A row has broken out in a luxurious UAE waterfront development over the presence of two “beloved” community cats which some residents claim have become a nuisance.
Those who feed Honey and Buster in Al Bandar, in Abu Dhabi's Raha Beach, say the Arabian Maus are loved by many residents in the development.
The "kind and friendly" pair, which have been neutered and are vaccinated against common cat diseases, have lived there for five years.
But the development’s owners’ association board has said they must now go.
It said owners of boats in the nearby marina claim the cats have urinated on the vessels and damaged the upholstery.
The board also said leaving out food for the pets could attract more cats or vermin, among other complaints.
But many in the community oppose the plan vehemently. Some have even formed a WhatsApp group named Operation Bandar Cats to fight their removal.
They say relocating the cats to another area would be cruel as Bandar is their home and a move may endanger their lives.
Ana Stojchevska, who has lived in Al Bandar for about three years, said the cats are "more of a permanent fixture than many expats".
"A man on the top floor of our building fed them for five years. When he left Abu Dhabi he passed the duty on. He bought them a bumper box of food as a leaving gift," said the 26 year old from Macedonia.
"We don’t think of them as strays, they are our pets who live outside. They’ve been sterilised and vaccinated by the community, by people who care."
She said the cats bring the community together, and she has met everyone she knows in the development through feeding and looking after them.
“We feel like they are part of our family. You can stroke them. They are super friendly,” said Brigitte Steyn, a resident and owner in Al Bandar, who said the cats are fed discretely in the bushes and the area is kept clean and tidy.
Her husband, Sean, 44, said the cats are docile and are loved by the children in the community, who pet them frequently.
"They are super friendly and always around. It's very sad," said Mr Steyn, from South Africa.
"The problem is, if you remove them other cats will just move in. All along the boardwalk here there are cats.
"It's a problem caused by people who come into the country, get animals for their children and as soon as they leave the country they just toss them out, because they are not willing to pay money to take them back home."
The group wrote to the board to ask them to reconsider the plan to relocate the cats.
“They had a revote – and still decided that they were not willing to accommodate these special community cats that really have been around for such a long time," said Ms Steyn, 39, also from South Africa.
Board members also rejected a plan to install a proper feeding station for the pair, like those in other Provis-managed communities, she said.
“Our hearts are broken. We do not want them to move, so many people are frustrated and disappointed," Ms Steyn said.
Bandar resident Belinda Kirk, 33, from the UK, said the group was committed to providing the community's "beloved" cats with food, water and care in an area away from foot traffic.
Bandar resident Richard Allen, 48, from the UK, said the board had no right to vote on their removal.
“We are scared that once captured the poor cats will be euthanised," he said. "They deserve better.”
The National contacted the owners' association board but did not receive a comment.
Cats get injured after hiding in engine bays - in pictures
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Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
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.”
Usain Bolt's time for the 100m at major championships
2008 Beijing Olympics 9.69 seconds
2009 Berlin World Championships 9.58
2011 Daegu World Championships Disqualified
2012 London Olympics 9.63
2013 Moscow World Championships 9.77
2015 Beijing World Championships 9.79
2016 Rio Olympics 9.81
2017 London World Championships 9.95
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Gulbuddin Hekmatyar 3.85 per cent
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