A Closer Look: Behind the scenes of The Lion King

A Closer Look is The National's show where we take a more in-depth look at one of the main stories of the week.

One of the most popular stage shows in the world has opened in Abu Dhabi. The Lion King has sold millions of tickets worldwide and this is the first time it is being staged in the Middle East.

The show opened this week at the Etihad Area and has been so well received that an extra five days of performances had to be added to accommodate demand.

Here, The National reporter Anjana Sankar joins host Sarah Forster to talk about what it takes to put on such a monumental show.

Abu Dhabi's 'The Lion King' musical will be 'magnificent', says Mufasa actor

'The Lion King': Watch Rafiki perform 'Circle of Life' on top of Abu Dhabi's Etihad Arena

Director Julie Taymor with a performer portraying Scar at a workshop for The Lion King musical, at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. Photo: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Director and designer Julie Taymor at the preview of The Lion King musical at Etihad Arena. Photo: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Leaping gazelle puppets take centre stage at a workshop for The Lion King musical at Etihad Arena. Photo: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Brandon McCall as Simba, left, and Pearl Khwezi as Nala during a performance of The Lion King on Broadway in New York. Photo: AP
The Lion King musical, based on Disney’s 1994 animated feature film, is making its Middle East debut in Abu Dhabi. Photo: AP

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.	United States
2.	China
3.	UAE
4.	Japan
5	Norway
6.	Canada
7.	Singapore
8.	Australia
9.	Saudi Arabia
10.	South Korea

Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

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