Picture the scene: a power cut strikes one evening in a girls’ dormitory at an unnamed Dubai university.
An electrician is promptly summoned and the staff tell students to cover up because a “riyaal” (man) is coming to fix the problem.
“We put on our hijab,” writes Kaltham Saleh, “but soon there was a great commotion in the dorm. Right then, carrying a toolbox, in steps Shahrukh Khan, the knight of our dreams.”
Or rather, an Indian electrician who looks a lot like the so-called “King of Bollywood”.
Later, by some fanciful quirk, this same tradesman ends up performing a Bollywood-style dance routine for the girls.
“It was a truly a comical scene ... we saw our supervisor faint from shock.”
Just six pages in length, this is an episode from a chapter entitled Shahrukh Khan: Torturing Innocent Hearts in Made in Jumeirah, Saleh's broadly enjoyable debut novel.
It is typical of the kind of comedic moments that appear throughout this collection of unconnected stories, told in diary form, which together tackle the issues that young Emirati women encounter in contemporary society.
"It is meant to be entertaining, but has advice and messages for the next generation of Emirati youth," says the 25-year-old
author.
Launched earlier this year at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, this 187-page book almost appeared on the shelves under a different name.
"Until the last minute, I was going to name it Mouzakarat [diary] of a Young Emirati Girl from Jumeirah, but then I decided to give it the name of one of my chapters," she says. "I am glad I did."
A Barbie-like character adorns the book’s cover, dressed in a figure-hugging abaya and shayla, holding a BlackBerry smartphone in one hand and a Dior handbag in the other. She also dons a pair of pink sunglasses while balancing what is widely called “camel hump” hair that has been aided by the gambooa’a, a hairpiece worn beneath the shayla to create a distinctive beehive effect.
"She is what a typical Jumeirah Emirati girl looks like, whether they like to admit it or not," says the author, who has been criticised in some quarters for her choice of illustration on the book's jacket.
Saleh, who works in the government sector, says Made in Jumeirah has allowed her to explore her “artistic side”.
“Jumeirah is my home, and I love it, and so I wanted to write a book using it as my setting.”
Unfortunately, unless the reader is overly familiar with the neighbourhood, there isn’t enough rich description of its streets and shops within her pages to fully bring Jumeirah to life.
That said, it is a generally engaging, if whimsical, read and the book goes on to tackle some very serious subjects including blackmail, relationships, reckless driving and even rape.
One chapter tells the story of a young girl who wonders out loud: “What does it feel like for a woman to get raped?” Later she is brutally attacked by a Pakistani labourer and then has to live with the consequences of this terrible violation.
“The shame, the disappointment and the scandal ... I found out my brother did not report the crime to the authorities to avoid scandal,” the reader later discovers.
Made in Jumeirah may deal with the subject a bit too breezily, but it succeeds in opening up an area of discussion that is usually kept behind closed doors. Another such issue is the controversial social phenomenon known as boyat, a subculture whose members are described as “alien,” “shameful” and “disgusting”. Boyats are generally short-haired young women who dress in masculine clothes and adopt a tomboy style.
“They said a lot of what I mentioned doesn’t happen in the Emirati community. But I say this is all true and based on stories I have collected from other people,” she said.
A chapter entitled How are We to Escape Death? is about a mother struggling to cope with family life after she has a stroke.
“If someone doesn’t like the messages in Made in Jumeirah, they can at least enjoy it as a light and fun read, and perhaps even practice their Arabic.” Overall, for all its interesting diversions, there isn’t much depth to the book and, because the chapters are so short, the reader rarely has a chance to properly connect with the characters.
The exception is in its heartfelt closing pages, which the author admits are based on her own life.
Despite courting controversy in some quarters, the book is doing “very well” according to its publisher, Jamal Al Shehhi, who set up Kuttab Publishing two years ago.
“It is currently our bestseller,” said Al Shehhi, who has published about 40 titles, the majority of them written by first-time Emirati authors.
“Made in Jumeirah is different, and people are attracted to its title and cover,” he said, before adding that the book’s first edition of 2,000 copies is close to selling out and that Kuttab plans to make available a further 4,000 copies when a second edition rolls off the presses. He is keen to publish Saleh’s debut work in English language translation.
Al Shehhi, who is also the author of a series of children’s books featuring a naughty cat called Hassoun, says he aims to publish titles that are “unique” and enjoyable, and admits the world of book publishing is not without its hazards.
“Arab readers can be a bit too critical, so it is always a fine line you have to walk when writing for that audience.”
Made in Jumeirah is available at all major book stores, priced at Dh30.
Rym Ghazal is a senior features writer at The National.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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%20Alchemist's%20Euphoria'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EArtist%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Kasabian%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELabel%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EColumbia%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
----
Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
----
Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
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
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The years Ramadan fell in May
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Vault%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBilal%20Abou-Diab%20and%20Sami%20Abdul%20Hadi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELicensed%20by%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Global%20Market%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EInvestment%20and%20wealth%20advisory%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%241%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOutliers%20VC%20and%20angel%20investors%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E14%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
