• Dogs wait to be fed after they were left behind when everyone was evacuated from Jakhau port, before the arrival of cyclone Biparjoy in the western state of Gujarat, in Jakhau, India, June 14, 2023. REUTERS / Francis Mascarenhas TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
    Dogs wait to be fed after they were left behind when everyone was evacuated from Jakhau port, before the arrival of cyclone Biparjoy in the western state of Gujarat, in Jakhau, India, June 14, 2023. REUTERS / Francis Mascarenhas TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
  • A window at Byblos Bank in Beirut is smashed as protesters demand the release of depositors' savings amid the economic crisis in Lebanon. AP
    A window at Byblos Bank in Beirut is smashed as protesters demand the release of depositors' savings amid the economic crisis in Lebanon. AP
  • A South Korean military helicopter fires flares during a drill with US forces, an event held to mark the 70th anniversary of the alliance between the countries. EPA
    A South Korean military helicopter fires flares during a drill with US forces, an event held to mark the 70th anniversary of the alliance between the countries. EPA
  • Smoke rises from Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, after Israel blew up a house that belonged to a jailed Palestinian man linked to an attack that killed an Israeli soldier. AFP
    Smoke rises from Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, after Israel blew up a house that belonged to a jailed Palestinian man linked to an attack that killed an Israeli soldier. AFP
  • Palestinian fishermen work at the port in Gaza city. AFP
    Palestinian fishermen work at the port in Gaza city. AFP
  • Migrants rest in a shelter after being rescued off from a capsized boat off the coast of Greece. At least 79 died in the incident. Reuters
    Migrants rest in a shelter after being rescued off from a capsized boat off the coast of Greece. At least 79 died in the incident. Reuters
  • A surfer rides a wave of the Eisbach river in the English Garden park in Munich, Germany. EPA
    A surfer rides a wave of the Eisbach river in the English Garden park in Munich, Germany. EPA
  • People gather near an excavation site in Lima, Peru, where experts discovered a mummy, believed to be from between 1,500 and 1,000 BC. Reuters
    People gather near an excavation site in Lima, Peru, where experts discovered a mummy, believed to be from between 1,500 and 1,000 BC. Reuters
  • German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stands on a wind turbine in the northern municipality of Holtsee. AFP
    German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stands on a wind turbine in the northern municipality of Holtsee. AFP
  • A Colombian soldier trains a dog in tracking and trailing in Bogota. AFP
    A Colombian soldier trains a dog in tracking and trailing in Bogota. AFP
  • Norway's King Harald V stumbles as he and Queen Sonja are received by Denmark's Queen Margrethe II at the Port of Copenhagen, Denmark. Reuters
    Norway's King Harald V stumbles as he and Queen Sonja are received by Denmark's Queen Margrethe II at the Port of Copenhagen, Denmark. Reuters
  • Patients wait for bandages to be removed from their eyes after having operations at a cataract camp in Basantapur, Nepal. AFP
    Patients wait for bandages to be removed from their eyes after having operations at a cataract camp in Basantapur, Nepal. AFP
  • A butterfly lands on the face of a primary school pupil in British Columbia, Canada. AP
    A butterfly lands on the face of a primary school pupil in British Columbia, Canada. AP

Today's best photos: from dogs left behind to face a cyclone to a butterfly close up


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More from The National

Wednesday's best photos: from Berlusconi's funeral to Art Basel

Tuesday's best photos: from South Korean firefighters to migrants in France

Monday's best photos: from South Korea firefighting contest to migrants i8n Britain

Sunday's best photos: from a flying priest in Italy to a jumping dance in Kenya

Saturday's best photos: from a butterfly art exhibition to a fisherman playing cricket

Friday's best photos: from Princess of Wales' interception to the French Open

Thursday's best photos: from a wax 3D model to a Girl with a Pearl Earring

Profile

Company: Justmop.com

Date started: December 2015

Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan

Sector: Technology and home services

Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai

Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month

Funding:  The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups. 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Skoda Superb Specs

Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol

Power: 190hp

Torque: 320Nm

Price: From Dh147,000

Available: Now

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Power: 268bhp / 536bhp
Torque: 343Nm / 686Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
On sale: Later this year
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sav%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Purvi%20Munot%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24750%2C000%20as%20of%20March%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street

The seven points are:

Shakhbout bin Sultan Street

Dhafeer Street

Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)

Salama bint Butti Street

Al Dhafra Street

Rabdan Street

Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)

Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier

UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs

Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)

1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0

Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

SERIES SCHEDULE

First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6

UAE%20set%20for%20Scotland%20series
%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20will%20host%20Scotland%20for%20a%20three-match%20T20I%20series%20at%20the%20Dubai%20International%20Stadium%20next%20month.%3Cbr%3EThe%20two%20sides%20will%20start%20their%20Cricket%20World%20Cup%20League%202%20campaigns%20with%20a%20tri-series%20also%20involving%20Canada%2C%20starting%20on%20January%2029.%3Cbr%3EThat%20series%20will%20be%20followed%20by%20a%20bilateral%20T20%20series%20on%20March%2011%2C%2013%20and%2014.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

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.”

Updated: June 15, 2023, 4:35 PM