While sales of warm clothing might already be unfeasibly high across the UAE, it's probable that there was a small spike in purchases of hats, gloves, scarves and warm jackets during the first week of February. But for a group of UAE-based filmmakers, these were going to be essential items for survival at the annual Berlinale film festival, which thanks to an unexpected February frost across Europe that saw temperatures in Germany fall to -15C, was set to be one of the coldest on record.
Assembled by the German Embassy in cooperation with the Goethe Institut and the Abu Dhabi Film Commission, the group was taking part in a special visit programme, aimed at introducing them to the 11-day Berlinale, which wraps up today, and giving them opportunities to meet studios, production companies, hear about funding opportunities, build contacts and generally find assistance to help them in their filmmaking endeavours. And despite the German capital waking most mornings to a fresh layer of snow, a tight schedule ensured that there was little time to worry about numb feet.
Included on the list of events was a video bus tour around the city, a trip to the Reichstag and a visit to the Film Museum in Potsdam. Then there were meetings with organisations such as Robert Bosch Stiftung, one of the most renowned German film funds, a visit to Flying Moon Filmproduktion, which has a strong focus on international co-productions, and meetings with the World Cinema Fund, which has helped support regional success stories such as Paradise Now and Ajami. One of the events saw the group networking with other young international filmmakers, where they had to present themselves and their work on laptops.
"It was a bit like a laptop wedding," says Adel Saeed Al Jabri, a 23-year-old Emirati from Abu Dhabi, who is the coordinator of the annual Emirates Film Competition. "But it was great for networking, I got a stack of business cards."
For Nizar Sfair, a 31-year-old Lebanese filmmaker living in Dubai, the trip was providing some great opportunities for meetings with potential co-producers. "I've already had a few meetings looking for cooperation. I'm thinking of applying to the Robert Bosch Stiftung for funding," he says, adding that he has already been dreaming up some ideas for film projects in Germany and that Wild Bunch, the major French film production and sales company, was potentially interested in an idea of his set in Beirut.
The group came on board the trip through various means. Hana Makki, a Yemeni/British filmmaker living in Abu Dhabi, was invited by the UAE branch of an organisation called Women in Film and Television.
"The Goethe Institut basically asked them if they would recommend anyone and they suggested me, which was fantastic," she says.
Makki's latest short film The Journey, which was one of the winners of the Abu Dhabi Film Commission's Aflam Qaseera (Short Film) production fund, was receiving a special private screening at the festival. "It's great, I'll get to see it on the big screen."
Aside from visiting Berlin for the first time, the trip was enabling Makki to meet a producer she was hoping to work with on her next project, a documentary. "She's very interesting and the film commission has said it would hopefully arrange some co-production meetings as well. I'm crossing fingers and toes."
The youngest of the group, the 21-year-old Emirati Reem Al Falahi, was selected from a number of applicants from the Dubai Women's College, where she studies applied communications and has produced several short movies. Al Falahi, together with fellow Emirati Hind Al Hammadi, who works for the Abu Dhabi Film Commission, found that sometimes they could get into screenings – which were often packed out – due to their appearance, which sometimes confused door security. "One time we were asked if we were with Shah Rukh Khan's party," claims Al Hammadi.
The Swiss/Emirati documentary filmmaker Manal Wicki, who flew to Germany a few days earlier to see a friend, said that the Berlinale was one of her favourite festivals. "I like its vibe and the kind of films they show. This trip is a great opportunity to not only watch the films, but meet people and see what a film festival like this is all about."
One of the only complaints from the group was that they weren't able to get tickets to all the screenings that they wanted. But this was a situation that affected many attendees, with thousands descending on ticket booths from the crack of dawn each morning and ensuring almost every film was sold out.
The Emirati presence at the 62nd Berlinale wasn't only confined to the group from the Goethe Institut. The Abu Dhabi Film Commission was in town, scouting for potential films to be shot in the UAE capital. There were also representatives from the Dubai and Abu Dhabi international film festivals. And over in the Berlinale Talent Campus, a six-day summit for up-and-coming filmmakers that involved 350 people from 99 countries, the Emirati filmmaker Khalid Al Mahmood was one of the attendees.
"I'm trying to make the most of it," he says, pointing to a timetable packed with lectures, discussion, workshops and excursions. Al Mahmood, who worked on Sea Shadow and whose 2010 short film Sabeel won several awards, says he initially applied to be a part of the Goethe Institut group. "It sounded great, but then my application for the Talent Campus came through," he says.
The biggest problem for Al Mahmood, he says, is trying to figure out how to squeeze everything in. "This afternoon, there is a presentation by Mike Leigh, as well as a talk with [the French film director] Tony Gatliff. And they're both on at the same time," he explains. "It's impossible to go to everything."
Over in the European Film Market, the festival's business hub, Sea Shadow was being given a special screening for international industry professionals.
While it may be a few years off, the hope is that the group of UAE-based filmmakers visiting Germany this time around could be the force to help ensure that future Berlinales include many more Sea Shadows. Let's just hope next time it's not quite so cold.
aritman@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter and keep up to date with the latest in arts and lifestyle news at twitter.com/LifeNationalUAE
Top financial tips for graduates
Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:
1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.
2. Side hustle: At 16, I lived in a village and started teaching online, as well as doing work as a virtual assistant and marketer. There are six skills you can use online: translation; teaching; programming; digital marketing; design and writing. If you master two, you’ll always be able to make money.
3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.
4. Pay yourself first: The minute you receive any income, put about 15 per cent aside into a savings account you won’t touch, to go towards your emergency fund or to start investing. I do 20 per cent. It helped me start saving immediately.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
The specs
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Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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
Company profile
Company: Verity
Date started: May 2021
Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Size: four team members
Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000
Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors
Dubai World Cup factbox
Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)
Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)
Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)
Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)
Related
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
Pathaan
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.”
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
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
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Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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