Clean bill of health for Al Noor Hospitals after London listing



Al Noor Hospitals Group remains in good health following its listing on the London Stock Exchange in the summer.

The group posted revenues of US$84 million in the three months to September compared to $75.4m in the same period a year earlier, representing a rise of 11.4 per cent.

The number of doctors also climbed by 78 in the first three quarters.

The revenue rise was mainly due to the appointment of the additional physicians, according to Dr Sami Alom, chief strategy officer at Al Noor, which was listed on the LSE in June.

“We set for ourselves a target of 90 to 100 in 2013 and the numbers we released very much show that we are on track to meet that number,” he said.

“If you come and visit our hospital you will see that our waiting rooms are full. What we need to do to meet that demand and reduce waiting times so patients are more satisfied is bring in additional doctors,” he added.

Dr Kassem Alom, the chief executive of Al Noor, said trading in the third quarter was in line with management expectations and the company remains on track to meet its targets for the year.

“We have successfully concluded the purchase agreements on two acquisitions comprising Al Madar Medical Centre, a successful medical centre primarily focused on dentistry and cosmetics in an Emirati neighbourhood in Al Ain and Manchester Clinic, our first step into the Dubai market,” he said.

Together, the 75 per cent acquisitions were valued at $16m.

Three medical centres were also commissioned this year. One is at Mamura on Muroor Road, one is in Sanaya, an industrial area of Al Ain. And the third is in Muscat, the group’s first facility outside the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

“Oman’s healthcare landscape looks a lot like the UAE’s in the 1980s and 1990s, meaning you have a government sector but people are dissatisfied with it due to poor patient experience and long waiting times,” said Dr Alom.

“And you have a stratum of society who are willing to pay out of pocket to access private healthcare, wealthy Omanis and higher income expats. So we got a facility in a very nice part of Muscat and we are going to see how well that does. If it does well we are going to go back and see what else we can do in Oman.”

The group continues to remain debt-free with a strong net cash position, allowing the company to continue exploring further acquisiton opportunities, according to an interim management statement.

gduncan@thenational.ae

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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.”

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How has net migration to UK changed?

The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.

It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.

The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.

The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.

Credit Score explained

What is a credit score?

In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.

Why is it important?

Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.

How is it calculated?

The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.

How can I improve my score?

By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.

How do I know if my score is low or high?

By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.

How much does it cost?

A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.

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Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

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What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
 
  • Grade 9 = above an A*
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  • Grade 7 = grade A
  • Grade 6 = just above a grade B
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  • Grade 4 = grade C
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