A hard-up fisherman in Thailand is in line for a windfall of more than $1 million after finding a rare piece of expensive “whale vomit” on a beach.
Narong Phetcharaj was returning to shore when he saw a strange object in the surf at Niyom beach in southern Thailand’s Surat Thani province.
He found a large lump of a waxy mass called ambergris, which is French for grey amber.
The substance, which is regurgitated by sperm whales, can be sold for up to $40,000 a kilogram.
Mr Phetcharaj found a piece weighing about 30kg, which could be worth up to $1.2 million
The fisherman took the mass to experts at the Prince of Songkla University, who identified it as ambergris.
The substance is produced by sperm whales, which eat large quantities of cephalopods such as squid and cuttlefish and usually vomit out indigestible elements such as the beaks and pens.
Sometimes, these parts move into the whale's intestines and bind together, slowly becoming a solid mass which grows inside the huge mammal over many years.
The whale then vomits out the mass, which solidifies and floats on the surface of the ocean. It has a foul smell at first but after drying out, it develops a sweet and long-lasting fragrance, making it a sought-after ingredient in the perfume industry.
"None of the villagers has ever seen or touched a real whale ambergris before and that’s why everybody was happy," Mr Phetcharaj said.
"I'm so excited; I don’t know what to do. I plan to sell the ambergris as I’ve already received a certificate to prove that it's real.
"If I can get a good price, I'll retire from working as a fisherman and throw a party for my friends."
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Winner of Ocean Photographer of the Year, Aimee Jan: A green turtle, surrounded by glass fish in Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. 'I was out snorkelling when one of my colleagues told me there was a turtle under a ledge in a school of glass fish, about 10 metres down,' says Jan. 'When I dived down to look, the fish separated around the turtle perfectly. I said to her: ‘I think I just took the best photo I have ever taken’.' -

Second place in Ocean Photographer of the Year, Henley Spiers: 'Diving amidst the barrage of gannets, I witness the violent synchronicity of these impressive seabirds as they embark on fishing dives,' says Spiers of this photo taken in the UK's Isle of Noss. 'They hit the water at 60 miles per hour (96kmh), an impact they can only withstand thanks to specially evolved air sacs in the head and chest. The bird’s agility transfers from air to sea where it also swims with incredible speed.' -

Third place in Ocean Photographer of the Year, Matty Smith: 'A hawksbill turtle hatchling just 3.5cm long and a few minutes old takes its first swim,' says Smith of his photo taken in Lissenung Island, Papua New Guinea. 'It had emerged from an egg just minutes earlier with approximately 100 of its siblings. They quickly made their way into the ocean to disperse as rapidly as they could and avoid predation from birds and fish. I had to work quickly for this shot.' -

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Second place in Adventure Photographer of the Year, Ben Thouard: A wave known as Teahupo’o, as seen from below, in Tahiti, French Polynesia -

Third place in Ocean Adventure Photographer of the Year, Sebastien Pontoizeau: A freediver duck dives to capture a photograph of a humpback whale off the coast of Reunion Island -

Nominee in Adventure Photographer of the Year, Steve Woods: Sea lions swarm a diver off Vancouver Island, Canada -

Winner of Collective Portfolio Award, Stefan Christmann: In late spring, the emperor penguin colony almost mainly consists of chicks in Antarctica -

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Winner of Collective Portfolio Award, Stefan Christmann: A lone chick standing on the ice shelf, as the sea ice broke up too early, in Antarctica -

Winner of Collective Portfolio Award, Stefan Christmann: Male emperor penguins huddling during polar night in Antarctica, to stay warm as a group -

Second place in Collective Portfolio Award, Matty Smith: A southern bobtail squid performs a spectacular display on the seabed at night -

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Second place in Collective Portfolio Award, Matty Smith: The Porpita porpita siphonophore appears like a miniature spinning galaxy on the ocean surface -

Third place in Collective Portfolio Award, Alex Kydd: A rare encounter with a fever of cownose rays on the Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia -
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Highly Commended in Conservation Photographer of the Year, Thien Nguyen: Anchovy fishing boats photographed from above along the coastline of Phu Yen province, Vietnam -

Winner of Exploration Photographer of the Year, Martin Broen: Speleothems cast long shadows at cenote Dos Pisos in Quintana Roo, Mexico -

Third place in Exploration Photographer of the Year, Matty Smith: A portrait of a squid, taken in Bushrangers Bay, Australia
The mystery of ambergris
The substance has been called the treasure of the sea and referred to as floating gold.
Its origin remained a mystery for years, with theories suggested it was hardened sea foam or the droppings of large birds.
However, it was not until large-scale whaling began in the 1800s that the discovered was made that the sperm whale was the material’s only producer.
Conflicting opinions still exist as to how ambergris emerges from the whale. Many believe that the whale regurgitates the mass – which is where the substance gets its nickname “whale vomit”. Some believe the whale pass the mass along with faecal matter, whereas others say the obstruction grows so large it eventually fatally ruptures the animal.
Kareem Shaheen on Canada
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
The biog
Occupation: Key marker and auto electrician
Hometown: Ghazala, Syria
Date of arrival in Abu Dhabi: May 15, 1978
Family: 11 siblings, a wife, three sons and one daughter
Favourite place in UAE: Abu Dhabi
Favourite hobby: I like to do a mix of things, like listening to poetry for example.
Favourite Syrian artist: Sabah Fakhri, a tenor from Aleppo
Favourite food: fresh fish
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
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Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
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Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
- Life in the royal residences with Sheikha Osha bint Nahayan
- Sheikha Mahra and Sheikha Sabha recall their time spent in Al Hosn
- A place where problems were solved
- How the fort's rise tracked Abu Dhabi's development
- Meet Frauke Heard-Bey - the fort's historian for 30 years
- In Pictures: Story of a fort
On Women's Day
Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action
Shelina Janmohamed: Why shouldn't a spouse be compensated fairly for housework?
Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others
Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.
As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.
Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.
“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”
Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.
“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”
Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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F1 The Movie
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Transgender report
HERO%20CUP%20TEAMS
THE LOWDOWN
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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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Selected fixtures
All times UAE
Wednesday
Poland v Portugal 10.45pm
Russia v Sweden 10.45pm
Friday
Belgium v Switzerland 10.45pm
Croatia v England 10.45pm
Saturday
Netherlands v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Denmark 10.45pm
Sunday
Poland v Italy 10.45pm
Monday
Spain v England 10.45pm
Tuesday
France v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Wales 10.45pm
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