People perform prayer as they perform social distancing near Kaaba in the Grand Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. REUTERS
Tunisian cooks pose for a photo after preparing meals for the underprivileged at the Dar Slah restaurant in the medina of Tunis, Tunisia. EPA
Syrian Muslim clergymen call for evening prayers at the Umayyad Mosque, the most ancient mosque in the old city of Damascus, Syria. EPA
A Palestinian girl and her sibling shop for candy in the old city of the West Bank town of Hebron, during Muslim holy month of Ramadan. AFP
Dar Al Ber Iftar meals are handed out as part of their charity work at labour camps in Al Qouz 1. Keeping a watchfull eye is Dubai Police officers from the Bur Dubai Police Station monitoring body temperature with the new thermal helmet camera. Antonie Robertson/The National
Dar Al Ber Iftar meals are handed out as part of their charity work at labour camps in Al Qouz 1. Keeping a watchfull eye is Dubai Police officers from the Bur Dubai Police Station monitoring body temperature with the new thermal helmet camera. Antonie Robertson/The National
Dar Al Ber Iftar meals are handed out as part of their charity work at labour camps in Al Qouz 1. Keeping a watchfull eye is Dubai Police officers from the Bur Dubai Police Station monitoring body temperature with the new thermal helmet camera. Antonie Robertson/The National
Alchemy speciality coffeeshop on Al Wasl road. The regulations were loosened for all emirates on Friday – the first day of Ramadan. Restaurants both inside and outside of malls are open, but they can admit no more than 30 per cent of capacity and tables should be spaced two metres apart. Reem Mohammed/The National
Palestinian children play outside a mosque closed as part of measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus during a Ramadan day in Gaza City. AP Photo
A Palestinian man reads the Koran during the holy month of Ramadan in Gaza City during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. AFP
Iraqis shop for food during the holy month of Ramadan at market in western Baghdad, Iraq. EPA
General view of the Umayyad Mosque, the most ancient mosque in the old city of Damascus, Syria. EPA
The shadow of a girl receiving a meal for iftar, or the evening meal, to break fast from a member of "Tkiyet Um Ali" humanitarian services center is cast on a wall in front of her family home in the city of Russeifa, during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, amid concerns over the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Jordan. REUTERS
Staff members of "Tkiyet Um Ali" humanitarian services center distribute meals for iftar, or the evening meals, to the homes of poor families for their break fast in the city of Russeifa, during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, amid concerns over the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Jordan. REUTERS
Al-Masharty Moustafa, 60, beats a drum as he wakes residents to eat their pre-dawn Suhoor meals before beginning their fasting for the day during the Muslim Holy month of Ramadan, in Cairo, as Egypt ramps up efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). REUTERS
Al-Masharty Moustafa, 60, beats a drum as he wakes residents to eat their pre-dawn Suhoor meals before beginning their fasting for the day during the Muslim Holy month of Ramadan, in Cairo, as Egypt ramps up efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). REUTERS
Afghan boys receive free rations distributed by the provincial government during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan amid a lockdown due to the ongoing coronavirus and COVID-19 pandemic, in Jalalabad, Afghanistan EPA
Afghan boys receive free rations distributed by the provincial government during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan amid a lockdown due to the ongoing coronavirus and COVID-19 pandemic, in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. EPA
This year it was difficult to imagine what Ramadan would be like be like in lockdown, but we are already a week in.
At the closing of our first fast, our family sat around the dining table and connected to a Zoom video conference with relatives gathering from across four locations. We dubbed it BYOI: bring your own iftar.
The computer screen was filled with dining rooms that were almost as familiar as our own but felt far away. Everyone spoke and laughed at once. The children pulled funny faces. We talked about what everyone was eating and held the cameras of our devices over the food so that everyone could have a closer look.
Hajja Dalal, a 46-year-old "mesaharati," or dawn caller, wakes people up for a meal before sunrise in Cairo. AP
Muslim men attend a Friday prayer despite concerns of the new coronavirus outbreak, at a mosque in Lhokseumawe, Indonesia. AP
Niina Kaydee is isolating at home with children Amelia, 6, and Daniel, 3, in Sydney, Australia. Getty
Muslims break fast in the deserted Jama Masjid, usually packed with thousands of devotees during Ramadan, in New Delhi, India. AP
A Muslim wipes his face after performing ablution before prayer at Jama Masjid, New Delhi, India. AP
Muslim worshipers arrive for evening prayers after breaking their fast on the first day of Ramadan, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. AP
Three women wait to receive Ramadan sweets at the Imam Ahmed Raza Jaame Masjid mosque in Springs, south west of Johannesburg. AP
Saif Al Mallah, an Iraqi artist and refugee in Paris, works on a pyrography artwork about his memories in Mosul, in his room in Paris, France. EPA
Amira Jamoussi and a colleague gesture during a break at the Abderrahmane Memmi hospital. Jamoussi is spending the Muslim holy month of Ramadan away from her family. AFP
Kone Adama prays at home with his family during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan amid the ongoing coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. EPA
An elderly Kurdish man sits reading the Quran during Ramadan in the city of Qamishli in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province. AFP
Volunteers wear masks as they pack meals to be distributed for Iftar during the month of Ramadan at the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church, Virginia. AFP
Turkish volunteers Goecen Muelayim, 55, (L) and Ural Hasan, 55, of the Iftar-to-go-food delivery service of a mosque, hand out meals in Wuppertal, Germany. Reuters
A migrant worker prays after breaking fast in the morning during Ramadan, at a dormitory in Singapore. Reuters
As the time arrived to break the fast, we offered prayers. Soon, our screens were all at once noisy with excitement, and then quiet as everyone focused on eating and drinking.
It was joyful to at least be able to see one another. But screens are not a substitute and the closeness of being together in person could not be replicated. This has been the hardest aspect of lockdown during Ramadan.
I am not the only one who feels this way. Being separated from parents and siblings who live only doors away is tough. Equally, many are craving the spiritual gatherings at mosques where congregation and prayer are the pillars of Ramadan.
Despite all of this, the mood thus far has been surprisingly positive. This is the first year that my young children have stayed up beyond their bedtime for iftar, which has been at around 8:30pm in London, where we live.
With no pressure to wake up for school and no commute to factor in, they can sleep in later in the mornings. They are being home-schooled and my husband and I are working from home. Those few extra hours in the morning have made all the difference.
In fact, the pressure feels off all around, and that is the biggest change in routine for me in my lockdown bubble. There is no stress to dress up for iftars, no burden to put on a big feast, no need to decorate the house to the nines – we still have though, because the children love balloons and lanterns.
Volunteers in Dubai prepare iftar meals for blue-collar workers during Ramadan, on April 28, 2020. AFP
While the togetherness of Ramadan – which is what anchors big meals, mosque gatherings and socialising – is missing, there is a new kind of togetherness, one with the immediate family. We have more time as a family. My husband and I have more time together.
It has been a relaxing Ramadan in our community too. While for us the children require non-stop entertainment and activities, others in our social circle who don’t have children are taking afternoon naps to keep up their energy levels.
There has been a flourish of online and live streaming. Some local mosques broadcast from afternoon until late evening, practically creating television channels overnight. We have watched everything from sermons and deep Quranic interpretations to cartoons, cooking shows and advice on how to stay healthy while fasting.
Perhaps the most profound and positive difference this year has been the opportunity for greater self-reflection. It is always a benefit of Ramadan, but more so this year. With commuting and socialising gone from our schedules, there is that much more time to introspect.
Ramadan, however, has always been about thinking of others, and it is hard not to think about how much our experiences are based on privilege. We are not essential workers. Many in dire financial need are not only bearing the full brunt of lockdown, but are also fasting everyday and going out to work.
It has been heartening to see charities delivering iftar packages to the needy. Many volunteers are stepping up even from the safety of their homes to offer help in a digital capacity, or at least by donating to causes that aid the most vulnerable.
The opportunity for greater self-reflection is always a benefit of Ramadan, but more so this year
In the UK in particular, the number of deaths of Muslims and those of black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds is disproportionately high. In this first week of Ramadan, there have been calls for an enquiry into why this is the case.
It is heartbreaking that my social media feeds are a roll call of obituaries of the family members of Muslims that I know, including Muslim healthcare professionals. Despite the positive sides of Ramadan in lockdown, there is a constant sense of pain.
While Ramadan is always transformative, putting the daily grind on pause and transporting us away from life's struggles, this year’s Ramadan has so far been a time to escape from pressure and to build spiritual as well as immediate family bonds.
There is always a sense of eager trepidation in preparing for Ramadan, and with lockdown that sense was heightened. But at the end of the first week, we have ahead of us a once-in-a-lifetime chance to transform ourselves.
Shelina Janmohamed is the author of Love in a Headscarf and Generation M: Young Muslims Changing the World
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
The flights: South African Airways flies from Dubai International Airport with a stop in Johannesburg, with prices starting from around Dh4,000 return. Emirates can get you there with a stop in Lusaka from around Dh4,600 return. The details: Visas are available for 247 Zambian kwacha or US$20 (Dh73) per person on arrival at Livingstone Airport. Single entry into Victoria Falls for international visitors costs 371 kwacha or $30 (Dh110). Microlight flights are available through Batoka Sky, with 15-minute flights costing 2,265 kwacha (Dh680). Accommodation:The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel by Anantara is an ideal place to stay, within walking distance of the falls and right on the Zambezi River. Rooms here start from 6,635 kwacha (Dh2,398) per night, including breakfast, taxes and Wi-Fi. Water arrivals cost from 587 kwacha (Dh212) per person.
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.”
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
