DUBAI // Worshippers across the Emirates can soon offer prayers closer to home in 140 new or refurbished mosques scheduled for completion this year.
The General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments (Awqaf) plans to build or refurbish 35 more mosques in 2011 than it did last year.
MORE UAE NEWS: Our pick of today's top local news stories
Bouncing cheques should be decriminalised, say lawyers Legal experts want fines handed out by courts instead of a jail sentence. Read article
97% of retailers fall short in food and meat inspections Ninety-seven per cent of Dubai shops targeted by food control department issued with warnings or fined for failing to meet basic food hygiene standards. Read article
World's most expensive car heading for UAE Setting its mysterious owner back a cool $2.4 million, the Bugatti L'Or Blanc is the world's most expensive car. Read article
MORE UAE NEWS
Worshippers welcomed the announcement, saying they would not have to travel as far now to express their devotion to God.
"I used to pray at a mosque that is further from here, but now I pray at this mosque," said Mohammad Abbas, 26, of Egypt, who worships at Hamad bin Ghanem Al Shamsi mosque in Al Jurf, Ajman.
After opening earlier this year, the mosque can accommodate about 1,500 worshippers.
"People from the community have really benefited from having a new mosque in the area, because some of the others were further away," Mr Abbas said.
Among the new places of worship will be eight mosques in Bani Yas, 16 in the Western Region, eight in Al Ain, 20 in Sharjah, 19 in Ajman, 15 in Fujairah, nine in Umm al Qaiwain, 27 in Ras al Khaimah and eight in Khorfakkan.
Additionally, "one mosque in Fujairah and another nine in Ras al Khaimah were rebuilt", Mohammed Obeid Al Mazrouei, Awqaf's executive director for Islamic affairs, said in a release.
Obeid Al Zaabi, Awqaf's Ajman office director, said several benefactors had expressed their interest in building new mosques and renovating old ones.
"We supervise the mosques from the initial stages of them being built to completion when the mosque is handed over to Awqaf," Mr Al Zaabi said. "We hire an imam and some mosques have a unified azan [call for prayer]."
The new mosques are also resonating with other residents of Ajman's Al Jurf area. Two houses of worship already opened in the area during the first quarter of 2011. The Hamad bin Ghanem Al Shamsi mosque there has a large courtyard, a prayer hall and a prayer room designated for women. Like the other mosques, it has been built according to standards set out by Awqaf, which ensures consideration for the environment and sustainability.
Hamad bin Umeir, a 20-year-old Emirati who lives in the area, said he frequently visits the mosque to pray.
"It helped residents of the area a lot because rather than going to a far-off area, we come here. I pray here every afternoon and also on Fridays, when most worshippers from the community come, and it is full," Mr bin Umeir said.
Another resident who did not wish to be named said he liked to pray in a mosque close to his house on Fridays, but prays at the Hamad bin Ghanem Al Shamsi mosque during the working week.
"I think it's good that the people who live in the communities around here can use the mosque, especially for Friday prayers," he said.
Mr Al Zaabi said that during Ramadan and soon after, about 50 mosques will be completed. The houses of worship will vary in size and in the number of worshippers they can accommodate.
"The mosques will cater to between 200 worshippers and 500 worshippers or more ... benefactors come from all parts of the UAE," Mr Al Zaabi said. "The sheikhs of the emirates contribute generously, and there are always contributors and philanthropists who get in touch with the various branches of [Awqaf]."
According to a statement released by Awqaf earlier this year, the 19 new mosques completed in Ajman this year will accommodate a total of 18,912 worshippers.
One worship centre that is currently in the works in Ajman is called Mafhas Al Qatat mosque. It will accommodate 900 worshippers. The project is expected to be completed in 14 months at an estimated cost of Dh7 million, according to Awqaf.
"Contributions were received from many benefactors for this mosque in Ajman, which we expect will be ready towards the end of 2012," Mr Al Zaabi said.
"The design of the mosque is very unique and was selected from among 40 designs that were presented."
The most recent mosque inaugurated by Awqaf is the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Khalifa mosque in Abu Dhabi.
The mosque, in the Muaskar Al Nahyan area, has room for 1,500 worshippers. It has a courtyard, a female prayer room on the second floor and a hallway preceding the courtyard.
Mr Al Mazrouei said all the mosques would be opened in accordance with the authority's human, financial and administrative capabilities.
In Islam, building a mosque is viewed favourably. The Prophet Mohammed said in a hadith that anyone who builds a mosque for the sake of God will be rewarded by God with a place in paradise.
balqabbani@thenational.ae
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
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
Brief scoreline:
Burnley 3
Barnes 63', 70', Berg Gudmundsson 75'
Southampton 3
Man of the match
Ashley Barnes (Burnley)
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELeap%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ziad%20Toqan%20and%20Jamil%20Khammu%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Haltia.ai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Arto%20Bendiken%20and%20Talal%20Thabet%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241.7%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self%2C%20family%20and%20friends%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
