UAE’s ‘Look East’ policy is developing

One of the first participants to speak at the World Government Summit in Dubai this week was also one of the most prominent: Shinzo Abe, the prime minister of Japan. There were many global figures at the event, including current and former heads of state, but Mr Abe’s speech was given prime billing. That makes sense. The UAE’s future is increasingly dependent on its alliances and interactions with its Asian partners.

The facts are well-known. Just weeks ago, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, was in New Delhi as guest of honour for Republic Day celebrations. Trade with India is vital, worth hundreds of billions of dirhams per year, making it the UAE’s top trading partner.

Number two on that list is China, the other Asian behemoth. Links with South Korea are equally important, both in terms of imports and particularly in the partnership that is building the Barakah nuclear energy plant in Abu Dhabi. Russian relations continue to matter, even as they conflict with the UAE’s foreign policy in some areas.

And of course the Philippines is a growing regional player and one that the UAE, with hundreds of thousands of Filipino expats, must pay special attention to. With the overwhelming majority of the UAE’s expat population coming from Asian countries, links east of Fujairah will remain important.

These links bring with them immense benefits, but also challenges. One example was demonstrated last week, when, just as Mr Abe was about to leave the United States to fly to the UAE, North Korea fired a missile across the Sea of Japan, to global consternation. Such threats can seriously affect our allies and, therefore, have an impact on the UAE.

Indeed, such challenges can emerge in unexpected areas. The UAE must carefully balance its relations with China, India and Russia, powerful rivals in certain spheres. The incoming US administration also appears to be inching towards confrontation with China over building in the South China Sea. If that happens, it will pose a challenge for the UAE, given our deep ties with both countries.

The UAE’s global alliances are like roots, stretching across the globe. They must be carefully nurtured.

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Company Profile

Company name: Namara
Started: June 2022
Founder: Mohammed Alnamara
Based: Dubai
Sector: Microfinance
Current number of staff: 16
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Family offices

How to get exposure to gold

Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.

A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.

Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.

Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.

London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long

However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Five famous companies founded by teens

There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:

Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.