DUBAI // Two men, dripping with sweat, square off against each other in Safa Park, one wielding a long stick and what looks like a knife.
Suddenly he lunges at his opponent, but after a flurry of strikes and holds the knifeman is on the ground, his limbs tightly locked in place. He has nowhere to go.
Then, just as quickly, the two are back on their feet, smiling and embracing each other, ready to go again.
The move is part of a Filipino martial art called pekiti tirsia kali, practised in Dubai by the Sicas Famosus Group week in, week out at Safa Park.
The intense sparring matches pit the fighters against the energy-sapping heat and humidity as much as their opponents.
"Despite all the moves and action the biggest danger is dehydration," says Arif Nizami, 48, a Pakistani management consultant who has been training for a year. Bodies quickly become exhausted in the heat and mugginess, and any mistake could easily result in a nasty injury.
"It's really tough in summer so we usually have our sessions a little later in the evenings when it's a bit cooler, although not much," says Mr Nizami. "The key is to make sure you get plenty of water."
He has experience in ving tsun kung fu, muay Thai and tae kwon do, but says kali is unique among the martial arts.
"It is a very direct and brutal system, which I like," Mr Nizami laughs. "It's used by the police and special forces in the Philippines.
"My interest in kali started after watching Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon. Many years later I met Dan Inosanto, a Bruce Lee protege, and saw him in action at his school in Los Angeles."
For Tony Whittington, 39, a British construction director who often leads the training sessions, the heat of a UAE summer cranks up the pressure of a workout, which he enjoys.
"I really enjoy training outside during the summer as it adds a stress factor," Mr Whittington says.
The humidity makes it easy to lose grip on the sticks and weapons the group uses, so there is more focus on technique during winter.
"All the movements are the same, whether you are holding a stick, knife or empty-handed," says Mr Whittington. "The best way to learn to defend against weapons is to know how you are most likely to be attacked by them.
"In a fight you need to keep your wits about you and use whatever comes to hand. That way your chances of survival are a lot better."
Yeyati Nafrey, 30, who works in hospitality and has been in Dubai for 20 years, says he was attracted by the simplicity of kali.
"The methods and concepts are simple, very efficient, and the training is structured yet very organic, which means you learn at your own pace," says the Indian national.
Mr Nafrey has been training with the group for 10 months and plans to teach his children one day.
He says he quickly gets used to training in the heat and humidity.
June Lozano, 35, a Filipino paralegal, says she joined the group because of its ties with her homeland.
Ms Lozano has been training for a few months and has found it "challenging and fun".
"Drinking lots of water and wearing sensible clothing is really important for summer training," she says. "It helps, too, that we train in the park and start a bit later than we do in the cooler months."
nhanif@thenational.ae
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Premier Futsal 2017 Finals
Al Wasl Football Club; six teams, five-a-side
Delhi Dragons: Ronaldinho
Bengaluru Royals: Paul Scholes
Mumbai Warriors: Ryan Giggs
Chennai Ginghams: Hernan Crespo
Telugu Tigers: Deco
Kerala Cobras: Michel Salgado
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
'Nope'
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Family reunited
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.
She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.
She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.
The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.
She was held in her native country a year later.
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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The Gandhi Murder
- 71 - Years since the death of MK Gandhi, also christened India's Father of the Nation
- 34 - Nationalities featured in the film The Gandhi Murder
- 7 - million dollars, the film's budget
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.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
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
Aston Martin Rapide AMR
Engine: 6.0-litre V12
Transmission: Touchtronic III eight-speed automatic
Power: 595bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh999,563
