Imaginary friends have spent some time in the spotlight this year. In the film IF, featuring Ryan Reynolds and John Krasinski, a young girl’s trauma prompts to see everybody’s imaginary friends. In Netflix series Eric, Benedict Cumberbatch plays a grieving father searching for his lost son, who is joined on the hunt by an imaginary friend.
In the media, as in real life, past attitudes to imaginary entities lead to mixed reactions, largely erring on the side of worry and concern.
“For most of the 20th century, the prevailing attitude was that imaginary playmates were a sign of insecurity and latent neurosis, so people may have been less inclined to admit to such flights of fancy,” Nikki Sheehan author of Who Framed Klaris Cliff?, a young adult novel about imaginary friends, told The Guardian.
Modern attitudes have moved on to embrace the imaginary friend as an example of childhood imagination at its most unfettered.
“Having an imaginary friend is a very natural feature of childhood and, in fact, does not necessarily suggest any worrying concern,” says Dr Marina Hakimian, a psychologist at Thrive Wellbeing Centre. “Most young children create an imaginary friend or friends that do not even have to be a human person; it could be a person, a toy, or any comforting and entertaining item. While growing up, children develop their ability to be creative and their sense of imagination could be at its peak.”
Safe form of expression
An imaginary friend is today viewed as an extension of a child’s rich internal life and imagination. Research in the 1999 study Imaginary Companions and the Children Who Create Them suggests most children usually remain well aware their friend is not real.
“Having an imaginary friend, sometimes called an imaginary companion or IC, is considered a normal part of child development,” says Dr Jayde Sayers, a clinical psychologist at The Free Spirit Collective. “A child may develop an IC to use as a safe way to express their creativity, explore new ideas, practise social skills, understand and cope with emotions, alleviate loneliness, enhance their play and increase language skills.”
If imaginary friends impact learning, sleeping and socialising, then it is a concern
Dr Marina Hakimian,
psychologist, Thrive Wellbeing Centre
Imaginary or pretend play forms a huge and vital part of childhood, from the box that becomes a train they are driving to the faux food served up from a toy kitchen.
Children develop cognitive flexibility and creativity through pretend play, of which Dr Hakimian says: “Children can demonstrate learned social skills; they can process their feelings, vent out, problem-solve, role-play, manage emotions and seek avenues for having difficult conversations.”
Why do children create imaginary friends?
“Children might invent imaginary friends for various reasons, and it's not always indicative of trauma or underlying issues,” says Bushra Khan, an emotional well-being coach at Wellth. “In many cases, it's a normal part of creative play and cognitive development. Imaginary friends can help children navigate complex emotions, practise social interactions, and cope with changes or stress. For children who are shy or lonely, imaginary friends can provide companionship and support.”
Control is another reason children may conjure up an entity. With childhood so often dictated by the rules of others – parents teachers, carers – an imaginary friend is something the child can create and direct wholly by themselves during pretend play and conversations.
“By having such friends, children find a companion who listens to them, plays with them or does things they can't do themselves,” says Dr Hakimian. “A child may feel special because they do own an imaginary friend and can approach them whenever they require. In addition to this, an imaginary friend accepts the child the way they are and does not judge or criticise them, so they feel accepted and safe.”
How should parents react?
Far from ignoring the imaginary friend, parents are encouraged to treat them as they would their child’s real friends. Disregarding or denying the imaginary companion will rarely lead the child to forgetting their friend, but rather make them less likely to discuss them.
“Parents should respond to their child’s imaginary companion in a supportive and understanding manner,” says Sayers. “It’s important to acknowledge and accept that ICs are a normal part of childhood development. Parents can play along with the IC, for example, or set an extra place at the table and ask about the IC’s ‘day’.”
She adds: “Whilst it’s positive to play along with the IC, it’s also good to set boundaries and monitor your child’s behaviour. If the child tries to blame the IC for their own misbehaviour or if the IC starts causing distress it’s important to notice, talk to your child and perhaps consult with a professional.”
Impact on real friends and other warning signs
Like anything in a child’s life, the imaginary friend should add to their joy and interests rather than take them away.
“Typically, imaginary friends do not prevent children from forming real-life friendships,” says Khan. “Most children understand the difference between real and imaginary friends and can balance both. However, if a child prefers their imaginary friend to the point of avoiding real peers, it could indicate underlying social anxiety or difficulties that might need addressing.”
Imaginary friends can often act as a rehearsal for real-life friendships, allowing children to practise socialising skills that will be useful at home, school and other situations. They can also serve as a way for children to process and work through things that happen with their real-life friends.
“If imaginary friends take away family time and impact learning, sleeping and socialising, then it is a concern,” says Hakimian. “If you notice repetitive conversations about traumatic events or inflicting aggression and harm on the imaginary friend, it is also a concern. If the child blames the imaginary friends and is hurtful towards them, exhibits anxiety around real children or are afraid of the imaginary friend, it is worth investigating. Finally, when children reach the age of 12 and beyond, it is unusual to see them having imaginary friends.”
Company%20profile
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Poacher
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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.”
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
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
Who's who in Yemen conflict
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
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
More on animal trafficking
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
RESULTS
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