More than one million pupils across the Emirates embarked on a new school year on Monday.
For many children, it was a chance to reunite with friends and teachers after a long summer break.
For others, it marked a memorable first day in class in the UAE – and the start of their education journey.
Fresh faces
About 600 pupils started their first day at the Dwight School Dubai on Monday.
David Huston, the headmaster at the school, said that the new academic year was exciting because there are no Covid rules in place for the first time in years.
“For starters, this academic year is pure excitement because we haven't got Covid,” he said.
“We have all of our students on campus, and we are ready to go.
“We've had the whole week to prepare our staff, our teachers, and I think we got to about Thursday last week, and we just wanted the students in, to be honest.”
The school had a new student induction on Friday, allowing newcomers to familiarise themselves with their teachers and study material.
Salma Youssef, an Egyptian pupil in year 9, said she looked forward to a new academic year because it now felt “normal” without any Covid restrictions.
“I think it’s exciting because we have more freedom for field trips,” she said.
Pupil well-being still key
Despite elation at beginning the school year without face masks for the first time since before the pandemic, many schools are still keeping high standards when it comes to health precautions.
"Our facilities have undergone rigorous sanitisation and we will continue to adhere to the health guidelines set by GEMS Education and the local authorities, including safeguarding our students," said Fatima Martin, principal at Gems New Millennium School in Al Khail.
Preparations also extended to the refurbishment of certain areas to be enjoyed by the 2,500 pupils heading back to school for the new academic year.
"This term, our students can look forward to a great addition to our infrastructure, beginning with a completely refurbished foyer.
"We eagerly anticipate the adventures and accomplishments that the upcoming term holds and are looking forward to the smiling faces lighting up our campus once more.”
Mixed emotions for pupils
In Motor City, Syeda Eeman Hussain, a year 12 pupil from Pakistan, said she is keen to see old friends and welcome some new ones.
"I am eagerly looking forward to reuniting with old friends and getting to hear all about their summer holiday, and hopefully making the new students at my school feel welcome," said the pupil at Gems Metropole School
"The most challenging part was definitely adjusting my sleep schedule after the long summer slumber. However, the thought of getting back into the regular school routine with my friends pushed me to overcome the challenges"
Romanian pupil Stefania Paunescu said the first day back was filled with different emotions but ultimately she was delighted to see her friends again.
"I have a mix of emotions. Very happy, but a bit nervous," said the year 8 pupil studying at Gems World Academy in Abu Dhabi.
"I love the summer break, it’s the same routine, so I’m glad to be back. One of the joys of going back to school is reuniting with friends and making new friends to hang out and create new memories together."
Safety measures
School leaders and police have put action plans in place to ensure a safe return to studies on a key day in the academic calendar.
Road traffic was expected to surge as tens of thousands of parents got behind the wheel for the busy back-to-school commute.
Road safety was a major concern for authorities on Monday morning, with congested roads raising the prospect of an increased number of accidents.
A major UAE-wide initiative was launched last week that promised motorists the deduction of four black points if they signed a pledge agreeing to obey traffic laws and were not involved in a road incident on Monday.
Participating drivers are expected to avoid speeding, maintain safe distances and exercise caution while changing lanes and overtaking.
Some schools also offered flexible start times to ease traffic build-up and cut travel times.
President Sheikh Mohamed delivered a message of support to the UAE's growing school population on the eve of the new term.
“I extend my best wishes for a successful academic year to all students, teachers, and parents,” President Sheikh Mohamed said.
“Together, you continue to ensure that educational excellence is an investment in our nation's future and a foundation for developing lifelong learners in and out of school.”
RESULT
Brazil 2 Croatia 0
Brazil: Neymar (69'), Firmino (90' 3)
SPECS
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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
The 10 Questions
- Is there a God?
- How did it all begin?
- What is inside a black hole?
- Can we predict the future?
- Is time travel possible?
- Will we survive on Earth?
- Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
- Should we colonise space?
- Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?
- How do we shape the future?
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.”
