David Whitley
Why Dunedin?
One of the most southerly cities on Earth, Dunedin’s original inspiration hailed from much farther north. Its name comes from the Scottish Gaelic translation of Edinburgh, and its original settlers were from Scotland. A 19th-century gold rush saw it become New Zealand’s boom city, and much of its look comes from that time. Gorgeous Victorian-era buildings dot the city, with many of them given a new lease of life as cafes, organic food shops and small creative businesses.
The surrounding nature is what lures most people to Dunedin – the nearby Otago Peninsula offers arguably the best bird and marine life-spotting in the country – but the city has enough personality in its own right to be worth more than the perfunctory day or two that many visitors allocate to it.
Being a major university city helps – a big student population keeps parochiality at bay. And there’s a sense of emerging energy that lifts Dunedin beyond a heritage-drenched curiosity.
A comfortable bed
Fletcher Lodge (www.fletcherlodge.co.nz; 0064 3 477 5552) is about as luxurious as B&Bs get. It's the former private home of a wealthy industrialist; now, antique furniture, tapestries and suits of armour in the corridors give it tons of personality. Doubles from NZ$335 (Dh973).
The 315 Euro (www.eurodunedin.co.nz; 0064 3 477 9929), in the heart of George Street, is an excellent motel option. Clean, bright and contemporarily designed studios with kitchenettes cost from $150 (Dh436).
The real treat is on the Otago Peninsula, though. The Camp Estate (www.larnachcastle.co.nz; 0064 3 476 1616), within the Larnach Castle grounds, offers surprisingly "now" design with art-deco flourishes and tremendous hilltop harbour views. Doubles from $420 (Dh1,220).
Find your feet
Dunedin’s centre is the Octagon – a bizarre hybrid of handsome Victorian buildings, head-scratchingly hideous modern ones, cultural hubs and restaurants. Start there, and head along the shopping strip of George Street, which has its fair share of interesting architecture too.
You'll eventually arrive at the Otago Museum (www.otagomuseum.govt.nz; 0064 3 474 7474) – a big grab-bag of topics, of which the sections on natural history, Maori and history of regional settlement give the most local insight.
Swing back down towards the Railway Station – Dunedin's most spectacular building, with a gorgeous blend of volcanic basalt and the ultra-white Oamaru limestone. It's next to the Toitu Otago Settlers Museum (www.toituosm.com; 0064 3 477 5052), which makes great use of interactive touchscreens and video to tell the stories of the early Scottish settlers, the gold-rush boom years and the later history as a major university city.
Meet the locals
Rugby union is New Zealand's national sport, and the farther south you go, the more fervent the fans get. The Forsyth Barr Stadium gets rowdily animated when the local club, the Highlanders (www.thehighlanders.co.nz), play at home.
Book a table
Two Chefs (www.twochefsbistro.com; 0064 3 477 7293) has a buzzy European bistro feel, but food of a higher rank. Local produce meets international flavours in dishes such as the miso-brushed venison loin and venison steamed bun ($37 [Dh108]).
Nova (0064 3 479 0808) is attached to the main art gallery, and its menu globetrots somewhat, with a focus on South Island ingredients. The South American gumbo, for $15.90 (Dh46), is tremendous.
Shopper’s paradise
George Street is the main shopping strip, but it gets more indie and less high street-esque the farther away you head from the Octagon. From number 300 onwards, expect interesting home-grown boutiques to poke your nose into.
Dunedin is also an excellent place to get outdoor gear – perfect for New Zealand’s multitude of hiking, biking and kayaking adventures. Torpedo 7 (70 Stuart Street) has a huge range, covering everything from Merino-wool base layers to specialist climbing footwear.
What to avoid
Baldwin Street holds the Guinness World Record for being the steepest street in the world – trudging up it is seen as an obligatory masochistic rite. Sadly, photos from the top won’t convey nearly how hard you worked to get there.
Don’t miss
Dunedin's great strength is its access to wildlife and nature. Monarch (www.wildlife.co.nz; 0064 3 477 4276) runs a full-day package, including a bird-and-sea-lion-spotting cruise along Otago Harbour, the chance to see albatrosses nesting at the Royal Albatross Centre (www.albatross.org.nz; 0064 3 478 0499) and the ultra-cute yellow-eyed penguins at Penguin Place (www.penguinplace.co.nz). The package costs $240 (Dh697).
Getting there
At least one stop is needed in a major Australian or New Zealand city on the way. Flying via Brisbane from Abu Dhabi with Etihad (www.etihad.com; 02 599 0000), code-sharing with Virgin Australia, is the most hassle-free option available. Returns cost from Dh8,195, including taxes.
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Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The finalists
Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho
Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson
Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)
Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid
Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
The%20specs
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SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
Company%20Profile
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Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
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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: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
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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