A UAE delegation led by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council and chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, attended the state funeral of assassinated former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Sheikh Khaled was joined by political leaders and heads of state from around the world, including US Vice President Kamala Harris, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad, at the service.
He offered condolences on behalf of President Sheikh Mohamed and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.
Sheikh Khaled met Akie Abe, the widow of the late leader, and family members to extend his sympathies.
Abe was delivering a speech near a train station in the western city of Nara when he was fatally shot on July 8. It was the first assassination of a sitting or former Japanese prime minister since the 1930s. He was 67.
Hours before the ceremony began, dozens of people carrying bouquets queued at public flower-laying stands at nearby Kudanzaka park.
Abe played a key role in bolstering ties between the UAE and Japan during his tenure, Abu Dhabi Media Office said.
“This included the signing of a large-scale strategic partnership agreement during his visit to the UAE in 2018 to further strengthen co-operation between the two countries and advance strategic partnerships across various fields,” a media office statement said.
Sheikh Khaled was accompanied by Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and Shehab Ahmed Al Fahim, UAE ambassador to Japan, as well as a number of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Shinzo Abe state funeral — in pictures
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Guests stand at the start of the state funeral of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. Abe died at the age of 67 after being shot while campaigning in July. AFP -

Abe's widow Akie carries her husband's ashes during the funeral. Protests opposing it have taken place across Japan for the longest-serving leader in its modern history and one of the most divisive. Getty Images -

Members of an honour guard carry Abe's ashes during his funeral. Abe was delivering a speech near a train station in the western city of Nara when he was shot dead by an assailant on July 8. It was the first assassination of a sitting or former Japanese prime minister since the 1930s. AP -

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, leads the UAE delegation at the funeral. He was accompanied by Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and UAE ambassador to Japan, Shehab Al Fahim, as well as a number of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation. Photo: Abu Dhabi Government Media Office -

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi after offering flowers during the funeral. EPA -

US Vice President Kamala Harris is among the foreign dignitaries at the funeral. Reuters -

Japan's Crown Prince Akishino, right, and Crown Princess Kiko pay their respects during Abe's final farewell. EPA -

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy arrives for the funeral. Getty Images -

Britain's former prime minister Theresa May arrives for the funeral. Getty Images -

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (C) arrives for the funeral. AFP -

Members of Japan's Ground Self-Defence Force take part in a 19-gun salute for the funeral. AFP -

Protesters attend a rally outside Japan's parliament building as they demonstrate against the funeral. Opponents of the state-sponsored funeral, which has its roots in pre-war imperial ceremonies, say taxpayers’ money should be spent on more meaningful causes, such as addressing widening economic disparities caused by Abe’s policies. Reuters -

People gather outside the National Diet Building to protest against the funeral. Getty Images -

A woman holds a placard during a protest against the funeral. Getty Images -

People leave flowers and pay their respects to Abe in Tokyo. AFP -

The queue to leave flowers at a park near the Nippon Budokan, where Abe's funeral was held. Getty -

A woman cries during an interview after leaving flowers. AFP -

An altar was set up with Abe's picture outside the funeral venue. Reuters -

Several current and former heads of state are in Japan for the funeral. Getty -

Security is tight at an altar set up for Abe. AFP -

Police officers stand guard in Tokyo during a protest against the funeral. Reuters -

People make clear their feelings about the state funeral. Reuters -

A police officer prepares to close a gate on a road near the funeral venue, Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. Getty -

The funeral venue the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. AP
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.”
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Sunday Athletic Bilbao v Getafe, 8.15am; Barcelona v Real Betis, 10.15pm; Deportivo v Real Madrid, 12.15am
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