Your story about Sitara Brooj Akbar (Young academic record-breaker struggles to find university place, July 21) reflects a situation that is both ridiculous and far too common.
When I was at Oxford, there were several underage students – the youngest was a 12-year-old boy studying mathematics – who missed out on the whole social aspect of university. They failed to take advantage of so many opportunities that would have been available to them if they'd just waited until the appropriate age.
This teenager can do all sorts of interesting and inspiring things over the next three years that are more age-appropriate. In my view, anyone who helps fund her studies now is not doing her any favours.
Rachel Hamilton, Dubai
She is just 15 and grades are not the only measure of maturity. So she should improve her intercultural skills by doing something like going to high school abroad.
She could go to the US or to a European country such as Germany, where there are no tuition fees, learn a new language and meet people from all around the world. It would be a great experience for her.
Omar Jaramillo, Germany
The authorities should be able to make exceptions for students who excel. If the Pakistani government is willing to help out, I am sure she will be able to join any university abroad.
If Malala Yousafzai can study abroad, then why not her?
Jahangir Khan, Sharjah
New law will help us all to live together
I read with interest Peter Hellyer's article citing a non-Muslim boy being called an infidel because he wasn't fasting during Ramadan (Legislation bolsters the battle against intolerance, July 21).
It's best not to call anyone a kafir, even if they are polytheist and not Ahl Al Kitab or people of the book. It's Allah's job to judge and decide. We are all brothers and sisters in humanity, regardless of our faith.
Mariyah Fatoom, Dubai
My children will fly business class
With regard to your editorial, Do children belong in business class? (July 21), if the passengers are paying for the seats, including for their children, nobody has any right to say they cannot fly business class.
If the children are really young, flying is a difficult experience for them. Honestly, people should be more understanding and if an airline starts imposing restrictions on the class that children can travel, I can see people patronising other airlines.
I fly business class along with my two teenage children. I will keep doing so, even if that means I have to pick another airline.
Diana Phelps, Dubai
Many of us would be happy to pay extra to ensure a peaceful trip. I know I certainly would.
It always amazes me that some – and please note I said some – parents believe that they have the ultimate right to expect everyone else’s understanding.
What about being understanding and respectful of the hundreds of other people around you? I travel a lot – 80,000 kilometres in the first half of this year alone – and I see parents who are well prepared to take care of their children and quickly sort them out.
But I also see many parents who don't seem to care and allow their children to run riot.
For babies, I think it would be good if airlines could install a small soundproof cabin. Parents with babies that are restless could nurse them there. It would be more comfortable for both the mother and for the other passengers.
Steve O'Brien, Abu Dhabi
My child has been taking transAtlantic flights since she was three months old. I would bring food and toys and take care of her the entire time she was awake. This is called parenting.
This meant I didn't get to watch movies because nobody but the parent is responsible for their child. I think people should not have a child until they are mature enough to handle this responsibility.
Janet Humphrey, Abu Dhabi
I think parents should teach their children to behave, irrespective of the class they are travelling in.
Some people simply choose to ignore any kind of parenting. My message is to them.
Marina Bhandari, Dubai
Gaza toll is truly heartbreaking
Thank you for publishing Heidi Levine's photo essay about Gaza (Healing and Resilience, July 15).
The devastation wreaked by Israel on innocents in Palestine is in stark contrast to what I experienced in my four years living in the UAE, where people of all faiths lived side by side.
Carine Risberg, Canada
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
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.”
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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
