ABU DHABI // When was the last time you received a picture in the mail of an exotic location along with the words, “Wish you were here”?
Not recently enough, says Noor Shamma, an Emirati whose Postcard Initiative is bringing a little more light into people’s lives – especially to the vision impaired in under-developed countries.
“I thought it would be nice just mailing people things because we’re always texting. We don’t even call people any more,” said Noor, 30.
“I announced it on my Instagram account, NoorShamma, to family, friends and strangers to send me their addresses if interested.
“By February 14, I had more than 70 addresses, which is more than a postcard a week, so I decided to send a couple a week.”
The project has spread to the point that artists from around the world are paying Dh500 to have their work included on the postcards, much of which goes to the Noor Dubai Foundation, and to printing the postcards.
It all started in January when the Emirati decided to send a postcard each week of the year to teach herself how to stick to a project. The cards are interactive and include thoughts or images, and a message from Noor.
“I didn’t expect that many, the reactions were amazing,” she said. “One person actually told me they teared up when they received it.”
Noor’s aim is to spread a bit of love in an increasingly unstable world.
“Nowadays, a lot of things have been happening politically, globally, even natural disasters. There’s so much sadness in the world it’s quite depressing,” she said.
“And we as humans are losing that communication and that humanity. There’s nothing to look forward to, everything is so predictable now with our high connectivity. It’s good in a way, but the way it’s being portrayed has been very negative overall.”
She said social media had become more of a bragging platform than a tool for communication.
“It’s a shame,” Noor said. “Because with the technology nowadays, we should use it to better connect with others, while people don’t call you any more to check on you and they just text you on your birthday for instance.”
Today, she has 222 addresses from 40 countries and 100 cities.
“I sent out 45 postcards to countries including Taiwan, Spain, Slovenia, Senegal, Scotland, Puerto Rico, Japan and Australia,” Noor said. “People are looking forward to this so it’s very heart warming.”
She has now teamed up with Noor Dubai, which works to prevent blindness and eye disease in under-developed countries.
“They have vans where they treat people for free. There are millions of cases of blindness in these countries just because they need an US$8 (Dh29) operation or they need glasses for $4. With this, they get their full vision back so it’s a great impact.”
So far, 26 artists from around the world have paid to submit 37 works at Dh500, 20 per cent of which will go to the charity and the rest back into marketing and production of the postcards.
“Every artist gets their artwork on the back of the postcard, with the title, year of production, name of the artist and their Instagram account,” Ms Shamma said. “I contacted everyone from graphic designers, photographers, culinary artists and floral designers to fashion designers, wedding planners, cake designers, doll makers and painters. It’s a marketing tool at the same time.”
Rami Khalife, a Lebanese-French composer and pianist in Paris, said: “Music in its nature is very powerful; very humane. How beautiful would it be to not just touch souls with my music, but to help restore the gift of sight through the Postcard Initiative.”
Budreya Faisal, an Emirati designer and founder of the label Bleach, said she wished there were more initiatives like this one.
“Life sometimes gets in your own way that you forget to really do something for those truly in need,” Budreya said. “And this initiative is a beautifully creative way to do just that and spread the word on the efforts made in restoring sight.”
cmalek@thenational.ae
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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.”
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
RESULTS
Welterweight
Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) beat Mostafa Radi (PAL)
(Unanimous points decision)
Catchweight 75kg
Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR) beat Leandro Martins (BRA)
(Second round knockout)
Flyweight (female)
Manon Fiorot (FRA) beat Corinne Laframboise (CAN)
(RSC in third round)
Featherweight
Bogdan Kirilenko (UZB) beat Ahmed Al Darmaki
(Disqualification)
Lightweight
Izzedine Al Derabani (JOR) beat Rey Nacionales (PHI)
(Unanimous points)
Featherweight
Yousef Al Housani (UAE) beat Mohamed Fargan (IND)
(TKO first round)
Catchweight 69kg
Jung Han-gook (KOR) beat Max Lima (BRA)
(First round submission by foot-lock)
Catchweight 71kg
Usman Nurmogamedov (RUS) beat Jerry Kvarnstrom (FIN)
(TKO round 1).
Featherweight title (5 rounds)
Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) v Alexandru Chitoran (ROU)
(TKO round 1).
Lightweight title (5 rounds)
Bruno Machado (BRA) beat Mike Santiago (USA)
(RSC round 2).
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
