Ahmed Raza says he is focused on leading UAE to success against Ireland despite the recent death of his father, saying: “Whatever I may achieve, it will be for him.”
The national team return to action for the first time in nearly 11 months on Friday, when they play the first of four one-day internationals against Ireland in Abu Dhabi.
It will be an emotional return for Raza, the UAE captain. His father, Syed Zahid Kazmi, died two weeks ago after a two-year battle with cancer.
Raza and his UAE-based brother and sister, as well as his other brother in Qatar, travelled to Pakistan for the funeral on December 21. Their father had died while each of them was awaiting the processing of their Covid PCR tests.
Rather than being distracted by grieving, Raza says he will be motivated to honour his father’s memory with success on the field.
“I am taking it as an inspiration,” Raza said. “Whatever I am going to do now is going to be for him.
“For however long I play for UAE, everything I do, every win I get, will be for him.
“It gives me more motivation to do better. Whatever I may achieve in this series, or the coming series, it will all be for him.”
The UAE captain said his career in cricket stemmed from a love of the game instilled by his father, who had first moved to Sharjah in 1972 with his job as an electrical engineer.
“He used to take me to Sharjah Stadium all the time, even for domestic games like the Bukhatir League and Ramadan tournaments,” Raza said.
“When I told him there was a coaching clinic going on, and I wanted to enrol, he said yes, and paid those fees for a long time. He was very supportive of everything.
“When I played age-grade cricket, he used to drop me to the airport and, like any parent, he was tell me to do this, and not to do that.
“He told me I had to take care of my money, take care of my bag, and put some sort of cloth on my suitcase to remember that it was my bag.
“He was really happy. He used to keep my newspaper cuttings.
"Whenever there was a televised game, he would call every single relative of mine in Pakistan and tell them this was the time Ahmed would be playing, and that they had to tune in.”
The left-arm spinner said the first time his father told him he was proud of him was when he played his first televised game, in 2006, and, although compliments were sparing, he is confident he made him happy.
“I am what I am because of him,” Raza said. “It is a fact of life that most of the time our fathers don’t get the due credit they deserve. My father had his own business, but he had another job, too: to raise all of us.
“We are four siblings, and he raised all of us in Dubai. With fathers, we take it for granted that it is their duty, but sometimes we don’t see the struggles they go through.
“I see my brother and sister running after their kids, then imagine what it was like for my parents looking after us. It was two people, raising four kids, in another country.”
Robin Singh, the UAE coach, is confident his captain will be able to focus on leading the side.
“We sympathise a lot with Ahmed, but he is a very strong character and a good leader,” Singh said.
“He understands the responsibility. Of course, it is hard, the loss of a member of your family. We will support him in every way we can.
“He has made every effort to come back, because he wants to play in the series. I can only appreciate that. He is a really good leader, and I think he will do a really good job.”
UAE will be giving away six places in the world rankings to their visitors in the ODI series, and wins over sides from Test playing nations have been rare for the hosts in the past.
Ireland also beat world champions England in their last appearance. That was, though, five months ago.
The UAE’s players have been busier than most cricketers in recent months, with a steady programme of domestic cricket, and Raza is hopeful that will help them against the Irish.
“It doesn’t guarantee anything, but it might give us a slight edge,” Raza said.
“Rolling over Ireland, with them being a Test-playing nation, would be a great achievement. We know how big an opportunity this is.
“Looking at the world situation as it is right now, being the first Associate to play any international cricket, it is a great opportunity. We recognise that, and we want to make the most of it.”
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
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What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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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Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
If you go...
Flying
There is no simple way to get to Punta Arenas from the UAE, with flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi requiring at least two connections to reach this part of Patagonia. Flights start from about Dh6,250.
Touring
Chile Nativo offers the amended Los Dientes trek with expert guides and porters who are met in Puerto Williams on Isla Navarino. The trip starts and ends in Punta Arenas and lasts for six days in total. Prices start from Dh8,795.
