Hundreds of sandstone carvings sculpted by artisans in India have reached the site of Abu Dhabi’s first traditional stone Hindu temple.
Engraved with flower and nature motifs, the pillars are the first of thousands of carvings bound for the UAE.
The shrine will be the largest in the country when it is completed in 2023.
Rows of crates containing the stone panels have been laid out near the ground-level structure of the building that is taking shape in the Abu Mureikha area, off Sheikh Zayed Road between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
The arrival was revealed in a video posted to YouTube by the Baps Swaminarayan Sanstha, the organisation responsible for building the shrine.
It's really an emotional moment to actually see the space and the sheer scale of the temple itself and to also see the beautiful intricate carvings of the stone
The temple group said more than 40 containers carrying 750 tonnes of carved and semi-carved pink sandstone arrived at the site.
Swami Brahmavihari, head of international relations for Baps, told The National that "many hundreds more" were expected over the next three years.
"The mandir [temple] will begin taking shape on top of the five-metre plinth which has been completed last month," he said.
Tourists and visitors to the Dubai Expo in October may be permitted to go to the construction site and view it from a deck.
Arrangements and approvals are being worked out by the temple group.
"In the coming months, visitors to the Expo will be able to see the ground floor of the temple being assembled," the priest said.
Large photographs across the site show where the friezes, from sculptures of deities to carvings of trees and plants, will be erected.
Indian and UAE officials recently participated in a ceremony to mark the first carvings reaching the site.
Pavan Kapoor, India’s ambassador to the UAE, said it was a proud project for both countries.
He spoke of the amazing craftsmanship and “progress that has been made despite times of Covid-19".
“This is a national project and we are very, very proud to be supporting it,” he said.
“It is a project not just for the UAE but for the government of India and it is contributing to the bilateral relationship.”
Dr Aman Puri, India’s consul general in Dubai, described the construction work as a milestone in the relations between the two nations.
“I would like to take the opportunity to say what is happening here in the UAE is an example for the entire world,” he said.
“UAE stands tall as a symbol of tolerance inspiring the entire world.”
Land for the temple was given to the Indian community by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
Workers at the site are completing the base of the temple that when finished will have seven spires as a symbol of each emirate.
Two underground tunnels have been built as workers ready the structure. The building will have no steel reinforcements reflecting architecture of ancient religious shrines in India.
The stonework, sculpted by more than 2,000 artisans in India, will be assembled and fitted on site like a jigsaw puzzle as each floor of the temple takes shape.
Michael Magill, managing director of RSP, the construction company handling the project, said it was an emotional moment.
“Today is a very historic moment,” he said.
“It’s really an emotional moment to actually see the space and the sheer scale of the temple itself, and to also see the beautiful intricate carvings of the stone that has come all the way from India.
"It just shows you the start of what is going be achieved over the next two or three years which we are all very excited to see come to life.”
The plans show a flight of stairs on entry with waterfalls on each side, columns decorated with deities from Hindu scriptures, intricate carvings of dancers, musicians and engravings of peacocks, camels and horses.
The temple, built by the Baps group, will welcome people of all faiths.
The area will have trees and green spaces and include a majlis, library, community centre and an amphitheatre bordered with a water feature.
Swami Brahmavihari, from Baps Swaminarayan Sanstha, said the shrine aimed to bring the world together. He said the temple would generate harmony “not just between two countries, two cultures, two communities and two religions, bringing the whole world together.”
The organisation is responsible for building 1,200 shrines around the world including in the US, UK and Australia.
Craftsmen in India at work – in pictures
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Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
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UK-EU trade at a glance
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The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
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Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
THE BIO
BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
INDIA%20SQUAD
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40
ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55
T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12
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.”
Intercontinental Cup
Namibia v UAE Saturday Sep 16-Tuesday Sep 19
Table 1 Ireland, 89 points; 2 Afghanistan, 81; 3 Netherlands, 52; 4 Papua New Guinea, 40; 5 Hong Kong, 39; 6 Scotland, 37; 7 UAE, 27; 8 Namibia, 27
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
Porsche Taycan Turbo specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 1050Nm
Range: 450km
Price: Dh601,800
On sale: now
The lowdown
Badla
Rating: 2.5/5
Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: 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
