ABU DHABI // They marched in their thousands – Royals and notables, soldiers and civilians – drawn to the majestic fort-palace as were their elders decades ago.
Led by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, the Emirati host walked from Al Manhal Palace to officially open the 2016 Qasr Al Hosn Festival.
The fourth festival, a celebration of Emirati culture and heritage, opened on Wednesday with the traditional march.
“The UAE is proud of its cultural heritage, which we’ll preserve and transfer to future generations to safeguard our authentic Emirati identity,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, also Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, declared on Twitter on Wednesday night.
“We will be loyal to the values of our forefathers, finding inspiration in their glorious history to continue our approach for development. What we live today is a continuation of our past efforts which we are determined to sustain and enhance.”
Inside the fort was as grand a celebration of Arabic culture as you could expect to see as you stepped through the gates and into a distant world.
The festival’s motto, “Take part in history”, delivers every bit of that promise as the first visitors were taken back in time at Wednesday night’s public opening.
Greeted by traditional dancing and the sounds of the ocean lapping against artificial shores in the heart of Abu Dhabi, nationals and visitors realised they were in for something special.
But the 10-day festival is more than a celebration of the past. If not protected and passed on to the next generation, heritage is in danger of being forgotten as it is in any part of the world.
Traditional boat building using palms and coconut husks for bindings, falconry displays to show how the former fathers of the UAE used to hunt, and the impressive history of the capital’s fort in all its restored glory are all lessons there to be learnt.
Abu Dhabi brothers Hamed and Ateeq Al Mazrouei, 18 and 20, said ancient crafts were often discussed in school but seeing them was an altogether different experience.
“To see how our people used to dress and the traditional ways is special,” said Ateeq. “We learn how they used to cook and how they used to live, but to see it and taste it makes it a special experience.”
“It is like going back in time,” said Hamed. “It is different to how we have read in school. Seeing it like this makes our history come alive.”
Visitors can enjoy five zones that characterise Emirati history and culture – Desert, Oasis, Island, Sea and an area dedicated to Qasr Al Hosn.
A museum inside the fort also gives an indication of how the country used to be and how fast it has grown, with photos and scale models. Activities such as shucking oysters, making butter and date palm growth are all interactive lessons.
Other attractions include storytelling, fishing methods, net making and boat building in the marine area. There are four boats on display, each made with a slightly different technique to serve a specific purpose.
The sasha and samash boats are small fishing vessels made from dried-out palm bound together with coconut husk, and are suitable for shallow seas. Long-distance boats such as the dhow and al boom are more sturdy.
Abdulrahman Al Hammadi and Saeed Al Shehhi were given the job of guiding guests on a tour of the Marina side of the Heritage Village.
“We dry the leaves out for three days so they are easier to work with,” said Mr Al Shehhi.
“Then we put the boats in the water for three days minimum, to test them out and make sure they do not sink. This kind of skill has been used for at least 50 years.”
Each of the boats is displayed, with visitors given the chance to help craft the hull of a dhow that is mid-way through construction.
Different materials are used to make some of the boats faster through the water. “Some of boats are only suitable for coastal waters but the bigger boats were often used to travel to other countries,” Mr Al Hammadi said.
Special ropes made of natural fibres are used to bind the boat together, as the material does not rot – “the drier, the better”.
Mr Al Hammadi expressed pride in showing people “how our forefathers once lived and how we have learnt from Sheikh Zayed”, the Founding Father of the UAE.
“They can see how we have come from the past to the present. Our future is only as strong as our foundation, that is our history.
“We still have competitions now to make and race traditional dhows from Abu Dhabi to Ras Al Khaimah. It is an important way to preserve our history for our children.”
nwebster@thenational.ae
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
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.”
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
