An Indian resident in Dubai who was one of the first passengers to return to the UAE shares his tips and warnings for fellow travellers.
Paul Samuel, 28, travelled to India in May when his father died after contracting Covid-19.
The UAE had imposed a ban on regular passenger flights to India and Mr Samuel knew that returning to his job and home would not be easy. But he was able to catch the first Emirates flight back from Kerala to Dubai on Thursday, after the UAE eased restrictions on six countries.
Mr Samuel urged people to triple check documents, make sure residents apply for approval and ensure the proper Covid-19 tests are taken.
"Go to the airport early so that if there is any confusion with documents or a queue for the rapid PCR test, they have time in hand," Mr Samuel said.
“In my case, there was some confusion about the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs approval, because Indian authorities wanted us to have applied for it on August 5. But I had applied for it earlier."
He said he took three Covid-19 tests, one 48 hours before travel because he was fully vaccinated, another rapid test at the airport, and a third after landing in Dubai.
“It was the first flight so there were just 20 to 25 passengers. It was empty.
“When I reached Dubai, the process was seamless and everything was easy at immigration. They did a Covid-19 test and sent me home where I waited to get my result.”
The service consultant told his fellow travellers to be at the airport at least four and a half hours before the flight.
Dozens of people from India landed in Dubai on Thursday after UAE authorities this week eased travel restrictions for six countries on its flight ban list.
Thousands of residents from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal are expected to travel back to the Emirates in the coming weeks.
Many residents had travelled because of emergencies or deaths in the family, and were eager to return to their homes in the UAE.
A ban on flights from India to the UAE began on April 25 after a surge in Covid-19 cases in India and the emergence of the fast-spreading Delta variant.
“There is no need to be anxious about travelling back as it’s a smooth process,” Mr Samuel said.
“Make sure you have your travel documents and extra copies in hand when you reach the airport.
"When getting a PCR test done abroad, inform the hospital you will be travelling and tell them you need the QR code."
Through the three months that Mr Samuel was stuck in India, he was unable to work, but said his organisation was extremely supportive and even considered getting him back to the UAE on a chartered flight.
"They never pressured me and and understood the situation,” he said.
Mr Samuel had booked a one-way flight to India when he travelled in May.
He constantly monitored news and flight options, and as soon as the ban was lifted, was able to get a seat on a direct Emirates flight for Dh881 while other options were priced above Dh6,500.
“I was constantly looking at flight information and had also considered flying to the UAE via [other] countries,” he said.
In the past, he paid close to Dh2,000 for a return flight from UAE to Kerala.
Fully vaccinated UAE visa holders are eligible to return, as long as they received their vaccines from clinics in the UAE. Unvaccinated residents can return if they are school pupils, teachers, university students, lecturers, medical workers, or people who work for federal or local government.
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Why the Tourist Club?
Originally, The Club (which many people chose to call the “British Club”) was the only place where one could use the beach with changing rooms and a shower, and get refreshments.
In the early 1970s, the Government of Abu Dhabi wanted to give more people a place to get together on the beach, with some facilities for children. The place chosen was where the annual boat race was held, which Sheikh Zayed always attended and which brought crowds of locals and expatriates to the stretch of beach to the left of Le Méridien and the Marina.
It started with a round two-storey building, erected in about two weeks by Orient Contracting for Sheikh Zayed to use at one these races. Soon many facilities were planned and built, and members were invited to join.
Why it was called “Nadi Al Siyahi” is beyond me. But it is likely that one wanted to convey the idea that this was open to all comers. Because there was no danger of encountering alcohol on the premises, unlike at The Club, it was a place in particular for the many Arab expatriate civil servants to join. Initially the fees were very low and membership was offered free to many people, too.
Eventually there was a skating rink, bowling and many other amusements.
Frauke Heard-Bey is a historian and has lived in Abu Dhabi since 1968.
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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Schedule for Asia Cup
Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)
Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)
Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four
Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)
Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 28: Final (Dubai)
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