DUBAI // A former captain of the Arabian Gulf once christened the anomalous regional team the "Kings of Adversity", given the way they habitually dealt with a set of challenges that were unique in the rugby world.
When the multi-nation Gulf union was dissolved at the end of last year, it was not just their place in the Dubai Rugby Sevens that the new UAE national team assumed.
The problems are deep-rooted. The transience of the workforce here is paralleled directly in the national team. As such, few nations have a swifter turnover of players.
When the UAE kick off a potentially bruising day of rugby against Samoa, at 10.26am, they will have just three players who played for the Gulf 12 months ago.
It was ever thus. Tim Fletcher, Chris Gregory and Sean Hurley, those three survivors, have long grown used to having to introduce themselves to new teammates.
"Because it is such a transient population, it has always been the case," Fletcher, the team's captain, said yesterday.
"We have lost some fantastic players from last year, but we've replaced them with some pretty good ones, too."
Hurley, the longest-serving player in the squad, arrived on a flight from Spain, where he had been working this week, at 7am yesterday.
Luckily for him, the team hotel and the training field at Deira International School are near enough to the airport that he made it in time to get the bus to their 11.30am session.
"My job demands that I travel, so I have to do it," said Hurley, an Australia-born back who is playing in his 12th Dubai Rugby Sevens, and eighth in the IRB competition.
"You get used to it. Most hotels you stay at have a gym, and I was up at 5am running sprints before work started when I was in Spain. We just get on with our preparation and use no excuses."
Arguably the finest product of Arabian Gulf rugby, Jonny Macdonald, is back for this year's Sevens.
Because he has since played for Scotland, he solely has a watching brief this weekend, and he was at yesterday's final training session of the country of his birth.
In his stead, the UAE are pinning their hopes on newcomers such as Imad Reyal, a fast-stepping scrum-half, and Murray Strang, an assured presence at fly-half.
Wayne Marsters, the UAE coach, is sanguine about his side's chances in a fearsome group, with matches against Fiji and Argentina following Samoa.
"We work on performance goals rather than outcome goals," he said. "We were on specific things within a game, like possession or tackle completion, and if we succeed in those things, I'm not saying results will come, but it will maximise our performance.
"We want to be seen to be professional, and for the fans and opposition, if we can gain their respect for the commitment we show in each match, that is success for us."
pradley@thenational.ae
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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.”
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The biog
Name: Mariam Ketait
Emirate: Dubai
Hobbies: I enjoy travelling, experiencing new things, painting, reading, flying, and the French language
Favourite quote: "Be the change you wish to see" - unknown
Favourite activity: Connecting with different cultures
More on animal trafficking
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
