss is a little post-iftar treat after a long day of fasting. And considering the majority of us fasting will experience Ramadan in quarantine this year, we probably all deserve it. Here is a list of places that can deliver to your doorstep.

Ibsais Sweets

Ibsais Sweets is arguably the best kunafa place in town. With shops across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, this kunafa specialty shop will continue to deliver for free throughout the month of Ramadan, either by calling them directly or through apps such as Talabat and Carriage. The store's current opening hours are 12pm to 11pm.

Al Sultan Sweets

Located in Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, this Arabic dessert shop was founded by Syrian immigrants, and offers a variety of sweets. You don't know what you're missing until you've tried their baklava. All branches deliver, but charges apply based on location. Opening times vary, so check with your nearest branch.

Al Baba Sweets

This sweets shop, which first opened in 1950 in a small town in Lebanon, today operates shops across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. You can never go wrong with their wide range of Arabic sweets. Their assorted baklava boxes are great to gift as well, but if you're interested in something a little different, we highly recommend their chocolate sable cookies. Delivery is available through Talabat only in Abu Dhabi. The store currently opens from 10am to 9pm in Abu Dhabi.

Al Samadi Sweets

Located across Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Al Samadi Sweets is another Lebanese staple that has ventured out into the world. The shop, which first started in 1872, has been in the UAE for more than 30 years. Delivery is available by calling the shop directly and a Dh5 charge applies. Its current opening hours are 10am to 10pm.

Qwaider Al Nabulsi

This is a local gem. Located only in Abu Dhabi, the place has the best of everything – their halawet el-jibn and t mafroukeh deserves a special mention. The store, with its two branches, offers free delivery and is currently open from 10am to 10pm on Defence Road and until 12pm in Khalidyah.

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The bio

Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.

Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.

Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.

Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.

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MATCH INFO

Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai

On Women's Day
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UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
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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.”

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