Read also: Inside a Dubai school preparing for the return of pupils
Nurseries in the UAE are preparing to open for the autumn term in line with government Covid-19 safety regulations.
Home Grown Children's Eco Nursery in Dubai has two branches – in Umm Suqeim and Al Safa – that are due to open on September 7.
Fortunately, not a great deal has altered since the last academic year, when in order to reopen nursery owners had to adhere to strict Covid-19 regulations.
Children will still learn and socialise in bubbles with their classmates, but will be kept separate from other groups to help reduce transmission of the virus, said Eithne Mulhern, 47, director of education and head teacher at Home Grown Children's Eco Nursery.
"The social distancing rules have changed, and children are now allowed to be one metre apart rather than 1.5 metres," she said.
"Other than that, the bubbles have been made slightly bigger, from eight to 12 pupils in the one to two age group, and from 10 to 15 in the two to three's, and three to four year old's.
"We'll be continuing with hand washing and temperature checks every hour for all the children, as per the regulations, which also require us to record those results, Ms Mulhern said.
"Plus we sanitise any bags that come into the nursery, and we ask parents to sanitise them at home, and to wash their child's uniform every day."
First-day nerves
For many parents, their child's first day of nursery is one of the most nerve-wracking.
Normally the process is staggered, with parents settling their child into the classroom, staying for a while and playing. This is no longer allowed and parents can only stay for 15 minutes.
This is difficult for first-time parents, said Ms Mulhern from Ireland.
"From a parent's point of view, it is heartbreakingly tough to leave your child on their first day.
"To help, we make sure we're reachable by phone, and we have an app where we send photos to parents, and they get them instantly. We also take videos of the classrooms, so parents can see what they look like.
"The good news is that because there are less adults in the building, it's less confusing for the children, and we noticed last year they did settle more quickly in the classrooms. So there are some plus points."
The atmosphere in nurseries has changed dramatically compared to before the pandemic.
Adults and teachers must wear masks at all times and play areas are regularly sprayed with disinfectant, including sandpits and climbing frames.
Certain toys are prohibited because they are too fiddly to disinfect and staff members have to wear plastic gloves and aprons when feeding babies, while also retaining a distance of one metre.
Even toddlers have to be taught not to play with children who are not in their bubble, something Homegrown has resolved by partitioning the garden using parking cones and tape.
Ms Mulhern said parents have understood things had to change in order for them to reopen.
"We know the parents are behind us and they're backing us, and they're doing exactly what we've asked them. Plus they know that everything that we're doing is to minimise the risk to our children, and to the teachers and to themselves."
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
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In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
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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Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
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The cost of Covid testing around the world
Egypt
Dh514 for citizens; Dh865 for tourists
Information can be found through VFS Global.
Jordan
Dh212
Centres include the Speciality Hospital, which now offers drive-through testing.
Cambodia
Dh478
Travel tests are managed by the Ministry of Health and National Institute of Public Health.
Zanzibar
AED 295
Zanzibar Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, located within the Lumumba Secondary School compound.
Abu Dhabi
Dh85
Abu Dhabi’s Seha has test centres throughout the UAE.
UK
From Dh400
Heathrow Airport now offers drive through and clinic-based testing, starting from Dh400 and up to Dh500 for the PCR test.
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
