From India's Navratri celebrations to China's Golden Week festivities, the UAE's calendar is brimming with cultural events this week. Breast cancer awareness initiatives also continue and World Mental Health Day falls on Thursday. Here, The National rounds up seven things to do this week.
Monday, October 7
Hakkasan Dubai is celebrating Golden Week with a set menu, highlighting Cantonese cuisine. Dishes include lobster pumpkin with enoki mushroom, fermented yellow chilli soup, wok-seared Wagyu beef sirloin with Jerusalem artichoke and golden kamheong sauce. There is also abalone golden rice, as well as golden dumplings with lamb loin, leek and chilli crisp. Meals will end with a golden lotus dessert with pumpkin cream, mandarin gel and vanilla cake.
Daily, 6pm-11pm; until Thursday; Dh788 per person; Atlantis, The Palm; 04 426 2626
Tuesday, October 8
Bombay Borough in the DIFC is showcasing India's ancient fermentation practices through a special menu. Dishes include scallops grilled in local spices with a tangy kefir and amsul marinade; truffle and burrata sourdough naan; spiced fish marinated in fermented chilli paste meet mirsang; vada dish with probiotic drink kanji; and fermented rice hopper with kalaki egg in kulambu stew. Guests will also be able to see the artisanal ferments in jars during the restaurant's “beyond the jar” dining experience.
Daily, noon-1am; until October 20; Gate Village 3; 054 995 8296
Wednesday, October 9
A solo exhibition at Opera Gallery at Atlantis The Royal in Dubai is opening on Wednesday. It is called Domesticity and is by Spanish artist Manolo Valdes. Known for his expertise in small-scale sculptures, his work also features historical references, often taking inspiration from popular figures such as Mariana de Austria and Infanta Margarita to sculpt modern art.
Wednesday until October 31; 10am-11pm; free to enter; Atlantis The Royal; 04 272 9581
Thursday, October 10
Head to Veo Hayya Lakes in Dubai to join a mental wellness event exclusively for men. Organised in partnership with home-grown athleisure brand Squatwolf, the event will start with a sunrise yoga class, followed by a discussion about fitness and mental health. Dr Smitha Prabhakar will lead the conversation on the issues specifically affecting men. The one-day event ends with a sound healing class.
Thursday, from 6am; free, but registration is required; The Lakes, Dubai; hithere@veofitness.com
Friday, October 11
Head to the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi to catch a production of Swan Lake on Ice, bringing Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet to life on a frozen stage. The show combines the elegance of ballet with the thrill of ice skating, featuring intricate dance routines, dazzling costumes and special effects. Tony Mercer, who is renowned for his ice choreography, is directing the performance.
Friday, from 8pm; from Dh175; Cultural Foundation; 02 657 6348
Saturday, October 12
Those celebrating Navratri can see the celebrated Indian performer Kairivi at Creek Park in Dubai. Guests can expect traditional Indian dance on stage, as well as classical beats curated by the artist and her live band. Children are welcome at the family-friendly show. Celebrated by many Hindus across India over nine nights, the festival is an homage to divine femininity, specifically the incarnations of the goddess Durga.
Saturday; from 7pm; from Dh30; Creek Park
Sunday, October 13
As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Medcare Women and Children Hospital in Dubai is offering a discounted package that comes with a doctor consultation with a choice between an ultrasound or mammogram screening until the end of the month. The hospital aims to raise awareness about early detection and prevention specifically via the initiative.
Daily, 24 hours; Dh350 (original price Dh1,200); Sheikh Zayed Road; 800 6332273
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.6-litre turbo
Transmission: six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp
Torque: 240Nm
Price: From Dh89,000 (Enjoy), Dh99,900 (Innovation)
On sale: Now
Tank warfare
Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks.
“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.
“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now
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.”
MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Manchester City, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match is on BeIN Sports
Friday's schedule at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 qualifying, 10:15am
Formula 2, practice 11:30am
Formula 1, first practice, 1pm
GP3 qualifying session, 3.10pm
Formula 1 second practice, 5pm
Formula 2 qualifying, 7pm
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Uefa Champions League play-off
First leg: Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Ajax v Dynamo Kiev
Second leg: Tuesday, August 28, 11pm (UAE)
Dynamo Kiev v Ajax
MWTC info
Tickets to the MWTC range from Dh100 and can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.ae or by calling 800 86 823 from within the UAE or 971 4 366 2289 from outside the country and all Virgin Megastores. Fans looking to attend all three days of the MWTC can avail of a special 20 percent discount on ticket prices.
Results
1. New Zealand Daniel Meech – Fine (name of horse), Richard Gardner – Calisto, Bruce Goodin - Backatorps Danny V, Samantha McIntosh – Check In. Team total First round: 200.22; Second round: 201.75 – Penalties 12 (jump-off 40.16 seconds) Prize €64,000
2. Ireland Cameron Hanley – Aiyetoro, David Simpson – Keoki, Paul Kennedy – Cartown Danger Mouse, Shane Breen – Laith. Team total 200.25/202.84 – P 12 (jump-off 51.79 – P17) Prize €40,000
3. Italy Luca Maria Moneta – Connery, Luca Coata – Crandessa, Simone Coata – Dardonge, Natale Chiaudani – Almero. Team total 130.82/198.-4 – P20. Prize €32,000
Asia Cup Qualifier
Venue: Kuala Lumpur
Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6: Final
Asia Cup
Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Schedule: Sep 15-28
Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier
