Maitha Bin Sarm, 13, holds a painting she created, as part of the summer programme organised before the pandemic by The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development in Um Al Quwain. Reem Mohammed / The National
Maitha Bin Sarm, 13, holds a painting she created, as part of the summer programme organised before the pandemic by The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development in Um Al Quwain. Reem Mohammed / The National
Maitha Bin Sarm, 13, holds a painting she created, as part of the summer programme organised before the pandemic by The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development in Um Al Quwain. Reem Moham
Mariam Al Mheiri is head of the International Affairs Office of the Presidential Court, and a member of the International Humanitarian and Philanthropic Council
October 27, 2021
To our youth,
With the 26th UN Climate Change Conference, Cop26, in Glasgow approaching, people all over the world, especially the young, are demanding more robust and ambitious climate action.
In your own unique way, you have become our sustainability partners. As digital natives, you have harnessed the power of social media to raise awareness about our planet’s declining health.
And through your dedication to combat the climate crisis, you have forced changes to school curriculums, transformed perspectives, agendas, policies and leveraged technology to come up with innovative climate solutions.
In short, you have had a real impact on a cause in which you truly believe.
Your awareness of the challenges ahead and your passion to be part of the solution gives us hope for a brighter tomorrow.
No one is too young to make a difference
In the UAE, we realised early on that our young people are the backbone of the environmental sustainability movement. Figuratively speaking, they are the ultimate source of renewable energy that, when properly channeled, can fuel the way to a sustainable and climate-resilient future.
Qualified, trained and empowered youth can have a major influence on all aspects of development. Innovation and technology skills are the most important in coming up with out-of-the-box solutions to sustainability challenges.
We are committed to bridging the gap between youth and policy makers, engaging young people in our fight against climate change at home and abroad, and ensuring that young voices are heard in shaping the future of our nation.
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg takes part in a Global Climate Strike of the movement Fridays for Future, in central Stockholm, Sweden, on October 22. Reuters
In this context, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment launched the Emirates Youth Climate Strategy that aims to develop environmental leadership skills among young people, promote their participation in decision making and climate action, and enable them to contribute to solving the environmental concerns of today and tomorrow. Young people played a key role in reviewing the UAE’s Nationally Determined Contribution – the country’s pledge to reduce its carbon emissions under the Paris Agreement – and the National Climate Change Adaptation Program, as well as in the preparations for the Abu Dhabi Climate Meeting in 2019.
Furthermore, in the UAE, young people are always included in the country’s delegations to relevant international conferences and involved in climate negotiations. Just recently, Shamma Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, led the UAE delegation to the Milan Pre-Cop26 and Youth4Climate meetings. We support the highest levels of youth engagement in Cop28, which we are bidding to host in Abu Dhabi in 2023.
Today, the young generation is leading the way to a more sustainable world. And you too can be leaders of change. You can build the future you want to live in.
Earlier this month, we witnessed a bold new development in our climate efforts – the launch of the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative that aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. I would like to call on you to help us reach this ambitious goal.
Whatever path you may choose to take in life, remember to be a friend to the environment and make sustainable and responsible decisions. There are countless ways in which you can do your part. A few simple steps can go a long way. For example, you can take advantage of our public transport network, carpool with friends, reduce, reuse and recycle waste, and make sustainable choices while shopping. You can inspire your families, peers and wider communities to follow your example and create a domino effect. If each one of us makes these small changes, it will eventually amount to a bigger impact.
No one is too young to make a difference. And we are here to support your ambitions for a greener, healthier world. Under the guidance of our wise leadership, we are dedicated to helping you protect your future and the future of the generations to come.
I take this opportunity to assure you that we understand your concerns, and encourage you to step up and become sustainability advocates. After all, we only have one planet, so let’s take good care of it.
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
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
Company Profile
Name: Thndr Started: 2019 Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr Sector: FinTech Headquarters: Egypt UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi Current number of staff: More than 150 Funds raised: $22 million
9th row
Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
Lance Stroll (Williams)
10th row
Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
arcus Ericsson (Sauber)
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
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.”
For first two Test in India Joe Root (captain), Jofra Archer, Moeen Ali, James Anderson , Dom Bess, Stuart Broad , Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes. Reserves James Bracey, Mason Crane, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Robinson, Amar Virdi.
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
La Liga: 2016/17 Spanish Super Cup: 2017 Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18 Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017 Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
The specs: 2018 Jaguar E-Pace First Edition
Price, base / as tested: Dh186,480 / Dh252,735
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 246hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 365Nm @ 1,200rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km
How to wear a kandura
Dos
Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
Priority access to new homes from participating developers
Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
Flexible payment plans from developers
Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.
