Publique is bringing yet another exciting batch of pop-culture quizzes to the UAE, with Money Heist and Lord of the Rings-themed nights now in the calendar.
If you know your Aragorn from your elves, and Endore from your shire, then the Middle-earth Quiz is for you. Brush up on your elvish and J R R Tolkein references, and prepare to be quizzed on all things Lord of the Rings at the alpine-style bar.
The Frodo and co-themed quizzes will take place from 8pm until 10pm on Wednesday, September 4 and Wednesday, September 11. As always, there will be prizes for best dressed, as well as Q&A winners, so why not go all out with cloaks, toe hair and gold ring accessories?
If LOTR is not your bag, you may instead be interested in the Money Heist quizzes on Wednesday, September 18 and Wednesday, September 25.
Only 23 episodes of the high-octane show have aired to date, and they are all available to stream on Netflix. So, even if you haven't watched the Spanish television phenomenon just yet, a dedicated weekend of bingeing could rectify that and have you quiz ready in time.
The ski chalet-themed bar has already hosted popular weekly Friends quizzes throughout July, and Marvel and Breaking Bad nights in August.
It's not just about the pop-culture pondering, however. Publique offers a nightly three-hour brunch package with an alpine menu and selected beverages for Dh275 over the summer (usual price is Dh345), or a cheese deal, which includes a selection of beverages with set cheese dishes (including raclette, fondue or tartiflette) from Dh220 per couple.
Quizzes at Publique, Madinat Jumeirah, from 8pm-10pm, Wednesdays throughout September; the Middle-earth Quiz will take place on September 4 and 11; the 'Money Heist' quiz will take place on September 18 and 25; email info@publique.ae; 04 430 8550, www.publique.ae
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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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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying


