The welcome
Men in dark suits wave you up the driveway and towards the darkened hotel entrance beneath the podium that supports Etihad Towers. Once inside, guests are almost blinded by a combination of desert sunlight streaming into the lobby through the glass wall behind the check-in desks, and the bling provided by the enormous crystal chandeliers.
There's nothing subtle about Dubai-based hotel group Jumeirah's first foray into the capital: from the setting in one of five massive towers at the west end of the Corniche, opposite the Emirates Palace; to the finer details such as the agate- and amethyst-lined lifts that whizz guests at ear-popping speed from the foyer to the guest floors. This 382-room hotel with an executive lounge, Talise Spa, mini shopping mall and small private beach has already caused a stir in a city not unused to five-star openings.
The neighbourhood
Serenity ends at the bottom of the driveway with a mess of traffic cones and plastic barriers, the result of a road improvement scheme around the Emirates Palace, which is also home to a number of destination restaurants including the popular Hakkasan, and neighbouring construction projects. Marina Mall is only a short five-minute drive away as well as the rest of the Corniche beachfront with its wide, sandy public beaches, parks and boardwalks.
The room
I stayed in a 50-sq-m deluxe room with a king-sized bed on the 42nd floor, and used the option of an adjoining, smaller tower room with twin beds suitable for families. The velvet bedspread, mirrored panelling, and sizeable bathroom with twin basins, deep bathtub, rainfall shower and contrasting marble feels suitably luxurious, if not standout. The star in every room is the view out towards the sea or over the city ... until you turn down the sheets and sink into bed. The cocooning effect of the Sealy mattress with topper, with a second, separate feather topper is ludicrous. Almost worth the stay alone.
The scene
Elegant Emiratis with to-die-for accessories can be found having a consultation on the comfy chairs outside the beautiful Talise Spa, while the menfolk gather in the lobby. Upstairs in Ray's Bar on the 62nd floor, there is a much flashier crowd sprawled on the window loungers or perched at the bar enjoying drinks, tapas and upbeat lounge music; while on the top floor the Asian restaurant Quest plays host to smartly dressed groups of all ages and backgrounds. The hotel is pitched at business travellers and tourists on a stopover but it clearly enjoys a strong following among residents, too.
The service
All smiles and occasionally slightly cloying but the waiting staff we chatted with in Ray's Bar and Quest were genuine and interesting company.
The food
There's a Lebanese restaurant, Li Beirut, offering up classic dishes with a twist; Nahaam, a poolside restaurant for pizza, smoothies and the like; and an all-day dining venue, Rosewater, where an above-average buffet breakfast is served in rather plush surroundings.
Top billing goes to Quest, however, which serves up an ambitious Asian fusion menu from its open-style kitchen. We were treated to the chef's tasting menu (Dh650 per head) which included Yam Pak, an astonishingly fresh-tasting salad served in a plastic flower pot. The service is excellent; the chef and sommelier both stopped at our table to chat and each dish is served with a breezy explanation of what it involves so diners can enjoy the taste, rather than wondering which fork to use. Diners are treated to window seats in the main, and it's a tribute to the food that the view from up on the 63rd floor does not outshine what's on the plate.
Loved
There is much to love at this new Jumeirah but the spa experience stands out, thanks to the well designed, dimly lit spa suites and my expert masseuse who made sure to keep asking whether the pressure she applied during the hour-long signature treatment (Dh450), which focuses on pressure points and stretching, was comfortably firm.
Hated
When I returned to the room to pack and check out, I was met with three workmen trying to fix a lighting problem that a previous guest had reported. Given that my belongings were strewn all over the room, I felt like my privacy had been invaded. Staff were apologetic and left as quickly as possible, explaining that their visit had been in error.
The verdict
Etihad Towers dominates the skyline, thanks in part to its imposing shape but also because of the sense of excitement and unrestrained opulence the hotel has brought to the capital.
The bottom line
A double room costs from Dh1,095 per night, including taxes. Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, West Corniche, Abu Dhabi (www.jumeirah.com; 02 811 5888).
cdight@thenational.ae
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Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
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
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
ARSENAL IN 1977
Feb 05 Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland
Feb 12 Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal
Feb 15 Middlesbrough 3-0 Arsenal
Feb 19 Arsenal 2-3 West Ham
Feb 26 Middlesbrough 4-1 Arsenal (FA Cup)
Mar 01 Everton 2-1 Arsenal
Mar 05 Arsenal 1-4 ipswich
March 08 Arsenal 1-2 West Brom
Mar 12 QPR 2-1 Arsenal
Mar 23 Stoke 1-1 Arsenal
Apr 02 Arsenal 3-0 Leicester
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
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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
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
'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
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.”
Match statistics
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 36 Bahrain 32
Harlequins
Tries: Penalty 2, Stevenson, Teasdale, Semple
Cons: Stevenson 2
Pens: Stevenson
Bahrain
Tries: Wallace 2, Heath, Evans, Behan
Cons: Radley 2
Pen: Radley
Man of the match: Craig Nutt (Harlequins)
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tottenham 0-1 Ajax, Tuesday
Second leg
Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm
Game is on BeIN Sports
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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MATCH INFO
England 241-3 (20 ovs)
Malan 130 no, Morgan 91
New Zealand 165 all out (16.5ovs)
Southee 39, Parkinson 4-47
England win by 76 runs
Series level at 2-2
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Pathaan
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Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
