Elite runners announced for Dubai Marathon 2023 at Expo City


  • English
  • Arabic

The stage is set for a memorable Dubai Marathon with the organisers announcing an elite field of female athletes for the race that will be held at Expo City Dubai on February 12.

The Dubai Marathon was set for a return in December following a break of over 1,000 days as the previous edition was called off due to the pandemic. However, logistical challenges posed by the Fifa World Cup in Qatar saw the organisers decide to hold the event this year.

The race was last held in January 2020 where Ethiopians dominated the field once again. Then, Worknesh Degefa clinched the women’s title with a time of 2:19.37, while in the men’s section Olika Adugna Bikila prevailed with a time of 2:06.15.

This month, organisers will welcome top athletes from across the world again. In the women’s competition, Etjiopia's Ruti Aga and compatriots Gutemi Shone and Gelete Burka will be leading the way.

Aga, 29, has the fastest personal best in the field having clocked 2:18:34 when finishing second in the Berlin Marathon in 2018. Last year, the Ethiopian – who won the Tokyo Marathon in 2019 – claimed fourth in Chicago.

Her compatriot Shone finished second last time she competed in Dubai in 2020.

That runner-up spot behind champion Degefa was achieved with a personal best of 2:20:11.

Also returning to the Middle East is 37-year-old Burka. In 2018, Burka enjoyed a successful year, starting off with sixth place and a personal best in Dubai (2:20:45) before winning the Ottawa Marathon in Canada and closing the year with third place and a podium finish in Abu Dhabi.

What will make this year's marathon special is the venue. With its unique architectural marvels and open areas, Expo City Dubai will provide an exceptional new setting for the Dubai Marathon.

The organising committee said the Expo City was chosen as the venue because "it represents Dubai’s vision of serving as a bridge between cultures and its values of peaceful coexistence and tolerance".

The Dubai Marathon features three runs: the full 42 km marathon open to runners over 18; the 10 km Road Race open to runners over 15 years; and the 4 km Fun Run open to all.

Log on to www.dubaimarathon.org for more details.

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.”

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

Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

The biog

Hometown: Cairo

Age: 37

Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror

Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing

Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition

Updated: February 04, 2023, 8:12 AM`