• A Palestinian child looks at a horse in an impoverished neighbourhood of the Khan Younis refugee camp in southern Gaza Strip. The US said yesterday that it had cancelled more than two hundred million dollars in aid for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. AFP
    A Palestinian child looks at a horse in an impoverished neighbourhood of the Khan Younis refugee camp in southern Gaza Strip. The US said yesterday that it had cancelled more than two hundred million dollars in aid for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. AFP
  • Omani horse riders take part in a traditional equestrian show in Ibra, Oman. Getty
    Omani horse riders take part in a traditional equestrian show in Ibra, Oman. Getty
  • Lebanese pop star Wael Kfoury performs on stage during a concert at the Amchit International Festival in Lebanon. EPA
    Lebanese pop star Wael Kfoury performs on stage during a concert at the Amchit International Festival in Lebanon. EPA
  • Lebanese activists take part in the clean up of the country's coast, at Al-Ouzai area in Beirut. EPA
    Lebanese activists take part in the clean up of the country's coast, at Al-Ouzai area in Beirut. EPA
  • Coach Ichtar Zahraoui trains members of The Pirates American football team in the Moroccan capital Rabat. Around 30 young men and women gather every Sunday to play the game together. AFP
    Coach Ichtar Zahraoui trains members of The Pirates American football team in the Moroccan capital Rabat. Around 30 young men and women gather every Sunday to play the game together. AFP
  • Al-Wahda FC players celebrate as they lift the trophy after beating Al Ain FC in the United Arab Emirates Super Cup. Reuters
    Al-Wahda FC players celebrate as they lift the trophy after beating Al Ain FC in the United Arab Emirates Super Cup. Reuters
  • The grandchildren of 61-year-old Iraqi matriarch Sana Ibrahim share a meal in their family home in the northern city of Mosul. AFP
    The grandchildren of 61-year-old Iraqi matriarch Sana Ibrahim share a meal in their family home in the northern city of Mosul. AFP
  • Rubbish piles up in an impoverished neighbourhood of the Khan Younis refugee camp in southern Gaza Strip. AFP
    Rubbish piles up in an impoverished neighbourhood of the Khan Younis refugee camp in southern Gaza Strip. AFP
  • Security personnel inspect the aftermath of a suicide attack near the office of the Election Commission in Jalalabad city, capital of eastern Nangarhar province, Afghanistan. . At least two people were killed and four others wounded. AP
    Security personnel inspect the aftermath of a suicide attack near the office of the Election Commission in Jalalabad city, capital of eastern Nangarhar province, Afghanistan. . At least two people were killed and four others wounded. AP

The Middle East Framed - regional photography for August 26, 2018


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Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

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Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

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Occupation: co-founder of Cafe di Rosati

Age: 42

Marital status: single

Favourite drink: drip coffee V60

Favourite destination: Bali, Indonesia 

Favourite book: 100 Years of Solitude 

How to invest in gold

Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.

A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).

Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.

Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”

Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”

Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”

By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.

You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.

You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.