DUBAI // Parties, fireworks and loud noises go hand-in-hand with New Year’s Eve celebrations, and while many people look forward to the night, furry members of the household may not be so happy about it.
In consideration, animal welfare volunteers are urging pet owners to protect their animals from the stress of loud noises on the big night.
Kate Lindley, founder of Paw Pals Pets Nursery, said that many animals become scared by fireworks.
“They’re an assault on the animal’s senses, which are more sensitive than our own,” she said. “To keep your pets safe and comfortable during fireworks, the best advice is to keep them indoors. Walk your dogs before dark, lock the cat flap and move rabbits and guinea pigs into garages or spare bathrooms.”
Ms Lindley recommended ensuring that all exits were secure and windows were closed and locked.
“You don’t want a scared animal running away, as they can easily injure themselves in the process,” she said. “Make sure your cats and dogs have identification on them with your contact details and their microchip number is registered with municipality with accurate contact details. This means that if they do run away, they are more easily reunited with you.”
Mahin Bahrami, of the Middle East Animal Foundation, said cat owner should put their pet in a quiet and dark room with their food and litter.
“Cats usually don’t like to be moved to a different house, but if there is a party in the house they should keep them in the most quiet part,” she said. “It’s OK if it’s by itself, they like quiet and dark places.”
More than 650,000 people are expected to gather in Downtown Dubai, where the New Year’s firework display illuminates the sky near Burj Khalifa.
The annual display at the world’s tallest building is this year one of 160 locations across the emirate to host displays at the stroke of midnight. Atlantis, The Palm is another popular place to ring in 2017.
In Abu Dhabi, large crowds are also expected as Emirates Palace Hotel is set to have a dazzling display from the beach. The sky will be lit up at the other end of the island at Khor Al Maqta, while the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival in Al Wathba will also have its fireworks.
June Bowling, an American who lives in Downtown Dubai, said this year she would be boarding her two dogs for one night during New Year’s Eve.
“One of dogs, an English Bulldog, is extremely fearful,” she said. “This would be the third New Year that I have had her, and the first two were terrible because I live really close to Burj Khalifa.
“The noise is really loud, so it’s hard for her. I’m going to board them both because they’re so used to being together.”
Ms Bowling said that the crowds that descend on downtown for the fireworks also scared her dog.
“Even taking her to the bathroom before the fireworks begin stresses her, so I decided this year it would be better to board her. I can relax and she can relax too,” she said.
“My other dog, who I recently got, also doesn’t like noises. He’s not afraid of them, but he’ll bark like crazy.”
Michael Singer, who also lives in Downtown Dubai, has three cats. He too was worried about the noise of fireworks.
“I think the noise of all the people on the boulevard is more interesting to them,” he said.
dmoukhallati@thenational.ae
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: SimpliFi
Started: August 2021
Founder: Ali Sattar
Based: UAE
Industry: Finance, technology
Investors: 4DX, Rally Cap, Raed, Global Founders, Sukna and individuals
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
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.”
More on Quran memorisation:
The five pillars of Islam
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
More from Neighbourhood Watch
