Give the gift of speed this holiday season with a variety of driving experiences available at Yas Marina Circuit, including the Formula Yas 3000. Yas Marina Circuit
Give the gift of speed this holiday season with a variety of driving experiences available at Yas Marina Circuit, including the Formula Yas 3000. Yas Marina Circuit

Top 10: Yas Marina offering 50 per cent discount on SST Hotlaps, buy your tickets for Mubadala World Tennis Championship



Abu Dhabi

Festive offer

Yas Marina Circuit offers great deals on several of its driving experience packages as part of its December Gifting Campaign, including the Jaguar F-Type, Aston Martin GT4, V6 single-seater Formula Yas 3000 (pictured) and the Mercedes AMG-GTS Experience. Plus, get a 50 per cent discount on SST Hotlaps throughout December.

Offer valid in December, from Dh1,300 for the Jaguar Experience, Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, www.yasmarinacircuit.com

Abu Dhabi

Exhibition

See a display of winning artwork from the UAE 46 competition. Eduardo V Yap Jr of Al Ain won the main prize with an acrylic work representing the heritage preservation and economic growth of the country. The runner-up was Zahra Goulamhoussen of Dubai with an image of a clock and skyline silhouettes. The original artwork will be auctioned and limited-edition prints will go on sale, with a portion of the proceeds going to Wanna Read?, which provides hospitalised children with more great books to read and entertain them. Pictured: UAE 46 by Zahra Goulamhoussen

Daily until Friday, lobby, Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi, to bid or purchase prints call 050 225 1783 or email info@swissartgateuae.com

Abu Dhabi

Shopping event

Visit the Christmas Shopping Soiree and find a variety of handmade products that are perfect for gift-giving. More than 40 local artisans and crafters will showcase their items, including Christmas stockings, home decor, beachwear, sandals, toys, children’s clothing, candles, jewellery and more.

Today, 10am to 2pm, The Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort and Spa, Abu Dhabi, www.facebook.com/ShoppingSoiree

Abu Dhabi

Tennis finals

Buy tickets to the 10th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, featuring top players from around the world including Rafael Nadal, Milos Raonic, Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, Pablo Carreno Busta and Dominic Thiem. Plus, enjoy the Tennis Village, autograph sessions and player coaching clinics.

December 28 to 30, from noon daily, from Dh100, International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi, www.ticketmaster.ae

Dubai

Exhibition

The Cartoon Art Gallery presents a solo exhibition by Ukrainian artist Lara Zhuravska, who showcases a collection of abstract works inspired by the heritage of humanity. Focusing on two topics, Ancient World and A Golden Sense, the artist uses bright colours and experiments with details and shapes with the aim of encouraging the viewer to feel the power of their own energy.

Daily until Wednesday, 10am to 6pm, Cartoon Art Gallery, Street 4B, Al Quoz, Dubai, www.cartoonartgallery.org

Abu Dhabi

Theatre

See a performance of Art, a comedic play by Yasmina Reza that has been adapted for three women and will be performed in French, in a minimalist show. The friendship of three characters is tested when one splurges on a piece of artwork that is composed in tones of white, sparking a discussion that mixes intellectual banter with personal takes on relationships and social status. The play addresses universal themes makes humorous reflections on the human condition.

Tonight, doors open at 7.30pm, show starts at 8pm, free, auditorium, Paris-Sorbonne Abu Dhabi University, Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi, www.sorbonne.ae

Editor's note: The performance of the play Art has been cancelled per the event organisers. 

Dubai

Kids’ camp

Register your children for the Gulf Star Winter Camp. The multi-activity camps are designed to keep children active and involved during the holiday break, through arts and crafts, games and a wide range of sports for all age groups.

December 17 to 21; December 26 to 28; January 2 to 4, 9am to 2.30pm, costs from Dh800, Foremarke School; Jebel Ali School; Clarion School, Dubai, 050 429 4860, info@gulfstarsports.com

Dubai

Food festival

On your way to Dubai, make a pit stop at Truckers Exit – part of the Abu Dhabi Food Festival. Set up at a roadside spot and grab a quick, tasty meal on the go. There will be a weekly rotation of some of the best food trucks in the UAE, serving street food specialities from around the world.

Daily until Wednesday, then December 17 to 20, 1pm to 11pm, free entry, E11 motorway on the way to Dubai, www.truckers.ae

Dubai

Art workshop

Register your children, ages 7 to 9, to take part in an aboriginal art workshop in celebration of the Canada 150 Arts and Culture Festival. Canadian First Nations multimedia artist K C Adams will teach kids to create a pinch pot and decorate it with animals based on the Ojibwe Teachings of the Seven Grandfathers – wisdom, love, respect, bravery, honesty, humility and truth – the guiding principles that aboriginal communities share from generation to generation through their stories.

Thursday and Friday, 3pm to 5pm on Thursday; 1pm to 3pm on Friday, free, thejamjar, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai, 04 341 7303, booking@thejamjardubai.com

Dubai

Family fun

BurJuman has transformed into a winter wonderland that the whole family will enjoy – complete with festive decor, activities and even snowfall. There is an arts and crafts zone, a snow-fight zone, falling snow every 30 minutes and an 8.4-metre-tall display of 1,000 teddy bears, which will be given away to lucky shoppers and visitors.

Daily until January 6, mall open 10am to 10pm; activities from 3pm to 10pm, BurJuman, Dubai, www.facebook.com/BurJuman

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Results
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'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20CarbonSifr%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202022%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Onur%20Elgun%2C%20Mustafa%20Bosca%20and%20Muhammed%20Yildirim%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Climate%20tech%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%241%20million%20raised%20in%20seed%20funding%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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 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

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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
Voy!%20Voy!%20Voy!
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

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.”