Wladimir Koppen never visited Abu Dhabi or Dubai.
He probably would not have even been able to point out either place on a map.
Yet this Russian-German scientist, who died in 1940 at the age of 93, was the first to officially designate the climate of the region.
The Koppen climate classification, first published in 1884, identifies the UAE as desert – more specifically, as BWh, with the B representing desert and the W meaning low rainfall.
The h stands, perhaps unsurprisingly, for hot.
Everyone who lives here is familiar with the reality of BWh: long, hot, dry and dusty summers, marked by periods of extreme humidity and lasting from the end of May until October. This summer is no exception – even by the end of June, the thermometer had hit the high 40s in many parts of the country and a shirt-drenching 95 per cent humidity struck coastal areas.
This intense humidity is caused by the warming of the sea, which increases evaporation, with hotter land temperatures meaning the air absorbs more of this water.
We especially notice high humidity when it reaches the point where the air can no longer absorb more moisture, particularly our sweat. This disrupts the body's natural cooling process.
There are other consistent weather patterns in the region that we have already observed this year – cold fronts moving from the north, for example, draw up clouds of dust into the atmosphere. These are then blown to the UAE by prevailing winds as dust storms.
Forecasters warned last week of poor visibility caused by blowing dust and strong winds in Dubai and haze in Abu Dhabi.
More unusual were the periods of rain that accompanied the dust, which are the result of convective clouds forming.
An alternative way of measuring the seasons is with a traditional Al Drour calendar.
Dating back at least 500 years, it divides the year into four seasons marked by the visibility of certain stars.
Each season is identified with particular weather cycles associated with harvesting and fishing.
The calendar has three seasons of 100 days and a 60-day period of intense heat known as Al Qaiz. This includes all of July, the second half of June and part of August.
June was traditionally the height of the pearl harvest, with large fleets gathering at the oyster beds so divers could take advantage of the warmer seas. July is the time when dates ripen and are harvested. August brings the peak heat and the risk of storms at sea.
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Read more:
Think it's hot in the UAE? Spare a thought for muggy Montreal and boiling Belfast
How climate change could send household bills soaring, with the Middle East at risk
Special report: Abu Dhabi's dwindling water reserves charted in worrying Sorbonne research
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The tail end of August is when the Suhail star, also known as Canopus, becomes visible. It is the second-brightest star, after Sirius, and was named by Arab scientists in the 7th century. Bedouin used it for navigation.
First appearing low on the horizon, the significance of Suhail in Al Drour is that it marks a change of seasons, from the heat of Al Qaiz to Al Safri, the official start of the almanac.
Last year, Suhail was visible in the UAE for the first time in the third week of August.
The heat and humidity will still be here for a while, but for those looking for the first sign that summer is ending, the wait is only five weeks away.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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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.”
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Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
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