Earlier this year, the FNC heard calls for a strategy to be put in place to protect our national dress, possibly through the passage of a law or the implementation of certain codes.
As The National has reported, many young people believe the kandura and abaya are still very much in fashion and a source of pride.
I love it when I wear our national dress, although I have certain reservations about its place in certain work environments, and nothing makes me prouder than being able to represent my country day in and day out.
However, I question whether what I am wearing should be at the forefront of my national identity – as opposed to who I am, what I stand for and the things I am doing to give back to my country.
In recent interviews with The National, several Emiratis discussed reasons why they were proud to be wearing national attire, and although it is heartwarming to read about those feelings of pride, I feel that it may be somewhat misplaced.
The first comment that got me thinking was: “When people see you in the kandura, they have more respect for you.” When it comes to a country as diverse as the UAE, managing respect across nationalities, ethnicities and religions can be a tough task. It simply boils down to being open and kind to each other regardless of personal beliefs; this is what creates a deeply rooted culture of camaraderie within our country that will be passed down from generation to generation.
However, if we were to base our respect for each other on something as materialistic as what we are wearing, then the feelings of togetherness and bonding between different people is merely an act.
Young Emiratis should not feel that respect is a birthright, or something that can be managed based on whether they decided to put on a kandura or abaya today. Respect must be earned through actions, attitudes and interactions with other people.
This is important because if there is a culture where someone who dresses as an Emirati gets more respect, does that mean that someone who dresses in the attire of another country should get less respect?
A second sentiment among the people who were interviewed was that they felt that because they were Emiratis, they had to wear it. Although I believe national dress is important to maintaining culture and representing our nation, it is not something that has to be worn for those things to be carried out. Emiratis have done amazing things on all fronts – social, economic and entrepreneurial – which they would have done regardless of what they were wearing. This is because their source of patriotism and energy to make our nation better is so deeply rooted within who they are that what they wear doesn’t even matter.
A final thought relates to national dress being required for Emiratis to stand out because they are a minority within their own country. For the most part I agree with that reason, however I would again argue that how we act, how we carry ourselves and how we engage with the various communities across the UAE can make us stand out so much more.
A remarkable example of this is ThinkUp GCC, a group of Emiratis who start, and take part in, a variety of initiatives from representing UAE talent and managing Ramadan food drives to raising awareness for non-profit organisations around the country.
Nobody thinks about what they are wearing when they engage in acts that give back to the citizens and residents of the UAE; they are just proud to take time out of their day to help others and expect nothing in return. That is what makes them stand out far more than any item of clothing could.
The UAE continues to grow every day, and as it becomes more a part of the global community I would love to see us hold on to our culture.
However, that culture should be one that is built upon the characteristics that our forefathers brought to the world, such as our beautiful poetry, our heartwarming hospitality and our unquestionable loyalty to each other and to the betterment of our country.
That is how respect is earned, grown and passed down through generations, regardless of what you are wearing.
Khalid Al Ameri is an Emirati social commentator
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Review: Tomb Raider
Dir: Roar Uthaug
Starring: Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Daniel Wu, Walter Goggins
two stars
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The years Ramadan fell in May
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Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
More from our neighbourhood series:
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.”
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
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'Cheb%20Khaled'
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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
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
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
ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
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The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
What went into the film
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
