ABU DHABI // The big stage is beckoning for a tiny archipelago off the capital that is within touching distance of being voted one of the seven wonders of the natural world.
Bu Tinah, a cluster of low-lying islands surrounded by coral reefs and seagrass beds, is on a final shortlist of 28 locations, from which the wonders will be selected in a global poll.
The islands are out of bounds to the public, a move backed by law to ensure that their rare inhabitants, and the sea life around them, remain undisturbed.
But Bu Tinah's natural treasures are about to be thrust into the spotlight in a push for votes from around the globe.
The area is home to marine turtles, dolphins, flamingos and several rare migratory birds such as the Socotra cormorant and species of tern.
It is also popular with the dugong, a large but peaceful and shy marine mammal that feeds on seagrass. About 600 out of the estimated 3,000 dugongs that live in UAE waters can be found around Bu Tinah.
The main island has a sheltered lagoon opening to the south, lined with mature mangroves.
The archipelago is part of the Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve, which covers 4,000 square kilometres and is the largest protected area in the country.
Bu Tinah's nature has already seen it win through two stages of the New7Wonders of Nature competition.
The contest was organised by the New7Wonders Foundation, a Swiss-based, government-controlled body. It began in 2007 with 440 locations in more than 200 countries.
The final phase sees Bu Tinah competing with such well-known places as the Maldives archipelago, the Galapagos in Ecuador, the Dead Sea, the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon in the United States.
The Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) is to appoint an international marketing consultancy to promote the islands, before the final vote in 2011.
The agency is also negotiating with other government departments and media companies, trying to get them to join the canvassing.
Pages on social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter, and voting booths in some of the country's shopping malls, will be part of the campaign.
"This will be an ongoing and evolving strategy," said Dr Thabit al Abdessalaam, director of marine biodiversity management at the EAD. A short film, to be completed this month, will bring Bu Tinah and its exotic inhabitants closer to the public.
But besides having the support of UAE residents, Bu Tinah will have to captivate a global audience if it is to emerge as one of the winners. The competition was launched after the contest to find the man-made New Seven Wonders of the World, in which 100 million people voted.
"Bu Tinah is one of the least-known participants," said Jean-Paul de la Fuente, a director of the N7W Foundation, on a visit to Abu Dhabi.
While Bu Tinah's obscurity was a challenge, it was also an opportunity, he said.
Some world-famous sites, such as the Amazon rainforest, had been in the spotlight for much longer, said Mr de la Fuente. Such extensive scrutiny could spark a negative reaction.
"The Amazon comes with a lot of issues," he said, mentioning deforestation, large-scale farming and the treatment of native tribes.
While the Amazon was "very famous but also controversial", Bu Tinah had the opportunity to "tell its story on a clean, white canvas".
"The other challenge is getting people to vote for Bu Tinah," he said.
"It is not about the size or resources of the country but also how people are motivated to vote for the location."
The UAE could use its position as a travel hub to promote Bu Tinah with tourists, business travellers and even transit passengers.
Another advantage was its expatriate residents. "This is a unique opportunity because all these people are potential ambassadors for Bu Tinah," said Mr de la Fuente.
He said the campaign would promote environmental awareness "not in a boring way but in a very exciting way".
"Often, the environmental message is a depressing one," he said.
"We are asking people to celebrate nature and, inevitably, the result is that they will take more care."
vtodorova@thenational.ae
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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 old
- 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 or 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
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.”
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
