Women's empowerment was one of the key topics discussed at a banquet hosted by Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation and Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, in honour of Jordan's Queen Rania at Al Bahr Palace in Abu Dhabi.
Queen Rania arrived in the UAE on November 23 for an official visit to the country accompanying King Abdullah II. The Jordanian royals were welcomed at Al Bateen Executive Airport by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
Wearing a tie-dye shirt dress by French-American designer Joseph Altuzarra, Queen Rania finished the look with a belt by another American brand Lafayette 148 New York.
She then headed to Al Bahr Palace where she was welcomed by Sheikha Fatima. During the meeting, they discussed the fraternal relations between the UAE and Jordan and co-operation in several fields, most notably the foundation related to women, children and youth, and ways to develop co-operation and exchange, according to state-run news agency Wam.
"Between the gracious hospitality of Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the inspirational warmth and kindness of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, I always leave the UAE with the fondest of memories," Queen Rania later posted.
The Abu Dhabi visit came a day after the Jordanian royals arrived in Manama, Bahrain, where they were greeted at the Sakhir Air Base by King Hamad and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad.
"Much appreciation for His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, HRH Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and my dear sister HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa for their warm and hospitable reception in Manama earlier today. May God bless the Kingdom of Bahrain," Queen Rania posted, along with a photo of her and King Abdullah being presented a bouquet by children.
For the Bahrain visit, Queen Rania wore a pleated crepe midi dress in pink by New Zealand-born designer Emilia Wickstead, who lives in London. A favourite of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Queen Rania has also been seen in the designer's creations on a number of occasions.
It's been a busy two weeks for Queen Rania. Last week, she and King Abdullah hosted Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall for the British royals' first overseas trip since Covid-19 restrictions were lifted in the UK.
Camilla, 74, and Prince Charles, 73, landed in Amman on November 16 for a two-day visit to Jordan, which included trips to archaeological sites as well as meetings with representatives of religious faiths and humanitarian organisations.
Scroll through the pictures below for Queen Rania's style evolution over the years:
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What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
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Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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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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