Last week saw the launch of our reader event series, A Night with The National. We invited a group of participants to join members of our photo department for an evening of street photography. The resulting photographs did a stunning job of capturing Abu Dhabi's nightlife.
Brian Kerrigan takes us through his thoughts on the evening's events.
Within 48 hours of attending a launch of the Fujifilm X100 in Dubai, our Managing Editor, Laura Koot, called me into her office. She asked if I thought we could get an event together, on a tight timeline, based around taking readers on a ‘photo walk’ of the capital. Now, as journalists, tight timelines are the name of the game; it is part of why one goes into newspapers. But the logistics of putting together an event for readers took me into uncharted territory.
My first thought was that it would be good if there was an extra element to the evening, at least to make it more special than just hanging out with me and my staff. A quick phone call later and we were on our way, with the help of Fujifilm Middle East.
When we put out the original call for applications – requiring people to submit three of their best photos for review – I felt we would be doing very well if we received 30 applicants. Very quickly I realised I had underestimated the response. By deadline at 5pm on March 24 we had 91 applicants – with at least a dozen more arriving in past deadline. (Sorry, folks, this is the news business – a deadline is a deadline) The quality of the submissions was as striking and diverse as the applicants. At this point I started to feel good about the potential of the evening.
On Wednesday, March 27, we gathered at a hotel in downtown Abu Dhabi and waited the arrival of our guests. I had two staff photographers and three assistant photo editors with me for help, plus Fatima Helal Al Baloushi from our promotions department, and Laura, together with Manjeet Varekar of McCollins Media who handles FujiFilm Middle East, and Keitaro So, General Manager of Fujifilm Electronics Imaging Division Middle East and North Africa.
Before I go any further about the evenings events, I should step back a bit and speak personally about my experiences with Fuji's X-Series cameras and specifically the X100s. Now, I won't bother repeating myself about how I came to love the X-series cameras and how they changed my life; if you want to read that it can be found on my previous post here. However, having the new X100s in my hand did take me back to my first few days of shooting with the original.
I’d been removed a little from the X100 as I’d been shooting primarily with my X-Pro1 since its release last year and also a Leica Monochrom. The X100s has a near-identical form factor to the original, so it was instantly familiar, but I was struck by how compact it was compared to the X-Pro1 or a digital Leica body.
The addition of the “Q” button (quick menu) which first showed up on the X-Pro1 was a welcome addition, putting on screen every shooting option I might want to change on the fly.
Some of the other improvements were so good they were actually causing me problems. Most notable was the vastly improved autofocus. The X100 has always been a near-silent camera, but the new AF system is in some situations nearly imperceivable, not just to the ear but in that sensation you get transmitted to your hand, the little vibration in the camera that tells you something has happened, that the lens has focused.
A few times I thought the camera hadn’t grabbed focus when in reality it had done it so quickly and with so little drama I didn’t realise.
I had a similar experience with using the six-frames-per-second drive setting. In normal street photography conditions, the drive is so quiet I couldn’t tell it was shooting at first. You get used to both, but if you’ve been away from the camera for a bit, it catches you out. The electronic view finder was also a surprise, finally being a feature I’d use regularly rather than only when doing critical edge to edge composition.
That’s not to say the camera is perfect, it still has a couple of points of frustration for me, such as how long it takes to wake up from sleep. Here you have two options: you can turn off all the power-save features and carry a load of batteries with you, or, as I quickly trained myself to do with the original X100 and X-Pro1, switch the camera off when it is by your side. The cameras boot so fast that by the time it’s to your eye, it’s ready to shoot.
That brings me to another point about the camera, or more specifically, the company that makes it. Fujifilm has been impressive in how it listens and reacts to feedback. It seems proactive in tracking user comments and regularly puts out firmware updates to fix problems and improve performance. It’s a refreshing change from the big two DSLR producers who seem very distant from their respective users.
Back to Wednesday night.
Our guests started to flow in and socialise with my staff. Keitaro-san put X100s into their hands and after a short presentation by me of some of my own street photography, primarily shot around Abu Dhabi, and some tips using the techniques to express your creative side, we sent them out for an hour of shooting.
The hour on the street was nothing short of amazing. When I first stepped out of the hotel I could see at least six members of the group. After only about five minutes of trying to film a to-camera piece for our multimedia video, I looked around and they were gone.
I started to track around the neighborhood looking for our guests or my staff. When I did finally find people, the energy I witnessed was mind blowing.
People were really working everything they saw, and by luck it was one of the busiest nights I’d ever seen in that city block, so there was no shortage of subject matter. There were also some wonderfully comic moments, like a slightly panicked SMS from one of my editors, Rob: “I’ve lost Chad!!!”. By luck, I found him a few minutes later moving like an Olympic athlete through the crowds. When he stopped for a few seconds to work a photo, I grabbed my phone to text Rob a reassuring: “I found him”. However, in the time it took to do that, Chad was gone again. Man, he moves fast.
There were other great scenes, such as Phil Burgess working hard to get the perfect photo of a boy on a bike with a cap gun. A huge crowd had formed around the boy who was loving the attention. I saw two members of my staff join games of street football, with varying degrees of ability. And I had some great fun with folks in the neighbourhood while trying to do my on-camera work. I’m about as uncomfortable as one can be in front of a camera, so letting the kids steal the show was a relief to me.
Returning to the hotel my team jumped into action, processing cards and editing the photographers’ work down to three best photos each. When we presented the images for critique I must admit, I had a little bit of a ‘lump-in-the-throat’ moment.
The quality of the work produced by this group was outstanding. I was the guest speaker, I was the one who was meant to inspire but at the end of the night, I was the one inspired. The camera seemed to live up to the billing I gave it, but we should not forget every camera is only as good as the person using it.
These images, presented here, speak of the level of talent in the photo community in the UAE, particularly when keeping in mind many of our guests, while passionate about photography, are not working professionals.
A Case in point is the photographer behind our winning image. Niharika Patel is a lawyer, having worked in New York, London and Paris before moving to Dubai four years ago. I was lucky enough to chat with her a few times during the evening and it was clear she was very dialed in to all things photographic. Frankly, I assumed she was a freelance photographer I hadn’t somehow met yet.
Niharika’s winning image was also a surprise, mostly for my staff. I was tasked with selecting the winning frame and it wasn’t easy. I narrowed the selections down to a top five or six, then a final three. My staff know I always try to push for real moments and keeping portraits as a fall back. However, this portrait of a man was so well composed, so striking, and had so much depth I really fell in love with it instantly.
The man is looking straight at me, straight into my soul. The image has wonderful depth due to the near perfect lighting and a wonderful wisp of lens flare from the background lights. For me, a basic measure of a really great photo is if I could picture having a huge print of it hanging in my living-room, something that would create conversation when guests came round, something I wouldn’t tire of looking, something that wouldn’t feel dated as time passed. This image ticks all of those boxes and so many more.
Again, the quality of the images from the evening as a whole was outstanding. The event could not have happened without support from the people at Fujifilm Middle East, The National and my wonderful team.
Perhaps this is the first of many photo walks, perhaps it was a one-off, but either way it was really one of the best nights I’ve had in many years.
Thank you to everyone involved.
The five pillars of Islam
OIL PLEDGE
At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.
The specs: 2018 Honda City
Price, base: From Dh57,000
Engine: 1.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 118hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 146Nm @ 4,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.8L / 100km
More coverage from the Future Forum
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Klipit
Started: 2022
Founders: Venkat Reddy, Mohammed Al Bulooki, Bilal Merchant, Asif Ahmed, Ovais Merchant
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Digital receipts, finance, blockchain
Funding: $4 million
Investors: Privately/self-funded
'Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower'
Michael Beckley, Cornell Press
England squad
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Coady, Marc Guehi, Reece James, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Ben White
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Conor Gallagher, Mason Mount, Jordan Henderson, Declan Rice, James Ward-Prowse
Forwards: Tammy Abraham, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Raheem Sterling
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company Profile
Company name: Hoopla
Date started: March 2023
Founder: Jacqueline Perrottet
Based: Dubai
Number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Investment required: $500,000
The studios taking part (so far)
- Punch
- Vogue Fitness
- Sweat
- Bodytree Studio
- The Hot House
- The Room
- Inspire Sports (Ladies Only)
- Cryo
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
Fight card
1. Featherweight 66kg: Ben Lucas (AUS) v Ibrahim Kendil (EGY)
2. Lightweight 70kg: Mohammed Kareem Aljnan (SYR) v Alphonse Besala (CMR)
3. Welterweight 77kg:Marcos Costa (BRA) v Abdelhakim Wahid (MAR)
4. Lightweight 70kg: Omar Ramadan (EGY) v Abdimitalipov Atabek (KGZ)
5. Featherweight 66kg: Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Kagimu Kigga (UGA)
6. Catchweight 85kg: Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) v Iuri Fraga (BRA)
7. Featherweight 66kg: Yousef Al Husani (UAE) v Mohamed Allam (EGY)
8. Catchweight 73kg: Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Ahmed Abdelraouf of Egypt (EGY)
9. Featherweight 66kg: Jaures Dea (CMR) v Andre Pinheiro (BRA)
10. Catchweight 90kg: Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
HWJN
Director: Yasir Alyasiri
Starring: Baraa Alem, Nour Alkhadra, Alanoud Saud
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 2.2-litre, turbodiesel
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Power: 160hp
Torque: 385Nm
Price: Dh116,900
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Sheffield United 2 Bournemouth 1
United: Sharp (45+2'), Lundstram (84')
Bournemouth: C Wilson (13')
Man of the Match: Jack O’Connell (Sheffield United)
Company profile
Company: Splintr
Started: May 2019
Founders: Mohammad AlMheiri and Badr AlBadr
Based: Dubai and Riyadh
Sector: payments / FinTech
Size: 10 employees
Initial investment: undisclosed seven-figure sum / pre-seed
Stage: seed
Investors: angel investors
The biog
Age: 30
Position: Senior lab superintendent at Emirates Global Aluminium
Education: Bachelor of science in chemical engineering, post graduate degree in light metal reduction technology
Favourite part of job: The challenge, because it is challenging
Favourite quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Gandi
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last 16, first leg
Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight, Wednesday, BeIN Sports
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
Second ODI
England 322-7 (50 ovs)
India 236 (50 ovs)
England win by 86 runs
Next match: Tuesday, July 17, Headingley
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
Courses at Istituto Marangoni, Dubai
Undergraduate courses
Interior Design; Product Design; Visual Design; Fashion Design & Accessories; Fashion Styling & Creative Direction; Fashion Business; Foundation in Fashion; Foundation in Design
Professional courses
Fashion e-Commerce & Digital Marketing; Fashion Entrepreneurship; Fashion Luxury Retail and Visual Merchandising
Short courses
Fashion design; Fashion Image & Styling; Fashion Trend Forecasting; Interior Design; Digital Art in Fashion
More information is at www.istitutomarangoni.com
CONFIRMED LINE-UP
Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan)
Ons Jabeur (Tunisia)
Maria Sakkari (Greece)
Barbora Krejčíková (Czech Republic)
Beatriz Haddad Maia (Brazil)
Jeļena Ostapenko (Latvia)
Liudmila Samsonova
Daria Kasatkina
Veronika Kudermetova
Caroline Garcia (France)
Magda Linette (Poland)
Sorana Cîrstea (Romania)
Anastasia Potapova
Anhelina Kalinina (Ukraine)
Jasmine Paolini (Italy)
Emma Navarro (USA)
Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine)
Naomi Osaka (Japan) - wildcard
Emma Raducanu (Great Britain) - wildcard
Alexandra Eala (Philippines) - wildcard
How to invest in gold
Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.
A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.
Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”
Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”
Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”
By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.
You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.
You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Company Profile
Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
Total Clients: Over 50
Need to know
Unlike other mobile wallets and payment apps, a unique feature of eWallet is that there is no need to have a bank account, credit or debit card to do digital payments.
Customers only need a valid Emirates ID and a working UAE mobile number to register for eWallet account.
More on Palestine-Israeli relations
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.”
Teaching in coronavirus times
Jebel Ali results
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner: AF Al Moreeb, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
2.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Shamikh, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 64,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: One Vision, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
3.30pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Gabr, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
4pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 96,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Just A Penny, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
4.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Torno Subito, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,950m
Winner: Untold Secret, Jose Santiago, Salem bin Ghadayer
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
RESULT
Manchester United 2 Burnley 2
Man United: Lingard (53', 90'+1)
Burnley: Barnes (3'), Defour (36')
Man of the Match: Jesse Lingard (Manchester United)
Forced Deportations
While the Lebanese government has deported a number of refugees back to Syria since 2011, the latest round is the first en-mass campaign of its kind, say the Access Center for Human Rights, a non-governmental organization which monitors the conditions of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
“In the past, the Lebanese General Security was responsible for the forced deportation operations of refugees, after forcing them to sign papers stating that they wished to return to Syria of their own free will. Now, the Lebanese army, specifically military intelligence, is responsible for the security operation,” said Mohammad Hasan, head of ACHR.
In just the first four months of 2023 the number of forced deportations is nearly double that of the entirety of 2022.
Since the beginning of 2023, ACHR has reported 407 forced deportations – 200 of which occurred in April alone.
In comparison, just 154 people were forcfully deported in 2022.
Violence
Instances of violence against Syrian refugees are not uncommon.
Just last month, security camera footage of men violently attacking and stabbing an employee at a mini-market went viral. The store’s employees had engaged in a verbal altercation with the men who had come to enforce an order to shutter shops, following the announcement of a municipal curfew for Syrian refugees.
“They thought they were Syrian,” said the mayor of the Nahr el Bared municipality, Charbel Bou Raad, of the attackers.
It later emerged the beaten employees were Lebanese. But the video was an exemplary instance of violence at a time when anti-Syrian rhetoric is particularly heated as Lebanese politicians call for the return of Syrian refugees to Syria.