In the face of escalating mental health concerns among today's youth, it is important to prioritise their well-being. Museums can educate, inspire and can even transform the lives of young people who embark on self-discovery. By developing innovative, accessible programmes that emphasise well-being, museums can harness the therapeutic and transformative qualities of art.
In the UAE, museums and cultural spaces have the potential to empower young minds as they provide immersive experiences and community engagement programmes, which go a long way to foster connection and prioritise holistic growth.
According to the World Health Organisation, mental health disorders affect 10-20 per cent of children and adolescents worldwide. Depression and anxiety are the most prevalent mental health conditions among teenagers, and recent studies have indicated a concerning rise in such issues. Factors such as academic pressure, the influence of social media and family dynamics can contribute to the vulnerability young people may feel.
While data on mental health issues among Middle Eastern teenagers is limited, there have been studies that suggest depression and anxiety rates among Middle Eastern teenagers are on the rise.
The stigma surrounding mental health in the Middle East, including the UAE, is influenced by a range of cultural, social and historical factors. These factors can vary across countries within the region, but several common themes emerge. Mental health problems can often be perceived as a sign of weakness and personal failure. In close-knit communities, such as the UAE, there can be concerns about judgment and negative consequences in personal and professional spheres. These often lead to people concealing their mental health challenges and not seeking help.
Historically, mental health has been given significantly less priority compared to physical health. The lack of awareness and understanding about mental health conditions and their causes contributes to negative attitudes. A limited mental health infrastructure and access to resources further exacerbate the stigma.
My own quiet struggle with anxiety for years, which started in my adolescence, propelled me to choose this research topic, which I conducted over six weeks in various US cities this year as part of my Eisenhower Fellowship programme.
The unique opportunity allowed me time to explore therapeutic benefits of art, for example, in promoting emotional well-being in young adults. I delved into fields such as creative therapies, trauma recovery, performance science and positive psychology through site visits, interviews and discussions with educators, psychiatrists, students, museum professionals, scientists and thought leaders in this area. In the process, I discovered innovative approaches and ways to understand the complexity in providing effective overall health and healing.
In an increasingly fast-paced and interconnected globalised world, culture and art possess transformative powers that can enrich the human experience. Museums have the potential to enhance well-being, which goes beyond their traditional roles as preservers of material culture and providers of educational opportunities.
Overall well-being can be achieved by utilising these readily available cultural spaces and art collections as tools to cultivate mindfulness in young people, through programmes especially designed for this purpose. Whether through deep-looking art workshops or hands-on creative activities, participants can achieve a state of engagement throughout the year that promotes a sense of calm and encourages them to disconnect from anxious thoughts.
Performance arts can also empower individuals and foster personal growth, self-discovery and self-confidence. Moreover, studies prove the benefits of engaging in cultural and artistic endeavours such as painting, music, dance and theatre. Young adults gain a deeper understanding of their identity, strengths and aspirations when they explore their artistic abilities and cultivate their unique voices. This self-empowerment and increased self-esteem translates into improved well-being.
Beyond the individual experience, culture and art have the power to build communities and connections. Festivals, public art and exhibitions serve as platforms for shared experiences, enabling people to connect with others who share similar interests and passions.
These social connections and support networks build resilience and emotional well-being in young adults, which are essential for a successful productive future. I have witnessed in visitors at Sharjah museums moments of quiet solo reflection and also group activities that have left participants feeling a range of positive emotions – joyful, contemplative and confident.
As mental health challenges continue to afflict young adults, it is crucial to prioritise their well-being and look beyond healthcare providers as being the only solution. Museums in the UAE can serve as catalysts for positive mental health outcomes by being accessible, inviting, engaging and conducive.
By recognising and embracing the intrinsic value of culture and art, we can create a society that prioritises holistic well-being. This can be done through programmes that integrate positive psychology, art therapy and mindfulness so that young people can navigate life's challenges and thrive as happier and healthier individuals.
SHAITTAN
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Tributes from the UAE's personal finance community
• Sebastien Aguilar, who heads SimplyFI.org, a non-profit community where people learn to invest Bogleheads’ style
“It is thanks to Jack Bogle’s work that this community exists and thanks to his work that many investors now get the full benefits of long term, buy and hold stock market investing.
Compared to the industry, investing using the common sense approach of a Boglehead saves a lot in costs and guarantees higher returns than the average actively managed fund over the long term.
From a personal perspective, learning how to invest using Bogle’s approach was a turning point in my life. I quickly realised there was no point chasing returns and paying expensive advisers or platforms. Once money is taken care off, you can work on what truly matters, such as family, relationships or other projects. I owe Jack Bogle for that.”
• Sam Instone, director of financial advisory firm AES International
"Thought to have saved investors over a trillion dollars, Jack Bogle’s ideas truly changed the way the world invests. Shaped by his own personal experiences, his philosophy and basic rules for investors challenged the status quo of a self-interested global industry and eventually prevailed. Loathed by many big companies and commission-driven salespeople, he has transformed the way well-informed investors and professional advisers make decisions."
• Demos Kyprianou, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"Jack Bogle for me was a rebel, a revolutionary who changed the industry and gave the little guy like me, a chance. He was also a mentor who inspired me to take the leap and take control of my own finances."
• Steve Cronin, founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com
"Obsessed with reducing fees, Jack Bogle structured Vanguard to be owned by its clients – that way the priority would be fee minimisation for clients rather than profit maximisation for the company.
His real gift to us has been the ability to invest in the stock market (buy and hold for the long term) rather than be forced to speculate (try to make profits in the shorter term) or even worse have others speculate on our behalf.
Bogle has given countless investors the ability to get on with their life while growing their wealth in the background as fast as possible. The Financial Independence movement would barely exist without this."
• Zach Holz, who blogs about financial independence at The Happiest Teacher
"Jack Bogle was one of the greatest forces for wealth democratisation the world has ever seen. He allowed people a way to be free from the parasitical "financial advisers" whose only real concern are the fat fees they get from selling you over-complicated "products" that have caused millions of people all around the world real harm.”
• Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"In an industry that’s synonymous with greed, Jack Bogle was a lone wolf, swimming against the tide. When others were incentivised to enrich themselves, he stood by the ‘fiduciary’ standard – something that is badly needed in the financial industry of the UAE."
THE%20SPECS
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Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 2
Mane 51', Salah 53'
Chelsea 0
Man of the Match: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Aston martin DBX specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Top speed: 291kph
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: Q2, 2020
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Poland Statement
All people fleeing from Ukraine before the armed conflict are allowed to enter Poland. Our country shelters every person whose life is in danger - regardless of their nationality.
The dominant group of refugees in Poland are citizens of Ukraine, but among the people checked by the Border Guard are also citizens of the USA, Nigeria, India, Georgia and other countries.
All persons admitted to Poland are verified by the Border Guard. In relation to those who are in doubt, e.g. do not have documents, Border Guard officers apply appropriate checking procedures.
No person who has received refuge in Poland will be sent back to a country torn by war.
Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
