Our lives will resemble scenes from a science fiction film by the year 2050 as microchip implants carry out tasks we use our mobile phones for, a Dubai conference has heard.
Mobiles will be history and we will have MRI scans in our showers, a health expert said during the final day of the Arab Health trade exhibition at Dubai’s World Trade Centre.
Healthcare will be completely digital in less than 30 years, with trips to the doctor becoming unnecessary, said Reenita Das, senior vice president with consultants Frost and Sullivan.
The National takes a look at Ms Dias' vision for the future.
A microchip inside us will record everything
Microchips are the way of the future, according to Ms Das, and will record our every move.
“You will be able to have a microchip implanted into you and it will act as a passport for your life,” she said.
“It’s going to record your life, your work, your health and everything you do.”
Our bodies will be scanned every morning at home
“After you wake up you will have a full MRI in the shower that records all your vitals,” she said.
“This information is then sent to a medical care them who will use it to decide what vitamins or drugs you need to take for the day ahead.”
She said this will rule out misdiagnosis and taking the wrong medication.
“Your blood pressure and weight, and other statistics, will all be displayed on the bathroom mirror within a split-second.”
End of mobile phones
The mobile phone will be no more, according to Ms Das.
The majority of the tasks a phone is used for will be performed by the microchip embedded into our bodies.
“You will still be able to view the news of the day, look at appointments or anything else you want but it will be transported either neurologically or ocularly by the implant inside you,” she said.
“The chip will also wake us up calmly rather than having to be woken up by the sound of a blaring alarm.”
In good news for coffee lovers, Ms Dias predicted the microchip would send a signal to a coffee machine – read by AI –to ensure the perfect morning brew is ready.
No more trips to the doctor
Another change that will occur by the mid-21st century will be no more trips to visit the doctor for a consultation, Ms Das said.
“AI will prescribe the best possible cocktail of medication or vitamins you need to run your day.”
“You will never have to make an appointment to go and see a doctor again.”
Data will be big business
Ms Das said healthcare data would become one of the most valuable commodities of the future world.
“Thirty per cent of the world’s data already comes from healthcare,” she said.
“The personal digital data market is expected to be worth $500 million by 2025 but by 2028 it is predicted to grow to $5 billion.”
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
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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Federer's 11 Wimbledon finals
2003 Beat Mark Philippoussis
2004 Beat Andy Roddick
2005 Beat Andy Roddick
2006 Beat Rafael Nadal
2007 Beat Rafael Nadal
2008 Lost to Rafael Nadal
2009 Beat Andy Roddick
2012 Beat Andy Murray
2014 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2015 Lost to Novak Djokovic
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The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
Afcon 2019
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