Chef Manal Alalem, Queen of the Arabian Kitchen, stars in 'Matbakh Manal Alalem'. Courtesy Fatafeat
Chef Manal Alalem, Queen of the Arabian Kitchen, stars in 'Matbakh Manal Alalem'. Courtesy Fatafeat
Chef Manal Alalem, Queen of the Arabian Kitchen, stars in 'Matbakh Manal Alalem'. Courtesy Fatafeat
Chef Manal Alalem, Queen of the Arabian Kitchen, stars in 'Matbakh Manal Alalem'. Courtesy Fatafeat

Ramadan 2020: Fatafeat lines up new programming to encourage cooking at home during the holy month


Katy Gillett
  • English
  • Arabic

The Middle Eastern food and lifestyle TV channel Fatafeat will launch a range of programmes designed to encourage home cooking this Ramadan.

This includes new seasons of favourites such as Matbakh Manal Alalem, Shu Biyheb Al Orf and Bil Afya Maa Hayat, shows that are popular during the holy month.

Here’s the lowdown on three of the programmes you can watch, as chefs cook up a storm while staying at home.

'Matbakh Manal Alalem'

Chef Manal Alalem is known as the Queen of the Arabian Kitchen and this year each of her new episodes will showcase a four-course set menu that’s perfect for iftar or suhoor. She’ll demonstrate how to make a different appetiser, main course, dessert and drink in each instalment, and will even whip out a few of her own recipe creations.

Matbakh Manal Alalem will air daily during Ramadan at 1pm UAE time

'Shu Biyheb Al Orf'

Chef Mohammad Orfali is inviting viewers into his home kitchen, where he'll be crafting three recipes in each new episode of Shu Biyheb Al Orf.

Chef Mohammad Orfali is whipping up a storm in his home kitchen for the new season of 'Shu Bihib El Orf'. Courtesy Fatafeat
Chef Mohammad Orfali is whipping up a storm in his home kitchen for the new season of 'Shu Bihib El Orf'. Courtesy Fatafeat

He takes influence from a range of cuisines around the world, and shares personal anecdotes behind the recipes.

Shu Biyheb Al Orf will air on Mondays and Wednesdays during Ramadan at 1.55pm UAE time

'Bil Afya Maa Hayat'

Emirati chef Hayat Al Shaibani takes inspiration from the flavours of the Khaleej and beyond, adding her own take on recipes. Each episode of her show, Bil Afya Maa Hayat, will feature a new four-course menu, with demonstrations on how to make light appetisers, hearty main courses, sweet desserts and a beverage to wash it all down with.

'Bil Afya Maa Hayat' will feature new four-course menus in each episode. Courtesy Fatafeat
'Bil Afya Maa Hayat' will feature new four-course menus in each episode. Courtesy Fatafeat

Every menu incorporates traditional Gulf dishes or cooking techniques, but these are also given an international spin.

Bil Afya Maa Hayat will air Tuesday to Thursdays and Saturdays during Ramadan at 2.50pm UAE time

 

 

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The%20specs
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Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions

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 biog

Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia

Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins

Favourite dish: Grilled fish

Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

SERIES INFO

Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series

All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Test series

1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March

Play starts at 9.30am

T20 series

1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March

TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube

MANDOOB
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Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

Profile

Company name: Marefa Digital

Based: Dubai Multi Commodities Centre

Number of employees: seven

Sector: e-learning

Funding stage: Pre-seed funding of Dh1.5m in 2017 and an initial seed round of Dh2m in 2019

Investors: Friends and family 

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
The Perfect Couple

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor

Creator: Jenna Lamia

Rating: 3/5

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

THE SPECS

Aston Martin Rapide AMR

Engine: 6.0-litre V12

Transmission: Touchtronic III eight-speed automatic

Power: 595bhp

Torque: 630Nm

Price: Dh999,563