Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, the Crown Prince of Dubai, presents the Smart Journalism Award to Mohammed Al Hammadi, the editor-in-chief of Al Ittihad newspaper, the Arabic-language sister paper of The National, at the 14th Arab Media Forum in Dubai. Wam
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, the Crown Prince of Dubai, presents the Smart Journalism Award to Mohammed Al Hammadi, the editor-in-chief of Al Ittihad newspaper, the Arabic-language sister paper of The Show more

UAE People & Politics: A week in review



Every week, The National takes a look at the people and politics of the UAE, as the country steps more confidently on to the world stage.

May 8

Nahyan bin Mubarak praises Mohammed bin Zayed's role in cultural movement

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, praised the role played by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, in enriching the cultural movement in the UAE.

Leaders congratulate Cameron on winning British parliamentary election

President Sheikh Khalifa sent a cable to David Cameron, leader of the British Conservative Party, congratulating him on his party winning the parliamentary election and his assignment to form a new government. Similar cables of congratulations were sent by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

May 9

UAE Ambassador to UN: UAE’s priorities centre around meeting shared global challenges

Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, UAE Permanent Representative UN, delivered remarks at the Spring Meeting of the Women’s Leadership Board at the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in the US. On the closing day of the meeting, Ms Nusseibeh delivered a briefing on the Middle East.

Abdullah bin Zayed visits Family Development Foundation pavilion at book fair

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs, visited the Family Development Foundation pavilion at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. During the visit, Sheikh Abdullah was briefed on the services provided by the foundation through its centres. He was received by Mariam Al Rumaithi, director general of the foundation, along with other officials.

Sheikha Fatima honours winners of athletic award

Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, received at Al Bahar Palace the chairperson and members of Supreme Committee of the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Award for Woman Athletes.

Ruler of Sharjah arrives for visit in Cairo

Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, arrived in Cairo on an official visit. Dr Sheikh Sultan visited centres and institutes, and met senior Egyptian officials to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in the cultural and academic areas.

May 10

RAK Ruler receives outgoing American consul general

Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, today received Robert Waller, US consul general, in Dubai. Mr Waller was paying a courtesy visit to mark the end of his tenure in the UAE. Sheikh Saqr wished Mr Waller success in future assignments and praised his efforts in strengthening the bonds of cooperation between the UAE and the US at various levels.

Lubna: Zayed University continues to pursue excellence at academic and administrative levels

Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, president of Zayed University and Minister of International Cooperation and Development, affirmed Zayed University’s keenness to continue to pursue excellence and distinction at both academic and administrative levels.

May 11

Hamdan bin Zayed receives delegation from National Archives

Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region, received a delegation from the National Archives at Al Nakheel Palace.

FNC Speaker meets Secretary General of Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union

Mohammed Al Murr, Speaker of the Federal National Council has met Noureddine Bouchkouj, secretary general of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union, and discussed ways of activating the parliamentary relations between the member states of the Arab Parliamentary Union, confirming the importance of communication and the exchange of experience, as well as benefiting from the experiences of parliamentary countries.

Ruler of Sharjah opens archaeology building in Egypt

Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, affirmed his support of the General Union of Arab Archaeologists in its decisions and goals in preserving the achievements of the Arab nation for future generations. Dr Sheikh Sultan was on a visit to Egypt in which he also met senior Egyptian officials and visited various institutions.

Saif bin Zayed meets Omani Ambassador

Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, met Sheikh Mohammed Al Qatabi, the Omani ambassador.

Gargash receives UN Special Envoy for Yemen

Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, received Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, to discuss the outlook for a political solution to the situation in Yemen that is based on the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative, the outcome of Yemeni national dialogue and the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, Resolution 2216 in particular. The two parties also addressed the preparations for the Yemeni Dialogue Conference in Riyadh, the escalating humanitarian crisis in Yemen, and relief.

Hamdan bin Zayed receives UAE Paralympic and fulfils wish of special needs pupil

Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region, received at Al Nakheel Palace Mohammed Al Hameli, chairman of the UAE Disabled Sports Federation, who was accompanied by Abdullah Al Aryani, member of the UAE Paralympic shooting team and world Paralympic champion.

May 12

Abdullah bin Zayed and EU official meet on relations

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Foreign Minister, spoke with Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, in a telephone conversation. They discussed bilateral relations between the UAE and the European Union and issues of mutual concern, and latest political developments in Yemen and Libya. Sheikh Abdullah also exchanged congratulations with Ms Mogherini on the occasion of the signing of an agreement on the exemption of UAE nationals from Schengen visa requirements in Brussels.

May 13

Ajman Ruler receives Somali Consul-General

Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Ruler of Ajman, today received Omer Abdul Aziz Noor, Somali consul general in Dubai, who paid him a courtesy visit at his office in the Emiri Court. Sheikh Humaid welcomed the consul general and the two shared cordial discussion on mutual relations, and talked of existing bilateral cooperation between the UAE and Somalia and ways of consolidating them for the benefit of the two brotherly peoples.

Saif bin Zayed gifts 1,000 copies of Police Encyclopedia to Education Council

Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, has given 1,000 copies of the Abu Dhabi Police Encyclopedia to the Abu Dhabi Education Council to be distributed in the capital’s school libraries, as part of the “Abu Dhabi Reads 2015” campaign which aims to encourage reading as a habit, especially among students.

Ruler of Fujairah visits 9th Fujairah Career Fair 2015

Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Ruler of Fujairah, toured the 9th Fujairah Career Fair 2015, accompanied by Sheikh Dr Rashid bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Chairman of the Fujairah Culture and Media Authority. Organised by the Fujairah Government Human Resources Department, 120 government agencies and semi-government, and private sector firms are taking part in the fair.

UAE’s development is not superficial, Gargash says

Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said development in the UAE was “serene, serious and successful”, during the Arab Media Forum in Dubai. In contrast, the Middle East was “at its worst in the history of Arabian politics”, he said.

Dubai Crown Prince meets heads of Dubai hospitals

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, underscored that Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, would not tolerate any department or sector in Dubai or the UAE that does not meet the aspirations and expectations of the UAE citizens, during a meeting with Dubai hospital chiefs. He said that he was closely following up the services provided to Emiratis and their satisfaction levels, and he always monitored staff satisfaction rates in all sectors and directed everyone to take necessary steps, and provided the best institutional environments.

May 14

FNC and Spanish senate sign cooperation agreement

Mohammed Al Murr, Speaker of the Federal National Council, and Pio Garcia-Escuder, president of the Spanish senate, have signed a cooperation agreement to strengthen relations between the two bodies. Mr Al Murr said that the cooperation agreement would contribute to the activation of parliamentary cooperation and exchange of experiences with the Spanish Parliament to unify positions and visions towards various issues that are reviewed in various parliamentary forums. The signing ceremony, which took place in Madrid, was attended by a number of FNC members, Dr Mohammed Salem Al Mazroui, FNC secretary general, and Dr Hessa Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to Spain.

Sheikh Nahyan thanks Sheikha Fatima for award

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, said he was proud to have been recognised as Local Personality Supporting Youth Issues, by the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak International Award for Arab Youth. Sheikh Nahyan thanked Sheikha Fatima, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation and Head of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood. He also hailed Sheikha Fatima’s contributions towards human development.

newsdesk@thenational.ae

Mobile phone packages comparison

Overall head-to-head

Federer 6-1 Cilic

Head-to-head at Wimbledon

Federer 1-0 Cilic

Grand Slams titles

Federer 18-1 Cilic

Best Wimbledon performance

Federer: Winner (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012)
Cilic: Final (2017*)

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE

Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega

Director: Tim Burton

Rating: 3/5

Secret Nation: The Hidden Armenians of Turkey
Avedis Hadjian, (IB Tauris)
 

If you go...

Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.

Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia

World Cricket League Division 2

In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.

UAE fixtures

Thursday, February 8 v Kenya; Friday, February v Canada; Sunday, February 11 v Nepal; Monday, February 12 v Oman; Wednesday, February 14 v Namibia; Thursday, February 15 final

The drill

Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.

Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”

Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”

Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.” 

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
F1 drivers' standings

1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281

2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247

3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222

4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177

5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138

6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93

7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86

8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56

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.”