DUBAI // An advocacy group has helped to build more than 500 ramps in Dubai for people in wheelchairs, the elderly and parents with strollers.
Wings Of Angelz built 551 ramps across the emirate after monthly meetings with volunteers to identify roads, pavements, neighbourhoods and schools where accessibility was lacking.
Volunteers then follow up with managers of stores, restaurants, buildings and malls or with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority until ramps were built.
“It does feel very good that we have crossed the 500 mark but a lot more needs to be done,” said Shobhika Kalra, the group’s founder, who launched the initiative two years ago.
Ms Kalra has Friedreich’s ataxia, a rare disorder impairing muscle coordination.
She uses a wheelchair to navigate sidewalks and roads during her travel from her home in Rashidiya to the metro station and from there to Deira, where she works as an administrative assistant.
“We must constantly follow up to be sure that access that is promised has been created,” Ms Kalra said.
“People have got in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter and on email to point out places that needed slopes. There were stores and pharmacies near my own home that needed ramps.”
About 130 ramps have been built by Aster Pharmacy group for better access to its stores.
“Healthcare must be accessible to all,” said Oommen Philip, Aster Pharmacy’s senior manager. “It’s not just about installing a ramp because the person can go in. The person must be able to easily move around inside the store.
“Shobhika and her team are inspirational. She also gave us suggestions for new pharmacies to make it easier to reach products.
“The rule is for Dubai but we are making sure ramps and access are expanded to other emirates.”
Experts say that by considering accessibility in an initial design, the building cost increase is less than 1 per cent.
People with disabilities should test ramps to ensure that the inclines are not too steep and that hand rails are provided. Volunteers have asked for changes when ramps in some buildings were found to be unusable.
“People are becoming aware but they need to see it from the perspective of a person with disabilities,” said Reuben Samuel, a volunteer who works in a trading company.
“From a business perspective, stores should understand that when companies cater to the needs of people with disabilities, it opens up a whole new market.
“They will frequent stores and choose products based on the fact that you have catered to them.”
Volunteers can meet at the next Ramp Day on November 11 at 5pm in Zabeel Park outside Gate 3. Details are on the Ramp Day or WingsOfAngelz Facebook pages.
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Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks.
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“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”
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Brighton 1 (Dunk 79')
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- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
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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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