Doctors in the UAE advise people to remain indoors and wear face masks during bouts of dusty weather in the country.
The use of air purifiers is also recommended for people with breathing difficulties.
Dr Emad Al Nemnem, a pulmonary disease consultant at Burjeel Medical City, said residents with respiratory diseases are at greater risk and must take extra care.
“Sandstorms are especially dangerous for patients with respiratory disorders, particularly those with chronic bronchitis and asthma,” Dr Nemnem said.
“The symptoms start with an increase in coughing, sputum and chest tightness.”
He advised asthma patients to carry their inhalers at all times and consult a doctor or head to the emergency department if breathing becomes difficult.
“We urge patients to drink lots of water, wear good-quality masks even at home and get an air purifier,” he said.
In a WhatsApp alert, Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre said exposure to sand and dust could be harmful to all.
“However, there are certain groups of people who are more susceptible to such harm caused by sandstorms,” it read.
People with chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are particularly vulnerable.
Other categories include infants, children, the elderly and those with heart disease, plus those with conditions affecting the nose and eyes such as rhinitis, sinusitis and conjunctivitis.
The centre advised people to stay home during sandstorms and close their windows, and suggested they keep their nasal passages moist with the help of petroleum jelly.
“Apply a little amount of non-perfumed Vaseline inside the nostrils to avoid dry mucosa," the message said.
“For most of us the symptoms caused by sandstorms are short-lived, but if you find symptoms persist or worsen you should seek medical attention,” reads the website of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
“If you have a pre-existing medical condition, you should visit your doctor to develop a management or response plan for dealing with any health changes in the event of a sandstorm.
“Allergy sufferers may want to take an antihistamine.”
A dust alert was issued on Sunday morning.
The National Centre of Meteorology called for people to be "extremely vigilant" over hazardous weather events until at least 1pm today.
The forecaster said visibility had dropped below 500 metres in many parts of the country, including over Abu Dhabi International Airport.
People woke to thick clouds of dust blanketing the skylines of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, with many large buildings barely visible under the haze.
Members of the public were asked to follow guidance from authorities as strong winds kicking up sand and greatly dust reduced visibility.
This is a version of an article that was first published in May, 2022
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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.”
