Roel Coumans was assistant coach to Bert van Marwijk during the Dutchman’s spell as UAE manager last year. Van Marwijk and his staff were dismissed in December following the national team’s group-stage exit from the Gulf Cup of Nations.
When Van Marwijk left, the UAE sat fourth in Group G in the second round of qualification for the 2022 World Cup, five points off leaders Vietnam with four matches remaining, although they have a game in hand over their rivals. They are currently without a manager having dismissed Ivan Jovanovic in March without the Serbian taking charge of a match.
The National caught up with Coumans to reflect on that nine-month tenure with the UAE and to get his thoughts on the squad, the country's quest to secure a second World Cup appearance, and why the staff would like the opportunity to finish the job they started.
How saddened were you and the coaching staff when the decision was taken to dismiss you?
“Yeah, it was very disappointing. Because when you get a new team you need also a little bit of time. And when you look at the table, everything was possible to qualify. So it wasn’t necessary at that moment. But we had this Gulf Cup in between World Cup qualification and, when we conceded the fourth goal in the final minute to lose 4-2 to Qatar, we knew the FA would take a quick decision and sack us. For me, it’s a pity they didn’t take the time to wait. And you see what happened since with Jovanovic. They could have waited with us until March and then take the decision.”
How do you look back on your time with the UAE?
“It’s always a matter of do you get time or do you earn your own time as a coach. Probably we didn’t earn our own time by getting the right result at the right moment. By the way, we’re still eager to finish it with the team. And I think we’d have a good chance to succeed, because we were in a process with the players and now it’s interrupted and they have to start all over again. We have three home games and one away in Indonesia: we would’ve got enough points to qualify, for sure. If you look to the table, we are second [with that game in hand]. And Vietnam is not the strongest team in the group. I think it’s Thailand and then the UAE. So there could be a big chance to qualify.”
So you believe you would've turned around the campaign and progressed to the next round of qualification?
“For sure. Between the players and us everything was good, there was a good atmosphere, they understood how we wanted to play and players were coming back from injuries – we had a lot of injuries before. And everything is open for qualifying. I think even the head coach would be eager to finish his job. I talk a lot to him by phone - he lives in the same village. He’s always asking if there’s some news with the UAE national team. He said in the beginning that he thought they would regret the decision to sack us, because he knew we were on the right way. He’s not happy that this was his last job.”
What do you consider a success from your time with the UAE?
“Our success was the introduction of the young players, and the basics to build on. For example, people where asking why we didn’t choose Ismail Matar, who was 36 years old. When you’re losing, everyone who isn’t in the squad is the best player ever. And if you win no one is talking about it. After the first two games we won, no one was talking about the older players; everyone was talking about us building a new team, which was our task: build a new team and get results. And these young players were developing. Maybe we had too many at the beginning, but that’s something I’m proud of: that we gave young players a chance and they can develop. And they’re still grateful. Sometimes I talk to [Al Wahda goalkeeper Mohammed] Al Shamsi and every time he says ‘I’m very thankful that you gave me the chance to be the No 1 at the Gulf Cup because it was a great experience for me’. And in the future, he’ll be one of the best goalkeepers in the Gulf region, without doubt.”
What other young players impressed you?
“Abdullah Ramadan, Ali Saleh. And Ali Salmeen, although he’s 26. He can be one of the players for the future, kind of a central brick in the house. He’s a player you need in there who keeps everything together, who plays with the right mentality in midfield, with good decision-making and keeping the ball. He’s not the most talented player in the squad - not the Omar Abdulrahman - but he’s very, very valuable. And Harib Abdallah, the left-winger at Shabab Al Ahli, who’s only 17. He’s a player for the future, although we didn’t have him in the squad; it’s only what I’ve seen from the club games and the training sessions.”
Ali Mabkhout became the UAE’s all-time leading scorer during your time there and scored six goals in three qualifiers. What makes him so good?
“Ali is a phenomenon. In the box, he’s incredible. I never saw a player like him. If he was playing in Europe, and playing in the right team, for sure he will score goals. Look at his statistics: they’re well above average. Last March, when we were starting out, Van Marwijk asked about Mabkhout and I said he’s a predator. Sometimes he’s not doing anything, but when he gets the right moment, the right ball, he finishes. It’s unbelievable. When you see him you think he’s not focused, but he’s putting effort only when he feels a chance to score. And when the rest of the team understands this, then you get balance in your team. In the UAE they understand this is a very, very good weapon for them.”
What about Omar Abdulrahman? He was coming back from a yearlong injury sustained with Al Hilal in 2018 and understandably had to be eased back into action.
“Omar got injured in October the year before. I visited him when he was at Hilal, at a training camp in Austria in July, to see how he was, and then we decided to take him in the squad for that first qualifier in September. He had a camp in Bahrain and played his first minutes there. You saw that he misses a little, but also that he’s a quality player. His vision and his technical skills are extremely high. But if you’re nine months out and with this injury, you need almost the same period to get back on your level. You see in the league with Al Jazira, Omar was doing better and better, but still not at his best. In this period, from now until the qualifiers start again in October, if he trains well, you will see him back on his true level. With us, our only disappointment was that he wanted to play more, when he wasn't yet ready. But he will get better and better, and be a big part of qualification.”
What do you think the UAE need to do to ensure they qualify for the next round?
“Even if they have only six points, they still have three matches at home, and have to go to Indonesia, who are the worst team in the group. I think they will qualify if they do the right things: believe you can force your own luck, that by working hard you can create it, and play in the structure, which with us was much better than before. In the beginning it doesn’t look very attractive, but you have to build a control, control without the ball, or even when you have 10 players, like we had for almost 60 minutes against Vietnam. They need structure and strategy, physically fit players and discipline, and then they will qualify. I’m sure they will make it.”
Since you’ve left, three players have been given UAE citizenship and are now eligible for the national team: Sebastian Tagliabue, Caio and Fabio De Lima. How big an advantage will that be going forward?
“At the time we had only Ali scoring for us, so when this team has a little bit more variation in scoring ability they will be stronger. With Sebastian, even though he’s 35, you have a player who can score goals, so that will help a lot. De Lima and Caio also can score. These players will give you this extra competition in the group so that other players will develop more and quicker. In the other way, I’m interested to see what happens, because it can also work negatively if three Emirati players are playing well and you leave them out of the squad for three foreign-born players; I don’t know if this is constructive for your team. How will they deal with it? How will the squad? But they need goals. I wish we had them when we were there.”
You, Bert and the staff have experience of guiding a Gulf country to a World Cup, with Saudi Arabia in 2018. Do you think the UAE have the talent to emulate that?
“They had what they considered the best squad ever from 2010 and even they didn’t make it in 2014 and 2018. So that shows already that it’s very difficult to qualify. And if you’re looking to the countries in Asia and you’re realistic, the UAE probably rank about sixth-best at the moment, when they’re playing well. You’ve got Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Iran, Qatar at the minute. And Thailand are currently doing better. But sometimes not the best players or best team will go to the World Cup. If you create a good team - like we've seen with Saudi Arabia, because they also said this wasn’t the best generation and wouldn’t qualify - create a good environment to develop, and if they really believe they can qualify, they will. If they are not fit, don’t have the right mentality, the right vision as a football nation – and by that I mean that you understand that developing the team is a process and not only about results – then they won’t have a chance. Consistently at every level is needed. But, for sure, it will be difficult.”
You haven’t been involved with a team since leaving the UAE. What are your plans for the future?
“I always say I had seven years’ master-class with a top coach. I see Van Marwijk really as a top coach; I learned a lot from him. But it’s time for me to go on my own as a head coach. I prefer to be in the Gulf region, to start in the UAE or Saudi Arabia, and had some interest in Saudi Arabia and also Egypt, but then the coronavirus came and everything was back to zero. But that’s my goal. People say ‘Yeah but you weren’t a head coach’, but that’s wrong: I managed Under-19s, U23s, was in a third-division club in my hometown. What do you prefer, an assistant coach who was at world-class level, who was at the World Cup in Russia with Australia, or a head coach who was in a lower league? I’m still developing myself and am confident I will get a job, but it’s also about the ambition of a club to match my ambitions. I just need a chance to show that I’m ready.”
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
Profile of RentSher
Started: October 2015 in India, November 2016 in UAE
Founders: Harsh Dhand; Vaibhav and Purvashi Doshi
Based: Bangalore, India and Dubai, UAE
Sector: Online rental marketplace
Size: 40 employees
Investment: $2 million
New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
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500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
U19 World Cup in South Africa
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE
UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Vriitya Aravind, Deshan Chethyia, Mohammed Farazuddin, Jonathan Figy, Osama Hassan, Karthik Meiyappan, Rishabh Mukherjee, Ali Naseer, Wasi Shah, Alishan Sharafu, Sanchit Sharma, Kai Smith, Akasha Tahir, Ansh Tandon
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
SANCTIONED
- Kirill Shamalov, Russia's youngest billionaire and previously married to Putin's daughter Katarina
- Petr Fradkov, head of recently sanctioned Promsvyazbank and son of former head of Russian Foreign Intelligence, the FSB.
- Denis Bortnikov, Deputy President of Russia's largest bank VTB. He is the son of Alexander Bortnikov, head of the FSB which was responsible for the poisoning of political activist Alexey Navalny in August 2020 with banned chemical agent novichok.
- Yury Slyusar, director of United Aircraft Corporation, a major aircraft manufacturer for the Russian military.
- Elena Aleksandrovna Georgieva, chair of the board of Novikombank, a state-owned defence conglomerate.
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ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPAD%20(2022)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2010.9-inch%20Liquid%20Retina%20IPS%20LCD%2C%202%2C360%20x%201%2C640%2C%20264ppi%2C%20wide%20colour%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20Apple%20Pencil%201%20support%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EChip%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20A14%20Bionic%2C%206-core%20CPU%2C%204-core%20GPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2064GB%2F256GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPlatform%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20iPadOS%2016%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012-megapixel%20wide%2C%20f%2F1.8%2C%205x%20digital%2C%20Smart%20HDR%203%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204K%20%40%2024%2F25%2F30%2F60fps%2C%20full%20HD%20%40%2025%2F30%2F60fps%2C%20slo-mo%20%40%20120%2F240fps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFront%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012MP%20ultra-wide%2C%20f%2F2.4%2C%202x%2C%20Smart%20HDR%203%2C%20Centre%20Stage%3B%20full%20HD%20%40%2025%2F30%2F60fps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAudio%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Stereo%20speakers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBiometrics%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Touch%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20USB-C%2C%20smart%20connector%20(for%20folio%2Fkeyboard)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Up%20to%2010%20hours%20on%20Wi-Fi%3B%20up%20to%209%20hours%20on%20cellular%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinish%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Blue%2C%20pink%2C%20silver%2C%20yellow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20iPad%2C%20USB-C-to-USB-C%20cable%2C%2020W%20power%20adapter%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%20%E2%80%94%20Dh1%2C849%20(64GB)%20%2F%20Dh2%2C449%20(256GB)%3B%20cellular%20%E2%80%94%20Dh2%2C449%20(64GB)%20%2F%20Dh3%2C049%20(256GB)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Asia Cup Qualifier
Final
UAE v Hong Kong
TV:
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Non-oil%20trade
%3Cp%3ENon-oil%20trade%20between%20the%20UAE%20and%20Japan%20grew%20by%2034%20per%20cent%20over%20the%20past%20two%20years%2C%20according%20to%20data%20from%20the%20Federal%20Competitiveness%20and%20Statistics%20Centre.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%2010%20years%2C%20it%20has%20reached%20a%20total%20of%20Dh524.4%20billion.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECars%20topped%20the%20list%20of%20the%20top%20five%20commodities%20re-exported%20to%20Japan%20in%202022%2C%20with%20a%20value%20of%20Dh1.3%20billion.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EJewellery%20and%20ornaments%20amounted%20to%20Dh150%20million%20while%20precious%20metal%20scraps%20amounted%20to%20Dh105%20million.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERaw%20aluminium%20was%20ranked%20first%20among%20the%20top%20five%20commodities%20exported%20to%20Japan.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETop%20of%20the%20list%20of%20commodities%20imported%20from%20Japan%20in%202022%20was%20cars%2C%20with%20a%20value%20of%20Dh20.08%20billion.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Fixtures (all in UAE time)
Friday
Everton v Burnley 11pm
Saturday
Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur 3.30pm
West Ham United v Southampton 6pm
Wolves v Fulham 6pm
Cardiff City v Crystal Palace 8.30pm
Newcastle United v Liverpool 10.45pm
Sunday
Chelsea v Watford 5pm
Huddersfield v Manchester United 5pm
Arsenal v Brighton 7.30pm
Monday
Manchester City v Leicester City 11pm
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')
Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)
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.
