DUBAI // Despite the grey skies and showers, the UAE’s first National Sports Day was business as usual as the emirate got active in the fresh winter air.
Dubai’s International Financial Centre was abuzz with people curious to explore new ways to get fit and healthy.
The day began with a power walk around the DIFC grounds then there were classes, including Body Pump and Zumba, football and basketball matches, and children’s activities such as a bouncy castle.
Emirati Obaid Al Muhairi who works in DIFC said the event was “an amazing concept that brings a lot of people together”.
He hoped it would raise awareness of good nutrition and the importance of an active lifestyle.
“The population needs to be more educated about what they eat and about sports,” he said.
The opportunity to try new events would “build confidence” for people to participate in sport without the fear factor of competition.
Maitha Al Kitbi, a teacher at Al Awir School, who took 60 children to the event, said: “It’s a good way to explain to children why sport is good for us and our bodies.
“The children have a different mood when they’re outside the school and sport is a way to show them to get along together.”
Trainer Mark John was delivering classes for gym chain Fitness First. “It’s great to bring people together and motivate them like this,” he said.
“Taking them out of the office to enjoy this and bring health to life and tell them about different activities, it’s really positive.”
There were also smaller events taking place across Dubai.
Ghalib Al Mansoori, 24, an Emirati, was one of a group taking part in a workout at fitness facility InnerFight.
“I wish there were events like this on a monthly basis,” he said. “People here need to have more encouragement to get active and it shouldn’t just be for one day of the year.
“It’s a different life once you start getting active.”
He said many people lacked the motivation or willpower to make physical activity a part of their lifestyle. “There are always excuses,” he said. “They don’t realise it can be social. I’ve met so many new people since joining the facility.
“We’ve done very well building this country but this kind of initiative has to be all year to create a healthier population.”
The Office of the Crown Prince of Dubai organised a yoga session for its staff. Saif Al Ketbi, director of the office, said the sports day would “strengthen the values of love and harmony among all, since sport is the best way to achieve such a noble vision”.
“I see this event today as a mini Olympiad in which participants talk one language, of sport, irrespective of their colours and tongues,” he said.
mswan@thenational.ae
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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:
RESULTS
Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) beat Azizbek Satibaldiev (KYG). Round 1 KO
Featherweight: Izzeddin Farhan (JOR) beat Ozodbek Azimov (UZB). Round 1 rear naked choke
Middleweight: Zaakir Badat (RSA) beat Ercin Sirin (TUR). Round 1 triangle choke
Featherweight: Ali Alqaisi (JOR) beat Furkatbek Yokubov (UZB). Round 1 TKO
Featherweight: Abu Muslim Alikhanov (RUS) beat Atabek Abdimitalipov (KYG). Unanimous decision
Catchweight 74kg: Mirafzal Akhtamov (UZB) beat Marcos Costa (BRA). Split decision
Welterweight: Andre Fialho (POR) beat Sang Hoon-yu (KOR). Round 1 TKO
Lightweight: John Mitchell (IRE) beat Arbi Emiev (RUS). Round 2 RSC (deep cuts)
Middleweight: Gianni Melillo (ITA) beat Mohammed Karaki (LEB)
Welterweight: Handesson Ferreira (BRA) beat Amiran Gogoladze (GEO). Unanimous decision
Flyweight (Female): Carolina Jimenez (VEN) beat Lucrezia Ria (ITA), Round 1 rear naked choke
Welterweight: Daniel Skibinski (POL) beat Acoidan Duque (ESP). Round 3 TKO
Lightweight: Martun Mezhlumyan (ARM) beat Attila Korkmaz (TUR). Unanimous decision
Bantamweight: Ray Borg (USA) beat Jesse Arnett (CAN). Unanimous decision
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
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.”
