This week is ideal for culture buffs, with a film festival, major musical production and emotive exhibition all taking place across Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Here, The National rounds up seven things to do around the Emirates, from January 15 to 21.
Monday
Start the week with a quiz night at Tap House in Dubai Hills.
Former Radio One presenter Dane Swindells is the quizmaster. The first five groups to register at 7pm will receive complimentary drinks, while all UAE residents receive a 50 per cent discount on the food menu.
The five-round quiz covers general knowledge, pop culture, history, sports and more. Guests can form teams of two to six people, or participate individually.
Every Monday; 7pm onward; 50 per cent off a la carte for UAE residents; Tap House, Dubai Hills; thetaphouse.ae
Tuesday
Set out for Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve, near Al Maktoum International Airport, to enjoy a unique film festival held in the desert.
The 10-day event is perfect for cinephiles who want to learn more about filmmaking, or those who simply want to chill under the night sky and enjoy a screening of a local film. Aside from the outdoor cinema experience, the event also has workshops and panel discussions with established professionals in the field.
Until Sunday; 4pm; free; Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve, Dubai; @almarmoom.filmfest
Wednesday
Head to The Project Space at New York University Abu Dhabi to witness an evocative exhibition about the migration of Egyptians to countries in the Gulf.
Curated by Farah Hallaba, Farida Youssef and Ali Zaaray, the Being Borrowed: On Egyptian Migration to the Gulf exhibition features the works of 21 Egyptian artists. It explores the social cost of migration on families and entire communities, touching upon concepts of “arriving to, growing up in and getting out” of the Gulf.
Until February 7; noon-8pm; free of charge; NYU Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island; 02 628 8000
Thursday
Radisson Hotel at Damac Hills will be hosting a night of stand-up comedy on Thursday.
International comics Keith Johnson from Los Angeles and Eleanor Tiernan from Ireland are bringing their humour to the Dubai stage, alongside home-grown talents Saaniya Abbas and Yash Bhardwaj.
The show is part of the Start The Year, With 100% Guaranteed Happiness! by The Selfdrive Laughter Factory, which is one of Dubai's longest-running comedy producers.
Thursday; 8.30pm; from Dh160; Radisson Hotel, Damac Hills, Dubai; dubai.platinumlist.net
Friday
On Friday, kites of various shapes, sizes and colours are flying over Marsana for the first Hudayriyat International Kite Festival.
Families and friends are invited to head down to the beach for the fun-filled weekend that includes kite-flying shows, as well as kite-making workshops.
Until Sunday; 11am-8pm; free of charge; Hudayriyat Island, Abu Dhabi; hudayriyatisland.ae
Saturday
After its course at Bluewaters last year, the fun-filled Bubble Run is back on Saturday, taking over Expo City Dubai.
The fun run involves giant cannons placed along the track, blowing streams of bubbles on the runners as they pass. The event is non-competitive and encourages families to join either the 4km or 8km routes.
There will be live music, as well as activities for little ones to enjoy.
Saturday; 4pm; from Dh45; Expo City Dubai; premieronline.com
Sunday
Tickets are selling fast for the Abu Dhabi leg of the international tour of acclaimed American musical Hamilton, which kicked off on Wednesday.
Book a seat at Etihad Arena to catch the Tony-winning show, which is the brainchild of Lin Manuel-Miranda, who wrote the music, lyrics and script over a seven-year period starting in 2009.
It tells the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton, from his days at King's College in New York in 1776 to becoming the first US treasury secretary and his eventual death in 1804.
Until February 11; doors open 4pm; from Dh375; Etihad Arena, Yas Island; abu-dhabi.platinumlist.net
Tentative schedule of 2017/18 Ashes series
1st Test November 23-27, The Gabba, Brisbane
2nd Test December 2-6, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
3rd Test Dcember 14-18, Waca, Perth
4th Test December 26-30, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
5th Test January 4-8, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Company%20profile
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Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
The Dark Blue Winter Overcoat & Other Stories From the North
Edited and Introduced by Sjón and Ted Hodgkinson
Pushkin Press
Under 19 World Cup
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE
UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
Racecard:
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah (PA) | Group 2 | US$55,000 (Dirt) | 1,600 metres
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint (TB) | Group 2 | $250,000 (Turf) | 1,000m
7.40pm: Firebreak Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,600m
8.15pm: Meydan Trophy | Conditions (TB) | $100,000 (T) | 1,900m
8.50pm: Balanchine | Group 2 (TB) | $250,000 (T) | 1,800m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (D) | 1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,410m.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
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match info
Manchester United 3 (Martial 7', 44', 74')
Sheffield United 0
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.”
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
Napoleon
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
How Beautiful this world is!
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Profile of Tarabut Gateway
Founder: Abdulla Almoayed
Based: UAE
Founded: 2017
Number of employees: 35
Sector: FinTech
Raised: $13 million
Backers: Berlin-based venture capital company Target Global, Kingsway, CE Ventures, Entrée Capital, Zamil Investment Group, Global Ventures, Almoayed Technologies and Mad’a Investment.
Men's football draw
Group A: UAE, Spain, South Africa, Jamaica
Group B: Bangladesh, Serbia, Korea
Group C: Bharat, Denmark, Kenya, USA
Group D: Oman, Austria, Rwanda
