Jebel Ali Dragons UAE Premiership reign ends with loss to Abu Dhabi Saracens

DUBAI // Jebel Ali Dragons’ monopoly on domestic rugby’s top trophies was interrupted on Friday night when Abu Dhabi Saracens ended their defence of the UAE Premiership.

The depleted champions surrendered their grip on the crown when a 22-6 loss in the capital meant they missed out on a place in the grand final.

Their slip allowed Dubai Hurricanes, last year’s defeated finalists, and Abu Dhabi Harlequins to leapfrog them in the table after both sides claimed heavy victories at The Sevens, Dubai.

Hurricanes, who had handed Dragons a first defeat of the season last week, thrashed Dubai Exiles 46-20.

On the neighbouring field at The Sevens, Harlequins were even more dominant, as they beat an injury-ravaged Xodus Wasps Dubai 54-19.

Hurricanes should enjoy home advantage for a final that is scheduled for next weekend, although speculation suggests it is possible the match may have to be rearranged.

The resources of the UAE Rugby Referees have been stretched to the limit this season and they also have to staff an international sevens tournament for developing Asian nations at Al Ain.

Both sides will be hoping the game goes ahead as planned, though, to ensure their leading lights are available to play.

Jeremy Manning, the Harlequins player-coach, is set to turn down an invitation to play at the Singapore Sevens so as to fulfil his final commitment.

The Abu Dhabi playmaker was at his virtuoso best in the win over Wasps. If ever a highlights reel is produced for this season, the try he scored – one of seven for Quins – deserves to be the opening sequence.

Tellingly, he was in stunning form with the boot, too. When Quins lost to their final opponents this season, Manning missed a kick at the end of the game that would have won it.

How things change.

At times Friday night it seemed like Manning could be stood on the neighbouring field, where Hurricanes and Exiles were playing, and still successfully kick for goal.

“Training was not very good this week and Wasps came through firing, but fair play to our boys. They flipped a switch in the second half and played very decent rugby,” Manning said. “After losing two games at the start of the season, it wasn’t looking great for us, but we dug in at training and a few of the boys are starting to show up and starting to fire.

“You can see that the stuff the boys are working on at training is coming off on the paddock, and that is great for a coach to see.”

Hurricanes have reason to hope the final goes ahead next weekend, as it will ensure Andy Powell is available to play.

The fly-half, who, like Manning, originates from New Zealand, was man of the match in the win against the Dragons the previous week and was peerless again in the win over the Exiles.

Powell scored one try of his own, set up another for Mike Rust with a slaloming run down the field, and later gave up another for a teammate when he passed the ball, unpressured, while over the try line.

“Andy, in my view, is the best No 10 and probably the best player in the Gulf,” Hurricanes captain Daniel Perry said.

“We are lucky to have him, but he can’t do anything without the ball and our forwards had a stormer today.

“From one to 22 I think everyone had a stormer and it has been a squad effort through the season.

“We are 90 per cent done – now there is just 10 per cent more to go.”

pradley@thenational.ae

Result
Qualifier: Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by eight wickets

Fixtures
Tuesday, Lahore: Eliminator 1 - Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators
Wednesday, Lahore: Eliminator 2 – Karachi Kings v Winner of Eliminator 1
Sunday, Karachi: Final – Islamabad United v Winner of Eliminator 2

Match info

Athletic Bilbao 0

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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.

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“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.”

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