British finance minister Rishi Sunak told the G7 conference there was a 'moral, health and economic case for rapid and fair vaccine distribution across the world'. Reuters
British finance minister Rishi Sunak told the G7 conference there was a 'moral, health and economic case for rapid and fair vaccine distribution across the world'. Reuters
British finance minister Rishi Sunak told the G7 conference there was a 'moral, health and economic case for rapid and fair vaccine distribution across the world'. Reuters
British finance minister Rishi Sunak told the G7 conference there was a 'moral, health and economic case for rapid and fair vaccine distribution across the world'. Reuters

UK urges G7 to take action on global post-Covid fallout


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The UK pressed fellow G7 members on Friday to tackle the global fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

It also urged action on climate change and digital taxation, as it outlined its priorities for the elite economic body.

Finance minister Rishi Sunak and Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey hosted their counterparts from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States at an online conference in a lead-up to a summit in Britain later this year.

The G7's first gathering since Joe Biden became US president included Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who made a clear break with the former administration of Donald Trump.

The G7 must ensure that international financial institutions have the right tools to equip and enable vulnerable countries to respond to the pandemic

"Secretary Yellen emphasised the commitment of the Biden administration to multilateralism to solve global issues," the US Treasury Department said.

Washington "places a high priority on deepening our international engagement and strengthening our alliances", it added, as the new administration attempts to move past four years of Mr Trump's "America First" agenda.

Britain's finance ministry said the talks involved an exchange of views about the best way to bounce back from the impact of Covid-19.

"The G7 must ensure that international financial institutions have the right tools to equip and enable vulnerable countries to respond to the pandemic," it said.

A French source told AFP that the world's leading economies would consider whether to use the International Monetary Fund to mobilise $500 billion in coronavirus aid to the poorest nations.

Mr Sunak said there was a "moral, health and economic case for rapid and fair vaccine distribution across the world", given fears of growing "vaccine nationalism" and rows over supplies.

The G7 should "take the lead in shaping support for vulnerable countries in 2021", his office said.

G7 leaders including Mr Biden are due to meet at a seaside retreat in Cornwall in south-west England on June 11-13, after last year's meeting in the US was shelved because of the pandemic.

Climate to be centre of agenda at COP26 

Britain is also hosting the COP26 UN conference on climate change in the Scottish city of Glasgow in November, with hopes of fresh commitments towards targets for net-zero carbon emissions.

Mr Sunak urged his counterparts "to make climate and nature considerations a central part of all economic and financial decision-making in 2021", according to his office.

He also "stressed the importance of working together to support a smooth and effective transition of the group's economies to net-zero carbon emissions."

Britain took on the rotating G7 presidency last month with hopes for greater US co-operation after Mr Biden restored the US to the Paris climate accord and the World Health Organisation in a series of executive of orders.

His first 17 presidential orders can be read here.

Ms Yellen also repeated the need for further fiscal support "to promote a robust and lasting [economic] recovery", with Washington locked in partisan bickering over a fresh stimulus package.

Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

Poacher
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The specs
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  • Power: 640hp
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  • On sale: 2026
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The Pope's itinerary

Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport


Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial


Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport

THE BIO

BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.

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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Day 1 results:

Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)

Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

The biog

Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia

Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins

Favourite dish: Grilled fish

Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.