• The Palm Jumeirah photographed by KhalifaSat, the first entirely Emirati-made satellite. All photos: Dubai Media Office
    The Palm Jumeirah photographed by KhalifaSat, the first entirely Emirati-made satellite. All photos: Dubai Media Office
  • A view of Downtown Dubai taken from space.
    A view of Downtown Dubai taken from space.
  • Ain Dubai has been captured on camera from space.
    Ain Dubai has been captured on camera from space.
  • Dubai Canal and surrounding area viewed from KhalifaSat.
    Dubai Canal and surrounding area viewed from KhalifaSat.
  • Dubai Media Office released photos of several landmarks in the city taken by KhalifaSat.
    Dubai Media Office released photos of several landmarks in the city taken by KhalifaSat.
  • Dubai Canal as seen from space.
    Dubai Canal as seen from space.

UAE

UAE in Space

KhalifaSat beams back impressive pictures of Dubai from space

Several images of the Dubai Canal also featured among the images shared online on Friday

Kelly Clarke
Kelly Clarke

January 07, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

The instantly recognisable Palm Jumeirah has been captured on camera from space in a set of new pictures released by the Dubai Media Office.

KhalifaSat, the first entirely Emirati-made satellite, captured the impressively clear image, along with an array of other shots of some of Dubai’s most popular destinations.

Among the images released on Twitter included a full view of Downtown Dubai, with the shadow of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, cast over the Dubai Mall.

Several images of the Dubai Canal also featured among the snaps shared online on Friday.

KhalifaSat has been putting together a stellar photo album since blasting off into the skies in October 2018. And Dubai has been captured from space on many occasions.

In August last year, US astronaut Shane Kimbrough posted a picture of Dubai from onboard the International Space Station.

Mr Kimbrough was on his third trip to space and tweeted a picture of Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Airport with a fact-filled caption.

“Hello, Dubai! I spy the Emirates Golf Club, a 36-hole golf course that was the first golf course in the region and was built in 1988,” he wrote.

From dramatic dunes and eye-catching lakes to coral reefs and huge dust storms, astronauts in space have been capturing the wonders of the Middle East for many years.

The Earth Observatory by Nasa has hundreds of images on its website taken from the International Space Station, including those of the UAE.

The UAE's first astronaut, Hazza Al Mansouri, tweeted a selection of striking photos of his homeland and other countries in the region during his time in space in 2019.

Photos of places taken by KhalifaSat

  • Abu Dhabi, UAE. All photos: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre
    Abu Dhabi, UAE. All photos: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre
  • Dubai Expo 2020.
    Dubai Expo 2020.
  • Taj Mahal, India.
    Taj Mahal, India.
  • Maliano, Spain.
    Maliano, Spain.
  • Atlanta USA, Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
    Atlanta USA, Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
  • Wellington, New Zealand.
    Wellington, New Zealand.
  • Macau, China.
    Macau, China.
  • Denpasar, Indonesia.
    Denpasar, Indonesia.
  • Wonsan, North Korea.
    Wonsan, North Korea.
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Sunday
Brescia v Lazio (3.30pm)
SPAL v Verona (6pm)
Genoa v Sassuolo (9pm)
AS Roma v Torino (11.45pm)

Monday
Bologna v Fiorentina (3.30pm)
AC Milan v Sampdoria (6pm)
Juventus v Cagliari (6pm)
Atalanta v Parma (6pm)
Lecce v Udinese (9pm)
Napoli v Inter Milan (11.45pm)

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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.”

Classification of skills

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation. 

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000. 

What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

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