UAE residents are being urged to make sure their homes are safe from unforeseen problems when they travel abroad this summer.
Experts said by taking a few appropriate safety measures people will not return to any nasty surprises.
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) said residents should make sure lights are turned off, televisions and other electrical devices are unplugged and that water is turned off.
“These include switching off lights, unplugging electrical appliances and electronics, using a timer for any floodlights in gardens and fences, shutting off the water supply, and using a specialised technician to check water connections to ensure there are no leaks," it said.
Residents can also make life easier by activating 'Away Mode' on the Dewa app to monitor usage rates while away from home.
Don't leave AC off completely
Colin Thomas, business partner at We Will Fix It, said: “If you have the setting on your temperature controller, we recommend that you set your AC on a timer for a couple of hours a day while you’re away, as this will cool down the interior of your home."
“Alternatively, put it on an automatic setting of about 27ºC to stop you from returning to a house full of condensation and to keep your plants alive at the same time.
“Also make sure you leave your curtains and blinds drawn in rooms that receive direct sunlight to help to keep the temperature down.”
This will also help to prevent any build-up of mould that might occur from increased humidity or any leaks while you are away.
Don't leave appliances on standby
“We recommend unplugging most of your electrics when you go away because this is safer and will save on electricity while you’re away,” he said.
“Just don’t unplug your fridge or freezer as this could end up very messy.
“Turn off anything on a timer, especially alarm clocks, you don’t want to drive your neighbours crazy from 6am every day.”
Having a close friend visit the property at least once a week is also advised, as is leaving your overseas contact details with them in case of an emergency.
How to avoid flooding
The type of flooding you might encounter and how you could deal with it all depends on the type of property you live in.
Although rain in the summer is rare, problems with pipes bursting and AC units leaking is relatively common, particularly in older buildings.
“If you’re living in an apartment and therefore do not have a garden, you’d be best to turn off your main water supply while you are away as this is the easiest and best way to prevent any water leaks or damage,” Mr Thomas said.
“If you live in a villa with a garden or are unable to isolate the water supply for whatever reason, make sure you switch off all water taps before you go away and have any leaks or drips fixed before you go to avoid a major Dewa bill.”
Keeping the garden safe
“No one wants to come home to a garden that has been reduced to a desert-like state, so ensure you time your irrigation to come on during the night to minimise evaporation,” he said.
“We recommend arranging for your gardening service to continue coming to your home while you are away and don’t cut the water supply or your irrigation will run dry within a day.”
Securing the property
While the UAE is one of the safest countries in the world, that does not mean you should be complacent about home security, another expert said.
“If you are going away for the summer it makes sense to leave your villa secure,” said Harry Tregoning, founder of Tregoning Maintenance.
“For security, obviously lock all windows and doors. For those in villas with sliding doors, it is often prudent to put a piece of wood the width of half [the door] jammed in so no one can forcibly slide the door open.
“Crime [here] is low, but you do not want to leave any temptation.”
A version of this article was first published in July, 2022.
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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.”
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