On the occasion of the International Day of Human Fraternity, we reminisce with fondness the historic moment two years ago when the first ever papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula was made. The trip also involved the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together. After signing it, Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed Al Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar Mosque in Egypt, together announced "the adoption of a culture of dialogue as the path; mutual co-operation as the code of conduct; reciprocal understanding as the method and standard".
They exhorted world leaders to "spread the culture of tolerance and of living together in peace; to intervene at the earliest opportunity to stop the shedding of innocent blood and bring an end to wars, conflicts, environmental decay and the moral and cultural decline that the world is presently experiencing". That the event happened in the UAE was of particular importance, given the fact that it is one of the few countries globally in which around 200 nationalities and almost all faiths, cultures and languages have co-existed harmoniously for decades.
The UAE's history of tolerance and cultural co-existence is comparable in many ways to the period of Convivencia in Spanish history. First proposed by the Spanish philologist Americo Castro, Convivencia refers to the period of Spanish history from the Muslim Umayyad conquest of Hispania in the early eighth century, to the expulsion of the Jews in 1492. This period under enlightened Arab Muslim rulers was one of multi-faith harmony and symbiosis, which rarely existed anywhere else in Europe at the time.
The rebuilding of Mosul is under way. AFP
The visit in 1951 of Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed, to the Vatican – among several other religious centres in Europe – is worth remembering in our present context. It demonstrates that our respect and acceptance of others has deep historical roots. Our early commitment to religious freedom was also reflected when Sheikh Shakhbut, the then Ruler of Abu Dhabi, donated 11 acres of land for the construction of the first church in the emirate. When it was consecrated in 1965, both Sheikh Shakhbut and his brother Sheikh Zayed attended the historic opening. The UAE currently has more than 50 places of worship belonging to various faiths other than Islam. Our pluralism is distinctive in the sense that diverse identities live together here without any pressure for assimilation or self-effacement.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, once pointed out that “when the Arab world was tolerant and accepting of others, it led the world”. He explained that “from the civilisations of Damascus to Andalusia, Arab people provided beacons of science, knowledge, and civilisation, because humane values were the basis of our relationships with all civilisations, cultures, and religions”. Privileging human values, over narrow visions of the self, defined the culture of this land before and after the formation of the Union in 1971.
It is this same legacy that inspired us to partner with Unesco in February 2018 for the flagship initiative "Revive the Spirit of Mosul", which aims to rebuild the Iraqi city from the debris of terrorist vandalism. The project will restore the urban, social and cultural fabric of the Old City and seek to foster reconciliation and social cohesion. It involves the reconstruction of the Old City's historic landmarks, including Al Nouri Mosque, with its Al Hadba Minaret, and Al Sa'a and Al Tahira churches.
The UAE currently has more than 50 places of worship belonging to faiths other than Islam
The message that we want to convey through our partnership in the project is that we resist the zealots who destroy the symbols of our harmonious heritage and cultural values. It is also part of our commitment to fight against the forces of extremism across the globe. Just as we spare no effort in keeping the UAE a pluralistic safe haven, we also contribute to global initiatives against extremism and terrorism. Our vision of tolerance and acceptance is also a central aspect of our humanitarian operations around the globe. We offer aid and support to suffering people anywhere, regardless of their creed, colour or ethnicity.
As we observe the International Day of Human Fraternity, we need to remember that we are in the middle of a global pandemic that has held humanity hostage for almost an entire year. If there is one lesson to learn from our experience of the virus, it is this: our safety and security as human beings can be ensured only if we set aside narrow, identity-obsessed obstinacies and embrace all humankind with humility and love. As a nation, we remain committed to the promotion of tolerance and pluralism, both in terms of ethical principles and pragmatic considerations.
Noura Al Kaabi is the UAE’s Minister of Culture and Youth
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
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”.
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available. Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus. Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel. Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster with a decades-long career in TV. He has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others. Karam is also the founder of Takreem.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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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.”
Funding: Raised $5.8m in a seed fund round in December 2018. Backers include Y Combinator, Beco Capital, Venturesouq, Paul Graham, Peter Thiel, Paul Buchheit, Justin Mateen, Matt Mickiewicz, SOMA, Dynamo and Global Founders Capital
PAKISTAN SQUAD
Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali (test captain), Babar Azam (T20 captain), Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Kashif Bhatti, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah.
Key facilities
Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
