As with many industries during the Covid-19 pandemic, the UAE's entertainment scene was completely transformed.
With the closure of clubs and venues that were once packed to the brim with revellers, a new breed of nightlife was born.
Enter, stage right, the dinner and dance show, an idea that has thrived in the past few years, particularly in Dubai.
As part of this photo series, The National's photographer Antonie Robertson shot behind the scenes with performers at some of the top dance shows in the city.
Scroll through the gallery above to see more
This includes long-time stalwart White Dubai, in Meydan, which since 2020 has transformed itself from one of the region's biggest nightclubs to a lavish sit-down restaurant and lounge, where caviar and cabaret are part and parcel of the experience.
Then there's The Theater at Fairmont Dubai, which opened in summer 2021, offering an “immersive visual spectacle with world-class entertainment”. That includes live music and dance, blending eastern and western tastes, with a line-up of artistes from across the world, including singers and aerial dancers from Las Vegas, with the shows directed by Lebanese-Armenian musician, composer and pianist Guy Manoukian.
Papillon, at The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina, has arguably become the most talked-about among these dinner-and-show experiences. It is the brainchild of seasoned singer, model and Dubai resident Layla Kardan, and is fully dedicated to the art form of cabaret.
“Clubs really haven’t come back since Covid began, and now people are used to going out and sitting down and still wanting to experience something entertaining, but also enriching," Kardan previously told The National. "This is why there is a growing appetite for concepts, for example, that bring different elements together like food, theatre and dance.”
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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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