Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on a move for Brazil striker Leandro Damiao. Read our full story here.
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British Olympic goalscorer Craig Bellamy looks set to return to his hometown club after Liverpool confirmed they were in talks with Cardiff over a move for the player.
Bellamy spent a the 2010/11 season on loan at Cardiff while a Manchester City player, captaining the side during his spell there, and admitting he would like to continue at the club to try and take them into the Premier League.
Now that dream could be a step closer for the 33-year-old after Brendan Rodgers, the Liverpool manager, confirmed they were in talks with the Welsh side over the player.
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Peter Crouch has urged his former England teammate Michael Owen to join him at Stoke City after leaving Manchester United in the summer.
The former Liverpool and Real Madrid striker is a free agent after his Old Trafford contract expired, and was in talks over a possible move to the UAE Pro League with Al Shabab during the close season before the club broke off discussions.
He has been linked with a move to Stoke, and Crouch admits he is keen for his former international colleague to join him at the Britannia Stadium.
"I know Michael has a big decision to make after leaving a club the size of Manchester United, but I had a similar decision to make last summer.
"I was really happy the manager could give me games, when I was in and out of the Tottenham side.
"Coming to Stoke was never a step down. I'd rather play a big part in something smaller than be a small part of something bigger."
Meanwhile Stoke have agreed terms with Wolves to sign midfielder Michael Kightly.
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Michael Laudrup, the new Swansea City manager, has refused to rule out a move for Newcastle United winger Gabriel Obertan.
The club admit they are closing in on further signings ahead of the start of the new season.
Pablo Hernandez from Valencia and Hannover's Didier Ya Konan have also been linked with the club, but Laudrup was coy over suggestions that a deal to sign Obertan was imminent.
He said: "I can only say this. Speculation about players coming in, I don't want to comment on that.
"It is better for me to say I don't comment on rumours, I can comment on things about our players as it is different. When something is near or is done then you can ask me all you want."
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French international defender Aly Cissokho admits he is keen to leave Lyon this summer - paving the way for a move to the English Premier League.
The 24-year-old left-back has previously been linked with a move out of France, with Lyon admitting they need to sell to generate transfer funds this summer, with an estimated EU11m (Dh50m) price tag on the player
Inter Milan, Juventus and Everton have all been linked with the player - who failed to make France's Euro 2012 squad - and now his agent and brother Mamadou admits a move is on the cards.
"Aly wishes to discover a new challenge," he told France Football. "If he has to stay he will and will do his job, but if there is an opportunity he will seize it.
"The priority is England or Italy."
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Sunderland have made an increased offer to Wolverhampton Wanderers for their Scottish striker Steven Fletcher, as they look to replace Asamoah Gyan.
Martin O'Neill, the Sunderland manager, is keen to strengthen the club's striking options following Gyan's permanent move to Al Ain last month, and has already had a £10m (Dh57.4m) bid for the 25-year-old forward rejected.
Sunderland have now increased their offer to £12m, which Wolves are now taking under consideration.
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
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
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.
