FUJAIRAH // Against a catchy Emirati song and drumbeat, a cocky swordsman named Hamad challenges a newcomer.
Clad in the national dress of white kandura and hamdaniya on his head, Hamad pulls out all his best moves, dancing and jumping away with a sword in a circular arena. Your swordsman, a twin of Hamad in a beige kandura, just hops along - until you figure out how to press the right buttons at the right time.
A hint: the space button on the keyboard makes him jump.
Welcome to the internet video game Al Saif.
"Yala yala!" cries out 12-year-old Ahmed Mohammed, slamming the keyboard hard, trying to make his swordsman jump as high as possible.
The young Emirati tried out the video game after watching the live competition between real swordsmen in Fujairah last month as part of the annual Al Saif sword championships.
This year's Al Saif championships saw the soft launch of the video game, pioneered by the Crown Prince of Fujairah, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad, that aims to reach "young generations from all backgrounds".
"His Highness thought up the idea of a video game, based on this competition, where the players will have to learn the rules of this tradition in order to play it," says Ali Yaeesh, head of the new media committee of the sword competition. "It is taking a traditional sport and making it accessible to everyone to learn and participate in it."
Early reviews suggest the game, while intriguing, still has some kinks to work out.
"I keep forgetting the rules," young Ahmed says. "It is actually pretty annoying."
The rules of the game, which is in English, are among the available options when you load Al Saif onto your computer screen. Character movements are defined by keyboard buttons. The swordsman can be made to jump or "ghali", throw the sword high and catch it, perform the "luqiya" or the meeting, and do the various moves that go into the actual Al Mazafen, which is also known as sword dancing.
When he throws and catches his sword properly, Ahmed's player gets a shower of clapping and whistling, and the words "well done" pop up on the screen from the invisible audience in the game.
But Ahmed says the game could be a bit more realistic.
"They need to add more options and some blood," he says. "For in real life, the swordsmen get injured."
Experts studying the virtual world and its effect on culture and society say these kinds of games and initiatives are important.
"It looks interesting," said Dr Sara de Freitas, a professor of virtual environments and the director of research at UK-based The Serious Games Institute.
"Games such as these can inform, teach, and effect upon behavioural changes," she said.
"Whether used for connecting communities up with their heritage or awareness raising of particular issues, serious games are at the cutting edge of new innovative technologies and have the power to change the way we live, play, work and learn."
Four months in the making, the Al Saif game is available for free online at http://www.saif.mhm.ae/. Its developers are still working on making it compatible with all platforms, particularly the hand-held smartphones such as iPhones, BlackBerrys and Androids.
"We are still working on making it better and hope it will be the beginning of reviving traditional games from real life into timeless virtual ones," Mr Yaeesh said.
Players compete against the champion Hamad to see who can do the sword dance Al Mazafen better, including hopping and sword throwing, with a meter that measures the height of the throws. (You can cheat by pressing 'R' to reset the sword for a second chance at a toss.)
Hamad wasn't the only virtual character born of the sword championships. There was also an animated Saif welcoming visitors to the heritage village at Fujairah Fort where the real competition took place.
This virtual Saif extended greetings, provided information about the competition and the heritage village, and gave visitors a virtual tour of Fujairah's hot spots.
Some who have played the video game complained that when too many buttons were pressed at the same time, the screen went fuzzy.
One of the players who tried out the game is a real-life, reigning swords champion.
"It is way too simple," says Saif Al Yammahi, 21, who won second place in the 2011 championships. "The actual sport is far more difficult and complicated."
Mr Al Yammahi is from the mountainous area of Al Tawain. The tribesmen of Al Yammahi took home a silver-plated sword and Dh60,000 in prize money last year.
"I think they need to add more levels and variety to the game itself so people keep playing it," says Mr Al Yammahi, who has been injured many times during practice.
Looking at the video game's Hamad, who sports a slight beard, Mr Al Yammahi laughs and says, "He looks a bit like me, right?"
The game's creators won't say after who the character was modelled on, but living and breathing swordsmen say they still prefer the real deal.
"Nothing beats actually throwing the sword in real life," Mr Al Yammahi says.
rghazal@thenational.ae
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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.”
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The biog
Name: Mariam Ketait
Emirate: Dubai
Hobbies: I enjoy travelling, experiencing new things, painting, reading, flying, and the French language
Favourite quote: "Be the change you wish to see" - unknown
Favourite activity: Connecting with different cultures
More on animal trafficking
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
