British boxer Amir Khan is planning to take the sport in the UAE and Middle East to a new level by fighting American champion Devon Alexander in Dubai at the end of the year.
Last month, reports in the British press revealed that Golden Boy Promotions, who look after Khan's interests, were in talks with authorities in Dubai about staging the fight, which would be for Alexander's IBF Welterweight title and take place on December 7.
Khan's father, Shah, later told The National that a deal for the fight was "maybe 90 per cent there" with Dubai or the US the top choices to host it.
Amir talked up Dubai's prospects to be a major player on the boxing scene, saying: "Dubai is a place which could be as good as Vegas or even better in terms of boxing.
"It's a sport which is much bigger than Ultimate Fighting Championship, and UAE did a great job of organising that over there, they can do the same for boxing."
If December's bout comes to fruition it will mark the region's first high-profile professional match since former super middleweight king Chris Eubank beat Camilo Alarcon at Dubai's tennis stadium in 1997.
In 2008, Michael Moorer knocked out fellow American Shelby Gross in the first round at Sheikh Rashid Hall in Dubai. It was the three-time heavyweight champion Moorer's last fight.
Mike Tyson was also set to fight Evander Holyfield in Abu Dhabi four years ago, but the fight failed to materialise.
Last week China's Xiong Zhao Zhong beat Filipino Denver Cuello to retain his WBC Strawweight belt at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
Khan said Dubai has the potential to become one of the world's key boxing venues.
"There is a big opportunity for Dubai to attract big names in boxing like [Floyd] Mayweather Jr, Manny [Pacquiao], myself and many others, the sport is loved there but I think they didn't have an opportunity before to put big fights on," says Khan.
"Dubai is a city which is big for many things but not boxing, it's a sport which people know about and like, but it's not talked about on the streets like in the UK or in America.
"Putting on world title fights with big names will get them that attention, and when other fighters see the benefit, then they will think about Dubai as their next fight."
Khan said initially Alexander, 26, was reluctant to fight in Dubai, but the Bolton-born fighter says the man nicknamed "The Great" is warming to the idea of staging the bout in the Emirates.
"We discussed Dubai and put it on the table as my preferred option to Devon. He wasn't sure at first. He suggested we fight in Vegas," says Khan. "Negotiations are going on right now; my dad and Richard Schaefer [CEO of Golden Boy Promotions] are talking to the right people in Dubai, so inshallah all will be OK to stage the fight there."
The biggest hurdle to staging the fight on these shores would be the eight-hour time difference to between here and the United States (11 hours to the west coast), meaning an evening fight would be in the middle of the day in the US, limiting its pay-per-view potential.
However, Showtime, the American cable TV network who are bankrolling a record US$200 million-plus (Dh734.6m) six-fight deal for Mayweather, have given their seal of approval for the Alexander fight to take place here, according to Khan.
"Time difference could be an issue, but we can work on that depending on when we stage the fight in Dubai. My team will look into that, as negotiations are going on," says Khan.
"The fight will be aired on Showtime in the US, BoxNation in the UK and I think in Al Jazeera Sports in the Middle East, but it's not confirmed yet. We might air it on Abu Dhabi or Dubai Sports as well, depending on the negotiations."
Khan has built an impressive 28-3 record since turning professional in 2005, winning the WBA Light Welterweight title four years later age 22. That came after an amateur career which included winning a silver medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004 when he was just 17.
But some of the sheen has been taken off recently by high-profile losses in 2011 and 2012 to Americans Lamont Peterson and Danny Garcia. He has won his two subsequent fights, the last a unanimous points decision over Julio Diaz in April.
As one of the world's most prominent Muslim boxers, Khan, who is of Pakistani descent, is hoping he can capture the imagination of the UAE public and put prizefighting on the map in Dubai, a city he has visited many times before.
"I am a Muslim and I think it would be great to fight in a Muslim country in the UAE. It would be huge exposure for Dubai as a boxing destination," he says. "Whenever I visit Dubai, I often go there for holidays, people stop me everywhere for pictures, autographs, and they love the sport."
Khan hopes to use the Alexander fight as a launchpad to set up a lucrative shot at mystical pound-for-pound king Mayweather (44-0), possibly next year in England.
The undefeated American, 36, announced he intends to box in Britain before retiring. An open-air fight next summer, potentially at London's Wembley Stadium or Manchester United's Old Trafford, have been mooted as possible venues.
"I take it one fight at a time, but yes I would like to fight him, inshallah if all goes well and I beat Devon, I would like to fight Mayweather," says Khan.
"He said it himself, that he wants to fight me. The thing is he has a deal with Showtime for six fights and he has two other fights pencilled in, so I will just have to wait for him after my fight.
"With my attacking and speed-combination-punching style, and the way he fights, I think I can take him down – I can beat him."
Mayweather's next bout is on September 14 in Las Vegas against the Mexican Saul "El Canelo" Alvarez.
Khan split with trainer Freddie Roach last year, who also happens to handle Manny Pacquiao. If the Mayweather bout – for whatever reason – could not be put together, Khan says he would happily test himself against the Filipino great, a man he has sparred with on many occasions.
"I never say no to a big fight, I always want to fight the best and be the best, so why not, if promotions and other formal issues allow it, I would surely take him on," Khan says.
"I have sparred with Manny maybe over 100 times, he is a great fighter, but had a bad KO against [Juan Manuel] Marquez [last December] and he is set to have a rematch against him, let's wait and see how he comes back," says Khan.
"But I believe he still has a long career ahead of him, and he will get back to his best."
As negotiations gather pace, the venue for the potential Alexander bout is yet to be finalised, but the Dubai World Trade Centre and the Burj Khalifa have been mentioned. Amir's father, Shah, will be in Dubai this week to try to iron out the remaining creases in the deal.
The UAE hosting a Formula One Grand Prix was just a dream 10 years ago. Now it is a reality. Boxing fans will hope Khan v Alexander is the first step to making Dubai a top destination for their sport, too.
With Amir "King" Khan, they have the man to make it a reality.
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RESULTS - ELITE MEN
1. Henri Schoeman (RSA) 57:03
2. Mario Mola (ESP) 57:09
3. Vincent Luis (FRA) 57:25
4. Leo Bergere (FRA)57:34
5. Jacob Birtwhistle (AUS) 57:40
6. Joao Silva (POR) 57:45
7. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) 57:56
8. Adrien Briffod (SUI) 57:57
9. Gustav Iden (NOR) 57:58
10. Richard Murray (RSA) 57:59
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
2021 World Triathlon Championship Series
May 15: Yokohama, Japan
June 5: Leeds, UK
June 24: Montreal, Canada
July 10: Hamburg, Germany
Aug 17-22: Edmonton, Canada (World Triathlon Championship Final)
Nov 5-6 : Abu Dhabi, UAE
Date TBC: Chengdu, China
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
AVOID SCAMMERS: TIPS FROM EMIRATES NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
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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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• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
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- AJ Styles retained the WWE World Heavyweight title against Shinsuke Nakamura
- Nia Jax won the Raw Women’s title against Alexa Bliss
- Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon beat Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
- The Undertaker beat John Cena
- The Bludgeon Brothers won the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos and New Day
- Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle beat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
- Jinder Mahal won the United States title against Randy Orton, Rusev and Bobby Roode
- Charlotte retained the SmackDown Women’s title against Asuka
- Seth Rollins won the Intercontinental title against The Miz and Finn Balor
- Naomi won the first WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal
- Cedric Alexander won the vacant Cruiserweight title against Mustafa Ali
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Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
