Richard Smith is the director and founder of Salt’s Dubai office, a recruitment service for Digital teams across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.
The office has grown rapidly in the past two years and now Salt is the largest digital specialist recruitment firm in the region. Mr Smith, 34, was previously a managing partner of Newstar Recruitment prior to merging with Salt to leverage their global network. He graduated with a degree in Asian studies with economics from Birmingham University, UK and has an MBA from Aston University, UK. He has worked in Dubai for six years and he and his wife Danielle have a new born daughter, Elodie.
Sunday:
My alarms chime at 6am and I am up almost immediately. I am definitely a morning person and I always prefer to get up early and have a controlled build up for the day. I find the way you start your day on Sunday dictates your momentum for the rest of the week so I make sure that I have a positive start. The first thing I do every morning is take our dog (a beautiful American Cocker Spaniel named Layla) for a brisk walk, this is a great way to get the energy flowing and allows me to start digesting my plan for the week. When I get back I grab a shower, have breakfast with my wife and hop in the car to arrive at work by 7.30am.
The first thing on the agenda is hosting our weekly kick-off meeting, everyday my whole team gets together at 8.30am for a ‘scrum’. Our Sunday scrum holds extra significance, as we use this time as a point of reflection on the week that was and set the agenda for the week that will be. I know that our truly collaborative and open culture is one of the things that sets Salt apart from our competition. Having daily touch points where everyone can communicate progress and receive recognition is really critical in making that dream culture a reality.
The rest of Sunday I spend doing one-to-one sessions with my team, reviewing their portfolio of open vacancies and making sure we have the right amount of resources dedicated to each vacancy to deliver a great service.
Monday:
Client meeting, I regularly meet clients and discuss how their current recruitment campaigns are progressing. We assess sticking points in their recruitment process and I make suggestions on how to adjust these to allow a quicker, smoother candidate experience. Today, we discuss how to shorten the clients' interview process without reducing the depth of the candidate assessment process. During the meeting the client also discusses upcoming new vacancies and I run through a detailed qualification of those vacancies ready to brief one of my specialists in the office to help source candidates.
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Tuesday:
Today I am onsite with a client at their offices as part of a three-month HR consulting agreement. We have retained to advise a firm aiming to build a large digital team to support their already huge offline operation. The consultancy project covers the attraction, retention and development of millennial employees. Trends across the generations are of particular interest for me with millennials making up 80 per cent of digital teams. It is critical that established employers know how to engage with this cohort effectively. Over the three -month engagement, I have used research and market knowledge to put together a board-level presentation that reflects an appropriate human capital strategy for the clients’ digital division.
Circa 6pm, I wrap up at the client site and head to meet a candidate for an informal interview. My team and I always try to meet candidates if they are based in the UAE as a simple CV rarely tells the whole story of a person’s capabilities. The 'soft skills' a candidate offers are equally as important as technical capability and they are thus a critical determinant as to how they will fit the requirements from our clients.
Wednesday:
We are fast approaching the end of the week and we need to ensure that our promises to clients regarding the volume and quality of applications are upheld. During the daily scrum with the team, I highlight our collective position on various projects and then I focus my effort on supporting the team to source applicants for our clients.
Recruitment in Dubai, especially digital recruitment, is a truly global affair. A big part of what we do is attracting candidates from overseas - this year alone we have relocated candidates from over 40 countries to join the digital revolution in Dubai.
I support the business by providing knowledge of digital hotspots where we can attract relevant candidates, as well as also being hands-on in screening and sending applicants to clients. Whilst my team is now large enough that I wouldn’t need to do the hands-on engagement, I feel that staying directly in touch with market participants keeps my knowledge of their desires and marketplace trends up to date.
Thursday:
End of the week and several of the team and I are already looking forward to our Lunch Club incentive afternoon. Each month, I take a selection of our top performers out for a no-expense-spared afternoon starting with lunch followed by various nightlife highlights. Being a bit of a foodie, I take pride in making sure that for these special afternoons we try out the best restaurants that Dubai has available.
This year (in no particular order) we have attended: Coya; Nusr Et; Atmosphere; Le Petit Maison; Hakkassan; and Zuma among others. We take the afternoon to enjoy each other’s company, have some banter about non-work related topics and. of course. enjoy some incredible food and drink. Later, we meet with the remainder of the team at our local bar The Scene in Pier 7 and some of the guys stay out late. I, however, have responsibilities at home and so I call it a night about 7pm and head back to see my wife and daughter.
Friday:
I generally try to keep the weekend free for time with my family.
Having a new-born child is a real blessing, but it is also important that Danielle gets a break from diapers and feeding. Often I have to work late during the week entertaining clients or meeting candidates, so when I am at home I try and chip in by taking on some of the domestic duties.
Our social life before Elodie was led by the usual brunches and dinners that most couples we know tend to gravitate towards for weekend fun. Now, however, we really enjoy our time at home and with our friends in a slightly less party-led atmosphere. I guess I am getting old! Today we had a couple with another small child come and visit and say hello to Elodie for the first time. We have a couple of drinks, catch up, and discuss parenting ideas. One thing I have noticed is the abundance of different opinions around child rearing in Dubai. It can sometimes feel like a maze trying to make the right decision that works for your family and fits the goals for your child.
Our friends, especially those who have gone through childbirth in the UAE themselves, have been a huge support in giving us tips of providers that suit our preferences.
Saturday:
After again chipping in on the regular dog walking for Layla and care giving for Elodie, we decide to venture out to the mall for a change of scenery and some fun. We generally shy away from Mall of The Emirates and Dubai Mall due to the crowds and opt instead for Marina Mall or City Centre Me’aisem. We grab a pizza, walk along the marina boulevard for a bit and grab a frozen yogurt for desert. We have a quiet evening in on Saturdays as I mentally prepare for a high-impact week coming up, we watch a series on Netflix and then call it a night at about 10pm.
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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The biog
Favourite film: Motorcycle Dairies, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, Kagemusha
Favourite book: One Hundred Years of Solitude
Holiday destination: Sri Lanka
First car: VW Golf
Proudest achievement: Building Robotics Labs at Khalifa University and King’s College London, Daughters
Driverless cars or drones: Driverless Cars
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The Old Slave and the Mastiff
Patrick Chamoiseau
Translated from the French and Creole by Linda Coverdale
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
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 biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
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"
Biography
Favourite Meal: Chicken Caesar salad
Hobbies: Travelling, going to the gym
Inspiration: Father, who was a captain in the UAE army
Favourite read: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
Favourite film: The Founder, about the establishment of McDonald's
MATCH INFO
Delhi Daredevils 174-4 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians 163 (19.3 ovs)
Delhi won the match by 11 runs
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
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
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
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
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
THREE
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Kingfisher Secret
Anonymous, Penguin Books
The%20specs
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
