When Fuzeya Ahmad flew from Dubai to the UK four years ago, the first thing that struck her were the accents.
Everyone sounded "like Harry Potter", taking her back to her childhood days watching the much-loved film series.
And within weeks of moving into her accommodation at the University of Bristol, Ms Ahmad, 18, was soon settled in to that age-old British tradition; complaining about the weather.
I quickly settled in. Apart from complaining about the weather, I think my favourite pastimes were cycling, hiking trips and reading in the park
Fuzeya Ahmad,
University of Bristol
“I had only visited the UK once before moving to university but during that first visit I fell in love with the country and I knew I wanted to pursue my studies there,” she told The National.
“I was 18 and had just graduated from high school. I think for a lot of students moving abroad can be daunting but I wasn’t nervous, I had this sense of excitement about living alone in a new place.
“I remember on the plane over I was a typical tourist. I got my photograph taken in the cockpit and when I look at that picture now, I see the excitement in my face.”
Although it was her first time living away from her family in Dubai, the Emirati graduate, now 23, said she instantly felt at home in Britain.
Studying for a LLB law degree in Bristol, Ms Ahmad, who graduated and moved back to the UAE this summer, is one of hundreds of Emirati students that choose to study in the UK each year.
For many international students it offers the chance to gain a world-class education, open the doors to a dream career path and the opportunity to perfect their English.
UK felt like a second home
In the four years she lived there, Ms Ahmad said the UK became her second home.
“I quickly settled in. Apart from complaining about the weather, I think my favourite pastimes were cycling, hiking trips and reading in the park," she said.
“I really loved the variation when it came to travel and all the historic sites to visit in London, Cumbria, Oxford and Bath.
“On the rare occasion I did feel homesick, I would take a day trip into London and meet friends and go for Emirati food.
“That was the thing with the UK, it was so diverse and had such a mix of nationalities all living together that it was easy to feel close to home.”
For Helal Ahmed Almheiri, 19, the UK dream is still a reality.
On Wednesday, the Abu Dhabi resident caught a flight to London to start his second year at the University of Bath.
Studying international management, he said it was his brother who inspired him to head to a university overseas.
“At first I wanted to keep my options open so I applied to courses in the US, Canada and Japan too, but when I went to my brother’s graduation in the UK I got this feeling that that was where I wanted to be,” he said.
“I think for Emiratis it’s a popular place to study because the UK is somewhat romanticised in the media.
“Since a young age I remember my mum loving the UK and we would visit for holidays. So many Arab mums loved Princess Diana, too.”
He was only 17 when he made the move to his private accommodation in Bath as a fresher and Mr Almheiri said it was a bit of a culture shock having to "fend for himself in a new country" but he soon found his feet.
Now, he has a great routine and often goes running in the park, spends time in the library and meets friends from all circles of life for social gatherings.
“I know it’s a cliche but it feels like a second home,” he said.
“I’m in a new country, enjoying new experiences, all while getting a quality education. It’s the perfect mix.
“The day I graduate and have to move back home will be bittersweet, but who knows, I might return again to do my postgraduate degree.”
First-rate education system makes UK attractive
Omar Aljaziri, a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Dubai, graduated from King’s College London early this summer.
After spending four years in the UK, he said he is still getting used to being back home.
“Oh, I miss it a lot, so, so much,” he said.
“I remember when I first got to London and moved into my dorm room, it’s an experience I won’t forget. It’s an experience every university student should have.
“I don’t know what it was about London, it was just this melting pot. While the place didn’t remind me of home, the people did.”
The goal to study abroad was always on Mr Aljaziri’s radar. Throughout high school his parents encouraged him to look at opportunities in the US and UK.
In 2017 he was accepted for a foundation programme in London and the following year he started a bachelor’s degree in law and international relations.
“The UK education system has a lot to offer and a lot of UAE leaders received their education there, so it’s like a seal of approval I guess,” he said.
“I think many Emiratis choose to study there because they treat foreigners with respect and with the UAE and UK as strong allies, it adds a sense of comfort for families sending children abroad.”
Like Mr Aljaziri, Eman Alseyabi, now 21, moved to the UK alone when she was just 17.
After graduating from Queen Mary University in London this summer, she said she remembers her time there fondly.
“What makes a country a second home is how comfortable you feel there,” she said.
“Having visited the UK before I moved there for university, I already felt familiar with the place. The food, the culture, the people, that was my comfort. I loved the diversity.”
After spending “hours crying on the plane” during that initial move, she said it only took a matter of days before the feeling of homesickness wore off.
Like many Emirati students, she became involved with the UAE embassy in the UK and quickly sought out spots in London that helped to remind her of home.
“Embassies play a huge role in helping international students integrate. I got involved in events for nationals days, Ramadan and Eid, which really made me feel welcome,” she said.
“When I first moved to university I didn’t know so many Khaleeji people existed in London but after a few months we started to meet each other and mix.
“And whenever I felt homesick I would go to my favourite spots for home-made Emirati food and music.”
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
The biog
Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology
Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India
Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur
How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993
Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters
Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
US PGA Championship in numbers
1 Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.
2 To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.
3 Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.
4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.
5 In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.
6 For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.
7 Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.
8 Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.
9 Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.
10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.
11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.
12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.
13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.
14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.
15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.
16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.
17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.
18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).
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Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
