Much of the chatter around the office water cooler and at my favourite Abu Dhabi coffee shop this week was dominated by the abolition of the buffer zone that allowed drivers to travel 20 kilometres per hour faster than the posted speed limit on the capital’s roads.
At work, my colleagues fully supported the move, particularly the new arrivals who have never really understood the buffer zone concept to start with. “That’s not a buffer zone,” one exclaimed. “That’s a huge chasm.”
However, in my go-to shisha cafe in the heart of Khalidiyah, the ruling – while supported for its safety benefits – was greeted with solemnity.
While the usual crew at Anoud Cafe – who are mostly Egyptian, Sudanese and Lebanese – saluted the decision to curb the need for speed, their lament about the new traffic changes is attributed to something far deeper than the speed limits.
“Khalas, the days of mercy are over,” mused Magdi. “I am still getting used to it. I don’t know where to look at times: the road or the speedometer.”
I tended to agree with him, as I too found myself with this problem to and from work since it kicked in on Sunday, and I must admit, I did fall foul of the limit a few times. “Be careful, bro,” was Magdi’s reply to this admission. “That’s it, you will get fined, there is no more majaal.”
Magdi’s comment went some way to explaining the dour manner in which some of us received the news of the new rules. It was indeed more to do with the increasing loss of “majaal” in our daily life.
What is majaal? The Arabic term can be loosely defined as a range of space, encompassing both the physical to the emotional.
As I chatted with the group, they made me realise how majaal has always played a subtle yet important role in my Abu Dhabi experience. Having the freedom to pay my bills at Anoud, the local grocery store, and the launderette by way of a weekly tab is a form of capital majaal.
The express lanes I often use at the Yas Island amusement parks is majaal in action. Giving the benefit of the doubt is what majaal is about.
The discussions I have with my Arabic friends are often underpinned by a refreshing sense of calm and forgiveness. As life gets busier, the chances of frustrating those close to us gets easier. In our group, though, that is rarely the case. Forgiveness for real and perceived slights is easily given.
In short, majaal is sort of life’s buffer zone. It is the principle of allowing space – whether it’s between yourself and others, or yourself and any given situation – to give you better perspective and decision-making capabilities.
Thinking even more deeply on the issue, it’s a philosophy that can be found in Islamic spiritual literature, with plentiful verses from the Quran encouraging us to reflect before taking action.
The UAE is the most majaal-friendly country I know. Compared to those in Australia, the UAE authorities are positively generous when it comes to providing us time and space to get our act together. Back in Melbourne though, uh uh. I once paid a parking fine a day late and as a result, the amount increased by as much as 30 per cent.
In Abu Dhabi, you can pay outstanding traffic fines months later. There is greater sense of flexibility here when it comes to resolving issues. From the municipality employee to the Mawaqif officer, often it just takes a smile and an open mind to come up with a solution that is satisfying to all. However, as the UAE undertakes measures to diversify its economy, one of the unintended consequences is the limiting of that majaal space.
My grocery store and launderette have ditched their tab systems, while Anoud Cafe has put a two-day limit on my tab. That’s OK, I am not too worried. Like most things here in Abu Dhabi, I know that most challenges can be solved by way of a good old-fashioned chat.
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Read more from Saeed:
Domestic workers who take care of our families and homes are 'silent heroes'
Part-time work in the UAE: What working at a video store when I was 15 taught me about life
The WhatsApp council of candid friends that keeps me grounded
Chinese soaps on TV dubbed into Arabic? Bring it on
With the World Cup about to end, the UAE summer is really about to beg
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
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Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
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Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
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.”
