If you are in the UAE right now, congratulations. You are here for the best time of the year. The seventh annual Al Dhafra Festival starts this Saturday in Madinat Zayed. If you are in search of the elusive 'authentic Arabian experience' that doesn't involve a Lebanese buffet at a desert safari, this is your chance. It's free, it's awesome and it's on for two weeks until Dec 28. Get out there. Once you arrive, here's what you can expect: a city of tents in the desert, 25,000 beauty camels and fans who followed them across the Arabian Peninsula, millionaire camel owners, teenage boys singing love songs about beautiful humps, poetry dedicate to camels written across windscreens and bling. Lots and lots of camel bling. This is no a quaint, old-fashioned heritage festival. This is a two week party where millions of dollars will be made and lost, where desert legends will be born. The action takes place in the dunes just south of the Western Region city of Madinat Zayed, about two and a half hours from downtown Abu Dhabi. Here is part one of my guide to camel beauty and how to get the most out of the festival.
How can a camel be beautiful?
This being the UAE, size is everything. Bigger camels get more points but its the ratio of the features that’s most important. A beautiful camel has a long, thin neck, large feet and strong, sturdy legs. Its hump should be on its lower back. Pert ears, long eyelashes and thick droopy lips score major points with judges. A panel of judges grade camels according to a strict criteria with a set amount of points per feature. All decisions are unanimous. There are points for temperament because, you know, true beauty comes from within and all that.
Why is a camel worth millions?
Supply and demand. Camels are popular for the same reason people love Ferrari sport cars or Jimmy Choo shoes. They’re beautiful, they’re timeless and they’re a status symbol. Beauty camels are arguably more functional because they win cars and cash prizes at state-sponsored competitions.
So do owners make money?
Not always. Camels are not cash cows. They cannot be insured and there’s no guarantee that a camel will grow into a beauty queen. That said there is Dh50 million in prize money or sell it for a profit. There is no betting, which is forbidden by Islam.
How are camels decorated?
In the UAE, bling is king and camels are no exception. Race camels usually wear bridles in their owners’ colours made by Omani crafts women but beauty camels are decked in gold coloured beads, tinsel, national flags, and necklaces like those worn by Emirati brides. Winning camels have their necks covered in saffron.
What else is going on?
Falconry hunting, saluki races, camel races, an Arabian horse competition, a dates packaging competition and a handcrafts market. Oh, and tea drinking. A whole lot of tea drinking. Everything interesting tends to happen over coffee and tea so be sure not to decline any invitations.
How to approach a camel? With respect. Some bite but generally people will warn you if they see you approaching a cranky camel. Many are rather social and they like to sniff new friends. Like a puppy.
Hey, aren't Arabian camels possible hosts for the Mers Coronavirus? Why, yes they are. Most of the people I've spoken to don't seem too concerned about this. But head's up, you've been warned. I've promised my mother I will do my best not to snuggle any camels. (Inshallah, Mom. Inshallah.)
For more information, check out www.aldhafrafestival.ae . They have an interactive map to get you there.
If you have further questions, feel free to drop a note below or send me an email or tweet @al_wabr
Coming up: Part 2 of the Idiot’s Guide to Beauty Camels and what to do, bring, wear and see at Al Dhafra.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Two products to make at home
Toilet cleaner
1 cup baking soda
1 cup castile soap
10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice)
Method:
1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.
2. Add the essential oil to the mix.
Air Freshener
100ml water
5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this)
Method:
1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.
2. Shake well before use.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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.”
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
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
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
