Property rented
A two-bedroom apartment, plus maid's room in the Shoreline Apartments on Palm Jumeirah, through Marks Falcon Real Estate.
Annual rent
Dh85,000 plus five per cent commission and a five per cent deposit.
The hunt
We'd been living in Al Raha Gardens in Abu Dhabi for a year. It was relatively expensive but, at the time we moved in, it represented the best value we could find. However, the changing rental market in recent months made it seem prudent to move, so I started the search in Khalifa City A, armed with a budget of Dh90,000. In three weeks I saw more than 30 properties. In fact, I'd arranged to view even more than that but, frustratingly, many landlords and agents failed to show up for appointments. The search proved pretty demoralising - only two places were even close to being habitable.
Eventually, I found an apartment that ticked enough boxes for us (my wife and I have a three-year-old and a baby) even if it was slightly over budget. When we agreed to the deal, the place was still a long way from being ready to live in - it needed some interior walls finished and the bathrooms had not been installed - but the agent told us all would be fine by the time we needed to move, so I paid a deposit to secure it.
However, with just a week to go before our lease ended in Al Raha, it became clear that our new place was nowhere near ready and I made the difficult decision to pull out of the deal. Depressingly, we were back to square one with time running out.
Given that our earlier search had been disappointing and we now had even less time, we decided to search further afield - so we began to look in Dubai, knowing we'd find more choice and better value for money there.
We revised our budget to Dh85,000, as Dh5,000 would now be swallowed up in petrol and car costs for my commute to Abu Dhabi.
We wanted to live on Palm Jumeirah but most properties were advertised between Dh95,000 and Dh110,000. A few agents laughed when I said that my budget was Dh85,000. However, there was one place in my price range and I asked a friend who lived nearby to have a look at it. Based on the price and our friend's description, we made an offer and four days later had the keys to our new home in our hands.
The result
We now have a great first-floor apartment on Palm Jumeirah. It has large bedrooms, a nice kitchen, some storage space and a lovely open-plan lounge-diner. Plus, the balcony is big enough for us to sit out and enjoy some fresh air.
We have lots of amenities within walking distance, including swimming pools, a nice beach, bars, restaurants, cafes, a crèche, gym and parks. Palm Jumeirah also has a great feel about it and we are making lots of new friends.
The other good news is that we haven't had to buy a load of new furniture. We've managed to furnish the apartment with our existing things; the only item we need is a new dining table.
Love
We love the sense of community as well as the fun of exploring Dubai and living in a new city. We also like the fact that we are renting a property that suits our budget. The range of activities for us and the children makes a real difference to our lives, too.
Loathe
Unfortunately, I now have to tackle the long commute to Abu Dhabi every day, which can get tiring by the end of the week. However, once I have managed to brave the often horrific Thursday evening dash back to Dubai, it almost feels like I'm on holiday for two days a week. We miss our friends in Abu Dhabi, but we really do love our new location.
Verdict
The compromises that we've made are easily outweighed by the benefits that we enjoy. I believe we've got great value for money for a lovely modern and spacious apartment on a world-famous development.
* Craig Bidder was talking to Sarah Nicholas
The specs: 2019 Subaru Forester
Price, base: Dh105,900 (Premium); Dh115,900 (Sport)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 182hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 239Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.1L / 100km (estimated)
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
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THREE
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RESULT
Copa del Rey, semi-final second leg
Real Madrid 0
Barcelona 3 (Suarez (50', 73' pen), Varane (69' OG)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Honeymoonish
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If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
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 White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5