Manal Ataya is an adviser to the Sharjah Museums Authority
July 16, 2021
In April, I read something that caught my eye on Twitter. It was a series of announcements made by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to double the GDP contribution of creative industries to five per cent of Dubai’s economy by 2025.
Sheikh Mohammed said: “The UAE is a global economic capital and creativity is part of our economy and of our quality of life, and a major engine for the future of our country”.
This included a plan to make a creative zone in Dubai’s industrial district of Al Quoz that would transform the Emirate, making it an artistic and cultural city.
In parallel, a month earlier, the conferment of the ten-year Golden Visa for distinguished cultural professionals and those in creative fields was established, another excellent move that will attract creatives from a number of fields to the UAE, a place from which they can set up businesses and realise their ambitions.
Besides Dubai, other Emirates also support the work and requirements of people in cultural industries, with the common goal of encouraging art and culture in the UAE, and to protect and provide incentives to people in creative fields.
These industries comprise, but are not limited to, publishing, writing, audio and film, and also pertain to the fields of software, fashion, gaming, design and architecture.
When looking out for creatives, one area that is worth further examination is copyright law and its legal framework. In my professional capacity, I have come across numerous incidents over the years where copyright infringement issues have arisen.
From cases such as a photographs being used without the permission of the photographer, to disputes over fees to reproduce a segment of, say, a documentary film, especially if the author behind the work cannot be traced. There have been a number of such cases.
People checking out artworks at Sharjah Biennial 14. The National
It is frustrating to hear the stories from artist friends asking my advice when they find themselves victims of copyright violations, instances where their art work has been used in advertisements or printed on products without their knowledge or permission.
I recall a recent example of a young jewellery designer’s beautiful and unique work copied from her website by another person, who had then manufactured very similar pieces and passed them on as their own designs.
This makes the creator of the original work feel helpless, unsure of what to do and from whom to seek help. This is where tightening existing laws comes into play.
So, what exactly is copyright and why is it important to artists, and by extension, to the very cultural fabric of a society?
Copyright describes the legal rights of the owner of intellectual property (IP), giving them exclusive rights to share or make copies of their creative work. It is to protect the artist’s expression of an idea, but not the idea itself.
Copyright applies to a broad range of expressions, from literary work, software, art, paintings, music, dramatic pieces and audio-visual expressions that include, but are not limited to, photography, film and so on. It is essential to sustain the morale of artists and ensure they have rights – although with limitations and exceptions – for how their work is reproduced, shared, copied or published. This is to prevent the exploitation of artists and to give value to their work. Robust copyright laws help develop and protect cultural industries by encouraging innovation. So, having these laws in place perpetuates a culture where freedom of creative expression is respected.
In today’s age of non-fungible tokens or NFTs, the digital revolution has made the issue of copyright implementation especially urgent. With easy accessibility and frequent cases of copying or sharing without consent, it is imperative for copyright laws to be properly defined.
The UAE has strong copyright laws. As a signatory to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, the UAE has adopted measures similar to those in a number of jurisdictions, such as Egypt, the UK and France, to form the basis for a number of its own laws.
Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed, Ruler of Sharjah, at 56th Biennale Venice in Italy. Wam
However, infringement still occurs across the region for two main reasons.
The first, which can be difficult to tackle, is that regulations differ from country to country and, therefore, the matter of which laws apply in which jurisdictions often comes up. Secondly, some of the existing laws can be obsolete.
Fortunately, we can do something about this. We can update the current UAE copyright laws and enforce them as a way to protect creatives. This would then give them a sense of relief, as artists and creatives are assured that a clear legal recourse is available, if and when the need arises.
Despite the many legal protections already in place, the UAE will benefit by keeping up with the new direction and vision of the world’s creative industries. As Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, founder of the Barjeel Art Foundation and an academic, said: “In order for the UAE to keep attracting creative talents from the region and beyond, we have to continuously update our IP and copyright laws and regulations, especially in a fast-changing environment.”
In recent years, the EU and US have made improvements to offer further legal protection to artists, especially to those whose medium is the relatively new space of digital art. In keeping with the global trend to safeguard creativity, it would be in the UAE’s interest to revise existing laws and modify them where necessary.
Moreover, disseminating information to artists and creatives about their rights empowers them to seek appropriate action. In instances where their work or ideas have been used without permission, an author would be shielded from infringement. The message would be clear: creative work cannot be arbitrarily transferred without the permission of its creator.
There are other facets to the law that empower creative professionals. For example, the law gives authors or creators the right to protect their anonymity, if he or she so wishes. Anyone who then exposes their identity can be prosecuted.
Creatives also have the legal right to be remunerated for when their work is reproduced. The federal law on copyright in the Emirates already goes a long way to defend the moral and economic rights of a creative, be it a writer, a musician or a designer. Any creative is given automatic protection, though registration with the UAE Ministry of Economy is recommended to reinforce the authenticity of their work.
The Emirates has already gained global recognition for its flourishing arts ecosystem, whether it is for the UAE pavilion in the Venice Biennale, the Sharjah Biennial, all the museums in the UAE – there are more than 50 – the art fairs of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the various festivals, or the public installations and commercial galleries that prosper in almost every emirate of the country.
Given these world-class institutions and cultural spaces, a stronger and more strongly executed copyright law will certainly add to the glow of the UAE’s art world.
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
RESULTS
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1.600m Winner: Miller’s House, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 2,000m Winner: Kanood, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,600m Winner: Gervais, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m Winner: Important Mission, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m Winner: Firnas, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m Winner: Zhou Storm, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
Gearbox Six speed automatic with manual and sports mode
Power 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
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 INFO
Newcastle 2-2 Manchester City
Burnley 0-2 Crystal Palace
Chelsea 0-1 West Ham
Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
Tottenham 3-2 Bournemouth
Southampton v Watford (late)
RESULTS
Manchester United 2
Anthony Martial 30'
Scott McTominay 90 6'
Manchester City 0
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre Power: 150hp Torque: 250Nm Price: From Dh139,000 On sale: Now
The flights
Emirates (www.emirates.com) and Etihad (www.etihad.com) both fly direct to Bengaluru, with return fares from Dh 1240. From Bengaluru airport, Coorg is a five-hour drive by car.
The hotels
The Tamara (www.thetamara.com) is located inside a working coffee plantation and offers individual villas with sprawling views of the hills (tariff from Dh1,300, including taxes and breakfast).
When to go
Coorg is an all-year destination, with the peak season for travel extending from the cooler months between October and March.
