One of the biggest newcomers at Cityscape Dubai this year was Ridge Solutions, the largest property developer in Angola.
The company's stand was among the larger ones and positioned near the front of the exhibition centre with a model Formula One car from the AT&T Williams team that rivalled the Ferrari at the Aldar Properties stand across the hall.
Ridge Solutions arrives as the UAE and Angola, which is undergoing a massive building boom fuelled by oil sales from the southern African nation, are increasingly exploring business opportunities.
In August, Depa, the interiors contractor based in Dubai, announced it had signed a Dh9.2 million (US$2.5m) deal to fit out the new Talatona Convention Centre Hotel in the capital city of Luanda.
While the contract was relatively small, Depa executives said the move was part of a larger shift of economic activity to Africa.
Nadim Akhrass, the managing director of operations at Depa, said the company was "testing the waters" for expanding to Angola in a large way.
"We have a good appetite to expand in such a virgin market that is full of opportunities for us," he said. "People are really eyeing the Angolan market."
In June, the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre said it was "exploring opportunities to increase diamond trade" with Angola. Later this month, Emirates Airline will start direct flights to Luanda.
Raul Silva, the managing director of the Dubai office of Ridge Solutions, said his company and the Angolan government in general were looking for "strategic partners" to take part in a massive redevelopment of the country.
After decades of civil war, Angola found stability in 2002 when the leader of a violent political faction, Jonas Savimbi, was killed in combat with government forces. In the years since, the economy of Angola has emerged as one of the fastest growing in the world. Last year its GDP grew by 16 per cent, according to estimates from the IMF.
The key driver of the economy is its wealth of natural resources, especially oil and diamonds. Oil production is strong and expected to expand next year with new deposits such as the Tombua-Landana offshore field coming online.
One consequence of its fast economic growth is that Angola has become the most expensive city in the world, A basic apartment can cost $15,000 a month.
Joseph Freeman, the group vice president of finance for Ridge Solutions, said companies in Angola were taking advantage of the need to build everything from sewer systems to roads to apartments. "With Angola tying into the global economy with oil, it has opened itself up to the rest of the world," he said.
One major area that is still in the "nascent stage" is agriculture. Ridge Solutions was building a dairy farm and preparing the way for fruits, wheat and corn to be grown in the country, Mr Freeman said. "The country is becoming accessible again."
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
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.
The years Ramadan fell in May
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What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press