People using the Virgin Mobile network in the UAE were unable to access the internet and make calls on Saturday afternoon. Christopher Pike / The National
People using the Virgin Mobile network in the UAE were unable to access the internet and make calls on Saturday afternoon. Christopher Pike / The National
People using the Virgin Mobile network in the UAE were unable to access the internet and make calls on Saturday afternoon. Christopher Pike / The National
People using the Virgin Mobile network in the UAE were unable to access the internet and make calls on Saturday afternoon. Christopher Pike / The National

UAE

Virgin Mobile's UAE services back up after weekend of disruption

Telecoms company says problems caused by a 'technical issue'

The National

September 18, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

Normal service was resumed on Sunday for Virgin Mobile customers who had been unable to use data or make phone calls at the weekend.

A number of users reported problems accessing the internet and making online payments via digital wallets, with some saying they had been unable to make important calls because of the service interruption.

Virgin said the disruption was caused by a “technical issue” but issued a statement saying the network was back up and running on Sunday.

Responding to several tweets by disgruntled users, the company informed users that the issue had been resolved early in the afternoon.

“Unfortunately we had faced a technical issue, this has been fixed now, we apologise for the inconvenience caused,” it said in a tweet.

Virgin users across the country complained it was the second time in a week they had faced the same issues.

Shortly before 5pm on Saturday, Twitter user @T9M85 tagged the company in a post.

"@VirginMobileUAE this is the 2nd time this week your network has been down,” she said.

“I was out and stuck for 30 [minutes] without the ability to order a taxi.

“I can’t access the app to reload my wallet for my renewal at midnight. This is ridiculous. What is going on?”

Another user said she had broken down by the side of the road with no way to contact emergency services.

“Wondering what’s happening with @VirginMobileUAE as I sat at the side of the road with no connection to get help,” said @irenespots.

“Patchy all week but this was a disaster for me.

“It’s just too late for me. Being stranded with a burst tyre and no connection was terrifying.”

A third user, @zhiping, wrote: “Your whole network is down for the [second] time in days without any announcement when the service will be back up,” he said, tagging the UAE’s Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority.

How to improve Arabic reading in early years

One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient

The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers

Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades

Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic

First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations

Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades

Improve the appearance of textbooks

Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings

Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught

Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar

Breast cancer in men: the facts

1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.

2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash. 

3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible. 

4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key. 

5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor

 

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.”

Updated: June 08, 2023, 6:16 AM