Saba Wahid is a freelance TV presenter, blogger and culinary enthusiast who is currently writing a cookbook on Pakistani cuisine. The American, who arrived in the UAE in August 2010 to present a lifestyle programme on Dubai One, moved into television from a career in marketing and communications after experiencing a life-changing moment following heart surgery.
Where did your passion for food come from?
I was born and raised in the States, but my ethnicity is Pakistani, so it all ties back to my family. I was brought up on Pakistani food, but we would go out for pizza or Chinese, too. Thanksgiving was one of our favourite holidays and that's all about turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy. My grandmother, who did not like this type of food, would bring her biryani and eggplant burtha, so Pakistani food became part of the festive atmosphere, too. Since moving here, I miss things like that - family get-togethers that are always food focused.
Is that why you are writing a book about Pakistani cuisine?
Yes. The cookery book was a natural progression. It wasn't until I came here and didn't have access to my family's recipes that I decided I needed to learn how to make the food myself and it's been a very interesting journey. It makes me sad that I don't have a lot of connection to my roots, which is another reason I wanted to move here - the UAE provides a perfect balance of the East and West. Pakistani cuisine is under represented. It is often grouped in the same category as Indian cuisine, so I want the book to define what Pakistani cuisine is and make it more practical for the everyday person. The book will focus on making it more modern in terms of style, presentation and preparation.
How did you get into television?
A few years ago, I had heart surgery for a birth defect that had gone undetected my entire life. I was diagnosed with an atrial septal defect, which is basically a hole in the heart. After the surgery, I had a lot of time to reflect while I recovered and although my career background was corporate communications and marketing, I had this brilliant idea to make a cooking show and have it broadcast, produced and aired in the Middle East. It sounds like a cliché, but it was a life-changing moment. So I made a pilot and sent it to some networks here and in the States. Dubai One was interested and they brought me over for a casting and offered me a presenting position on the Studio One show. I used to do a cooking segment with my own recipes, plus organise chefs on a daily basis to come, so it was very exciting. But because it was a daily live show, it was very demanding. So at the end of the season, I decided to put more focus on this cookbook.
What is your biggest financial challenge?
Saving enough. That's always been a challenge for me. I am definitely a spender. I wish I knew how to penny-pinch more, but I never want to be perceived as frugal or cheap. I have this idea ingrained in me that if you have money and are in a comfortable position, you need to be generous and share it. It's difficult even just to go out for a casual night - I'll end up spending more than anybody without any intention to. I won't just want one thing; I want to order five things and share them, but I think that goes back to my passion for food.
What has been your most valuable financial lesson?
Dubai is quite material focused and if you are in the media industry and out and about, you don't want to be photographed in the same outfit or with the same handbag twice, so you have to build up your wardrobe. Then I realised I needed to be smarter about it. When I went home to the States last summer, I found there are more cost-effective options for shopping. So I loaded up in the sales and at the outlet malls, where there were Karen Millen dresses for a quarter of the price.
Do you plan for the future?
I know that my life right now is not what I picture it to be in five to 10 years. I'm going to keep working my way up and hope my income will be reflected accordingly. What I have earned so far has been appropriate to my age and skill level, but there hasn't been a boom. It's been a gradual process and everything I am doing now is for my future and hopefully, when I have a family one day, for them as well. At the moment, I'm single and supporting myself. But I would always have my own financial independence. In traditional Pakistani households, the woman gets married and she basically supports the family. But I argued with my parents about that for years, saying "Why would you bring us up in the States, give us an education and then want to waste that away?" I am career-driven and if I lose focus of that, I would be disappointed in myself. So I want a career and the man will come eventually - when the time is right.
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
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
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 specs
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Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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THE SPECS
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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.
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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Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar
Series information
Pakistan v Dubai
First Test, Dubai International Stadium
Sun Oct 6 to Thu Oct 11
Second Test, Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tue Oct 16 to Sat Oct 20
Play starts at 10am each day
Teams
Pakistan
1 Mohammed Hafeez, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Haris Sohail, 6 Babar Azam, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed, 8 Bilal Asif, 9 Yasir Shah, 10, Mohammed Abbas, 11 Wahab Riaz or Mir Hamza
Australia
1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Mitchell Marsh, 5 Travis Head, 6 Marnus Labuschagne, 7 Tim Paine, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Jon Holland
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
- Level 2 features curated inspiration zones and solutions for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. This is also where you’d go to customise your sofas and beds, and pick and choose from more than a dozen mattress options.
- Level 3 features The Home’s “man cave” set-up and a display of industrial and rustic furnishings. This level also has a mother’s room, a play area for children with staff to watch over the kids, furniture for nurseries and children’s rooms, and the store’s design studio.
more from Janine di Giovanni
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
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In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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