Today I sit and write my very last column for the Superwomen series in The National. I want to start by saying that the journey of writing this weekly column has changed me.
I feel that I have become a worldlier, better-rounded woman. And, like all things worthwhile in life, it was a process – one that began in those early months of parenthood when I was primarily house-bound (and on a newborn baby’s erratic sleep schedule).
But as long as I had my iMac, I could research any topic at any time, with the world news at my fingertips. Without ever needing to leave my home, I found an outlet for my ideas to take shape and form.
As a new mother, one who had no desire to return to her old career in retail leasing, The National supported me in my quest to carve out my newfound career path in the world of digital communications.
And so the time has come for me to close this chapter and continue on to the next. I am writing this closing chapter to share some of my lessons with you.
As I’ve said, it’s been a process. Since the start of my blog, womenmoneyandstyle.com, I have realised that I am not alone on this path. Through my blog, I have met a variety of women who are making life work for them on their own terms and living their dreams.
I am living proof that dreams can become reality, but learning to acknowledge and plan for the next step is a key consideration in taking full grasp of your success. You have to know when to let go and fully embrace your newfound reality.
So how can women reach their dreams? I believe that planning is key. Identify what it is that you really want to do and why. Align these goals with your values. What hours do you want to spend with your children each day? What income do you want to generate? Ask yourself what your passions are, and brainstorm ways to incorporate them into the job that you know how to do. Are there any additional skills that you will require? Or maybe outsourcing could be an option for you. Then, be grateful. Recognise every little thing in your life that you have to be grateful for. My gratitude diary was 100 per cent part of my career success.
I believe in dreams and I think that women today have more opportunities than ever before to see those passions come to fruition.
Once upon a time, you had two options – work 9 to 5, or become a stay-at-home mum. There was no in-between.
Today, this is not the case. You can forge your own business path and create your own working hours if you really want to.
Gerlinde Krupp, the chief executive of 4Work, the sole distributor of the Vorwerk Kobold Cleaning System in the GCC, shares these sentiments. Her business model embraces supporting women and mothers, empowering them to create a career path on their terms and have flexibility for their children. “Mums and women are my first preference when it comes to sales staff,” she says.
According to Mariam Al Kassab, the founder of Kidz Venture, a Montessori nursery and community centre based in Ibn Batutta Mall, one of the key considerations for her team was to have flexible hours for parents.
With so many working mothers, entrepreneurs and businesswomen today, parents can enjoy peace of mind should they get caught up in business meetings and are unable to collect their children. “The parents are not alone, we are here for them,” Mariam says.
It is precisely this kind of thinking which is developing and strengthening our community in the UAE to be an innovative, wealthy society.
As women today, we want the extra income to feel secure and invest in our futures, but also to enjoy our lives in the present and appreciate the little things.
When you feel confident and good about yourself, your perception of the world around you changes. You look forward to doing a job that you love, during hours that suit you and your family’s schedule.
Take it from me – it really has an effect on your entire life and is a great example for our children, who are our future.
Writing this column was an integral part of helping me realise my dreams. It was the beginning, the baby steps in finding my feet in business after having my baby. I am eternally grateful for the support of considerate, open-minded journalists and editors for giving me a go.
I think the real lesson for me over this last year has been one of learning to follow my gut and to trust my instincts; not to be afraid of being wrong, or of hearing the word ‘no’.
The lessons and rewards have been incredible. Today I have myself a nice little communications business, which came after many people told me I was three years too early.
And you know what? I did it through gratitude, sticking to my guns and letting the negativity out. And here I am now, living my dreams.
Janelle Malone is a wealth commentator, writer and author
Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.
Stat of the day – 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.
The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227-4 at the close.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The biog
Favourite book: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Favourite music: Classical
Hobbies: Reading and writing
UAE%20SQUAD
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
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.”
BMW%20M4%20Competition
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AL%20BOOM
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI