The downpours at the weekend are not expected to be as intense as July's deluge. Chris Whiteoak/ The National
The downpours at the weekend are not expected to be as intense as July's deluge. Chris Whiteoak/ The National
The downpours at the weekend are not expected to be as intense as July's deluge. Chris Whiteoak/ The National
The downpours at the weekend are not expected to be as intense as July's deluge. Chris Whiteoak/ The National

UAE weather: three days of rain with 45kph winds from Saturday


Chris Maxwell
  • English
  • Arabic

The UAE is braced for at least three days of rain, starting on Saturday.

The National Centre of Meteorology said in its latest five-day forecast that downpours are expected across the country.

High winds of up to 45 kilometres an hour are predicted until Tuesday, which could lead to dust and sand storms.

The NCM had told The National on Wednesday of the impending rainfall.

“There will be a chance of rain formation in some parts of the east and south on Saturday and Sunday,” a forecaster from the NCM said.

“There is a low-pressure system with humid air from the Sea of Oman and Arabian Sea coming towards our area,” he said. “We expect some moderate to heavy rain.”

Rain in the UAE — in pictures

  • A man rides his bicycle during a brief downpour in the Mussaffah industrial area in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
    A man rides his bicycle during a brief downpour in the Mussaffah industrial area in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
  • Rain fell in Abu Dhabi as unsettled summer weather continued across the country. Victor Besa / The National
    Rain fell in Abu Dhabi as unsettled summer weather continued across the country. Victor Besa / The National
  • The National Centre of Meteorology issued a forecast for rain in the morning, accompanied by strong winds that could reach 45 kilometres per hour. Victor Besa / The National
    The National Centre of Meteorology issued a forecast for rain in the morning, accompanied by strong winds that could reach 45 kilometres per hour. Victor Besa / The National
  • Abu Dhabi is expected to have a maximum temperature of 42°C in the next few days. Victor Besa / The National
    Abu Dhabi is expected to have a maximum temperature of 42°C in the next few days. Victor Besa / The National
  • Low clouds hung over Dubai and the Northern Emirates. Pawan Singh / The National
    Low clouds hung over Dubai and the Northern Emirates. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Temperatures hovered at around 36ºC in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    Temperatures hovered at around 36ºC in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

The latest NCM report indicates there will be more rain on Monday in eastern and western areas, which could be accompanied by a drop in temperatures.

The NCM said it did not expect the rain at the weekend to be as intense as July's deluge but it was still studying the outlook into next week.

Ncema, the UAE's National Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Management Authority, also warned residents about the possibility of rain into next week, posting a notification on social media for the public to be aware.

The authorities remain on alert after deadly flash floods hit the eastern UAE last month.

Seven people died and more than 800 were rescued after torrential downpours caused flooding across the northern and eastern coasts.

The NCM said it was the wettest July in decades.

Temperatures remain high

While the Emirates has faced unsettled weather in recent weeks, it has not stopped the traditional summer surge in temperatures.

The mercury rose above 50°C in some parts of the country this week, with sun-baked Sweihan recording the country's highest temperatures.

After a sizzling 51°C on Tuesday, it was a barely cooler 50.3°C on Wednesday and 49.8°C on Thursday in the Al Ain town.

People in Sweihan may find some respite from the intense sunshine, however, with temperatures forecast to drop to 40°C on Monday.

On Saturday, temperatures in Abu Dhabi will peak at 45°C, with highs of 44°C in Dubai. They will be slightly lower on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

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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Updated: August 12, 2022, 9:14 AM