Alphabet-owned Google announced a series of new features on its Search, Maps and YouTube platforms to help football fans across the Middle East and North Africa stay up to date with the Fifa World Cup, which kicks off on November 20 in Qatar.
The new features aim to help users find useful news related to the event, information about matches, venues and routes as well as various fun activities.
“We have seen the excitement locally around the Fifa World Cup this year, especially since it’s being held in our region for the first time,” said Najeeb Jarrar, head of consumer marketing at Google in Mena region.
“This is why we were keen on helping people make the most out of the experience by offering new features to stay up to date with the tournament, discover local businesses and get more insights from matches, so they can continue to enjoy this global event whether they are following virtually or the over 1.2 million people expected to attend in person in Qatar.”
The National looks at the new features rolled out by Google.
Follow tournaments, athletes and teams on Google Search
When football enthusiasts search for “World Cup” on Google, they will have the option of clicking on the bell in the top right-hand corner to receive regular notifications about their favourite matches, teams or players, the California-based technology company said on Tuesday.
Fans using Google-owned Android operating system can also pin the scores on their screen to keep tabs on the matches when they are on.
The search company will also offer detailed statistics related to the performance of teams. Users will be able to track the winning probability of various teams and rate players based on how they think they performed.
There will also be a multiplayer online game in which people from around the world can work together to help their chosen team score the highest number of goals after each real-life match.
Exploring exciting content on YouTube
As some matches are aired at times that may not suit everybody’s schedule, fans can find match highlights and video recaps from Fifa+ and official broadcasters including beIN Sports, linked in Google Search after every game.
World Cup fans from around the globe can also rewatch the most exciting moments of every game on YouTube through the Fifa channel, which has more than 12.6 million subscribers, and official broadcasters.
People can also find exclusive Shorts — a short-form video-sharing platform offered by YouTube — and long-form content for the tournament from gaming creators AboFlah (27.2 million subscribers), Rima (7.02 million subscribers) and lifestyle creator Noor Stars (19.7 million subscribers).
Inside and outside Qatar
To help the more than a million visitors expected to land in Qatar for the tournament, Google Maps now offers more detailed information about transit systems and road closures. Additional information on roads, footpaths across central Doha and points of interest in Qatar have also been added to Maps.
“People can now find the best and most convenient places to watch the World Cup across the Mena region by typing 'where to watch the world cup near me' on Search,” Google said.
“Business owners should review their local rules about showing sporting events to the public before applying the new attribute.”
Those interested in adding the information to their business profile can follow guidance available on the Google business profile help page.
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
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- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
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Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
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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.”
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
