History-making Emirati astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri will discuss the future of the UAE's growing space programme in Dubai next week.
Maj Al Mansouri, who etched his name in the records as the first UAE citizen to blast off into space in September, 2019, will give a keynote address at the Museum of the Future on Wednesday.
Maj Al Mansouri spent eight days on board the International Space Station, a milestone achievement for the Arab world.
He will offer unique insight into life in space for the latest Future Talks series, part of the museum's strategy to shed light on influential Arab and international figures.
Maj Al Mansouri will also aim to inspire the next generation of intrepid travellers by hosting a storytelling session with children at the culture spot.
The museum will also feature a mini-exhibition displaying items from the astronaut's time in space, including his space suit, the kind of food he ate, and a photo gallery documenting his journey.
Tickets are free for the talk, which runs from 4.30pm until 7pm.
Tickets can be booked here.
A launchpad for stellar success
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A team of Emirati engineers have developed the UAE's lunar mission. They are pictured with the Rashid rover at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. Photo: MBRSC -

Emirati engineers carry the Rashid rover inside a clean room at the space centre. Photo: MBRSC -

Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, right, wears a SpaceX suit as he sits with fellow astronauts in a Dragon Crew Capsule during training for the Crew-6 mission next spring. Photo: Nasa / SpaceX -

UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, right, in his SpaceX astronaut suit with fellow crew members, from left, Andrey Fedyaev, William Hoburg and Stephen Bowen. Photo: Nasa / SpaceX -
The UAE's first two astronauts Hazza Al Mansouri and Sultan Al Neyadi after they graduated from Nasa's basic training programme. Photo: MBRSC -

Engineers at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre work on the MBZ-Sat, the most advanced satellite in the region in the field of high-resolution imagery, which is due to be launched in 2023. Photo: Dubai Media Office -

Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre engineers with the MBZ-Sat satellite. Photo: Dubai Media Office -
The PHI-Demo satellite developed at the space centre. Photo: MBRSC
The UAE's space ambitions continue to soar to new heights, with the Hope probe currently orbiting Mars, a landmark Moon mission just weeks away and plans in place to explore the asteroid belt and complete a fly-by of Venus.
The country's astronaut fleet has doubled to four since Maj A Mansouri's momentous flight, with Mohammed Al Mulla and Nora Al Matrooshi, the first Arab woman astronaut, now part of the ranks.
Dr Sultan Al Neyadi, reserve astronaut for Maj Al Mansouri's trip to the ISS, is gearing for his own mission next year.
He will spend six months onboard the ISS in the Spring, lifting off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida's Kennedy Space Centre.
Both Maj Al Mansouri and Dr Al Neyadi have completed extensive training at Nasa’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas.
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.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Norway |
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While you're here
The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
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Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
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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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The lowdown
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