Coronavirus: UAE video campaign inspires nation's fight against Covid-19


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The UAE has delivered an impassioned rallying cry to the nation to stand together in solidarity and trust in its efforts to tackle the spread of coronavirus.

In a video message released by government, Emiratis and expats alike are hailed for their response to the challenges being posed by the pandemic.

Residents are told that the Emirates will emerge from the public health crisis stronger than before.

Members of the public are thanked for supporting the government's strict stay-home measures aimed at slowing the spread of the disease and easing the strain on medical services.

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In a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office alongside the video, members of the public are urged to throw their support behind the nation.

"We stand here in solidarity in the country we call home. In the leadership we unequivocally trust. In the nation that has given us new beginnings. This is the country where we have built our dreams. Our hopes. Our life. This is the place we belong. This is where we feel safe," the statement says.

"At a time when the world is facing the biggest challenge in many generations, the UAE has been strong and authoritative in its bid to protect all its citizens. UAE residents have followed each new directive in recent weeks for one principal reason – trust. It’s the same trust that has helped the country grow into a global force.

"It’s the same trust that has put UAE on the world map. It’s the same trust that instils pride in all of us to be part of this great nation."

Across the country, schools and universities have emptied classrooms and turned to digital learning, once bustling malls have temporarily shut and the majority of flights in and out of the country have been grounded.

A nationwide sterilisation campaign has been launched to clean up roads, streets and the public transport fleet.

Drive-through Covid-19 testing centres have also been rolled out in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

In Dubai, residents now require a permit to leave their homes for essential journeys such as hospital visits and to pick up groceries.

The uplifting video asks 10 million people to place their trust in the country – whether it is their homeland or adopted home – and assures them they will be supported in the "darkest" of times.

Viewers are told the UAE embraces all of its residents – wherever they come from – as a montage is shown of healthcare workers, patients in hospital and UAE leaders Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

Sheikh Mohamed is shown telling of how he was moved to tears by videos of residents singing the UAE national anthem to hail the frontline heroes for their fight against Covid-19.

The 90-second video calls on the public to be part of the "UAE family" and join together to overcome the threat of coronavirus.

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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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  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
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Top New Zealand cop on policing the virtual world

New Zealand police began closer scrutiny of social media and online communities after the attacks on two mosques in March, the country's top officer said.

The killing of 51 people in Christchurch and wounding of more than 40 others shocked the world. Brenton Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, was accused of the killings. His trial is ongoing and he denies the charges.

Mike Bush, commissioner of New Zealand Police, said officers looked closely at how they monitored social media in the wake of the tragedy to see if lessons could be learned.

“We decided that it was fit for purpose but we need to deepen it in terms of community relationships, extending them not only with the traditional community but the virtual one as well," he told The National.

"We want to get ahead of attacks like we suffered in New Zealand so we have to challenge ourselves to be better."