Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, one of the heroes of Morocco's historic World Cup run in Qatar, has completed a move to Al Hilal from Sevilla, days after Neymar joined the Saudi Pro League giants.
The 32-year-old stopper, more commonly known as 'Bono', has cost Hilal a reported €21 million and has signed a three-year contract.
"The board of directors of Al-Hilal Club Company has signed 'Yassine Bono', goalkeeper of Morocco national team and Spain's Sevilla," Al Hilal posted on social media. "Bono's contract lasts for three seasons, until 2026. The signing ceremony was taking place at Four Seasons George V hotel in Paris, France.
"The board of directors has offered sincere gratitude and appreciation to the golden member HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal for funding this deal."
Bounou's arrival continues a stunning summer transfer window for Hilal, whose transfer business would be the envy of many top European clubs. Earlier this week, the Riyadh club shattered their own Saudi Pro League (SPL) transfer record to sign Brazilian superstar Neymar for a reported €90m.
Hilal had earlier twice broken the SPL transfer record, first with the signing of Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves from Wolves and again when they recruited Brazilian winger Malcom from Zenit St Petersburg. They have also signed Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic from Lazio and Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly from Chelsea.
Bounou moves to Hilal after a successful spell with Sevilla, where he made 142 appearances, kept 58 clean sheets and even scored a goal. He twice won the Uefa Europa League, including last season when he made two penalty shoot-out saves in the final against Roma.
Bounou was also named as the third-best goalkeeper in the world at The Best Fifa Football Awards, recognition in no small part due to his superb performances for Morocco at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he played a key role in the Atlas Lions becoming the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final.
Bounou started his career at Wydad Casablanca, where he came through the youth system, before joining Atletico Madrid in 2012. He was part of their La Liga title triumph in 2014 but did not make a league appearance.
After a two-year loan spell at Zaragoza between 2014 and 2016, he joined Girona on a permanent deal and spent four years at the club, the last of which was on loan at Sevilla.
Bounou joined Sevilla permanently ahead of the 2020/21 season and soon established himself as their first-choice goalkeeper. He became the first player in the club's history to win the Zamora Trophy, which is awarded to the goalkeeper who concedes the fewest goals per match in La Liga, with a minimum of 28 appearances.
"Sevilla FC thanks Bono for his hard work and effort during his four-year spell, and wishes him the very best of luck in the future," Sevilla wrote in a statement.
Hilal, the most decorated club in Asian football with 66 major trophies, are next in Saudi Pro League action on Saturday when they play their first home game of the season against Al Feiha. Bono is expected to be presented to the crowd at the King Fahd International Stadium, as is Neymar.
Hilal won their opening game of the season 3-1 at Abha, with new signing Malcom scoring a hat-trick.
Bounou stars as Sevilla win Europa League - in pictures
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
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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.”
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
