ABU DHABI // Tickets for the capital's largest New Year's Eve event, La Rumba, will go on sale this week.
The Colombian-born singer Shakira will be the big attraction at the Latin American street party in the grounds of the Emirates Palace hotel.
The tickets will be released on Thursday but can be reserved online today. Other attractions at the event will include a salsa tent and a steel band.
Shakira, who has a Lebanese father, performed at the Dubai Autodrome last year to an audience of 25,000 but this event has been capped at 10,000 to ensure a "more intimate occasion", say the organisers, Flash.
Concerts at the hotel have seen audiences of about 20,000 to artists such as Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera.
"Shakira's a huge name and absolutely perfect for the event," said John Lickrish, the managing director of Flash.
"She is just the kind of artist we wanted to encapsulate the Latin feel. With Shakira being half Lebanese she's the perfect artist to bring here, reaching out to her fans in the region and adding the Latin twist to the evening."
Flash has a flexible ticket plan for the event, with prices ranging from Dh1,500 (US$408) to Dh295. Tickets can be reserved at www.shakiranye.ae.
Virgin Megastores and www.boxofficeme.com are the event's official ticket outlets.
Other New Year's Eve events in the capital include an outdoor party at Al Bateen Marina with the international DJs Saeed Murad and Artful Dodger.
mswan@thenational.ae
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.