DUBAI // Fund-raising is under way to build Dubai's first orphanage, a Dh140 million project inspired by a call for charitable proposals on Twitter.
Dubai's Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (Amaf) devised the plan after Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, requested ideas for Ramadan initiatives.
The "Family Village" was one of thousands of suggestions relayed to Sheikh Mohammed on Twitter.
The design features 12 villas that could house 100 orphaned and abandoned children, cared for by staff "mothers" and "aunties".
It will provide a home for dozens of children who live in Latifa Hospital, said Tayeb Abdulrahman Al Rais, Amaf secretary general.
In July, Sheikh Mohammed asked Amaf to start implementing the plan immediately.
Once the money is raised, Mr Al Rais estimates it will take up to 18 months to build the facility, most likely in Al Warqa.
“Quite frankly I wasn’t expecting for it to happen so soon and so fast,” he said.
In addition to managing Dubai’s religious endowments, Amaf supports more than 2,500 orphans –children who have lost one or both parents.
Many are cared for by extended family members. But some children have no one, while others were abandoned outside mosques or homes.
About 50 such children live at Latifa Hospital, Mr Al Rais said. The orphanage would serve these children and others in similar situations.
“We don’t want these kids to be raised to feel they are abandoned,” Mr Al Rais said. “They are our children, my girls and boys, and we will raise them as part of the community.”
The emirates of Abu Dhabi and Sharjah already have government orphanages, and there is a federal facility planned for Umm Al Quwain. However, there is no orphanage in Dubai.
A baby abandoned earlier this year was sent to the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children, a shelter for victims of abuse and human trafficking, Mr Al Rais said.
The Family Village plan calls for a “grandmother” director who oversees the “mothers” and “aunties”. One of the 12 villas will be a guesthouse for potential parents to visit and meet children.
“The idea is to have these kids adopted into proper families,” Mr Al Rais said.
He hopes enough families come forward to create a waiting list.
“I would love to see an orphanage without an orphan,” he said.
Abandoned children cannot be legally adopted under Sharia, but they can be cared for through permanent fostering relationships that are similar to adoptions.
Only Emiratis can take in abandoned children, who receive UAE nationality.
This summer the President, Sheikh Khalifa, issued a federal law to create a standardised system for such children, according to Wam, the state news agency.
Because the law has not yet been implemented, Amaf is devising its own plan, Mr Al Rais said. “Our main objective is not to have an expensive building, but to have proper policies, procedures, regulations.”
Sheikh Mohammed has allocated land for the project, Mr Al Rais said.
The Dh140m fund-raising goal includes the costs of building and endowing the facility, expected to contain a clinic, a nursery, a playground and a garden.
“It’s expensive,” Mr Al Rais acknowledged. “It’s Dubai. We cannot build a barracks.”
The project includes an endowment so the orphanage will not depend on future donations, said Mark Evers, executive director of EFI International, a consulting firm involved with the project.
Mr Evers estimated it will take “months, not years” to reach the fund-raising goal.
“If the people of Dubai and especially those who are of means are very generous, we don’t think it will be very long,” he said.
Donors have already sponsored five of the villas, Mr Al Rais said.
Amaf has set up an account with Noor Islamic Bank to receive donations.
People who wish to donate can contact Amaf's call centre at 04 366 2111 or visit their website for more information.
vnereim@thenational.ae
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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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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