Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds could be "living the Reem" in Abu Dhabi – as filming gets under way on a blockbuster production in the capital.
Residents of Reem Island have been warned to expect roadblocks and loud sound effects from Tuesday as film crews roll into town.
The three-day production is believed to be for 6 Underground, a major Netflix feature starring internationally acclaimed actor Ryan Reynolds.
Last week, Netflix confirmed that shooting for 6 Underground had started in the capital.
People living in the City of Lights area in Reem Island received a notice titled "Hollywood Feature Film at the City of Lights".
It said filming will take place from November 13 to 15, from sunset to late, but dates could be subject to change.
“Due to these events, we may experience temporary roadblocks in Reem Island in addition to some loud sound effects, during which Abu Dhabi Traffic Police and relevant authorities will be monitoring all areas along with our site security team,” said the notice, which was signed by the Three60 Communities management team.
The movie, from the creators of the Deadpool franchise, has a budget of about US$150 million (Dh551m), making it the streaming service's biggest-budget blockbuster to date.
It stars Reynolds and Dave Franco, and promises to be a mix of Deadpool and Mission: Impossible.
Netflix said shooting will not be restricted to Abu Dhabi city. Other locations will include Al Ain, Liwa – where Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Deliver Us from Evil were both filmed – and Sharjah.
“The film is a fun, edgy thriller set against the picturesque backdrop of Italy and the spectacular vistas and natural wonders found throughout the United Arab Emirates,” said Netflix.
“From modern, state-of-the-art architecture to some of the oldest neighbourhoods, the film will capture the beauty of the country’s pristine beaches, tranquil desert landscapes and venerable historic sites, with scenes shot in Abu Dhabi, Liwa, Al Hamra, Sharjah and Al Ain.”
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Six Underground starring Ryan Reynolds to be shot in Abu Dhabi
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Reynolds is best known to audiences for his role as the wisecracking title superhero in Deadpool, which is the highest-grossing R-rated movie in box office history. Director Michael Bay, meanwhile, has a CV that includes the Transformers franchise and Pearl Harbour.
The film is being produced by Skydance Productions, the same US company that oversaw the recent Mission: Impossible – Fallout shoot in Abu Dhabi. Melanie Laurent, Corey Hawkins, Adria Arjona, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Ben Hardy, Payman Maadi and Lior Raz will also appear in 6 Underground.
Sources close to the production have suggested the team could remain in the UAE for as long as six months, and require a “huge” crew because it will be here for “a long time”.
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Meatless Days
Sara Suleri, with an introduction by Kamila Shamsie
Penguin
The chef's advice
Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”
Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.
The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
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.
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Match info
Manchester United 4
(Pogba 5', 33', Rashford 45', Lukaku 72')
Bournemouth 1
(Ake 45 2')
Red card: Eric Bailly (Manchester United)
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Company%20profile
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
- Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
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Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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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.”