To the tune of Singin' in the Rain, the Chooky dancers shuffle on stage in football jerseys and ceremonial ochre body paint, stabbing the air with their umbrellas. Then, all of a sudden, a clap of thunder sounds, the didgeridoo starts up, and the dancers arch forward and jerk their heads from side to side in a traditional rain dance of the Yolngu people of northern Australia.
When Gene Kelly tap tap tapped through the puddles on a Hollywood sound stage to the same tune in the 1952 musical, he grinned from ear to ear. By contrast, the Chooky dancers remain deadpan throughout, even as they tip their heads back and twirl dreamily beneath their umbrellas. The audience hoots and chuckles at the routine; it's this type of tongue-in-cheek fusion that has earned the dance troupe a nationwide following.
Three years ago, the only venue the Chookys ever graced was their local disco on the remote Elcho Island in Australia's far north. Now they fill theatres across the country and even have a film credit, the musical Bran Nue Dae, starring the Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush, to their name. The dance troupe's trajectory is, indeed, remarkable, and the Chookys have YouTube to thank for it.
In October 2007, a video hit the ether of the boys, marked up in white body paint and swathed in loincloths, dancing to Zorba the Greek. The camera was askew and the image unfocused, but within a week, the video went viral (to date it's had more than 1.5 million hits). YouTube is the world's most democratic publicity machine; only the truly bizarre, cute, funny, sick and original get notices and the rest remains buried.
The Chookys may not be in league of online stars like Gary Brolsma (of Numa Numa fame), who lip synchs to a Moldavian pop song, or the "Star Wars Kid" wielding a double-bladed lightsaber, but its not hard to see why they strike a chord with viewers. The Elcho Island dancers are comic virtuosos; their bodies turn to rubber as they channel everyone from Anthony Quinn to the minstrels of the late 1880s, offering a take on Yolngu ritual that's as mesmerising as it is jarring.
"It was the unexpectedness that touched people," says the choreographer and liaison Joshua Bond. "People tend to have stereotypical images of indigenous Australians. They expect to see things like a man standing on one leg on a rock face with a spear in his hand. But we show something completely different."
By fusing modern and traditional forms, the Chookys hold a mirror to many of Elcho Island's 2,000 residents straddling an ancient indigenous culture and a contemporary western one.
The principle dancer Dhulmanawuy Garawirritja, a shy man of 24, sometimes goes by the name Lionel. He grew up on a remote outstation, where he and his family lived off the land, hunting dugongs, turtles and wild geese, and collecting wild berries. But on the weekends he would meet up with friends at the Elcho Island disco, a basketball court transformed by speakers and a ghetto blaster.
In their show, the Chookys play footage of the venue pumping on a hot night to Who's Johnny. Even the little kids are bouncing up and down to techno beats. When I ask Garawirritja where he learnt to dance, he shrugs. "I've just always known," he says through an interpreter.
Garawirritja was 21 when his older cousins asked him to join the Chookys, whose name was derived from a chicken dance featured in an early line-up. The dance troupe was mentored by Dhulmanawuy's late father, Frank Garawirritja, an activist and community leader who in the early 1970s became one of the first Aboriginal musicians to tour overseas with his country and gospel band Soft Sands. It was Frank Garawirritja who first played Zorba the Greek to the Chookys and suggested that they choreograph a dance to fit the tune. Frank Garawirritja's widow, Margaret Garawirritja, recalls that the song moved the performers. "It was music that touched their hearts."
Since Frank Garawirritja's death last year to cancer, the Chookys have sought to promote his personal creed of healthy living through cultural endeavour. Arnhem Land, a territory owed by the Aborigines, of which Elcho Island is part, is one of the poorest and sickest regions in Australia; the vast majority of residents live on welfare and have a life-expectancy in their early forties. Frank Garawirritja tried, by example, to motivate his community to improve its lot, and now the Chookys are taking on his mantle.
"We are pursuing my dad's dream and spreading the story of a healthy life and healthy cultures," Dhulmanawuy says.
Ngurrumilmarrmiriyu (Wrong Skin), the Chooky's first full-length show, tackles many of the social ills that plague Aboriginal communities. The story is a kind of Romeo and Juliet, about a young Aboriginal couple from opposing clans who run away together, only to be hunted down and brutally punished. Woven into the narrative is a blistering attack against Australian governments, past and present, over their treatment of Aborigines.
The dance routines help to lighten the programme. In typical Chooky style, the performers combine ritual Yolngu dances with ballet, hip-hop, Taiwanese martial arts and even Bollywood. At one point, they wrap turbans around their heads and gyrate their hips to Bhangra.
Bond says that although the Chookys draw on dances used in traditional rituals, Wrong Skin is not offensive to the Yolngu people. He says that Chookys observe strict boundaries; there are Yolngu dances far more sacred than the ones included in the programme that require an initiation to study and even watch. Such dances could never be performed in a public theatre.
Nigel Jamieson, the writer and director of Wrong Skin, adds that the show is in part an exploration of the history of Arnhem Land. Since the Makassars from what is now southern Indonesia landed in Arnhem Land in the 1700s, laden with tobacco, knives and pottery, the Aborigines have absorbed outside influences.
"That's exactly what the Chookys are about; taking culture and spitting it out in new forms," Jamieson says.
Capping off their seven-and-a-half week tour, the Chookys are headed back to Elcho Island. "They're all ready to go home," Bond says. "They miss their home country. When they get off the plane they'll be kissing the dirt." After a stint on Elcho Island, what's next for the Chookys? Bond pauses, then says "maybe something Chinese".
The specs: 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV
Price, base: Dh138,000 (estimate)
Engine: 60kWh battery
Transmission: Single-speed Electronic Precision Shift
Power: 204hp
Torque: 360Nm
Range: 520km (claimed)
THE BIO
Age: 30
Favourite book: The Power of Habit
Favourite quote: "The world is full of good people, if you cannot find one, be one"
Favourite exercise: The snatch
Favourite colour: Blue
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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 White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Results
4pm: Maiden; Dh165,000 (Dirt); 1,400m
Winner: Solar Shower; William Lee (jockey); Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
4.35pm: Handicap; Dh165,000 (D); 2,000m
Winner: Thaaqib; Antonio Fresu; Erwan Charpy.
5.10pm: Maiden; Dh165,000 (Turf); 1,800m
Winner: Bila Shak; Adrie de Vries; Fawzi Nass
5.45pm: Handicap; Dh175,000 (D); 1,200m
Winner: Beachcomber Bay; Richard Mullen; Satish Seemar
6.20pm: Handicap; Dh205,000 (T); 1,800m
Winner: Muzdawaj; Jim Crowley; Musabah Al Muhairi
6.55pm: Handicap; Dh185,000 (D); 1,600m
Winner: Mazeed; Tadhg O’Shea; Satish Seemar
7.30pm: Handicap; Dh205,000 (T); 1,200m
Winner: Riflescope; Tadhg O’Shea; Satish Seemar.
The specs: 2017 Dodge Viper SRT
Price, base / as tested Dh460,000
Engine 8.4L V10
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 645hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 813Nm @ 5,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 16.8L / 100km
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
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Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Rawat Al Reef, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Noof KB, Richard Mullen, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Seven Skies, Bernardo Pinheiro, Qaiss Aboud
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Jabalini, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: UAE Arabian Derby – Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Dergham Athbah, Richard Mullen, Mohamed Daggash
7.30pm: Emirates Championship – Group 1 (PA) Dh1,000,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
8pm: Abu Dhabi Championship – Group 3 (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Irish Freedom, Antonio Fresu, Satish Seemar
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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The specs
Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel
Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power: 1877bhp
Torque: 2300Nm
Price: Dh7,500,00
On sale: Now
