Cristiano Ronaldo clutches his knee after going down from a challenge during Al Nassr's King Salman Club Cup final victory against Al Hilal. Getty
Cristiano Ronaldo clutches his knee after going down from a challenge during Al Nassr's King Salman Club Cup final victory against Al Hilal. Getty
Cristiano Ronaldo clutches his knee after going down from a challenge during Al Nassr's King Salman Club Cup final victory against Al Hilal. Getty
Cristiano Ronaldo clutches his knee after going down from a challenge during Al Nassr's King Salman Club Cup final victory against Al Hilal. Getty

Sport

Football

Cristiano Ronaldo an injury doubt for Al Nassr's opening Saudi Pro League match

Portuguese forward looked to have twisted his knee in the closing stages of the King Salman Club Cup final and was taken off the pitch

John McAuley
John McAuley

August 13, 2023

  • English
  • Arabic

Cristiano Ronaldo is a doubt for Al Nassr’s Saudi Pro League opener against Al Ettifaq after picking up a knock to his knee during his trophy-winning performance in the King Salman Club Cup final.

The Nassr captain, 38, scored both goals in the team’s come-from-behind, 2-1 win in extra-time against Al Hilal in Taif on Saturday.

The victory earned Ronaldo, who finished the tournament as top scorer, his first piece of silverware with the club since his move there in December.

However, he was taken off minutes before the conclusion of the match. The Portuguese forward looked to have twisted his knee in the turf at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium when challenging for the ball with Al Hilal's Mohammed Jahfali.

Grimacing in pain, Ronaldo required assistance from the medical buggy to leave the pitch, although he joined his teammates for the trophy celebrations and did appear to be walking untroubled.

Nassr, runners-up in last season’s Saudi Pro League, get their 2023/24 campaign under away on Monday, away to Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq.

On Saturday night, Ronaldo posted a message on his social media paying tribute to those who helped him achieve his first success with Nassr. He finished the tournament with six goals.

“Extremely proud to help the team winning this important trophy for the 1st time!” he said. “Thank you to everyone in the club that was involved in this great achievement and to my family and friends for always being by my side! Fantastic support by our fans! This also belongs to you!"

Ronaldo steers Al Nassr to King Salman Club Cup glory

  • Cristiano Ronaldo lifts the King Salman Club Cup after beating Al Hilal and 2-1 at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh on August 12, 2023. Getty
    Cristiano Ronaldo lifts the King Salman Club Cup after beating Al Hilal and 2-1 at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh on August 12, 2023. Getty
  • Cristiano Ronaldo and Nawaf Alaqidi of Al Nassr celebrate after their victory. Getty
    Cristiano Ronaldo and Nawaf Alaqidi of Al Nassr celebrate after their victory. Getty
  • RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - AUGUST 12: Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr lifts the Arab Club Champions Cup trophy with teammates after the team's victory in the Arab Club Champions Cup Final between Al Hilal and Al Nassr at King Fahd International Stadium on August 12, 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh / Getty Images)
    RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - AUGUST 12: Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr lifts the Arab Club Champions Cup trophy with teammates after the team's victory in the Arab Club Champions Cup Final between Al Hilal and Al Nassr at King Fahd International Stadium on August 12, 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh / Getty Images)
  • AL Nassr celebrate their victory in Riyadh. Getty
    AL Nassr celebrate their victory in Riyadh. Getty
  • Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring his team's second goal. Getty
    Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring his team's second goal. Getty
  • Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr celebrates after VAR cleared his second goal. Getty
    Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr celebrates after VAR cleared his second goal. Getty
  • Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo is fouled by Al Hilal defender Kalidou Koulibaly. AP
    Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo is fouled by Al Hilal defender Kalidou Koulibaly. AP
  • Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr goes down injured. Getty
    Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr goes down injured. Getty
  • Cristiano Ronaldo is taken off the pitch on buggy after his injury. AFP
    Cristiano Ronaldo is taken off the pitch on buggy after his injury. AFP
  • Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo after being fouled by Al Hilal defender Kalidou Koulibaly.
    Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo after being fouled by Al Hilal defender Kalidou Koulibaly.
  • Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his first goal for Al Nassr. Getty
    Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his first goal for Al Nassr. Getty
  • Hilal's Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves. AFP
    Hilal's Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves. AFP
  • Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo on the attack. Getty
    Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo on the attack. Getty
  • Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring Al Nassr's first goal. AFP
    Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring Al Nassr's first goal. AFP
  • Referee Redouane Jiyed shows a red card to Abdulelah Al Amri of Al Nassr. Getty
    Referee Redouane Jiyed shows a red card to Abdulelah Al Amri of Al Nassr. Getty
  • Nassr's Marcelo Brozovic under pressure from Ruben Neves of Al Hilal. Getty
    Nassr's Marcelo Brozovic under pressure from Ruben Neves of Al Hilal. Getty
  • Michael Delgado celebrates after scoring for Al Hilal. Getty
    Michael Delgado celebrates after scoring for Al Hilal. Getty
  • Sadio Mane of Al Nassr on the attack. Getty
    Sadio Mane of Al Nassr on the attack. Getty
  • Marcelo Brozovic of Al Nassr reacts after a chance goes begging. Getty
    Marcelo Brozovic of Al Nassr reacts after a chance goes begging. Getty
  • Hilal's Salem Al Dawsari after missing a chance. AFP
    Hilal's Salem Al Dawsari after missing a chance. AFP
  • Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo and Kalidou Koulibaly of Al Hilal battle for a header. Getty
    Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo and Kalidou Koulibaly of Al Hilal battle for a header. Getty
  • Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoringhis first goal. Getty
    Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoringhis first goal. Getty
  • The Al Hilal starting XI before the game. Getty
    The Al Hilal starting XI before the game. Getty
  • The Al Nassr side before the match. Getty
    The Al Nassr side before the match. Getty
On Women's Day
Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

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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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Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

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Updated: August 13, 2023, 11:47 AM
Cristiano RonaldoSaudi Pro League 25/26