To mark International Mountain Day on Saturday, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority has unveiled a spate of new attractions coming to the UAE's highest peak, Jebel Jais.
The additions have been made with an eye on sustainable tourism and eco-conservation, the authority said, and will feature attractions that will "integrate seamlessly into the mountain ecosystem”. The enhancements on Jebel Jais are part of the half a billion-dirham investment announced earlier this year by the authority.
Bear Grylls Explorers Camp, which opened in 2020, has been expanded with redesigned cabins added, while the highest restaurant in the UAE, 1484 by Puro, that reopened in October, now boasts a larger deck and a new rooftop lounge, The View by 1484, that offers breathtaking views across the mountain.
Coming attractions include Jais Sledder, a toboggan ride that will be the longest in the region at 1,840 metres, when it opens later in December. There is Jais Wings, that will be the first dedicated paragliding site in the Gulf.
Jais Swing, for those brave enough to try the double swing, will offer unrivalled views, and is sure to be popular with Instagram users.
For those who prefer to stay on the ground, there will be Earth Altitude, a pop-up hotel, with 15 eco-based accommodation units and a swimming pool, that is set to open in early 2022, and Cloud7 Camp Jebel Jais, a sustainable glamping experience with 30 accommodation units, planned for the months of 2022.
Basecamp Jais will offer affordable accommodation, and will also be a leisure hub, offering yoga and Emirati live cooking. That too will open in late 2022. While Jais Yard is set to be a foodie village, with vintage truck restaurants, an open-air cinema and play areas for children, set to open at the end of next year.
For 2023, Saij, A Mantis Collection Mountain Lodge, will open a mountain retreat, offering 70 luxury lodges with a focus on nature with guided treks, mindful pursuits and creative experiences.
“As the custodians of our beautiful emirate, it’s our job to protect and conserve the Hajar Mountains. It’s undeniable that nature is at the heart of our destination with stunning topography ranging from long stretches of pristine beachfronts and sprawling deserts to, of course, spectacular mountain ranges. This is front and centre of our new destination tourism strategy to become the regional leader in environmentally conscious tourism by 2025 so that we can welcome three million visitors annually by 2030 in a responsible and purposeful way," said Raki Phillips, chief executive of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority.
Other additions include improved hiking trails, e-mountain bikes and new electric vehicle charging stations for visitors.
“Jebel Jais is home to Ras Al Khaimah’s most iconic adventure and nature-led attractions. We continue to evolve the mountain’s multitude of experiences to attract more people and give visitors the chance to get up close and personal with its spectacular terrain and natural vistas, without impacting the local ecosystem," said Alison Grinnell, chief executive of RAK Hospitality Holding. "These enhancements will bolster its position as the ideal getaway for those seeking new adventures, outdoor and survival experiences or simply looking to escape city life.”
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Result
Arsenal 4
Monreal (51'), Ramsey (82'), Lacazette 85', 89')
West Ham United 1
Arnautovic (64')
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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
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Empty Words
By Mario Levrero
(Coffee House Press)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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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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Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Company%20profile
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Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
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Huesca 0
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Bale 8'
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Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
Result:
1. Cecilie Hatteland (NOR) atop Alex - 31.46 seconds
2. Anna Gorbacheva (RUS) atop Curt 13 - 31.82 seconds
3. Georgia Tame (GBR) atop Cash Up - 32.81 seconds
4. Sheikha Latifa bint Ahmed Al Maktoum (UAE) atop Peanuts de Beaufour - 35.85 seconds
5. Miriam Schneider (GER) atop Benur du Romet - 37.53 seconds
6. Annika Sande (NOR) atop For Cash 2 - 31.42 seconds (4 penalties)
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Details
Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny
Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books
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Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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