From loss of habitat to pesticides and even the dreaded colony collapse disorder, the decline of bee populations worldwide has hit the headlines over the past decade. Without bee pollination, ecosystems would change rapidly, some of our favourite foods and flowers would be wiped out and many animals would become extinct owing to gaps in the food chain.
Encouragingly, efforts to manage bee populations, including a rise in amateur beekeeping, also known as apiculture, have helped to stabilise some species, and has even led to a rise in numbers in some areas.
In Bahrain, where climate conditions already make farming difficult, bees are vital to growing fruit and vegetable crops, and there are several organisations committed to their survival.
Sami Al Mandeel is a retired civil engineer who runs Bahrain Line Apiary in Hamala, on the island’s west coast. He and his business partner Fadhel Bin Radhi are on a mission to promote the importance of bees to Bahrain’s natural environment and to decrease farmers’ reliance on pesticides.
“They’re the biggest nightmare for everyone in beekeeping,” says Al Mandeel. “Farmers were having problems pollinating their crops because there were no bees. Then they would use more pesticides to offset this. Of course this led to a further decline in yield.”
The pair have been working to encourage farmers to put hives in their fields and stop using chemicals, even going so far as to offer them some hives and bees for free, but some have been sceptical. Al Mandeel recalls speaking to a sweet-melon farmer who had suffered consecutive bad harvests and was using more pesticides to compensate.
“We gave him two hives and told him to stop spraying. His production went up fourfold. People are seeing results and perceptions are changing.”
Through Al Mandeel and Bin Radhi’s guidance, apiculture has grown substantially in Bahrain. Now, there’s a real appetite for the pastime not only among farmers, but also among the wider public wanting to live a more sustainable lifestyle or get more involved with the natural world.
“We had a few individual beekeepers who were just doing it on a small-scale at home with two or three hives,” says Al Mandeel. “We brought our first 50 hives over from Egypt and sold them straight away. People were just waiting to own bees.”
Why do they import bees rather than using local ones?
“The local bees – which you’ll see in every tree in Bahrain – are wild and cannot be domesticated,” he explains. “They are declining, too, because of pesticides, but also because they are targeted and sprayed by people who think they are dangerous wasps. The fat, black ones that people see at this time of year are not wasps, they are pollinating bees.”
One of the biggest roadblocks to the duo’s mission has been communication.
“There is a lot of information online, but it’s in English. For Arabic-speaking locals this was a bit of a barrier. We started WhatsApp groups and then began training interested people. Now, on our database, we have around 150 beekeepers, from only two when we started. That number includes men, women, young people, and they are using every single inch in their houses. On top of the garage, on the roof, everywhere.”
Another Bahraini apiarist is Juma Maki Juma Hamada, who runs Hamada Bee in Barbar, on the north-west coast of the island. The business was founded by his father 13 years ago. He keeps more than 300 hives and also educates local schoolchildren about how to get started in the hobby. His business sells everything from honey and pollen to hives and equipment for budding beekeepers.
Hamada emphasises the care individuals and farmers must put in to protect the bees from predators and the environment.
“You must put oil under the legs of the hives so that ants cannot climb up and kill the bees. Also the bees must be kept cool in the shade with plenty of water, especially in the dry season.”
Becoming a beekeeper might seem like a mammoth – and expensive – task, but in Bahrain it’s cheaper and easier than you might think. Both Bahrain Line Apiary and Hamada Bees sell hives with bees for about 50 Bahraini dinars ($132), and both can offer advice and help on setting up your colony.
The businesses also sell protection for those worried about stings, but Al Mandeel tells people not to be concerned about this unless they have an allergy.
“People worry about being stung, but the venom is the most expensive product of the bees,” he says, explaining that it is used for pain relief and allergy desensitisation, among other things. “As long as you’re not allergic, a few stings won’t hurt. They’ll itch for a few days, but then be gone.”
Gloves and a special smoker to calm the bees are also required (and will decrease the amount of stings you get).
It’s bigger and better and more interesting than I’d thought. It’s humbling to work with bees
Marianne Pasmans,
amateur beekeeper
Extracting honey is obviously a major part of the appeal for those new to the hobby, and it’s often a communal affair. First, smoke is used to get the bees out of the way, then the wax seals on the honeycomb are removed to let the honey flow. There are many ways to remove the honey from the hive, but the simplest is to squeeze the comb in a colander with some cloth, or simply eat the whole thing.
While honey will be the most abundant outcome, there is also the potential to gather royal jelly, which some believe to have medical benefits, beeswax, which can be used to make cosmetics such as lip balm or candles, and propolis, also known as bee glue, reputed to have healing benefits.
Not to mention apiarists will also be giving a home to creatures that can help Bahrain’s ecosystem. The bees will head out to pollinate local plants, meaning lush gardens could be a welcome side effect of bee ownership.
Nasima, a Bahraini woman from Isa Town, started keeping bees three years ago. “I started with one hive. It doesn’t really require too much work, you just need to check it every week or so and make sure the bees have clean water and shade,” she says.
“I have two now, but because I live in the town I can’t keep more. I’d really recommend [it to] everyone who can to have a hive in their house. It teaches patience and I got about nine kilograms of honey in just six months.”
Marianne Pasmans, a Dutch expat from Maastricht who has lived in Bahrain for 40 years, is also a recent convert, thanks to the help and advice of the guys behind Bahrain Line Apiary.
“I wanted to do something for the environment and sustainability,” she says. “When I’d seen beekeepers in the past you were never allowed to go near the hives so you had no idea what to expect, but Sami and Fadhel have taught me so much. It’s bigger and better and more interesting than I’d thought. It’s humbling to work with bees.”
Conditions are key, she says. Every morning she checks to see if the bees are still there, as swarming, where bees leave the hive to go elsewhere, can happen frequently in hot conditions.
“I check the water, and feed them protein. You also need to keep the area around the hives clean and monitor the balance of honey, pollen and eggs. When you see a thriving hive or colony, it’s nature in its perfection.”
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
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.”
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Zayed Sustainability Prize
MATCH INFO
New Zealand 176-8 (20 ovs)
England 155 (19.5 ovs)
New Zealand win by 21 runs
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
COPA DEL REY
Semi-final, first leg
Barcelona 1 (Malcom 57')
Real Madrid (Vazquez 6')
Second leg, February 27
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
China and the UAE agree comprehensive strategic partnership
China and the UAE forged even closer links between the two countries during the landmark state visit after finalising a ten-point agreement on a range of issues, from international affairs to the economy and trade and renewable energy.
1. Politics: The two countries agreed to support each other on issues of security and to work together on regional and international challenges. The nations also confirmed that the number of high-level state visits between China and the UAE will increase.
2. Economy: The UAE offers its full support to China's Belt and Road Initiative, which will combine a land 'economic belt" and a "maritime silk road" that will link China with the Arabian Gulf as well as Southeast, South and Central China, North Africa and, eventually, Europe.
3. Business and innovation: The two nations are committed to exploring new partnerships in sectors such as Artificial Intelligence, energy, the aviation and transport industries and have vowed to build economic co-operation through the UAE-China Business Committee.
4. Education, science and technology: The Partnership Programme between Arab countries in Science and Technology will encourage young Emirati scientists to conduct research in China, while the nations will work together on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, renewable energy and space projects.
5. Renewable energy and water: The two countries will partner to develop renewable energy schemes and work to reduce climate change. The nations have also reiterated their support for the Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy Agency.
6. Oil and gas: The UAE and China will work in partnership in the crude oil trade and the exploration and development of oil and natural gas resources.
7. Military and law enforcement and security fields: Joint training will take place between the Chinese and UAE armed forces, while the two nations will step up efforts to combat terrorism and organised crime.
8. Culture and humanitarian issues: Joint cultural projects will be developed and partnerships will be cultivated on the preservation of heritage, contemporary art and tourism.
9. Movement between countries: China and the UAE made clear their intent to encourage travel between the countries through a wide-ranging visa waiver agreement.
10. Implementing the strategic partnership: The Intergovernmental Co-operation Committee, established last year, will be used to ensure the objectives of the partnership are implemented.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Results
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