Tens of thousands of migratory birds that fly every year from Poland to the UAE and across the Arab world will be represented in an eye-catching installation at Expo 2020 Dubai.
White metal stylised birds that sway with the movement of the wind will veil a wood-covered pavilion that resembles a tree.
This symbolises the flight of huge flocks that migrate to the Emirates in search of warmer temperatures.
Workers are attaching the links connecting the metal birds across the interior and exterior of the Poland Pavilion. The migrating birds installation is intended to convey a message of co-existence between people and nature, officials said.
The sculpture of the birds is being mounted and will be one of the those Instagram points of your visit to the Expo
Adrian Malinowski, commissioner general of the Poland Pavilion, said millions of Instagram fans would be impressed by the visual depiction and its significance – and would be keen to post images and videos online.
“This will be a one-of-a-kind experience when you visit a tree-like building that gives you a proper feeling of motion.
"The sculpture of the birds will be one of the those Instagram points of your visit to the Expo," Mr Malinowski said in an interview with The National.
“They will move even when there is a very light wind. When it comes to thousands of migrating birds, the sculpture really resembles what connects Poland to the Arab region and the UAE itself.”
The pavilion is narrow at the base and expands across two higher floors to represent the spreading crown of a tree.
Poland is known as a birdwatcher's paradise, where hundreds of species nest in its meadows, wetlands and fields.
“Our motto is creativity inspired by nature,” Mr Malinowski said.
"Poland is a breeding ground for migrating birds during the summer. They nurture their chicks and then fly off in late autumn and early winter to Africa, Asia and the Arabian Peninsula for the warmer conditions. Then the cycle repeats itself.
"So the birds are perceived as Polish but Arabic as well. This really fits into the Expo theme of mobility.”
The Poland Pavilion will also highlight the country's satellite industry and research in space technology.
The first two storeys will be open to Expo visitors, while companies will be given space on the third level to interact in conference rooms to explore future co-operation.
It will also feature a Polish table exhibit made from aluminum alloys used in the space industry for ground equipment and spacecraft.
“This experience will be an introduction to Polish culture, hospitality and friendliness," Mr Malinowski said.
"This is something we are proud of because we love our guests and will do everything to make them feel at home.
“Hospitality is in our culture, it is derived from our tradition and history. We will use the Polish table to show our creativity with the use of modern materials and raw natural resources.”
When the Expo announced a one-year delay in the opening to October 2021, Polish planners modified exhibits, making them interactive with large-scale multimedia projections and removed touchscreen elements because of Covid-19 concerns.
"It will be immersive but for safety reasons we have discarded 99 per cent of touch screens," Mr Malinowski said.
“We have introduced audio sensors. Visitors will be guided with light patterns. In every zone we will try to keep the interest of viewers but with safe solutions.”
Sensors will be in place to measure hot spots and hosts will guide visitors to less populated sections.
The overall message is that despite the social distancing dictated by the coronavirus pandemic, harmony is vital.
“The world is not the same any more. But we need to be closer than ever before, even though it's not possible in the physical manner.
"We will try to address those issues as we strengthen relations," Mr Malinowski said.
About 70 university students are being recruited in Poland to serve as hosts and walk guests through the pavilion. The first group will arrive in the UAE in September for three months.
Mr Malinowski, who has been travelling frequently to Dubai to supervise work on the Poland Pavilion, will move to the city in August with his wife and two young children. They will make the UAE their home for a year.
"The whole family is thrilled to be coming to Dubai. We are currently in the process of trying to find schools for our children," he said.
“It will be a huge adventure for the whole family. This will help us prepare for the Expo and is our commitment to making this a success.”
Life-size replica of Michelangelo’s 'David' at Expo 2020 – in pictures
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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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Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).
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Favourite holiday destination: Turkey - because the government look after animals so well there.
Favourite film: I love scary movies. I have so many favourites but The Ring stands out.
Favourite book: The Lord of the Rings. I didn’t like the movies but I loved the books.
Favourite colour: Black.
Favourite music: Hard rock. I actually also perform as a rock DJ in Dubai.
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Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
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