Razane Jammal will join the DC Universe after being cast in the new Netflix series 'The Sandman'. AFP
Razane Jammal will join the DC Universe after being cast in the new Netflix series 'The Sandman'. AFP
Razane Jammal will join the DC Universe after being cast in the new Netflix series 'The Sandman'. AFP
Razane Jammal will join the DC Universe after being cast in the new Netflix series 'The Sandman'. AFP

The National

'The Sandman': Lebanese star Razane Jammal to join DC Universe with new Netflix series

Jammal is best known in the region for playing Maggie in the Netflix Original 'Paranormal'

Evelyn Lau
Evelyn Lau
Abu Dhabi

May 31, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

Razane Jammal won over new fans with her role as Maggie in Netflix's Paranormal and now the Lebanese-British actress is set to join the DC Universe thanks to a new series.

She's been cast in Netflix's The Sandman, a popular comic book series by Neil Gaiman, which he describes as a blend of "modern myth and dark fantasy in which contemporary fiction, historical drama and legend are seamlessly interwoven".

“What a dream come true! Thrilled to have joined the DC family,” Jammal wrote to her 148,000 Instagram followers, announcing the news.

The premise of the show will feature the people and places affected by Morpheus, the Dream King, as he mends the cosmic and human mistakes he’s made during his vast existence.

Jammal will play Lyta Hall, a friend and travel companion to Rose Walker, one of the main protagonists in the series. She’ll be joining a cast that already includes Tom Sturridge, Gwendoline Christine, Jenna Coleman, David Thewlis and Stephen Fry.

A description about the character from Gaiman states Lyta is "Rose’s friend, a young widow mourning her husband Hector".

"Rose doesn’t know that Hector has started showing up in Lyta’s dreams, though. Or that strange things are happening. Razane Jammal is Lyta, and she’s terrific.”

Gaiman is co-writing the series alongside executive producers David S Goyer and Allan Heinberg.

Jammal is best known in the region for her work in last year's Netflix Original series Paranormal, based on the horror books by Egyptian author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik. Set in the 1960s, the series tells the story of haematologist Refaat Ismail, who tries to uncover the truth behind a series of supernatural events.

Razane Jammal as Maggie in 'Paranormal'. Netflix
Razane Jammal as Maggie in 'Paranormal'. Netflix

"It was a challenge to understand Maggie and to love her, and I did. Every day I would give her a chance and I would learn more about her, and I finally saw how she's independent and forward-thinking and honest," Jammal said about her character in an interview with The National.

Prior to that, she had a breakout role in 2010's Carlos and was in Tobe Hooper's 2012 UAE-produced horror flick Djinn. She also had a role in Robert Guediguian's Don't Tell Me the Boy Was Mad, which premiered at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, and starred with Liam Neeson in 2014's A Walk Among the Tombstones.

TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues

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Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)

Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski

Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)

Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea

Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona

Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)

Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)

Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)

Best National Team of the Year: Italy 

Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello

Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)

Player Career Award: Ronaldinho

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4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

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What: DP World Tour Championship
When: November 21-24
Where: Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.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.”

 

 

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Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle. 
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