I'd never been to Colombia before so when my friend asked me to attend his wedding at Valledupar, a city in the country's north-east, I seized the opportunity. The airport was the smallest I have ever seen, with the arrivals area consisting of a single room for passengers to receive their luggage.
My brother, Ali, and I, along with two other guests were picked up from the airport by the wedding organiser. The other two guests were a couple visiting from New York, Giovanni and his girlfriend Yalissa. This couple was essential to our trip because they spoke English and Spanish fluently and they constantly made the effort to translate for us.
Almost immediately, for example, I learnt through their gracious translation that there are approximately 45,000 mango trees in Valledupar and that every household has at least one in the garden. Who knew?
The drive from the airport helped me get a sense of the city. As I looked out of the car window I saw rows of brightly painted shacks, varying in colours from orange, light blue and pink, and stretching into the distance, separated by dusty roads.
Then suddenly the scene changed and we drove through an area of large and expensive-looking houses, the walls of which were mostly fashioned of red brick or concrete.
We arrived at the Sonesta Hotel and checked into our rooms, which feature views of lush, green mountains. At the hotel we were greeted by the Emirati groom and his charming Colombian bride, who brought us to her flat for lunch. That evening, the groom's parents arrived and so did mine, and so we celebrated with a mini fiesta .
The following day I visited a farmhouse owned by the bride's family and situated about a half hour's drive from the hotel. For security reasons we were accompanied by a police escort of several officers riding motorcycles. We arrived to an al fresco lunch accented with a live Colombian band.
There were even a few horses on the lovely farm grounds that guests took turns riding. I was satisfied with the delicious food and perfect setting, however, especially after the crispy fried plantains arrived. In Colombia this popular side dish occupies the status enjoyed by chips in the UK, and for good reason.
That evening we dined at an exclusive, members-only club where we were treated to yet more Colombian music. I couldn't help but noticing how lovely Colombians are and how they share a similar penchant for showing hospitality and gratitude as the Arabs I know.
The following day was the wedding itself. The traditional dress code at Colombian weddings is for the men to wear cream-coloured trousers with a white guayabera shirt tucked out. The women, as in much of the world, use weddings as occasions to don their most exotic dresses.
After the formalities were over and the bride and groom were declared husband and wife, a bunch of us grabbed a hearty buffet dinner. Then professional dancers showed off their moves and the rest of us did the best we could to dance to both Spanish and Arabic tunes.
As was the case at the Greek wedding I attended a few months ago, I was impressed to see how quickly the Colombians picked up Arabic dance. I guess I've presumed it's harder than it is.
Live bands played through the night but everyone was looking forward to the final performer, Silvestre Dangond, who, in Colombia, is as well known as Shakira and definitely more popular.
When the famous singer arrived the crowds stormed to the dance floor where they stayed till the early morning hours. At some point the bride and groom, as well as a few guests and I climbed onto the stage where we danced alongside Silvestre.
Surely it was a night to remember and probably the best wedding I have ever been to.
Next week: Omar pays a visit to Cartagena, Colombia
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
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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DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) 171 points
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP) 151
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP) 136
4. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing) 107
5. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) 83
6. Sergio Perez (Force India) 50
7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) 45
8. Esteban Ocon (Force India) 39
9. Carlos Sainz (Torro Rosso) 29
10. Felipe Massa (Williams) 22
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Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
