Close to 4,600 Emiratis are expected to travel from Dubai International Airport to Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage this week, according to authorities.
The National paid a visit to DXB on Tuesday where authorities have joined forces to ensure smooth journeys for the thousands of UAE citizens making the trip this week.
A special committee of Dubai Police, immigration, customs, and health authorities, along with airline staff, has been established as the pilgrimage to Hajj coincides with the beginning of the busy summer travel season.
It was estimated that more than 3.7 million travellers will pass through DXB over the course of the next two weeks, state news agency Wam reported on Tuesday.
“Dubai Airport, in co-operation with different entities, is ready to welcome thousands of pilgrims. Everything is prepared for them to have a smooth experience inside the airport,” said Mohammed Al Marzouqi, head of the Hajj Committee at Dubai Airports. “There are special departure gates for Hajj flights in all terminals.”
Mr Al Marzouqi said that half of the 4,600 pilgrims had left already and the remaining would be making the journey up until Wednesday.
The annual Hajj pilgrimage will begin on June 14, with Eid Al Adha two days later.
The UAE's total allocation of pilgrims for this year is set at 6,200, with those not travelling from Dubai making their way from Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
Pilgrims were welcomed with dates, water, juice, sweet by volunteers at DXB, who were guiding them through the airport.
A medical team is on hand to offer free check-ups for pilgrims before boarding to the aircraft.
“We conduct free medical check-ups for pilgrims such as blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar level. We also give them advice on how to avoid dehydration during Hajj, as it's summer and they will encounter high temperatures,” said Mr Al Marzouqi.
“There will be wheelchairs for elderly pilgrims, as well as paramedic points in the airport. The measures put in place aim to enhance the comfort and convenience of the pilgrims.”
Mr Al Marzouqi urged all travellers to ensure they arrived at the airport in plenty of time, with Hajj taking place during the busy summer travel season.
“Pilgrims should arrive four hours before the flight time as the airport will be busy and there might be traffic on the way to the airport,” he said.
He said travellers should bring a passport that is valid for at least six months, Emirates ID, Hajj permit and vaccination card.
Making the pilgrimage
Millions of Muslims travel to Makkah to perform Hajj each year, with many also heading farther north to the city of Madinah.
All Muslims able to do so are required to make the Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah at least once in their lifetime.
Hajj and the other four pillars of Islam form a foundation of life for Muslims.
The annual pilgrimage takes place during Dhu Al Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar, and lasts for about four to six days.
Eid Al Adha, will be on June 16, while Arafat Day, the second day of the week-long Hajj pilgrimage, falls on Dhu Al Hijjah 9 in the Islamic calendar. This corresponds with June 15.
The National spoke to some of the pilgrims making the journey through DXB.
“Hajj is a chance to seek God’s forgiveness for past sins and to grow closer to God,” said Mohammed Khalfan, 33, who was travelling with his wife and other family members.
“It is a deeply spiritual experience of a lifetime and I'm looking forward to it.
Yousef Abdullah Al Belooshi, 46, thanked the authorities for making the experience at the airport a straightforward one.
“The procedures are very smooth. They welcomed us with a smile and finished our papers quickly,” he said.
“It is my first time travelling for Hajj.”
Advice for pilgrims
Authorities at the airport have also issued advice for pilgrims making the journey:
- Ensure that you have all the necessary documents with the required validity before reaching the airport.
- Weighing luggage at home, checking documents in advance, and being prepared for security checks can save time at the airport.
- Use the Dubai Metro to travel to and from the airport, to avoid traffic on the roads.
- Friends and families using private vehicles are advised to use the airport’s designated car parks or valet service to receive their guests as access to the arrivals forecourt in Terminals 1 and 3 is limited to only public transport and other authorised airport vehicles.
- Dubai Airports guests can access the customer contact centre on 04 224 5555, or email customer.care@dubaiairports.ae for further enquiries. They also can chat through Dubai Airports website, Facebook, Instagram and X platforms.
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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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General%20Classification
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Ovo's tips to find extra heat
- Open your curtains when it’s sunny
- Keep your oven open after cooking
- Have a cuddle with pets and loved ones to help stay cosy
- Eat ginger but avoid chilli as it makes you sweat
- Put on extra layers
- Do a few star jumps
- Avoid alcohol
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Canada
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SERIES INFO
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series
All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Test series
1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March
Play starts at 9.30am
T20 series
1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March
TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube
