Shelina Janmohamed is an author and a culture columnist for The National
July 22, 2022
It’s hot in the UK. Very hot. And not the good kind. It’s not the only place suffering a heatwave. And yes we get it: there are places around the world always hotter than here. But in defence of the fact that the country was put under emergency alerts – and we’ve all been talking non-stop about the weather and how we miss the rain – the UK is not a country cut out for 40ºC weather. We don’t have enough fans, ice or air conditioning. We don’t even have any words to describe our torture other than "hot", "very hot", "extremely hot" and "hello, I can’t breathe anymore".
We have turned the weather discussion into an industrial complex, but probably only to hide from a frightening descent into pessimism. The sense of impending doom doesn’t just affect the UK, it feels omnipresent and threatening like a dark cloud. And we really want it to break: like a torrent of optimism in the stifling heat.
And it’s not just the atmosphere that is heavy; on everyone’s minds is the very real feeling that this is just the beginning of a radical shift in our climate. The wildfires that have broken out across the UK as well as continental Europe aren’t just burning land, trees, homes and entire landscapes, they are eviscerating our optimism.
Optimists move things forward. Pessimists don’t
It’s easy to get sucked into the sense we are now living constantly in a world that seems excessively downcast. The war in Ukraine and the concomitant crises of fuel and food rage on. Countries are in chaos – just look at what is happening in Sri Lanka. Inflation is going up. There’s a cost-of-living crisis. Covid-19 is far from over; in fact, cases are once again rising in some places. Before you write in with all sorts of other wars, famines, conflicts and troubles, just know that there are so many that are impossible to list, and I fear that what shreds of optimism that remain must be clung on to and magnified.
As individuals, optimism is supposed to make us live longer, make us healthier and also make us more successful. And that’s no surprise. As the late US president Dwight D Eisenhower once pointed out, “pessimism never won any battle”. That is to say, when faced with risk and opportunity, being pessimistic about the things that could go wrong can mean that no change or progress is made.
Optimism is what has made society today. Optimists move things forward. Pessimists don’t.
And yet, we find ourselves in an imbalance towards pessimism. Our public discourse – driven by politicians and the media – is driven typically towards the negative. Positive news stories are small. Sometimes their inclusion is so notable they are the quirky feel-good story at the end, a small salve to soothe the wounds from the relentless negativity of current affairs. No wonder so many of us find ourselves tuning out the news after a point. There’s only so much the soul can bear.
I get the feeling of pessimism. The promises of the brave new world, the space race, the post-war peace treaties … and that’s before the promises of the post-millennial world of technology that would break boundaries and democratise power, which, instead, seems to have taken dark turns and created new problems, some of which are so intangible that we don’t even know what they are.
But to move forward and create change, we must revive optimism. The sci-fi author Arthur C Clarke, whose writings have been prescient in many ways, took this view. “I am an optimist,” he said. “Anyone interested in the future has to be, otherwise he would simply shoot himself.”
Winston Churchill and Dwight D Eisenhower, sitting in a horse carriage in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1946, were both optimists. AP Photo
The good news is that we can learn optimism. Psychologists offer plenty of mind hacks. Notice good things as they happen. Train your mind to believe you can actually make good things happen in your life. Don’t blame yourself when things go wrong. When something good happens, give yourself credit. And remind yourself that, in general, setbacks are temporary.
There’s something about creating forward momentum, too: don’t dwell on the problem, focus on the solutions. Think about what lies ahead rather than the past, or even present problems.
When I look back at the pandemic, it makes me reflect on the difference between well-being – an almost passive, inert state that we all described and explored in enormous detail without anything else to do – and how little we spoke of living in a state of optimism: the mental state that helps us move towards a brighter future. One can be in a poor state of well-being at the same time as being optimistic. And then using that optimism to galvanise for a positive future state.
We can then inject this personal optimism into our collective pessimism. Personal optimism often derives from the feeling that we have some control and stake in our personal lives and can, therefore, deliver the positive future we hope for. We need to bring that sense of personal control and stake into our feelings and actions about society. As the late British prime minister Winston Churchill said, "an optimist is one who sees the opportunity in every difficulty".
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Living in...
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.
UAE results Lost to Oman by eight runs Beat Namibia by three wickets Lost to Oman by 12 runs Beat Namibia by 43 runs
UAE fixtures Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv
Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium Monday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Founders: Michele Ferrario, Nino Ulsamer and Freddy Lim Started: established in 2016 and launched in July 2017 Based: Singapore, with offices in the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand Sector: FinTech, wealth management Initial investment: $500,000 in seed round 1 in 2016; $2.2m in seed round 2 in 2017; $5m in series A round in 2018; $12m in series B round in 2019; $16m in series C round in 2020 and $25m in series D round in 2021 Current staff: more than 160 employees Stage: series D Investors: EightRoads Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Sequoia Capital India
How to avoid crypto fraud
Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%
April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.
July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.
March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.
April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.
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
Abramovich London
A Kensington Palace Gardens house with 15 bedrooms is valued at more than £150 million.
A three-storey penthouse at Chelsea Waterfront bought for £22 million.
Steel company Evraz drops more than 10 per cent in trading after UK officials said it was potentially supplying the Russian military.
17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
Dh145 is the price of a ticket
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities. Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids. Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
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.”
