Etihad is offering free Ramadan meals to anyone in need during the holy month. Meals can be ordered daily on Zomato. Courtesy Etihad
Etihad is offering free Ramadan meals to anyone in need during the holy month. Meals can be ordered daily on Zomato. Courtesy Etihad
Etihad is offering free Ramadan meals to anyone in need during the holy month. Meals can be ordered daily on Zomato. Courtesy Etihad
Etihad is offering free Ramadan meals to anyone in need during the holy month. Meals can be ordered daily on Zomato. Courtesy Etihad

This is what's inside Etihad's free Ramadan boxes for frontline workers


Hayley Skirka
  • English
  • Arabic

Etihad is sending Ramadan boxes to people in the UAE affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Doctors, nurses and front line workers will receive recipe boxes from the national airline of the UAE. Contents include fresh, pre-measured ingredients and recipe cards to create a home-cooked iftar.

Etihad is also serving free meals to people who have lost their jobs, are struggling financially or can't get to the grocery store because of health issues. Anyone affected by the Covid-19 pandemic can order a ready-made Etihad Ramadan meal on Zomato.

Health care professionals, key workers and volulnteers will recieve Ramadan boxes filled with pre-cut and measured ingredients and a recipe to prepare homemade iftar. Courtesy Etihad
Health care professionals, key workers and volulnteers will recieve Ramadan boxes filled with pre-cut and measured ingredients and a recipe to prepare homemade iftar. Courtesy Etihad

There is a choice of non-vegetarian or vegetarian menus with dishes such as grilled chicken, dal and paneer saagwala on offer. Meals are served with dates for breaking fast, water, cake and yoghurt.

How to order a free Etihad meal

  • Visit or log on to Zomato and search for Etihad. Opening hours for the service are daily from 4pm to 7pm.
  • Select a menu – you have the option of vegetarian or non-vegetarian
  • Enter the code ETIHAD at checkout to get your free meal sent to your home address
  • Note that orders are capped at one meal per person.

At this time of year, Etihad typically offers in-air iftar bags and menus to passengers on flights. This year, with commercial flights suspended in and out the UAE, the airline is offering food to those on the ground.

"Ramadan is a traditional time for gathering with friends and family, but with the impact of Covid-19, this year it is more challenging to do so. In these extraordinary times, we wanted to bring a touch of our signature in-flight hospitality to our local community and recognise the incredible efforts of the UAE’s medical staff and essential workers,” said Robin Kamark, chief commercial officer at Etihad.

What's inside Etihad's recipe boxes?

Etihad's is delivering Ramadan boxes to keyworkers with weekly changing menus. The first box contains everything needed to make a chicken biryani.
Etihad's is delivering Ramadan boxes to keyworkers with weekly changing menus. The first box contains everything needed to make a chicken biryani.

Doctors, nurses, volunteers and key workers will benefit from Etihad's Ramadan box initiative.

Each week, the airline will deliver boxes packed with pre-measured, fresh ingredients and an easy-to-follow recipe card to health workers in the UAE.

Designed by Etihad's in-flight chefs, the boxes are themed by cuisine from around the world, and the first delivery has everything needed to make a chicken biryani.

All the components in the box come packaged in trays similar to those that Etihad would use on its flights and there's more than 20 different ingredients, all pre-measured and pre-chopped or minced.

Ramadan boxes come with easy to follow recipes and a list of all ingredients.
Ramadan boxes come with easy to follow recipes and a list of all ingredients.

A recipe card, this week featuring in-flight chef Fera Indriany, lists the steps required to whip up the meal. It's easy to follow, and with everything already portioned out, cooking takes less than 30 minutes.

As well as the main course, there's also dates, oranges, water and laban, plus ingredients for an Arabic salad. Dessert is a traditional Kanafeh. Most items are provided in pairs so the box seems designed for two people, but the main course can easily feed four.

Etihad has been using its dedicated catering facility in Abu Dhabi to prepare meals for residents in isolation while passengers flights in and out of the country are suspended.

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Ramadan decorations in Abu Dhabi

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What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE

Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.

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.”

FIRST TEST SCORES

England 458
South Africa 361 & 119 (36.4 overs)

England won by 211 runs and lead series 1-0

Player of the match: Moeen Ali (England)

 

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

MATCH INFO

Everton 2 Southampton 1
Everton: Walcott (15'), Richarlison (31' )
Southampton: Ings (54')

Man of the match: Theo Walcott (Everton)

FIXTURES

Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)

Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)

Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)

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BIG SPENDERS

Premier League clubs spent £230 million (Dh1.15 billion) on January transfers, the second-highest total for the mid-season window, the Sports Business Group at Deloitte said in a report.