Vegetables and fruits to mark arranged like the United Arab Emirates flag, at a supermarket in Mushrif Mall, Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
Vegetables and fruits to mark arranged like the United Arab Emirates flag, at a supermarket in Mushrif Mall, Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
Vegetables and fruits to mark arranged like the United Arab Emirates flag, at a supermarket in Mushrif Mall, Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
Peter Hellyer was a UAE cultural historian, author and journalist
May 26, 2022
Over the decades that I have lived in Abu Dhabi, the country has developed in many ways.
I try to keep abreast of things, looking around to note the changes and to insert them into my mental picture of the UAE today. Perusing the media, looking at new buildings, talking to friends and acquaintances – all this and more helps me to keep up to date.
I must confess, though, that I never expected to gain new insights into the country and its evolution by way of browsing the fruit and vegetable section of a major supermarket.
A shopkeeper at the fruit and veg at the Waterfront Market in Deira, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
I should admit that I am not very familiar with supermarkets, preferring to sit and have a coffee while the shopping is done. Except, of course, for making the visit to the checkout desk, debit card in hand, something to which I am quite accustomed.
A few days ago, I spent some time wandering around a well-stocked fruit and vegetable section and I learnt quite a lot.
I didn’t know, for example, that UAE produce had become so diversified. Leeks and celery, for example, as well as much else on display. Wonderful. Years ago, I used to study the country’s agricultural statistics – what was grown where, and how much of it. There wasn’t a huge variety. It would be interesting to compare the crops of today and of 30 or 40 years ago. Farms have become bigger, techniques have been modernised, new crops have been introduced and it’s now a very different industry.
This particular supermarket clearly labels produce with both its name and its country of origin, and a stroll along the stalls yielded a few surprises. Food from within the region – that was expected, as was produce from East Africa and from numerous European countries. I suspect that in the 1970s, though, shoppers would have had little opportunity to buy items from China and Vietnam, since the trading relationships between those countries and the UAE had still to get under way.
For me, the real surprise was to see mention of a few Latin American countries, including Costa Rica (for pineapples), Brazil and Peru. I had been aware, from a cursory following of the news, that trade between the UAE and Latin America had been growing, but hadn’t expected to find evidence of it amongst the fruit and vegetables.
I was a bit disappointed not to see some Jersey Royal potatoes from my home island of Jersey – reputedly the tastiest potatoes in the world – but they are available in other supermarkets, I gather. For the rest of it, the globe as a whole was pretty well represented.
The Abu Dhabi Fruits and Vegetable Market. Victor Besa / The National
Blood oranges from the Fruit and Vegetable Market in Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova / The National
It wasn’t just the geographical spread of the merchandise that intrigued me, but the variety of the produce on offer. Having been here for so long, I am quite accustomed to mangoes, and rather like them. I hadn’t, however, quite realised the wide variety of them, much as I’m used to that in apples and plums. The pomelos, from China and Vietnam, and the ridge gourd (or turai) from India, though, were completely new to me. I had never heard of them.
That, of course, may reflect the fact that I rarely wander around the fruit and vegetable sections of supermarkets. It is also testimony, not only to the way in which UAE residents have become used to a global variety of foods, but also to the fact that people live here from those countries who want to buy them.
It is the same on the shelves selling condiments and spices – a wonderful agglomeration of bottles and jars to suit the tastes of people from all over the world. They and their tastes have all arrived in the UAE, each adding in their own way to the country’s gastronomic and demographic diversity.
We hear frequently about how this country is home to people of around 200 nationalities, of different languages, cultures, customs and faiths and indeed, cuisines, ingredients and palates. This diverse multi-cultural streak reflects the intrinsic accepting nature of Emirati society.
Among several big developments in this country are the expansion of infrastructure and the introduction of modern technology. If a time-traveller from that UAE in which I first landed so many decades ago was to arrive in one of our major cities today, he or she might find it difficult to recognise that it is the same country.
It is very much to the credit of our leadership over the years that the country has evolved in this way. A credit, too, to the people of the Emirates who have adjusted so well to the ever-changing world around them.
I have known for years that the UAE is a pretty remarkable place. I just didn’t expect to gain new insights into it in the midst of a supermarket’s fruit and vegetables display.
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
GroupA: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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Rating: 4/5
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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.
Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
'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
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
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.”
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
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.
