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From the very start of Expo 2020 Dubai, the unique water feature that helps the public to escape the heat has been one of the biggest attractions.
Visitors are stopping off to dip their feet in the waterfall that crashes to the ground before disappearing into the stone. The water also dances to music as people frolic in the tumbling stream below.
The gravity-defying illusion is switched on at night, as the water appears to flow upward and the stone is coloured with rainbow streaks.
The experience is set against a backdrop of specially written music. A live orchestra in London recorded the original score by well-known Game of Thrones music composer and two-time Emmy award winner, Ramin Djawadi.
Located between Al Wasl Plaza and Jubilee Park, three viewing platforms overlook a lower plaza area that is about the size of half a football field. The space is usually filled with excited visitors slipping off their shoes as they try to climb the four-storey high stone walls.
I thought; suppose we created a place on earth that had a touch of magic to it?
Mark Fuller,
founder of WET
At the centre of the ring is a spiral sculpture that spews fire at night.
The water feature that dances to music was specially created for the World's Fair in Dubai by the same company that brought us the famous fountains at the Burj Khalifa and the Bellagio.
The team at WET in Los Angeles decided it was time to make magic happen again and started working on the project for Expo 2020 Dubai three years ago.
The National spoke to Mark Fuller, founder and chief executive of WET, about the journey from sketches and giant mock-ups in an LA studio to finally building the towering rock walls in Dubai.
Testing laboratory like a movie studio
Mr Fuller’s team built mock-ups at the company’s research and testing laboratory in California. In a set resembling a movie studio, massive pumps were rented and engineers and architects worked together to send thousands of gallons of water down the towering walls.
“I thought; suppose we created a place on earth that had a touch of magic to it?” he said. “If you see this after dark, you see massive waves come down, you see them pause, and see them pull back."
The team at WET felt that the essence of the new installation had to be that people felt they were part of it. When discussing concepts with the Expo team, originally the idea was for a leafy shaded area, however soon they settled on the theme of water.
Reem Al Hashimy, director general of Expo 2020 Dubai, suggested a place where people could relax and feel a touch of nature.
“I think we all knew that this place was destined to be something special," said Mr Fuller. "So we conceived the idea that it could be a place that even with all the technology around, people can re-engage with perhaps the most fundamental element of life.”
“We thought how could we express the inherent power of water but also its inherent charm, its playfulness, so little kids can play in the water.”
Can you walk and play in it?
“Yes, they [visitors] can walk up. We have made that area strong enough,” Fuller said. “We have made the stones porous at the bottom so you think the wave is going to rush at you and then it disappears at your feet as you look down.”
Unlike the famous Bellagio fountains that twist and pirouette in the lake in front of the Las Vegas hotel, Fuller wanted to draw the audience in.
“For reasons of safety at Bellagio, we had to have a balustrade to keep people away, so it’s at a distance,” he said.
“After everyone is gone, when we are working we can go in a rubber boat in the middle of Bellagio when it’s going up and it just thrills you. We wanted to bring that thrill to everyone and bring it close to them.”
How the fountain works
The mechanics create an illusion that the water is shooting in reverse from the sides as it rises above the visitor’s heads and drops to their feet. Hi-tech computers control the speed and movement with which the water is released in quick bursts or a smooth flow.
Thousands of gallons of water are sustainably recycled. The company says the installation is eco-friendly as it wastes no water aside from what evaporates during the show.
“We very rapidly take an amount of water and we spill it over the edge and there are 151 [waves] that go around the edge so it’s a bit like keys on a circular piano,” Fuller said.
“We pour water over the edge and we can do it quickly or slowly much like the vocals of a singer.”
'Game of Thrones' composer creates the soundtrack
The soundtrack was created by Djawadi, the musician who wrote the score for Game of Thrones and several Hollywood films including Iron Man.
Musical fountains across the world are usually choreographed to existing music. This time, the water choreography was created simultaneously with the composition.
Fuller, a fan of Game of Thrones, asked Djawadi to work with his team so the water display was devised alongside the soundtrack.
The music was recorded about a month ago in London with a 50-strong orchestra, 30-member choir and a number of soloists. The nine pieces in an album called Surreal can be bought on iTunes or downloaded on Spotify.
“I love this theme because when you close your eyes and hear the composition, you can hear the sound of water tumbling down and in a few seconds the sound of music joins the fury of nature,” said Fuller.
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.”
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The biog
Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns
Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Food of choice: Sushi
Favourite colour: Orange
Essentials
The flights
Etihad (etihad.ae) and flydubai (flydubai.com) fly direct to Baku three times a week from Dh1,250 return, including taxes.
The stay
A seven-night “Fundamental Detox” programme at the Chenot Palace (chenotpalace.com/en) costs from €3,000 (Dh13,197) per person, including taxes, accommodation, 3 medical consultations, 2 nutritional consultations, a detox diet, a body composition analysis, a bio-energetic check-up, four Chenot bio-energetic treatments, six Chenot energetic massages, six hydro-aromatherapy treatments, six phyto-mud treatments, six hydro-jet treatments and access to the gym, indoor pool, sauna and steam room. Additional tests and treatments cost extra.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
