The Day of the Dead, also known as Dia De Los Muertos, is a Mexican holiday celebrated that honours the deceased. It event usually lasts three days from Thursday, October 31 to Saturday, November 2. The occasion is for honouring and showing love and respect to deceased family members.
In the UAE, there are a number of events for the weekend. Here's a look at where to celebrate in the UAE:
El Sombrero, Sheraton Abu Dhabi
Head to El Sombrero at the Sheraton Abu Dhabi and enjoy unlimited food and Mexican drinks from Dh199. Enjoy traditional dishes such as fajitas and tacos along with special dishes from Mexican chef Maria Guadalupe Gallegos Carranza. There will also be a Latin band to keep guests dancing all night long.
Saturday, November 2, from 6.30pm-11.30pm; Dh199; Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel and Resort, Corniche, Abu Dhabi; 02 677 3333; irene.vilches@sheratonaabudhabihotel.com
Hemingway’s, Radisson Blu
Visit Hemingway’s at Radisson Blu and attend their Mexican brunch buffet for the day of the dead. The venue will be transformed into a Dia De Los Muertos town. Children under the age of six eat free while children aged six to 12 can also dine for 50 per cent off in the kid’s corner. Guest are also encouraged to don a scary costume to celebrate.
Friday, November 1, 1pm-5pm; from Dh120; Radisson Blu Hotel & Resort, Abu Dhabi Corniche, Abu Dhabi; 05 681 1900
Viewz, Crystal hotel
DJ Sugarfed will bring the Latin sounds to the stage at Viewz for a Fiesta Latina Dia De Los Muertos celebration. There will be drink specials for the occasion. Guests are also encouraged to dress to impress with prizes be awarded for scariest costumes.
Thursday, October 31, 8pm-4am; free; Views, Cristal Hotel, Abu Dhabi; 050 615 1064
The Point, Palm Jumeirah
Get dressed up in your best Dia De Los Muertos-inspired outfit and head to The Pointe. There two-day event will feature a weekend of music, dance, colour, art and food. There will also be parades from 5pm onwards as well as a cinema event showing Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in the Event Plaza on Saturday, November 2 at 8.30pm.
Thursday, October 31 to Sunday, November 3, from 5pm; free; The Point, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai; 04 390 9999; www.thepointe.ae,
La Tablita Dubai
Head to La Tablita Dubai to enjoy a festive celebration for the day of the dead. The night will feature a Mexican buffer with traditional street food including tamales, tacos, zesty ceviche, garnaches and chips and guacamole. The dessert section includes churros con chocolate and tres leches. Pan de muerto, a specially decorated sweet bread, traditionally baked in Mexico for the celebration, will also be served for all to try. There will also be games, face painting and a mariachi singer and DJ.
Thursday, October 31, 7pm-2am; from Dh200; La Tablita, Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights; 04 526 0190
Hotel Cartagena
Celebrate Dia De Los Muertos at Hotel Cartagena by either attending their brunch or dinner. Dress up for a chance to win a complimentary brunch for four. Brunch starts at Dh295 and is from 1.30pm to 4pm while dinner is a la carte and from 7pm until late. Items on the menu include empanadas, tacos and chicharrones.
Friday, November 1, from 1.30pm; various prices; Hotel Cartagena, JW Marriott Marquis, Dubai; 050 119 7743; reservations@hotelcartagena.ae,
Brunch at Zero Gravity
Head to the Day of the Dead brunch at Zero Gravity. There is all-day pool and beach access from 10am and then an unlimited food and beverage brunch from 1pm to 5pm with the Tropic Brunch getting a ghoulish makeover for Dia de los Muertos. The after party will feature a sunset DJ gig by Sam Feldt which is free for ladies and Dh100 for men.
Friday, November 1, 1pm-5pm; from Dh295; Zero Gravity, JBR, Dubai; 04 399 0009; weloveourbeach@0-gravity.ae
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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.”
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
We Weren’t Supposed to Survive But We Did
We weren’t supposed to survive but we did.
We weren’t supposed to remember but we did.
We weren’t supposed to write but we did.
We weren’t supposed to fight but we did.
We weren’t supposed to organise but we did.
We weren’t supposed to rap but we did.
We weren’t supposed to find allies but we did.
We weren’t supposed to grow communities but we did.
We weren’t supposed to return but WE ARE.
Amira Sakalla
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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