ABU DHABI // Celebrations for Qasr Al Hosn's 250-year anniversary began yesterday with a cavalry procession to the fort in downtown Abu Dhabi, symbolising the Royal Family's journey from Liwa to the island.
The ceremony was attended by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, who took part in traditional dances to the crowd’s delight.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed compared the UAE to Qasr Al Hosn, saying the country was “a unified and strong fort”, the state news agency Wam reported. A few hours later the gates of Qasr Al Hosn were crowded with curious residents, eager to catch a first close look at the historic white fort.
“It’s my first time inside. I don’t know what it is like but I’ll see,” said Khaled Ismail, a Bangladeshi cook who had lived beside the fort for eight years.
Images of the island’s history were projected on to the great white walls of the fort, which provided the backdrop for an open-air theatre.
There visitors watched traditional dancing as Abu Dhabi Police watched on in traditional uniforms to commemorate the founding of the force in 1957.
For Mr Ismail, who speaks in quick pidgin Arabic and wears a pristine Emirati kandura on special occasions, it was a rare chance to learn about UAE history.
He had come with his friends Jamal Meya, 25, a driver, and Mortaz Ali, 20, a carpenter who has lived here for six years.
The festival is divided into four sections: a marine area, where visitors can board a replica pearling ship and see pearls extracted from oyster shells; the Abu Dhabi island area where old mariners sing sea shanties; a desert area with traditional souq of palm-frond stalls, selling Emirati favourites such as chabaab pancakes; and the oasis area.
“This fort, it’s everything, everything,” said Muna Al Suwaidi, 34, a festival volunteer. She coyly admitted the fort was not as large as she imagined in childhood. “I don’t want it to disappear. I want it to be here.”
The audience filmed and clicked the performance on their mobile phones, competing for bragging rights of being the first to upload images of the festival.
“The fort gives me that touch in my heart,” said Fatima Al Fathi, 15, an Emirati raised in Abu Dhabi. “I don’t know how to express it. It’s ineffable.”
Fatima had brought her brother Hamdan, 4, and her cousin Noora, 10, to teach them the history her parents had taught her.
“It’s actually really cool because I figured out something I never knew, like the people with the guns,” said Fatima.
Elderly Emiratis from across the country volunteered as storytellers and singers, while others displayed their skills with handicrafts, from boat building to rope making.
“This fort, it’s our history. We also have our old forts,” said Rashed Saeed, from the east-coast Sharjah enclave of Dibba Al Hisn.
Mr Saeed is famous for his ability to twist palm fibre into rope. A friend insisted that he volunteer for the event when he saw it advertised on television.
Although Mr Saeed is from a town separated from Abu Dhabi by a four-hour journey over desert, sea and mountains, he considers the fort’s history his own.
“Abu Dhabi is my country,” he said. “We are all from one place. Dibba, Abu Dhabi, it’s one nation. Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, we are all brothers.
“If I said I would not come and another man said he would not come, then who would be here?”
The festival runs until March 9.
azacharias@thenational.ae
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.”
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
SCHEDULE
Saturday, April 20: 11am to 7pm - Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival and Para jiu-jitsu.
Sunday, April 21: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (female) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Monday, April 22: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (male) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Tuesday, April 23: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Wednesday, April 24: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Thursday, April 25: 11am-5pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Friday, April 26: 3pm to 6pm Finals of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Saturday, April 27: 4pm and 8pm awards ceremony.
Other simple ideas for sushi rice dishes
Cheat’s nigiri
This is easier to make than sushi rolls. With damp hands, form the cooled rice into small tablet shapes. Place slices of fresh, raw salmon, mackerel or trout (or smoked salmon) lightly touched with wasabi, then press, wasabi side-down, onto the rice. Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.
Easy omurice
This fusion dish combines Asian fried rice with a western omelette. To make, fry cooked and cooled sushi rice with chopped vegetables such as carrot and onion and lashings of sweet-tangy ketchup, then wrap in a soft egg omelette.
Deconstructed sushi salad platter
This makes a great, fuss-free sharing meal. Arrange sushi rice on a platter or board, then fill the space with all your favourite sushi ingredients (edamame beans, cooked prawns or tuna, tempura veggies, pickled ginger and chilli tofu), with a dressing or dipping sauce on the side.
