Follow the latest updates on Expo 2020 Dubai here
Visitors to Expo 2020 Dubai can now download three different apps to streamline their visit.
The official app will help match users' interests with events and attractions, and offer a virtual queuing facility.
The Business App aims to facilitate business connections through an innovative AI-powered algorithm.
Both apps are now available for download through App Store or Google Play.
The Expo 2020 Dubai site is twice the size of Monaco, so organisers recommend people plan their visits ahead of arriving.
What can I use the official Expo 2020 Dubai app for?
Visitors can use the app to buy tickets, or choose from more than 200 dining options and themed culinary events.
Guests can also use the app to manage reservations for Expo 2020’s intelligent Smart Queue system, which has been designed to dramatically reduce queues at popular pavilions.
Using the app, visitors can reserve a convenient time slot to visit the pavilions of their choice.
A chatbot on the app provides information on opening times, parking options and how to reach Expo using Dubai’s public transport options, and the RTA's free bus service.
There is also a GPS-enabled interactive map of the Expo site on the app, and step-by-step directions to places of interest across Expo, so visitors can make the most of their time.
The app also allows users to tailor their visit to Expo 2020, matching individual interests to create a personal schedule of events and attractions.
Where do I get the official Expo 2020 Dubai app?
The free app can be downloaded from App Store or Google Play.
Users then need to create an Expo 2020 account or link to it using their social media account.
How do I book tickets for Expo 2020 Dubai attractions?
Mohammed Al Hashmi, the chief innovation technology officer for Expo 2020 Dubai, said the best way to book tickets to Expo's attractions is through the app.
"Whether you’re interested in boarding our Garden in the Sky observation tower 55 metres above the ground; partying at Expo Beats, our monthly music festival featuring a global cast; or experiencing the spectacular Expo Water Feature, the Expo 2020 app has everything on offer at your fingertips," said Mr Al Hashmi.
What is the Expo 2020 Business app for?
Expo 2020 Dubai is not just designed to wow visitors, it is also designed to offer the world a platform to communicate and do business.
With nearly 200 countries represented on site, all displaying their brightest and best, organisers hope Expo 2020 Dubai will be a great place to make connections.
The Expo 2020 Business App matches users with similar interests and objectives among the business community, with the objective of facilitating meaningful business to business (B2B), business to government (B2G) and government to government (G2G) interactions across geographies and industries.
Thanks to inbuilt artificial intelligence, the app suggests potential matches for users based on their profiles, expertise, goals and interaction patterns.
Where do I get the Expo 2020 Business app?
The app can be downloaded for free of charge through WebApp, App Store and Google Play.
Users then create their own unique profile, highlighting key information and contact details, and then select filters and research potential match partners.
Once a connection is made, users can start engaging, chatting and scheduling meetings with other users, businesses and entities of interest to establish relationships during and beyond Expo.
A small registration fee applies to access the app’s premium features, such as networking, connecting, chatting and scheduling meetings.
Holders of the Premium Experience can enjoy complementary access to the premium features of the Expo 2020 Business App, alongside a host of additional services.
Keep fit at Expo 2020 Dubai with the Glofox app
The Expo 2020 Sports, Fitness and Wellbeing Hub has partnered with the Glofox app to help visitors make the most of all the sport and health-related activities available at the global fair.
There will be a wide variety of sports events for all ages and physical abilities taking place during Expo 2020.
To view timetables and services, book classes and engage with other members and instructors, Expo organisers recommend downloading the Glofox app.
How do I use the Glofox app at Expo 2020 Dubai?
Download the Glofox app through App Store and Google Play
Search for "Expo 2020: Sports, Fitness and Wellbeing Hub", then sign in and start registering for sessions.
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.”
Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
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Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Two-step truce
The UN-brokered ceasefire deal for Hodeidah will be implemented in two stages, with the first to be completed before the New Year begins, according to the Arab Coalition supporting the Yemeni government.
By midnight on December 31, the Houthi rebels will have to withdraw from the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa and Al Saqef, coalition officials told The National.
The second stage will be the complete withdrawal of all pro-government forces and rebels from Hodeidah city, to be completed by midnight on January 7.
The process is to be overseen by a Redeployment Co-ordination Committee (RCC) comprising UN monitors and representatives of the government and the rebels.
The agreement also calls the deployment of UN-supervised neutral forces in the city and the establishment of humanitarian corridors to ensure distribution of aid across the country.
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo and dual electric motors
Power: 300hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,500-3,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.0L/100km
Price: from Dh199,900
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
if you go
The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).
Match info
Liverpool 3
Hoedt (10' og), Matip (21'), Salah (45 3')
Southampton 0
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
