The family of a Saudi student who was stabbed to death in the UK has said the country is no longer safe for visitors and tourists.
Mohammed Yousef Alqassem, 20, was killed in Cambridge, in what police have described as an “unprovoked attack”.
A man has been charged with murder and will appear at Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday. Mr Alqassem, who Cambridgeshire Police earlier named as Mohammed Algasimm, had been on a 10-week placement at a language school.
The force said that its officers were called to Mill Park in Cambridge at 11.27pm on Friday following reports of violence. Mr Alqassem was pronounced dead at the scene at 12.01am on Saturday despite the efforts of paramedics.
Majed Abalkhail, Mr Alqassem's uncle, said the family believed Britain was no longer a safe place to visit.
“Many people, both in the UK and abroad, have expressed growing concerns about the rise in violent crime in Britain, and we believe the country is no longer a safe destination for students or tourists,” he said.
“We hope this incident will prompt serious reflection on public safety and the protection of innocent lives.”
Mr Abalkhail paid tribute to his nephew, who he said lived in Makkah and served pilgrims and visitors to the Two Holy Mosques.
“Mohammed was a calm, kind-hearted young man, loved and respected by everyone who knew him,” he said.
“He had dreams of studying medicine and came to the UK with a heart full of hope and a passion for learning. Unfortunately, his journey ended in tragedy. His family and community are devastated by this horrific loss.”
Mr Abalkhail's comments about crime in the UK come after a wave of 'Rolex ripper' luxury watch thefts and mobile phone snatches, as well significant knife crime.
In a statement issued through police, Mr Alqassem's family said he was a “young man brimming with enthusiasm, brimming with chivalry and courage”.
“Over time, he became the family’s charisma, leaving behind an unforgettable legacy in every gathering,” they said.
“He was his father’s support, his familiar companion, and the assistant to his uncles and maternal uncles.
“He was the most compassionate person to ever visit a mother’s heart and the closest to his sisters’ embrace.”
EF International Language Campuses Cambridge, a private school offering English language courses to overseas students, said it was “deeply saddened” to confirm one of its adult students had died.
A postmortem examination is scheduled for Tuesday.
Mill Park is a street close to Cambridge railway station and comprises residential blocks. Floral tributes had been left outside one of these buildings.
A message, on a piece of paper taped to a barrier behind the tributes, said “May your soul be at peace” and had heart shapes drawn on it. Other messages were written in Arabic.
Chas Corrigan, of Cambridge, has been charged with murder and possession of a knife in a public place. The 21-year-old appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Monday and was remanded in custody to appear at Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday.
A 50-year-old man, also from Cambridge, was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. He remains in custody.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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.”
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Results
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If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
