Just like in Italy, the US, India, Argentina and many other places around the world, if you head south in Tunisia then prices become cheaper and people friendlier. After a couple of days staying in Tunis' Medina with seemingly endless invites to "come visit my shop", that seemed appealing and I bought a first-class ticket on a train departing at 8.50pm for Tozeur, a small town situated about 400km south-west from the capital, for US$19 (Dh70).
Two notes about riding trains in Tunisia: the only difference between the first and second class seats is that the ones that are twice as expensive recline. This is nice on a eight-hour-long journey but it is not necessary to pay extra for this small luxury because no one seems to check your ticket. The second important thing to remember is that if you are riding the rails overnight during Tunisia's winter, bring a blanket. As the train sped through the cold desert the temperature inside dropped down to a hypothermia-inducing chill and the passengers around me draped themselves in piles of clothing so that our first-class train car looked like a camp of homeless people.
When the train pulled in at 5am, I bargained with the Residence el Arich's manager to only pay for half a night. The hotel is recommended on such travel websites as Tripadvisor (www.tripadvisor.com) and in the Lonely Planet guide for outclassing it's cheapish price of $20 (Dh73) per night for spacious double rooms. The hotel was nicely adorned with Berber wallhangings adding colour to painted-white clay bricks inside and a pleasant terrace outside where date palms spread their fronds above a fountain base of desert roses. My room had no heat, however, and smelt like a refrigerator that has been defrosted and let to sit for days.
When I awoke that afternoon I went downstairs to see if the front desk could arrange a sightseeing tour to my desired destinations of the nearby oasis towns of Chebika, Tamerza and Mides, all sprinkled close together along the Algerian border. When I arrived I was surprised to find an Australian backpacker named Dan who wanted to do the exact same thing. We were thankful for each other as the price for two people to take the tour was $27 (Dh98) per person as opposed to $38 (Dh140) to ride solo. Dan and I chatted briefly before agreeing to meet for the tour at 8am the next morning and parting ways. In doing so, I also found out that I was paying too much for my room: Dan had said he was a poor student, pleaded for the smallest room and got it at the bargain basement price of $11 (Dh42) per night.
As I walked along the town's dusty streets plied by mule-drawn carriages I bumped into a young Irishman whom I recognised from the hostel in Tunis. He, along with an American and a French couple, were planning on renting a car the next day for a DIY tour of the three oasis towns that Dan and I were planning to visit. On a strict budget, he invited us to join as it would further defer the cost of renting the car.
When I found Dan back at the hotel we discussed the idea. It would be a considerably less expensive option as the car would cost only about $53 (Dh195) split between six people. There were obvious flaws in the plan, however: no one had actually succeeded in renting a car yet; no one knew the route; six people to a car is tight; Tunisian driving is crazy; and our fellow travellers might be flakes. We carefully weighed what was a sure bet and a series of risks. In the end, frugality won out over assurances.
The next morning we all convened at a cafe as the Irishman went to rent the car so as to not disclose to the agency that we were planning on squeezing in a half dozen passengers. Three hours later he returned, having had to use a different agency because of a car wreck the previous night. Alarmingly, the agency he used offered no car insurance. Dan seemed ready to back out but we had already cancelled our tour with the hotel and so we all filed into the tiny saloon like clowns in a circus car. My limit was only reached when the American driver wanted to buy as little petrol as possible - a good way to become stranded in the desert - and I insisted we fill the tank. As we drove along my feeling of trepidation seemed to go up and down as we became lost leaving town, but the driver turned out to be competent in traffic; and we saw police officers, but they didn't seem to care that we were heaped ridiculously on top of each other in the back seat.
An hour later we reached Chebika, a jewel of green palmeraie in the otherwise bone dry landscape where flatland meets scarp. We idled for a bit at a cascade beyond a turn-off and then hurried on as it was becoming late in the day. In Tamerza we bought several baguettes for less than one dinar and carried on to the furthest oasis town of Mides, which almost creeps over the Algerian border, where we picnicked on bread and the dates, jam, harissa, cheese and water that we had brought with us. In terms of cost saving, this was far more effective than eating at the tourist-trap cafes.
After lunch we decided to hike through the gorge the 6km back to Tamerza, declining several offers by locals who wanted to guide us for a fee. The winding narrow passageway was beautiful in its smoothed rockfaces sloping around us but we soon came to a dead end and were forced to turn back.
With the sun hanging low in the sky and no idea how long the 6km trek would take, even this group of people averse to spending much money sucked it up and hired a guide for $11 (Dh42). In addition to making sure that we didn't accidentally wander into Algeria, the blue-scarved Berber man pointed out the best features along the way such as the canyon that was used in a Star Wars film, deposits of agate and wild-growing fenugreek.
By the time the sun set majestically over the valley in front of Tamerza we all were pleased that we had succeeded in our goal of saving a bit of money - in total, the car lunch, petrol and the guide only cost $17 (Dh64) per person - and seeing what we wanted to see. Yes, we could have saved even more by skimping on petrol or a guide, but the trick of DIY budget travelling is being mindful but not miserly, taking risks but knowing limits.
lkummer@thenational.ae
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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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
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
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
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Haltia.ai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Arto%20Bendiken%20and%20Talal%20Thabet%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241.7%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self%2C%20family%20and%20friends%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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-of-age
- 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/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
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
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.”
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.
Fifa%20World%20Cup%20Qatar%202022%20
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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
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
SPECS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
