Catch a performance by the Staatskapelle Dresden with Rudolf Buchbinder (pictured) at Emirates Palace, with shows tomorrow and Wednesday. Abu Dhabi Classics
Catch a performance by the Staatskapelle Dresden with Rudolf Buchbinder (pictured) at Emirates Palace, with shows tomorrow and Wednesday. Abu Dhabi Classics
Catch a performance by the Staatskapelle Dresden with Rudolf Buchbinder (pictured) at Emirates Palace, with shows tomorrow and Wednesday. Abu Dhabi Classics
Catch a performance by the Staatskapelle Dresden with Rudolf Buchbinder (pictured) at Emirates Palace, with shows tomorrow and Wednesday. Abu Dhabi Classics

Lifestyle

Top 10: Plan to see Staatskapelle Dresden at Emirates Palace, enjoy outdoor sports at Al Zorah in Al Ain, attend the Yalla Laughs comedy competition Beat the Camel

Your essential guide to what's happening in the Emirates

Ellen Fortini

December 03, 2017

  • English
  • Arabic

Abu Dhabi

Concert

Abu Dhabi Classics presents two evenings of performances by Staatskapelle Dresden with Rudolf Buchbinder (pictured) at Emirates Palace, featuring the complete cycle of five piano concertos by Beethoven, expressing the spirit of classical music in Vienna in the 19th century. The first night, the orchestra will perform piano Concertos 1 and 5, and the next, Concertos 2, 3 and 4.

Tomorrow and Wednesday, doors open at 7pm; concert begins at 8pm, from Dh195, Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, www.ticketmaster.ae

Ajman

Outdoor sports

Take advantage of the cooler winter weather and enjoy the expanded portfolio of watersports experiences at Al Zorah, the leisure destination nestled in the Ajman mangroves and lagoons. Choose from activities such as jet-skiing, wakeboarding, flyboarding, kayaking, water-skiing, kiteboarding and paddleboarding, with options for all ages and abilities, under the expertise of safety-conscious instructors.

Open daily, Al Zorah, Al Ittihad Road, Ajman, 800 259 6724, www.alzorah.ae

Al Zorah offers a variety of outdoor watersports adventures among the mangroves and lagoons of Ajman. Al Zorah
Al Zorah offers a variety of outdoor watersports adventures among the mangroves and lagoons of Ajman. Al Zorah

Abu Dhabi

Film screening

Cinema Space presents a screening of the holiday classic It's a Wonderful Life. The 1946 Frank Capra film was nominated for five Academy Awards and tells the story of George Bailey (James Stewart), a struggling businessman whose guardian angel Clarence (Henry Travers) steps in to save him, showing the impact he has had on his community.

Tonight, 7.30pm, free with registration, Cinema Space, auditorium, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, register at cinemaspace-abudhabi.splashthat.com

Abu Dhabi

Exhibition

See the exhibition Inventing Downtown: Artist-Run Galleries in New York City, 1952-1965, which examines the New York art scene from the abstract expressionism of the 1950s to the pop art and minimalism of the 1960s. The establishment of artist-run galleries resulted in the expansion of artists from Downtown Manhattan to the industrial areas, acquiring spaces that shaped their creativity. See 200 works by more than 50 artists, including installation and performance art. Pictured: Ada Ada (1959) by Alex Katz

Daily until January 13, noon to 8pm (closed Sundays), NYUAD Art Gallery, NYU Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, www.nyuad-artgallery.org

Inventing Downtown: Artist-Run Galleries in New York City, 1952-1965 features works by artists including Alex Katz (a detail of Ada Ada, 1959, pictured). NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery
Inventing Downtown: Artist-Run Galleries in New York City, 1952-1965 features works by artists including Alex Katz (a detail of Ada Ada, 1959, pictured). NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery

Abu Dhabi

Comedy show

Have some weekday fun with the Yalla Laughs gang at the Beat the Camel competition. Up to 12 Yalla Laughs comedians from across the UAE will each take to the stage for a five-minute performance, during which they are challenged to outlast the judgment of the audience, who hold three large camel cards. If all three cards go up, the comedian is voted off. The audience decides who gets to stay. Those who survive the camel cards then face-off in a final round.

Tonight, 8pm, free entry, Pappagallo Italian Restaurant, Le Méridien Village, Abu Dhabi, www.facebook.com/yallalaughs

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Dubai

Art classes

Ductac offers a range of winter-themed art activities for adults and children, with a focus on creating personalised keepsakes and gifts for the family. Tomorrow, children ages 5-10 can take part in yule log decoration, and adults can create 3-D art such as vases, collages and murals.

Tomorrow, 2pm to 6pm for ages 5-10, from Dh95 per hour; tomorrow, 6pm to 8pm for adults, sessions Dh180, Ductac, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, 04 341 4777, www.ductac.org

Dubai

Exhibition

Kais Salman presents Cities, in which he draws upon folktales, epics and myths to create alternative worlds. Salman explores the roles his characters play in the making of a social fabric, within alleys, streets and entire communities.

Daily until January 6, 10am to 6pm, Sundays to Thursdays; noon to 6pm on Saturdays (closed Fridays), Ayyam Gallery, 12 Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai, 04 323 6242, www.ayyamgallery.com

Dubai

Performance

Book tickets to attend An Evening with Dame Joan Collins, where the actress, celebrity and bestselling author will reveal stories and secrets from her long career. The audience will get the opportunity for an intimate chat with the Golden Globe-winner and Emmy nominee, who will answer questions about her life, roles and share never-before-seen footage.

December 12, 8pm, from Dh295, The Dubai Opera, Downtown Dubai, www.dubaiopera.com

Dubai

Family fun

Register to take part in the Christmas Full Moon Desert Drumming event, featuring drum circles, a buffet dinner and entertainment including a visit from Santa, who will arrive over the sand dunes on Clarence the camel, bearing gifts.

Friday, arrival from 6pm to 7.30pm; departure from 9.30pm to 11pm, from Dh260 for adults; Dh110 for ages 6-14; Dh20 for ages 3-5, Planet Tours Desert Camp, Al Awir, Dubai, www.dubaidrums.com

Make plans to attend the Christmas edition of Full Moon Desert Drumming on Friday. Dubai Drums
Make plans to attend the Christmas edition of Full Moon Desert Drumming on Friday. Dubai Drums

Dubai

Fitness event

Get tickets for Reebok Les Mills Live Dubai. BodyCombat and BodyAttack programme directors Rachael Newsham and Lisa Osborne will lead the event, on their first visit to the region. Enjoy a workout to music, lights and a party atmosphere, which showcases the latest Les Mills releases, including BodyPump, BodyStep, RPM and BodyAttack 100.

Saturday, 8am to 7pm, from Dh299, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, tickets.virginmegastore.me

Green ambitions
  • Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
  • Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
  • Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
  • Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water 
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

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.”

Going grey? A stylist's advice

If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”

Saadiyat IslandAbu Dhabi