• Mohamed Salah earns £200,000 a week at Liverpool. The Premier League leaders reversed their decision to use the British government's furlough scheme to pay non-playing club staff, apologising to fans for coming to the "wrong conclusion" following a fierce backlash from supporters and former players. All figures according to spotrac.com. Getty
    Mohamed Salah earns £200,000 a week at Liverpool. The Premier League leaders reversed their decision to use the British government's furlough scheme to pay non-playing club staff, apologising to fans for coming to the "wrong conclusion" following a fierce backlash from supporters and former players. All figures according to spotrac.com. Getty
  • Roberto Firmino - £180,000 a week. AP
    Roberto Firmino - £180,000 a week. AP
  • Virgil van Dijk - £165,000 a week. Getty
    Virgil van Dijk - £165,000 a week. Getty
  • Jordan Henderson - £140,000 a week. Reuters
    Jordan Henderson - £140,000 a week. Reuters
  • James Milner - £140,000. Reuters
    James Milner - £140,000. Reuters
  • Naby Keita - £120,000 a week. Getty
    Naby Keita - £120,000 a week. Getty
  • Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - £120,000. Reuters
    Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - £120,000. Reuters
  • Dejan Lovren - £100,000. Reuters
    Dejan Lovren - £100,000. Reuters
  • Sadio Mane - £100,000. AFP
    Sadio Mane - £100,000. AFP
  • Joel Matip - £100,000. Reuters
    Joel Matip - £100,000. Reuters
  • Fabinho - £100,000. AFP
    Fabinho - £100,000. AFP
  • Alisson Becker - £90,000. EPA
    Alisson Becker - £90,000. EPA
  • Xherdan Shaqiri - £80,000. AFP
    Xherdan Shaqiri - £80,000. AFP
  • Georginio Wijnaldum - £75,000. AFP
    Georginio Wijnaldum - £75,000. AFP
  • Nathaniel Clyne - £70,000. Reuters
    Nathaniel Clyne - £70,000. Reuters
  • Adam Lallana - £58,500. EPA
    Adam Lallana - £58,500. EPA
  • Andrew Robertson - £50,000. Reuters
    Andrew Robertson - £50,000. Reuters
  • Divock Origi - £45,000. AFP
    Divock Origi - £45,000. AFP
  • Trent Alexander-Arnold - £40,000. Reuters
    Trent Alexander-Arnold - £40,000. Reuters
  • Joe Gomez - £28,000. Reuters
    Joe Gomez - £28,000. Reuters
  • Loris Karius (on loan to Besiktas) - £25,000. Reuters
    Loris Karius (on loan to Besiktas) - £25,000. Reuters
  • Rhian Brewster - £10,000. Reuters
    Rhian Brewster - £10,000. Reuters

Football

'My legs are shaking!' Self-isolating Liverpool fan surprised by Virgil van Dijk on video call

Ben Price is part of the LFC Foundation and was sharing his story when the Dutch defender jumped on the call

Jon Turner

April 05, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

What would you do if one of the biggest stars at your football club surprised you during a video call?

"My legs are shaking," said Liverpool fan Ben Price when he saw Virgil van Dijk pop up on the screen. It's safe to say that most of us would have a similar response.

The moment occurred when Price was speaking on LFC TV about his role with the LFC Foundation and how he has battled to overcome anxiety and begin realising his dream of becoming a barber.

Price explains how the coronavirus lockdown came only days after he started his new career journey and how he is now self-isolating due to his girlfriend being pregnant.

While speaking to LFC TV, Price is joined mid-conversation by Van Dijk, who says: "I've just been listening to you, man.

"First of all congratulations obviously because you're gonna be a dad, that's the most important thing, mate. Enjoy every bit of it right now, it's the most beautiful thing in life.

"I've heard you want to be a barber and it's a bit of a dream, a bit of a goal of yours. So just go for it and maybe one day you might come to Melwood and cut some of the players' hair, you never know!"

The pair go on to discuss Liverpool, Price explaining how the club and each match day has helped him overcome his anxiety, while Van Dijk stresses the importance of the supporters to the team's success.

"When we go out on the pitch, the least we can do is give everything that we've got because you guys always give everything for us and I think that's the beauty of football with the fans," Van Dijk, 28, said.

"The support we have is incredible, it's something that we won't ever take for granted. We know how important it is for you guys as fans but for us it's the same feeling, how important you guys are for us.

"I think that's why this season has been a success so far and hopefully we can finish it off, when the time is here."

When that time is seems unclear after the Premier League said the season "will not resume at the beginning of May – and that the 2019-20 season will only return when it is safe and appropriate to do so".

UAE rugby in numbers

5 - Year sponsorship deal between Hesco and Jebel Ali Dragons

700 - Dubai Hurricanes had more than 700 playing members last season between their mini and youth, men's and women's teams

Dh600,000 - Dubai Exiles' budget for pitch and court hire next season, for their rugby, netball and cricket teams

Dh1.8m - Dubai Hurricanes' overall budget for next season

Dh2.8m - Dubai Exiles’ overall budget for next season

While you're here
more from Patrick Noack

 

 

While you're here
MATCH INFO

Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')

Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')

Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)

While you're here
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates

Banthology: Stories from Unwanted Nations
Edited by Sarah Cleave, Comma Press

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.”

What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champioons League semi-final, first leg:

Liverpool 5
Salah (35', 45 1'), Mane (56'), Firmino (61', 68')

Roma 2
Dzeko (81'), Perotti (85' pen)

Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
The alternatives

• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.

• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.

• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.

• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.

• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases -  but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.

How to get exposure to gold

Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.

A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.

Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.

Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.

London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long

However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.

Bawaal%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nitesh%20Tiwari%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Varun%20Dhawan%2C%20Janhvi%20Kapoor%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
You might also like
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

The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler

Price, base / as tested Dh57,000

Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine

Transmission Six-speed gearbox

Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm

Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km

SportFootball