A scheme to help women from developing countries find work in the UAE has been expanded following its early success.
Evolvin’ Women, a UAE social enterprise set up in 2016, helps train jobseekers from abroad by providing work placements in hotels in Dubai.
Earlier this year, The National reported how the initiative had found work for Ghanaian national Antoinette Allah-Mensah at The Retreat Dubai MGallery by Sofitel.
Since then, four more women from Ghana have also been placed on the staff at the Hilton and Radisson Blu hotels in the city.
All participants have to undergo a rigorous 12-week training programme in their own country to qualify, before they are flown to the Emirates.
“It’s made such a huge difference to my life,” said Saviour Appam, who is on a six-month placement with DoubleTree by Hilton in Business Bay, Dubai, and is from the city of Ho in Ghana.
“It’s an opportunity that I wouldn’t have had back home and I’m learning new things from it all the time.”
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When Ms Appam, now 32, was much younger she became pregnant and her decision to keep her baby caused problems within her family.
She left high school early and struggled to cope with her new life as a young mother.
Today, she hopes her time with Evolvin’ Women will help create new opportunities once she returns home.
She said she aimed to become an advocate for women’s rights and an “inspiration for women who have been the victims of sexual violence”.
“I’ve been looking for an opportunity to turn my life around and I hope that Evolvin’ Women can help me build the career in hospitality I have always wanted,” she said.
“It's going to help me teach people new skills when I go back to work in Ghana.
“It is a different environment here compared to home but it's a very exciting opportunity and it's one that I'm determined to take.”
Ms Appam was joined in Dubai by three of her compatriots who have also been given work at the Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Waterfront.
Vickylisa Ackah, 24, commis chef, said the opportunity to work in Dubai was too good to turn down.
“In Ghana it’s rare to get an opportunity to work outside of the country,” she said.
“I’m going to use the experience to learn from the different cultures here and open my own business when I go back home.”
With only a few internships on her CV and no vocational training, Ms Ackah struggled to start her career in the hospitality industry in Ghana.
Now she is hoping to start her own non-profit organisation for rape victims when she returns to her home country.
Gloria Quarshie, 25, now a waitress in Dubai, also said the opportunity to pick up new skills in the UAE was a once in a lifetime chance. Growing up in Ghana she was one of five children raised by a single mother.
“When I return to Ghana I want to mentor young ladies in my community to commit to hard work and stay focused on their dreams,” she said.
“This type of initiative will keep young people off the streets and help reduce unemployment in the long-term. Less unemployment will also help to reduce the level of crime.”
The efforts and camaraderie of the women brought over by Evolvin’ Women has been welcomed by the hotels.
“We’re delighted to have them here,” said Remco Werkhoven, general manager of DoubleTree by Hilton.
“It fits in with Hilton’s ethos of giving opportunities to people with the right attitude.”
David Allan, general manager of Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Waterfront, also said the women had proved an enormous asset.
“It’s a breath of fresh air to have people here with such a refreshing view on life,” he said.
“Women in leadership is a key campaign for Radisson Blu and we want to highlight the importance of having females in key leadership roles.”
Assia Riccio, 34, from Italy, is the founder of Evolvin’ Women. The scheme is funded by a network of private and public companies including the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, Dubai Business Women Council and the Ghana Tourism Authority.
“There’ll be another round of training in February and we’re expecting to have 10 more women placed in Dubai hotels by May,” she said.
“The women are on a contract and paid a salary like any other employee in the UAE.
“The hotels also pay for their flights here and when they leave the country, in keeping with the country’s labour laws.”
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Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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.”
Company%20profile
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
