The UAE is fast becoming a global hub for major sporting events, offering something for every fan. From the high-octane Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix and SailGP to the competitive World Tennis League and Fiba 3x3, there's no shortage of world-class action.
Whether you're a motorsport enthusiast or a MMA fanatic, here are some coming events in the Emirates to look forward to.
UFC 308, October 26 at Etihad Arena
UFC will return with co-main event fights. The headline bout will see featherweight champion Ilia Topuria defend his title against Max Holloway, while the co-main event features No 3-ranked Robert Whittaker facing off against No 11-ranked Khamzat Chimaev in a five-round contest. Additionally, there are three more matches on the main card.
Tickets are sold out
Fiba 3x3 World Tour Abu Dhabi, October 26 and 27 at Abu Dhabi Corniche
A specially constructed arena on the Corniche will host the basketball event, featuring 14 international teams and one local team competing in the 3x3 tournament. The tournament will also showcase recent Paris Olympic medallists.
Tickets are Dh25
Dubai Premier Padel P1, November 3 to 10 at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Centre, Al Garhoud
Some of the world’s top padel players, including international stars like Arturo Coello, Ariana Sanchez Fallada and Juan Lebron Chincoa will head to Dubai for the week-long championship that has a prize pool of Dh1.8 million in the men’s and women’s categories.
Tickets start at Dh60
The HSBC Golf Championship, November 7 to 10 at Yas Links
The fourth Rolex Series event of the season, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship will feature Olympic silver medallist Tommy Fleetwood, along with former world number ones Adam Scott and Justin Rose. As part of the new DP World Tour Play-Offs, the event welcomes the top 70 players from the Race to Dubai Rankings, following the Genesis Korea Championship.
General admission tickets are free
DP World Tour Championship, November 14 to 17, Jumeirah Golf Estates
Billy Horschel, who recently claimed his second PGA Championship title, will tee it up alongside Major Champions Shane Lowry, Justin Rose and Adam Scott and fellow Rolex Series winner Robert MacIntyre, who won the Scottish Open in July. Reigning Race to Dubai champion Rory McIlroy and fellow Ryder Cup star Tommy Fleetwood will also tee off.
General admission for Thursday and Friday is free, while Saturday and Sunday early bird tickets start at Dh90
SailGP Dubai, November 22 to 24, Dubai Marina
The Sail Grand Prix season will launch when 11 teams take part in five fleet races across two days, before a winner-takes-all, three-boat final on the second day. The winner of the final is named event champion and awarded 10 points in the Championship Leaderboard, which is added to a cumulative season total.
Tickets start at Dh330
Emirates Dubai 7s, November 29 to December 1, Seven Stadium
The Dubai 7s is an annual rugby event held at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai. It was founded in 1970, making the event the longest-running sports event in the Middle East. The Dubai 7s has six competitions each year including the World Rugby Sevens Series and the World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series. This year Stormzy and Sugababes will perform as part of the event.
Tickets start at Dh425
Fim Supercross World Championship, December 4 at Etihad Arena
The season finale of the Fim World Supercross Championship will take place in Abu Dhabi. Two world champions will be crowned. Additionally, those who get tickets for the championship will also get access to the first day of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Thursday, including the after-race concert with Teddy Swims and Peggy Gou.
Tickets start at Dh95
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, December 5 to 8 at Yas Marina Circuit
Various packages and passes available
World Tennis League, December 19 to 22 at Etihad Arena
Some of the top tennis players in the world will return to the UAE as the World Tennis League unveiled a star-studded line-up of players for the third season. This includes US Open winner Aryna Sabalenka and World No 1 Iga Swiatek, who secured bronze at the Paris Olympics as well as a third consecutive French Open title earlier this year.
This year's Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova and women’s doubles Paris Olympics gold medalist Jasmine Paolini will be making their debut. Among the male stars, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Sumit Nagal and Aussie star Nick Kyrgios will also return.
Tickets start at Dh50
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.”
Bio:
Favourite Quote: Prophet Mohammad's quotes There is reward for kindness to every living thing and A good man treats women with honour
Favourite Hobby: Serving poor people
Favourite Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite food: Fish and vegetables
Favourite place to visit: London
Day 2, stumps
Pakistan 482
Australia 30/0 (13 ov)
Australia trail by 452 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the innings
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
The biog
Age: 32
Qualifications: Diploma in engineering from TSI Technical Institute, bachelor’s degree in accounting from Dubai’s Al Ghurair University, master’s degree in human resources from Abu Dhabi University, currently third years PHD in strategy of human resources.
Favourite mountain range: The Himalayas
Favourite experience: Two months trekking in Alaska
Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
