Related: Jail term for Emirati woman after worker's death highlights employers' duty of care
The Ruler of Sharjah will pay Dh200,000 blood money to enable the release of an Emirati woman from prison, the emirate's government-run radio station reported.
The woman was put behind bars after one of her employees was electrocuted.
As the woman was the sponsor, a criminal case was filed against her in a court in Sharjah's Kalba area and she was asked to pay blood money to the family of the worker.
Sharjah Radio host
Her husband Abu Mohammad, who lives in Umm Al Quwain, went on air to explain that his wife was sent to jail for a death that happened by accident.
He told Sharjah Radio that he could not afford to pay the blood money.
“My wife is an old woman and she is in prison,” the man said.
“She is still there because of unpaid blood money. I wanted to sell my house to pay it off but where would I go then?”
The live radio programme Al Khat Al Mubasher (The Direct Line) is a popular platform for residents in the emirate to share concerns with government officials and Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, is a regular listener.
Sheikh Dr Sultan heard about the man’s plight and said he would pay the money to free the woman.
“Abu Mohammad, I would like to bring the good news to you that the Ruler sends his greetings to you and wants you to know that your wife will be with you soon. He will personally pay the blood money," host Mohamed Hassan Khalaf told the man.
“Oh Allah, God bless Sheikh Sultan” the man repeatedly said on the radio.
No further details of the case were shared by the caller.
This is not the first time that the Ruler of Sharjah has responded to complaints and appeals made on the radio.
Several citizens who struggled financially have had their debts settled after they shared their stories on the radio.
In September 2020, Sheikh Dr Sultan ordered that single men should leave family neighbourhoods in Sharjah after an Emirati woman complained.
This led to the authorities conducting checks and issuing eviction notices to about 13,000 illegal tenants and single men.
Seven highlights from the life of Sheikh Dr Sultan, Ruler of Sharjah
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The Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, holds a news conference in San Francisco in 1973 to discuss plans for developing oil operations in the emirate. AP -

High rise buildings and hotels sprout on the sandy shore of Sharjah during its transformation from fishing town to major city in 1977. AP -

A British official mingles with local dignitaries at a feast in November 1971. AP -

Sharjah's Central Souq in January 1980. AP -

An electronics shop in the city in the 1970s. Getty -

The park established by the Sharjah Municipality in front of Al Hisn, the city's fort, pictured in 1967. Photo: Sharjah Documentation and Archive Authority -

The Rolla tree in Sharjah in the 1950s during Eid celebrations. The enormous tree fell in 1978, to be commemorated by a statue in Rolla Square. Photo: Sharjah Documentation and Archive Authority -

Old Sharjah Airport Mosque, which was located near the airport in Al Qasimia. It was demolished and Al Khayal Mosque was built at the same site. Photo: Sharjah Documentation and Archive Authority -

Sharjah city seen from the east in the late 1960s including the Clock Tower Square. Photo: Sharjah Documentation and Archive Authority -

Al Hisn. The old fort was built around 1820 by then Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi, as Sharjah’s government headquarters. Photo: Sharjah Documentation and Archive Authority -

A mosque in Sharjah city in 1972. Photo: Sharjah Documentation and Archive Authority -

The entrance of the Sharjah Radio building, which was constructed in 1972. The station broadcast in Arabic for 16 hours a day. Photo: Sharjah Documentation and Archive Authority -
The Sharjah TV and Radio building in 1989. Photo: Sharjah Documentation and Archive Authority -

Sharjah's Central Post Office in the 1970s. Photo: Sharjah Documentation and Archive Authority -

Sharjah Public Library. Photo: Sharjah Documentation and Archive Authority -

The entrance to the Sharjah Radio building, constructed in 1972. Photo: Sharjah Documentation and Archive Authority -

Eid celebrations in front of Al Hisn in the early 1970s. Photo: Sharjah Documentation and Archive Authority -

Mleiha Archaeological Centre. Photo: Sharjah Media Office -

Khor Fakkan Beach. Photo: Sharjah Media Office -

Al Majaz Amphitheatre, Sharjah. Photo: Sharjah Media Office -

Sharjah International Book Fair is an 11-day event that was first held in Sharjah in 1982. Photo: Sharjah Media Office -

The College of Sharia and Islamic Studies is one of the foremost colleges that rose to prominence with the establishment of the University of Sharjah in the year 1977. Photo: Sharjah Media Office -

Al Noor Mosque and Al Noor Island, which sits in Khalid Lake in the city of Sharjah. Photo: Sharjah Media Office -

The House of Wisdom, Sharjah's state-of-the-art public library that opened in 2020. Photo: Sharjah Media Office -

The Sharjah Mosque, the largest mosque in the emirate, opened in 2019. Photo: Sharjah Media Office -

The Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, is shown a new housing and business development by Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed, right, in 2020. The National -

The Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, presents his latest novel at a dinner reception hosted by the Sharjah Book Authority at the Literaturhaus in Frankfurt in 2018. Photo: Sharjah Media Corporation
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
Rashmee Roshan Lall: Sound of silence in South Asia
Fanar Haddad: The Iranian response will be gradual
Richard Olson: Why Afghanistan will be very wary
Sholto Byrnes: Multilateralism needs a reboot
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
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Asia Cup Qualifier
Final
UAE v Hong Kong
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am
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RESULT
Esperance de Tunis 1 Guadalajara 1
(Esperance won 6-5 on penalties)
Esperance: Belaili 38’
Guadalajara: Sandoval 5’
ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
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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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
Five ways to get fit like Craig David (we tried for seven but ran out of time)
Start the week as you mean to go on. So get your training on strong on a Monday.
Train hard, but don’t take it all so seriously that it gets to the point where you’re not having fun and enjoying your friends and your family and going out for nice meals and doing that stuff.
Think about what you’re training or eating a certain way for — don’t, for example, get a six-pack to impress somebody else or lose weight to conform to society’s norms. It’s all nonsense.
Get your priorities right.
And last but not least, you should always, always chill on Sundays.
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While you're here
Hussein Ibish: America's attitude to Palestine and Israel has subtly shifted
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Sweet%20Tooth
MATCH INFO
Red Star Belgrade v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight (Thursday), UAE
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
Don't get fined
The UAE FTA requires following to be kept:
- Records of all supplies and imports of goods and services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents related to receiving goods or services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents issued
- Records of goods and services that have been disposed of or used for matters not related to business
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Sassuolo v Bologna (11.45pm)
Saturday
Brescia v Torino (6pm)
Inter Milan v Verona (9pm)
Napoli v Genoa (11.45pm)
Sunday
Cagliari v Verona (3.30pm)
Udinese v SPAL (6pm)
Sampdoria v Atalanta (6pm)
Lazio v Lecce (6pm)
Parma v Roma (9pm)
Juventus v Milan (11.45pm)
'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
While you're here
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Chitrabhanu Kadalayil: Is India's federalism facing needless stress tests?
Johann Chacko: What Kerala can teach us all about flattening the curve
Kunal Purohit: India's migrant labour crisis is a chance to fix an old wrong
Explained
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
HIV on the rise in the region
A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.
New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.
Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.
Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.
Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.
The view from The National
Read more
While you're here
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MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm


