Having a package delivered to your door is always exciting - even if do you have a fair idea what's in it. And when that package is filled with things that you genuinely need, with the odd surprise thrown in for good measure, all the better.
Delivered directly to your doorstep on a regular basis, subscription boxes are growing in popularity. Internationally, the trend has now given rise to niche categories like literary boxes, which contain books, teas and coffees, and boardgame boxes, which are packed with card games and party activities.
In the UAE, there are tailored subscriptions targeting men, women and children. From pioneering brands like Glambox, which sends its subscribers cosmetics, to newer endeavours that cater to the country's more health-conscious residents, the market is hungry for home-grown, couriered packages that contain everything from flavoured nuts to men’s fashion accessories. Here are seven subscription-box startups, founded by UAE-based entrepreneurs, that offer something worth signing up for.
Kaizen Box
Founded by: Parth Parekh and Vinit Sadhwani in April 2017
Inspired by: a dearth of subscription boxes dedicated to men in the Middle East
Targeted at: men with a busy schedule who enjoy looking sharp and stylish with the help of conversation-starting accessories
What's inside? A colour-coordinated assortment of men's accessories, including a tie, pocket square and socks, plus any two of the following metal accessories: tie clip, lapel pin, cuff links or bracelet.
Delivers: across the UAE with free delivery.
Subscription plans:
Dh119 per box for a monthly subscription lasting one year (Total: Dh1,428)
Dh139 per box for a three-month subscription (Total: Dh417)
Dh159 for one box
Contact: 055 420 1144; www.kaizenbox.ae
Bloombox
Founded by: Alisa Sokoliuk in February 2016
Inspired by: London-based flower delivery service Bloom & Wild, which posts compact bouquets through recipients' letter boxes
Targeted at: Creatives who have an eye for décor and enjoy the art of arranging flowers
What's inside? A selection of flowers, a sachet of flower food, a pair of clippers, an info sheet about the flowers and instructions on flower arranging.
Delivers: across Dubai with a Dh49 delivery charge for orders below Dh299, and other Emirates with a Dh99 delivery charge
Subscription plans:
Dh249 per box per week for one month (Total: Dh999)
Dh274 per box every other week for one month (Total: Dh549)
Dh299 for one box
Contact: 04 379 7384; www.theflowerfulproject.com
Fruitful Day
Founded by: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Yael Mejia, Lyla Rawi and Lindsey Fournie in June 2015
Inspired by: a desire to improve health, happiness and productivity in the workplace with a regular package of regionally-sourced, washed and ready-to-eat fruits
Targeted at: busy mothers who seek healthy lunchbox add-ins and employees working corporate jobs with long hours and few wholesome food options
What's inside? The Staples Box contains essential fruits like apples, bananas, pears and seasonal stone fruits, along with a selection of nuts, while The Discovery Box is packed with 15 to 20 fruit varieties.
Delivers: across Dubai with free delivery
Subscription plans:
Dh95 for a 4.5kg and Dh175 for a 9kg Staples Box
Dh125 for a 20-serving and Dh225 for a 50-serving Discover Box
Contact: 04 883 5851; www.fruitfulday.com
Munchbox
Founded by: Mahmoud Adham in January 2015
Inspired by: a lack of healthy, in-between-meals snacks that can be delivered to your doorstep
Targeted at: individuals requiring tasty, nutritious snacks to munch on throughout the day
What's inside? Small packages of specialty nuts and crunchy dried fruits and vegetables, like biryani-flavoured cashews, sweet honey sesame almonds and spicy roasted corn. Boxes can also be customised with add-ons like energy balls and protein pebbles.
Delivers: across Dubai and, with a Dh300 minimum order, Abu Dhabi
Subscription plans:
Dh46 per box for a six-month subscription of weekly boxes (Total:Dh1,100)
Dh50 per box for a monthly subscription of four weekly boxes (Total: Dh200)
Dh60 for one box of six snacks
Contact: 800 68624; www.munchbox.ae
Happybox
Founded by: Jumana and Linda Al Darwish in May 2014
Inspired by: a lack of wholesome activities that involve spending quality time with loved ones
Targeted at: children between the ages of 3 and 11
What's inside? A selection of eight themed, do-it-yourself (DIY) arts and crafts activities, with instructions in English and Arabic, along with a stuffed toy, short storybook, balloons and glitter.
Delivers: across the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman
Subscription plans:
Dhh220 for a six-box subscription, which can be redeemed over a one-year period (Total:Dh1,320)
Dh235 for a three-box subscription, which can be redeemed over a six-month period (Total:Dh705)
Dh250 for one box
Contact: 050 504 2850; www.thehappybox.ae
Cycle Logicals
Founded by: Laura Keeley in January 2017
Inspired by: the desire to make women's lives easier at that time of the month
Targeted at: women living in the UAE
What's inside? A monthly supply of your preferred sanitary products, along with an edible treat and selection of pampering products, like face creams and scrubs.
Delivers: across Dubai, with plans to expand to the rest of the UAE soon
Subscription plans:
Dh100 per box for a yearly subscription (Total: Dh1,200)
Dh105 per box for six-month subscription (Total: Dh630)
Dh110 per box for a three-month subscription (Total: Dh330)
Contact: www.cyclelogicals.com
Glambox
Founded by: Matthieu Guinard in January 2012 (for her) and May 2017 (for him)
Inspired by: rising demand for beauty-related subscription boxes around the world
Targeted at: female beauty lovers who enjoy testing out new skincare and cosmetic brands, and men on the hunt for hip grooming products
What's inside? Up to six small beauty or grooming products, plus one accessory, and five vouchers to use at stores, websites, salons or spas.
Delivers: across the UAE and Saudi Arabia
Subscription plans:
For her: Dh90 per box for a monthly 12-month subscription (Total: Dh1,080)
Dh95 per box for a six-month subscription (Total: Dh570)
Dh100 per box for a three-month subscription (Total: Dh300)
For him: Dh99 per box for a four-box (quarterly) subscription (Dh396)
Dh119 per box for a two-box (bi-annual) subscription (Dh238)
Dh129 for one box
Contact: 04 455 8699; www.glambox.me
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'Young girls thinking of big ideas'
Words come easy for aspiring writer Afra Al Muhairb. The business side of books, on the other hand, is entirely foreign to the 16-year-old Emirati. So, she followed her father’s advice and enroled in the Abu Dhabi Education Council’s summer entrepreneurship course at Abu Dhabi University hoping to pick up a few new skills.
“Most of us have this dream of opening a business,” said Afra, referring to her peers are “young girls thinking of big ideas.”
In the three-week class, pupils are challenged to come up with a business and develop an operational and marketing plan to support their idea. But, the learning goes far beyond sales and branding, said teacher Sonia Elhaj.
“It’s not only about starting up a business, it’s all the meta skills that goes with it -- building self confidence, communication,” said Ms Elhaj. “It’s a way to coach them and to harness ideas and to allow them to be creative. They are really hungry to do this and be heard. They are so happy to be actually doing something, to be engaged in creating something new, not only sitting and listening and getting new information and new knowledge. Now they are applying that knowledge.”
Afra’s team decided to focus their business idea on a restaurant modelled after the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Each level would have a different international cuisine and all the meat would be halal. The pupils thought of this after discussing a common problem they face when travelling abroad.
“Sometimes we find the struggle of finding halal food, so we just eat fish and cheese, so it’s hard for us to spend 20 days with fish and cheese,” said Afra. “So we made this tower so every person who comes – from Africa, from America – they will find the right food to eat.”
rpennington@thenational.ae
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
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THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 178hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 280Nm at 1,350-4,200rpm
Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh209,000
On sale: now
On the menu
First course
▶ Emirati sea bass tartare Yuzu and labneh mayo, avocado, green herbs, fermented tomato water
▶ The Tale of the Oyster Oyster tartare, Bahraini gum berry pickle
Second course
▶ Local mackerel Sourdough crouton, baharat oil, red radish, zaatar mayo
▶ One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Quail, smoked freekeh, cinnamon cocoa
Third course
▶ Bahraini bouillabaisse Venus clams, local prawns, fishfarm seabream, farro
▶ Lamb 2 ways Braised lamb, crispy lamb chop, bulgur, physalis
Dessert
▶ Lumi Black lemon ice cream, pistachio, pomegranate
▶ Black chocolate bar Dark chocolate, dates, caramel, camel milk ice cream
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Teams
India (playing XI): Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami
South Africa (squad): Faf du Plessis (c), Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock, Dean Elgar, Zubayr Hamza, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Vernon Philander, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Rudi Second
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.”
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ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
