Al Ahly (Egypt)
How they qualified: 2020/21, 2022/23 & 2023/24 CAF Champions League winners.
Manager: Jose Riveiro. The Spaniard was appointed as coach less than three weeks before the tournament in US kicks off. He replaced Marcel Koller, who left Al Ahly after their loss to Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF Champions League semi-finals in April. Emad El-Nahhas, who led the team to a record-extending 45th league title as caretaker manager, will continue as an assistant.
Star player: Wessam Abou Ali. Denmark-born Palestinian striker scored 15 goals in 29 games across competitions, including four in the title-clinching 6-0 demolition of Pharco on the last day of the season.
One to watch: Mohamed Trezeguet. It was announced in January that the 30-year-old winger would be returning to his boyhood club at the end of the season after a decade away, in time for the Club World Cup. Previously played across Europe including at Anderlecht in Belgium, England's Aston Villa and Trabzonspor of Turkey during a career that has seen him capped 80 times by Egypt, scoring 22 goals.
Domestic season record: Finished regular season second in the table behind Pyramids before going on to top the Championship play-offs to retain their Egyptian Premier League title.
Fixtures:
- June 15 (4am kick off UAE): Inter Miami at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami.
- June 19 (8pm KO): Palmeiras at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.
- June 24 (5am KO): Porto at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.
Porto (Portugal)
How they qualified: Fifth-best team in the Uefa four-year coefficient rankings.
Manager: Martin Anselmi. Argentine replaced the sacked Vitor Bruno in January in what is his first job in Europe. Won four trophies with Ecuadorean club Independiente del Valle, including a Copa Sudamericana title in 2022.
Star player: Samu Aghehowa. Nigerian striker, 21, finished joint-second in the Primeira Liga scorers charts with 19 goals in what was his first season at Porto. Tall (at 1.93m), quick and physically imposing, his form has seen him linked with clubs across Europe including Barcelona, Manchester United and Arsenal.
One to watch: Rodrigo Mora. The 18-year-old home-grown playmaker has emerged as a potential superstar of European football. A breakthrough season that saw him score 10 goals and provide four assists in the Portuguese league has brought him to the attention of the continent's big guns.
Domestic season record: Finished third in the Primeira Liga, 11 points behind champions Sporting Club.
Fixtures:
- June 16 (2am KO UAE): Palmeiras at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.
- June 19 (11pm KO): Inter Miami at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta.
- June 24 (5am KO): Al Ahly at MetLife Stadium.
Palmeiras (Brazil)
How they qualified: 2021 Copa Libertadores winners.
Manager: Abel Ferreira. Portuguese took over at Palmeiras in 2020 having previously coached in his home country (Braga) and Greece (PAOK). Has won nine trophies at Palmeiras, including back-to-back Brazilian titles and Copa Libertadores crowns.
Star player: Raphael Veiga. Attacking midfielder has been a central cog in the Palmeiras trophy-winning machine of recent seasons, clocking 104 goals and 49 assists in 346 appearances for the club.
One to watch: Estevao Willian. Brazilian teenage forward will be saying his farewells to Palmeiras at the Club World Cup before departing for English Premier League side Chelsea. Has been in impressive form for Palmeiras, scoring 11 goals in 32 games and providing five assists across competitions. Described by coach Ferreira as a “a miracle-worker”.
Domestic season record: Currently fourth in the Brazilian Serie A, one point behind leaders Flamengo.
Fixtures:
- June 16 (2am KO UAE): Porto at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.
- June 19 (8pm KO): Al Ahly at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.
- June 24 (5am KO): Inter Miami at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami.
Inter Miami
How they qualified: 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield winners
Manager: Javier Mascherano. Took over at the Major League Soccer outfit last November having previously been in charge of Argentina's U20 and U23 sides. Reunited in the US with his former Argentina and Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi.
Star player: Lionel Messi. Team captain, veteran superstar and eight-time Ballon d'Or winner who moved to Miami in 2023 helping the club win their first trophy in the Leagues Cup little over a month after joining. The 37-year-old has scored 15 goals and provided six assists in 20 games this season.
One to watch: Luis Suarez. Another member of the former Barca old boys in Miami – along with Mascherano, Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. The 38-year-old Uruguayan banged in 25 goals in his debut 2024 campaign and has eight in 21 appearances this season.
Domestic season record: Currently third in the MLS Eastern Conference, five points behind leaders Philadelphia with a game in hand.
Fixtures:
- June 15 (4am KO UAE): Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami.
- June 19 (11pm KO): Porto at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta.
- June 24 (5am KO) Palmeiras at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami.
Read more:
Group A guide: Al Ahly, Porto, Palmerias, Inter Miami
Group B guide: Atletico Madrid, Seattle Sounders, Botafogo, PSG
Group C guide: Benfica, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Bayern Munich
Group D guide: Flamengo, Esperance, Chelsea, Los Angeles FC
Group E guide: River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey, Inter Milan
Group F guide: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan HD, Mamelodi Sundowns
Group G guide: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus
Group H guide: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, RB Salzburg
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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
Company%20profile
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A Prayer Before Dawn
Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire
Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai
Three stars
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
EMIRATES'S%20REVISED%20A350%20DEPLOYMENT%20SCHEDULE
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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.”
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Info
What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
When: December 27-29, 2018
Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
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