Perched on the edge of Expo City Dubai, a recording studio with world-class facilities backed by music maestro AR Rahman is hitting just the right note.
The Firdaus Studio by AR Rahman draws on the box office appeal and success of the Oscar and Grammy award-winning composer.
The National took a tour to learn more about the two-storey structure lined with wood-panelled floors, which features state-of-the-art sound systems with precision speakers neatly hidden in wall and ceiling panels.
When an artist walks in, there should be no technical limitations for him or her to produce anything
Navneeth Balchanderan,
studio engineer at Firdaus Studio by AR Rahman
Packed with high-tech audio and live streaming equipment, the space aims to draw the world’s best music and theatrical talent to the region to record soundtracks.
It has already hosted some big names. A small studio crew watched as Coldplay’s Chris Martin sang and played on the ivory Steinway piano, which commands the stage in a scoring room with high ceilings.
The soundtrack to the action-adventure Secret Headquarters (2022), starring Owen Wilson, was mixed at the studio.
Tucked away under the shadow of the DP World pavilion on the repurposed Expo site, few know that artists have been composing and recording original scores behind the grey and white walls of the studio.
Hub for music and movie industry
In a previous interview with The National, Rahman revealed how he envisions the space as a creative hub for musicians to experiment in, craft new sounds and deliver explosive performances.
“This will be one of the world’s best studious with all the top equipment,” Rahman said. “This will attract the cream of the industry and musical talent to Dubai.
"I conceived the studio, its function, the quality, what equipment needs to be kept there.”
Firdaus, which means "paradise" in Arabic, was planned as a legacy structure to remain after the gates shut on the Middle East's first world expo.
The Dubai Expo Dubai team drew from Rahman’s experience to construct a studio to cater to Western classical, fusion, pop or rock bands, fit in an entire orchestra and record documentary, Bollywood or Hollywood music tracks.
The aim is to provide the infrastructure and top-notch quality to inspire collaborations from musicians who come to Dubai to record.
Musicians can create in large or small rooms and use a range of instruments such as the harp, violin, flute, Indian sitar or bongo drums.
Studio designer Aditya Modi, a long-time associate of Rahman, said acoustics and audio video integration were core features.
“We had to design the best studio possible, which was acoustically pristine, a motivational and inspirational space to create music and with top-notch equipment,” he said.
“The acoustics had to be perfect for various modes such as recording, filming, concerts, screening, stereo or Dolby Atmos mixes and hence have a flexible, adaptive system of acoustics that can change the characteristics of the room for every mode.”
The ceiling in the main stage area literally moves as a suspended structure or truss strapped with sound and light fixtures can be lowered or raised to focus on the performers.
From a control room overlooking the main stage, engineers adjust light strobes that shift from exuberant colours to mood lighting depending on the performance.
It also has a collection of 300 microphones of varying sizes and power to capture the loudest boom to the smallest hum.
Working with legends
The studio opened in February and has been booked by bands such as Ben&Ben from the Philippines as well as hip hop artists, Bollywood composers and Arabic musicians. It has even been used for poetry sessions.
A 50-strong orchestra plus a 30-member choir have rehearsed in the main studio.
“This studio is designed so that an artist can literally do anything here,” said Navneeth Balchanderan, a studio engineer who leads the sound section.
“When an artist walks in, there should be no technical limitations for him or her to produce anything.
“The entire studio is wired up so you can record from the lounge, the cafeteria or anywhere in the facility you prefer."
Cameras, screens and audio in every room are linked via network connections to the main control zone.
It has been inspirational for engineers to work with established and new artists.
Famous for the soundtrack of the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire, Rahman has won two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards and a Golden Globe for melodies that cut across genres.
His Bollywood songs are hummed by millions of fans and tens of thousands flock to his concerts worldwide.
“When I first saw Rahman play, I honestly didn’t know that anything could be so magical,” Balchanderan said. “He sat on the piano, started playing and there was nothing like it ever.”
Watching Coldplay's Martin work in the studio — after he lit up the Expo stage in February — was exhilarating for the sound crew.
Martin recorded the piano section of the single Let Somebody Go, which features Selena Gomez, at the studio.
“It felt like we were listening to an entire Coldplay album take off right in front of us,” Balchanderan said. “It was a very surreal experience. He did five or six takes and every single one was perfect.”
The venue can be also used to screen movies with a large projection screen in the scoring room doubling as a theatre.
Vocal booths in four recording rooms are equipped with cameras to enable live streaming of performances.
The minimalist facade was built to enhance sound quality allowing for outdoor performances in good weather, with speakers fitted to a short zigzag walkway leading up the facility.
Bookings can be made via email and the cost varies between Dh1,200 to Dh2,000 ($326 to $544) an hour depending on the work and based on customisation an artist or company requires.
As the studio builds its reputation, Rahman's team is working to build a recognisable global brand for high-quality sound in Dubai.
“Expo 2020 Dubai was a hub to bring in people from all over the world and we wanted to make a facility to bring in musicians from everywhere,” Balchanderan said. “We wanted a place where everyone can pitch in their ideas and make music happen.
“There is no such facility in this region so we wanted to grow the artistic capabilities.
“Dubai is a cultural hub so we want this to be the creative space, the centre of whatever happens here.”
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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.”
Leap of Faith
Michael J Mazarr
Public Affairs
Dh67
Elvis
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RESULTS
6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 1 (PA) $55,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Rajeh, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Musabah Al Muhairi (trainer)
6.35pm: Oud Metha Stakes – Rated Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Get Back Goldie, William Buick, Doug O’Neill
7.10pm: Jumeirah Classic – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner: Sovereign Prince, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
7.45pm: Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Hypothetical, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 2 (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Hot Rod Charlie, William Buick, Doug O’Neill
8.55pm: Al Bastakiya Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Withering, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
9.30pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Creative Flair, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
