The Umm Suqeim neighbourhood in Dubai. Duncan Chard for The National
The Umm Suqeim neighbourhood in Dubai. Duncan Chard for The National

Dubai gallery owner turns her villa into an extension of her passion



The clues are there from the beginning. Walk through the door and your eye is drawn to a huge, haunting Sabhan Adam canvas, guarding the hallway. With no doors on the lower floor, the ground level of this five-bedroom villa is a seamless space filled with decorative antique chests, several Rokni Haerizadeh paintings and lots of interesting coffee-table books on design, travel and architecture. The home of Sharon Harvey is a testament to her background, (she is originally from Zimbabwe) and to her profession as a gallery owner (Showcase Gallery Art & Antiques) and former interior designer. The house is comfortably chic with many striking conversation pieces.

"I was attracted to the villa primarily because of the incredible light; there are massive windows and glass doors in every single room, so no matter what time of day it is there is sunshine pouring in," says Sharon. Apart from the visual aspect [natural light] also brings amazing energy into a home."

She's right; the ambience is serene yet uplifting. This is complemented by the interior design scheme and Sharon has followed a classic combination of neutral furniture (squashy sofas in creams and white linen union) accessorised by richly coloured cushions, kilim rugs, artefacts and paintings. Describing herself as a "creature of habit", Sharon has been living in Dubai for 24 years and says: "My style is so ingrained in me and my lifestyle; it's eclectic and overflowing with furniture, accessories and art."

Her top tip to begin a home decor scheme is to start off with some special pieces and then build around them. But, says Sharon: "try to create a home to suit your lifestyle, make it comfortable and not a showroom".

It's relatively easy for Sharon, but she admits that having an art gallery can mean she is unwilling to part with many pieces and so it also becomes an expensive pastime. "I have a personal collection of Arab chests in my home. These have come my way and I have not wanted to part with them; from the traditional wedding chests to the sea chests, which are more simplified. I just love them at the base of a bed, as side tables next to sofas and I also have them in my entrance hall. They are wonderfully decorative as well as functional. I see the gallery as an extension of my home and not vice versa. It has to be in a way, as I spend more time there than I do at home sometimes."

Sharon bought Showcase Gallery six years ago and she has been fine-tuning it ever since, but her interest in art began much earlier. "As soon as I could, I started buying original art, usually from artists who were also friends. I cannot see any point in putting anything on the wall if it isn't real art and means something to you personally."

Sharon's been fortunate to exhibit many emerging artists who have become friends, including up-and-coming Amartey Golding. "My best pieces are by Rokni Haerizadeh. I fell in love with his art when some of it was brought to the gallery five years ago when he was unknown. I purchased my first piece then, and in fact his earlier works are my favourites, and being a friend now makes his work more meaningful. Another of my favourite pieces is a sculpture by the Indian artist Debanjan Roy, which I purchased at Art Dubai - from a series called India Shining and is a humorous bright red Gandhi reclining on a chair."

These artworks are all juxtaposed with family photographs and work by Sharon's daughter Michelle, who is graduating this year from Central St Martin's in London; she has clearly inherited her mother's passion.

Of course the Sabhan Adam mixed-media canvas always elicits a reaction from guests. "I am fortunate to be exhibiting many of Sabhan Adam's older works in the gallery this month. He is slightly controversial. I have his books in stock and often encourage potential buyers to read a little about him before they make any judgement. It creates a much better understanding of who he is and why he paints a figure of a man, or it could be an animal, over and over again in various shapes and forms. I think this sort of research is always wise before investment anyway as quite often it transforms a would-be critic into a collector of his work. Whether you love it or hate it, you cannot walk past and not take notice."

It's Sharon's quest for knowledge and her diverse interests that have driven her enormous book collection - displayed on Omani chests and throughout the house. There are references to her African heritage, too - ebony sculptures, pen and ink drawings of ostriches, safari style skins all shout of a contemporary colonial vibe.

Showcase Gallery's reputation as framers is second to none, and Sharon is used to giving other people advice on buying, framing and hanging art. "I definitely believe certain art is for certain places," she explains. "The Sabhan Adam could never be in the bedroom for example. I believe that bedroom art should be peaceful and seductive. Art should also be hung at eye level so in a passageway it is quite high whereas in a living or dining area where one is seated it should be lower, of course. I like to mix and match different frame styles, as I have done here - if you don't then your home will look like a gallery space."

Although Sharon has deliberately enhanced the light in her villa by making the interior open plan, she has also resisted the temptation to use curtains or blinds. This also brings the outside in.

"I moved in last February and the garden was a total mess apart from the enormous bougainvillea hedges separating me from the neighbours which bring year-round colour. I planted an easy-to-maintain garden, with some lawn and lots of potted plants on the paved living space for outdoor dining. I use the outside for entertaining and I like to eat al fresco as much as possible." The latest addition to her home are two chickens, who seem content to roam the spacious garden. They provide the finishing touches to an idyllic address.

Showcase Gallery is located on Beach Road, Dubai. Sabhan Adam's exhibition opened on March 17 and runs until April 15, followed by an exhibition by Amartey Golding. info@showcasedubai.com

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.”

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

Anxiety and work stress major factors

Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.

A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.

Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.

One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.

It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."

Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.

“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi. 

“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."

Daniel Bardsley

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Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5