The time of the year is upon us to begin al fresco activities, sample white truffles and, of course, celebrate Halloween.
Here we round up seven things to in the Emirates, from Monday to Sunday.
Monday
Head to Fresh Basil at Bab Al Qasr hotel in Abu Dhabi for a Halloween-themed dine in the dark experience.
The three-course “mystery menu” will be served amid eerie decor. The restaurant's 90-minute Pitch Black experience is usually priced at Dh399, but diners can get 25 per cent off when booking ahead for today and tomorrow's service.
Guests have to deposit their phones, watches, lighters and cameras in a secure box before the meal begins, while a meet-and-greet with the chef afterwards will reveal the dishes that have been served.
Monday and Tuesday, 7.30pm-10pm; Dh299; West Corniche, Abu Dhabi; 056 992 2078
Tuesday
Halloween is the ideal excuse to indulge in a midweek late night, especially when there's a sinister circus in town for one night only.
Parisian venue Raspoutine encourages guests to come dressed in their most playful ringmaster or circus performer attire. On the menu are themed cocktails, plus dishes such as devilled eggs, king crab and sea bream tartare, foie gras, clams and linguine vongole.
Resident DJ Paul Blondet will take over the booth at midnight.
Tuesday, from 9.30pm; Dh650; Dubai International Financial Centre; 04 272 5373
Wednesday
The Abu Dhabi Jewellery & Watch Show kick starts today. The show will feature 200 brands from all over the world, including Bahrain, India, Lebanon, Singapore, Italy and Hong Kong, plus major UAE jewellers.
High-end bridal jewellery is a big focus at the exhibition, but visitors can also browse through stalls selling watches and gifting ornaments.
Until Sunday, 3pm-10pm; Halls 1-3, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center; registration.infosalons.ae
Thursday
High prized white truffles are back in season, and Italian restaurant Scalini is celebrating with a dedicated menu, offering dishes generously garnished with the ingredient that is often called the diamond of the kitchen.
Choose from riso al salto, poached egg and crunchy saffron risotto; tagliolini di pasta Fresca tossed in truffle butter; and profiteroles with Chantilly cream, white chocolate ganache and white truffle shavings.
The seasonal menu will be served while stocks last.
Weekdays, noon-10pm; weekends, noon-midnight; from Dh90; Four Seasons Resort Jumeirah, Dubai; 04 349 0068
Friday
Another feast is to be had at Atlantis The Royal, which is hosting a limited-time four-hands meal on Friday and Saturday.
Curated by Spanish chef Dabiz Munoz (of Michelin-lauded DiverXO fame) along with Peruvian celebrity chef Gaston Acurio at the latter's La Mar restaurant, the meal will focus on Latin American dishes.
On offer are premium ingredients such as black grouper, sea urchin, tako octopus, Wagyu striploin and king crab chaufa.
Reservations are recommended.
Friday and Saturday, 7pm-11pm; Dh990; Palm Jumeirah, Dubai; 04 462 9000
Saturday
If you fancy a road trip, brunch and daycation all rolled into one, book a spot at the Islander’s Brunch, which is back for the cool season at DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah.
The meal starts at 1pm, but guests have access to the pool and beach facilities from noon until sunset.
We're not sure how much swim-time you'll get, though, as this brunch has a three-page-long menu spanning all manner of cuisines. On offer are: Beef baos, maki, sashimi, pani puri, pav bhaji and prawn, calamari and octopus skewers from the Asian section; beef carpaccio, tuna ceviche and tacos from the South American section; kofta, shish taouk, striploin, lamb chops, chicken and non-pork German sausages from the Josper grill; an oyster station; a salad bar; a pizza corner; and a fresh fish corner, live-grilling Omani lobster, tiger prawns and blue crab. And then there are 10 types of dessert.
You could always sit back and enjoy the music courtesy of the resident DJ, too.
Saturdays, from noon; Dh135 for children, from Dh269 for adults; Al Marjan Blvd, Ras Al Khaimah; 07 203 0000
Sunday
The Guinness-certified world’s largest inflatable bouncy castle is back for another season at Riverland in Dubai Parks and Resorts. JumpX is a veritable inflatable park with various adventure zones, walls, tunnels and obstacles across multiple levels.
The castle is suitable to children aged five and above, and also open to adults.
Monday to Thursday, 4pm-8pm; Friday to Saturday, 4pm-10pm; Sunday, 4pm-9pm; Dubai Parks and Resorts; 800 262 9464
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Jetour T1 specs
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
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May 15: Yokohama, Japan
June 5: Leeds, UK
June 24: Montreal, Canada
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Nov 5-6 : Abu Dhabi, UAE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
About Tenderd
Started: May 2018
Founder: Arjun Mohan
Based: Dubai
Size: 23 employees
Funding: Raised $5.8m in a seed fund round in December 2018. Backers include Y Combinator, Beco Capital, Venturesouq, Paul Graham, Peter Thiel, Paul Buchheit, Justin Mateen, Matt Mickiewicz, SOMA, Dynamo and Global Founders Capital
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
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.”
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
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 one: how cars came to the UAE
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