The venue of the world’s greatest show has been transformed into a larger-than-life winter wonderland in the lead up to Christmas, a move that Tareq Ghosheh, chief events and entertainment officer of Expo 2020 Dubai, says is “the biggest site-wide event we’ve done so far”.
Here is what families can look forward to at Expo 2020 Dubai this month.
The decor: think big, bold and bright
From giant decorations and oversize nutcracker soldiers to a Santa’s grotto and Christmas trees galore, the Expo site promises to be a Christmas lover’s delight.
Children can head to Earth Plaza to post letters to Santa Claus via a red mailbox, which will be converted to a Give a Gift drop box at the end of the month.
Elsewhere, gingerbread houses, golden reindeer and lavishly ornamented trees of every size await at every turn, some of which are decorated with 2.5-metre baubles.
Perhaps most impressive of all, Al Wasl Plaza's dome has been transformed to look like a snow globe, complete with gargantuan baubles hanging from its arches. A 20-metre tree is placed in the centre, while the dome is also home to Santa’s Grotto, a life-size sleigh and an army of jolly elves.
The activities: sounds like Christmas
The dome is also where a lot of the seasonal entertainment takes place – street artists and live performances by a 70-cast troupe. The latter will perform a play each evening that centres around Mrs Claus and the elves struggling to decide what to get Santa for Christmas, with plenty of song, dance and even dry “snow” falling from the sky.
“We wanted to bring to life the magical icons of Christmas for the child in all of us – from dancing toys that come to life, to snowman fights and cheeky elves – all choreographed to a soundtrack filled with nostalgia,” says Richard Lindsay, creative director, Artists In Motion.
More festive sounds emanate from the Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre; the Stage in the Mobility District, which is hosting a Jingle Bell Pop Show; and the Jubilee Stage that is home to the Exposonix band and their Christmas repertoire. The Flying Piano at the Opportunity Pavilion Plaza will also play festive tunes.
Revellers can knock on one of the various doorway installations in Ghaf Avenue, which will open up to reveal singing carollers on the other side.
The avenue is also the place to be to catch the daily Christmas Parade and shows by Rudolf on the Go dancers, who will perform flips, somersaults and acrobatics in reindeer costumes. Little ones can interact with sway pole performers dressed as Christmas trees, stilt-walkers dressed as silver bells, and Expo mascots Rashid and Latifa, who will don Christmas outfits.
If you are heading to the Expo on Christmas Day itself, catch a special Late Nights @ Expo performance on the Jubilee Stage, featuring British singer, songwriter and pianist Joe Stilgoe, Filipina singer Lea Salonga and the London Community Gospel Choir.
The food: festive meals and treats
Head to the World Souq and winter market to sample seasonal dishes such as roasted chestnuts, gingerbread, hot chocolate and eggnog.
Various cafes and restaurants dotted over the sprawling venue will offer their own festive feasts and treats: baking workshops at Bread Ahead; a soya turkey and cranberry wrap at Veg’d; chocolate fudge cookies at Floozie; yule logs and madeleines at the African dining hall Alkebulan; and spiced clementine and date cake at Alif Cafe.
Read the full details of Christmas meals and brunches at the Expo here, and more details and times of the various festive activities are available at www.expo2020dubai.com
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPros%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EEasy%20to%20use%20and%20require%20less%20rigorous%20credit%20checks%20than%20traditional%20credit%20options%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EOffers%20the%20ability%20to%20spread%20the%20cost%20of%20purchases%20over%20time%2C%20often%20interest-free%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EConvenient%20and%20can%20be%20integrated%20directly%20into%20the%20checkout%20process%2C%20useful%20for%20online%20shopping%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHelps%20facilitate%20cash%20flow%20planning%20when%20used%20wisely%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECons%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20ease%20of%20making%20purchases%20can%20lead%20to%20overspending%20and%20accumulation%20of%20debt%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EMissing%20payments%20can%20result%20in%20hefty%20fees%20and%2C%20in%20some%20cases%2C%20high%20interest%20rates%20after%20an%20initial%20interest-free%20period%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EFailure%20to%20make%20payments%20can%20impact%20credit%20score%20negatively%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ERefunds%20can%20be%20complicated%20and%20delayed%0D%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ECourtesy%3A%20Carol%20Glynn%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
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MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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CHINESE GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID
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What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
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.”
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
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