When David White arrived in the CEO’s office at DP World International League HQ for the first time last September, he had one item in his in-tray. An item marked “crowds”.
Whether it was written in block caps with a bold marker, underlined three times, and with a string of exclamation marks is unconfirmed. Either way, it is clear what the most pressing point on the agenda is ahead of the start of Season 2 next week.
The 62-year-old, who played two Tests for his country during his playing days, landed in Dubai after 12 years at New Zealand Cricket as chief executive.
He took up an offer from Mubashshir Usmani, the general secretary of the Emirates Cricket Board, to come and help develop the country’s franchise T20 competition.
In many ways, he will have found a tournament in good health. After one pilot edition so far, the ILT20 already has an enviable roster of players.
Operationally, the first season was flawlessly run. As you might expect, given the UAE’s wealth of experience hosting major cricket, dating back 40 years, and including IPLs, PSLs, and even T20 World Cups.
The first ILT20 season proved popular among players, too. Six weeks enjoying UAE hospitality is never a chore, after all.
The franchises already have a wealth of expertise in administration. Three of the six are offshoots of Indian Premier League teams. Two others have since taken on teams in the Women’s Premier League in India.
And the remaining team, Desert Vipers, were arguably the most impressive of all the start-up franchises last season. They finished runners-up on the field but were the most vivid presence off it.
For many onlookers abroad, though, the salient memory of Season 1 was the swathes of empty seats in the stands. Other than the opening game, when Jason Derulo performed on crutches to a third-full Dubai International Stadium, and the final, which – happily – was rammed, the attendances were underwhelming.
"Our big focus this year is to get big crowds,” White said. “Fair to say, the crowds were not as big as they would have liked last year, so the big focus for us this year is maximising attendance.
“How? We have done a lot of community engagement. We have really worked hard over the past three or four months. There have been a lot of ILT20 tournaments with schools.
WHY%20AAYAN%20IS%20'PERFECT%20EXAMPLE'
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“There was a tournament in October that was basically a trial for UAE players to get drafted, and that was really successful. We have been integrating a lot with the community.”
More household names will be featuring this season. David Warner will arrive fresh from his glorious send off from Test cricket in Australia, to captain Dubai Capitals.
Shaheen Afridi is lined up for a minimum of four games for Desert Vipers. Shadab Khan and Azam Khan will be joining him, while two more Pakistan internationals are set to be announced by the league in the coming days.
But the organisers are not relying on star power to sell their event this time around. They have an eye on the grass roots, too. There will be fan villages, live music, and carnivals for kids. An hour before every game, 84 boys and girls will be playing on the ground.
A nationwide schools competition, split into pools representing each of the six franchises, will reach its climax on Sunday. There was also a development tournament that was essentially an advert for players to catch the eye of the franchises last October.
“This league is a key plank in the development of UAE cricket,” White said. “It is about developing players from a high-performance point of view, but also increasing the profile of the game here for youngsters in the UAE.
“I think we have had good cut through this year and hopefully that will be reflected in the crowds. It is a key focus so that the look and feel from a broadcast point of view is good as well. We are very confident we are going to do it.”
It was White who pushed for the massive billboard which currently blocks out one side of the Dubai International Stadium, which can be seen from miles around.
The stadium is an eye-catching landmark for users of Hessa Street and the E311 on its own. All the more so now it has a giant image of Shaheen’s face bearing down from it.
They believe 5,000 motorists will see the billboard on a daily basis. Given the volume of cars on Dubai’s roads now, it feels like that might be an underestimate.
It is 300 metres wide and 16 metres high. White wonders whether it might be the biggest in Dubai at present, while Ishan Chopra, ILT20s head of partnerships, reckons it is different from anything else out there.
“Go big or go home was our thinking,” said Chopra, who did seven seasons of the IPL in a similar role before moving to Dubai ahead of the launch of ILT20.
“There are so many hoardings, but they are costly. So why not use real estate that actually belongs to us, and is cricket? It ties us to the sport.
“And a stadium wrap is a head turner. If it was on a hoarding, it can be hit and miss because people see hoardings all the time. Even in India, we don’t have stadium wraps.
“Having invested a lot in this, and got the permission to put it up, we wanted the message to stand out. The plain, big, bold text is hard to miss, even when you are driving.”
Chopra also ordered darker colours than is used in the rest of the tournament branding, thinking that would help it cope with fading that will be inevitable in the sun over the next six weeks.
It is made of mesh so wind can move through, and fireproof, too. And now they have done it once, the 300 Hilti bolts will remain in place so they can repeat the use of the “branding asset” in the future.
“This is a fresh challenge and a new audience to engage with,” Chopra said. “Obviously the IPL is a giant, and we need to consider this as a start-up.
“That is what we strive to achieve eventually. This is about having the best of the best trying to make a new product into something big.”
Something else that might help with footfall would be a few close matches. It was an odd feature of Season 1 that few games ended in the final over, let alone the last ball. That, and rivalries between teams, would be a good tonic, according to White, but can only come about organically.
“One of the challenges for the league is to build up rivalries and tribalism,” White said. “It is new. A number of the teams are IPL based, so to build up that rivalry between the teams in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, and their different brands, is something that is going to take a bit of time.
“You can’t just expect that to happen overnight. I think that will evolve, especially as we invest in our community and teams, and their fan bases.
“We would love every game to be going to the last ball, and the fans would too. Hopefully we can have a few close games.”
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 2x201bhp AC Permanent-magnetic electric
Transmission: n/a
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 659Nm
Price estimate: Dh200,000
On sale: Q3 2022
THE TWIN BIO
Their favourite city: Dubai
Their favourite food: Khaleeji
Their favourite past-time : walking on the beach
Their favorite quote: ‘we rise by lifting others’ by Robert Ingersoll
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.”
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202-litre%204-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E153hp%20at%206%2C000rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E200Nm%20at%204%2C000rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E6-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E6.3L%2F100km%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh106%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
SUZUME
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
CHINESE GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID
1st row
Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
2nd row
Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
3rd row
Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing)
4th row
Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
Sergio Perez (Force India)
5th row
Carlos Sainz Jr (Renault)
Romain Grosjean (Haas)
6th row
Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
Esteban Ocon (Force India)
7th row
Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren)
8th row
Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)
9th row
Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
Lance Stroll (Williams)
10th row
Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
arcus Ericsson (Sauber)
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
WHY%20AAYAN%20IS%20'PERFECT%20EXAMPLE'
%3Cp%3EDavid%20White%20might%20be%20new%20to%20the%20country%2C%20but%20he%20has%20clearly%20already%20built%20up%20an%20affinity%20with%20the%20place.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EAfter%20the%20UAE%20shocked%20Pakistan%20in%20the%20semi-final%20of%20the%20Under%2019%20Asia%20Cup%20last%20month%2C%20White%20was%20hugged%20on%20the%20field%20by%20Aayan%20Khan%2C%20the%20team%E2%80%99s%20captain.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EWhite%20suggests%20that%20was%20more%20a%20sign%20of%20Aayan%E2%80%99s%20amiability%20than%20anything%20else.%20But%20he%20believes%20the%20young%20all-rounder%2C%20who%20was%20part%20of%20the%20winning%20Gulf%20Giants%20team%20last%20year%2C%20is%20just%20the%20sort%20of%20player%20the%20country%20should%20be%20seeking%20to%20produce%20via%20the%20ILT20.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CHe%20is%20a%20delightful%20young%20man%2C%E2%80%9D%20White%20said.%20%E2%80%9CHe%20played%20in%20the%20competition%20last%20year%20at%2017%2C%20and%20look%20at%20his%20development%20from%20there%20till%20now%2C%20and%20where%20he%20is%20representing%20the%20UAE.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CHe%20was%20influential%20in%20the%20U19%20team%20which%20beat%20Pakistan.%20He%20is%20the%20perfect%20example%20of%20what%20we%20are%20all%20trying%20to%20achieve%20here.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CIt%20is%20about%20the%20development%20of%20players%20who%20are%20going%20to%20represent%20the%20UAE%20and%20go%20on%20to%20help%20make%20UAE%20a%20force%20in%20world%20cricket.%E2%80%9D%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
