West Ham United’s average attendance of 62,464 is the second highest in the Premier League behind Manchester United. It’s not that the team from East London are a bigger or better supported club than, say, Liverpool, but the London Stadium, which was built for the 2012 Olympics games, has the second highest capacity and London’s designation as a tourist destination means there’s usually a demand for tickets.
The crowd for the Hammers’ final home game of the season against Nottingham Forest was given as a full house of 62,466 on the club’s official website. The reality was that there were thousands of unoccupied seats in all areas of the stadium apart from the 3,000 given to the visitors from Nottingham.
There are several reasons why: West Ham are 15th in the table and out of form. Their win in the previous game away to Manchester United was their only one in the last 10 games and got them to 40 points in a forgettable campaign. No team outside the relegated bottom three has a worse goal difference than them.
Those long-relegated teams are also the only sides with inferior home records. The Hammers have lost at home to all eight of the league’s leading teams. Their previous four season’s finishes of 6th, 7th, 14th and 9th make this campaign a let down.
Thousands of fans who who paid for tickets (and were thus counted in the official attendance) stayed away, yet Sunday’s game was a hugely important one for Forest, who are chasing Champions League football.
After 117 minutes - finishing two hours and 11 minutes after it had started - because of multiple stoppages for injury and VAR decisions, Forest’s 2-1 win means that whatever happens next week this will be their best league finish since coming third in 1994-95.
Forest, the league’s surprise team after a 17th place finish last term, have enjoyed being in the Champions League positions for much of the season, but one win in their previous six games had put hopes of playing in the top competition in doubt.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side needed a win at West Ham to keep their hopes alive – and they got one. They’re seventh with one game to play. Crucially, that is against Chelsea at home next week.
Beat Chelsea and Forest will move above them. They still need other results to go their way, but such a scenario would have been unimaginable back in August, so even Europa League qualification demonstrates vast progress.
For West Ham, it felt like the end of an era. Aaron Cresswell, Vladimir Coufal, Lukasz Fabianski and Danny Ings all tasted Europa Conference League success with the club but will leave imminently.
Unchanged from their win at Manchester Unted the previous week, Graham Potter’s side started well, with Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels diving to his left to stop a header from Tomas Soucek after three minutes. Two minutes later at the other end, Alphonse Areola made another world-class save from Morgan Gibbs-White who powered a shot towards the keeper from five yards.
Nico Williams set up Chris Wood to strike towards the West Ham goal after eight minutes. Forest’s pressure paid off after 10 minutes when Areola pushed the ball away to Gibbs-White, who pounced and saw an opening to shoot and score his seventh Premier League goal of an impressive season. The celebrating Forest players held up a shirt in support of teammate Taiwo Awoniyi, who was seriously injured after colliding with a goalpost last week.
Forest should have made it two on 40 minutes when Wood, who scored in the reverse fixture, a 3-0 win for Forest, had two chances.
Nikola Milenkovic’s 61st minute goal, the Serb getting a touch after being set up by an Anthony Elanga cross, was followed by a six-minute delay for VAR before it was given. The fans of both sides made their feelings about VAR clear.
Jarrod Bowen’s brilliant 86th minute left-foot volley for West Ham made it a tense end for Forest, but they held on. Bowen remains the Hammers’ central force.
“Until the West Ham goal we were in control,” said Nuno. “Then the anxiety comes when we allowed the goal and everything is difficult from there.
"Matz [Sels] did great again so we’re happy. We started really well. Previous games a lot of bad things happened to us but today that was not the case. Today we pressed good, got a good goal, started well in the second half, on the front foot. Generally a good performance. The players worked hard to put West Ham under pressure.”
Forest’s season will go to the wire. West Ham’s has been effectively and disappointingly over for some time.
Episode list:
Ep1: A recovery like no other- the unevenness of the economic recovery
Ep2: PCR and jobs - the future of work - new trends and challenges
Ep3: The recovery and global trade disruptions - globalisation post-pandemic
Ep4: Inflation- services and goods - debt risks
Ep5: Travel and tourism
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Red Joan
Director: Trevor Nunn
Starring: Judi Dench, Sophie Cookson, Tereza Srbova
Rating: 3/5 stars
Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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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.”
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
