Pay attention to your daily dose of sun for vitamin D
I refer to a letter to the editor entitled Doctors can create confusion (August 10).
As a family physician, I face a lot of questions - and confusion - related to this issue. I have some points to make that I hope will be useful to people concerned about this matter.
The amount of vitamin D produced by the body in response to sunlight depends on the person's skin colour. You probably need from five to 30 minutes of exposure to the skin on your face, arms, back or legs (without sunscreen), twice a week.
Bur remember that the intensity of UVB rays is reduced by clouds and air pollution, and that UVB will not travel through glass. This last point means that simply sitting inside next to a window will not in itself lead to getting enough vitamin D.
If you're fair-skinned, then going outside for 10 minutes in the midday sun, with limbs mostly exposed, ought to give you enough radiation to produce about 10,000 international units (IUs) of the vitamin in your body. Dark-skinned individuals and the elderly produce less vitamin D.
Official dietary recommendations are that people should get 200 IUs a day up to age 50, 400 IUs to age 70, and 600 IUs over 70.
But many experts believe that these recommendations are far too low, and advocate supplementation whenever one doesn't get enough sunshine.
Also vitamin D levels can be monitored by your family physician.
Dr Aida Saade, Lebanon
Petrol isn't the only cost of driving
I refer to your special report on the different ways to travel, Race to Dubai: are four wheels faster than two wings? (July 31).
Hareth Al Bustani, your reporter who travelled by car, seems to be unaware that in addition to the cost of the fuel, he also has to pay for insurance, Salik, registration fees, and maintenance.
And all of this is even before we consider the cost of depreciation of his car, which can be as much as 25 per cent per year.
The fuel cost is actually one of the smaller parts of the cost of running a car.
Peter Jenkins, Dubai
Sand animations can be magical
Thank you for posting the article The UAE's sand animation masters (Aug 1). I was once at an official function in Abu Dhabi where a sand artist was present. It was nice to watch her make some incredible sand pictures in a short span of time. It was magical.
Brigitte von Bulow, Abu Dhabi
Rape law doesn't advance justice
International coverage of UAE law: ignorance is no excuse (July 23) was an interesting analysis of the case of the Norwegian woman Marte Dalelv. The problem is not that adultery is illegal but that women who complain of rape are likely to be treated as guilty.
Ms Dalelv was held in jail for at least four days before, it is reported, she admitted that there had been no rape. She was apparently under the impression that this would make the charge go away.
Women are left with the idea that not reporting, or denying, a rape is a preferred option. And this is a big part of the problem.
Name withheld by request
Indian politicians get bargain meals
India's poverty data cheers politicians, but not the poor (August 11) shows that foot-in-mouth syndrome is on the rise among India's politicians.
Raj Babbar, Rasheed Masood and Farooq Abdullah all gave absurdly low estimates of the cost of a meal.
One suspects they were thinking of the subsidised Parliamentary canteen, where prices are astonishingly low.
It is saddening that privileged MPs have lost touch with the real world outside.
This is a cruel joke on the millions who have no access to the Parliamentary canteen.
CS Pathak, Dubai
Student should learn good lesson
I have a comment on your news story Student stranded in Abu Dhabi after US embassy shutdown (August 12).
I'll bet the student has learnt a valuable lesson: don't put off important tasks until the last minute.
Teri Adams, Dubai
Attitudes have not changed enough
I refer to the news article Briton who slapped guard in row over parking space fined Dh3,000 by Dubai court (August 5).
It is truly sad that there are still people who believe that they can get away with abusing the poor.
I hope the fine in this case will teach a lesson, and not just to the person who must pay it.
Murli Rao, India
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.”
Details
Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny
Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books
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
The Good Liar
Starring: Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen
Directed by: Bill Condon
Three out of five stars
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
