Nature morte a la pasteque (Still Life with Watermelon) by Pablo Picasso was one of the paintings seized from Nazem Ahmad. Photo: Shutterstock
Nature morte a la pasteque (Still Life with Watermelon) by Pablo Picasso was one of the paintings seized from Nazem Ahmad. Photo: Shutterstock
Nature morte a la pasteque (Still Life with Watermelon) by Pablo Picasso was one of the paintings seized from Nazem Ahmad. Photo: Shutterstock
Nature morte a la pasteque (Still Life with Watermelon) by Pablo Picasso was one of the paintings seized from Nazem Ahmad. Photo: Shutterstock

Hezbollah-linked Picasso and Warhol stash raises red flag to art world


Tariq Tahir
  • English
  • Arabic

When police swooped on a high-security warehouse near London's Heathrow airport, officers took away nearly two dozen works of art belonging to alleged Hezbollah financier Nazem Ahmad.

At the same time, at an auction house in central London, they seized art that Mr Ahmad, a Beirut art gallery owner who the US wants to put on trial, had hoped to sell.

The seized works included Picasso's 1962 linocut Nature morte a la pasteque (Still Life with a Watermelon) and several by Andy Warhol, including Details of Renaissance Paintings (Leonardo da Vinci, The Annunciation, 1472).

A Stanley Whitney painting, Sing All Day, worth £225,000 ($315,000) and Iranian artist Ali Banisadr's painting Divine Wind, valued at £175,000, were the two most valuable taken by officers.

Police believe the sale of all the work seized – valued at almost £1 million – was probably to have funded crime or terrorism.

The investigation narrowed in on the world of art storage, which legitimate business authorities believe may be exploited by terrorists, sanctions evaders and criminals trying to hide their assets.

With the price of art soaring and the ease with which it can be taken across borders and hidden from view, it is increasingly becoming the commodity criminals want, often stashed for years away from prying eyes.

Alarm bells have been ringing for years for some global experts who spoke to The National about their concerns.

Now, law enforcement is sending an “unprecedented shot across the bows” for the industry to be proactive in identifying culprits.

The UK's National Crime Agency has issued an "Amber Alert" to art storage centres to raise red flags over their use for money laundering, tax evasion, terrorist financing, bribery and corruption.

It refers to an investigation into a "sanctioned Hezbollah financier which identified approximately a million pounds sterling in fine artwork belonging to this individual in art storage facilities in the UK".

Adrian Searle, director of the National Economic Crime Centre at the NCA, has said the sector must "increase its vigilance and embrace their role as the gatekeeper of the legitimate art market".

Who is Nazem Ahmad?

Nazem Ahmad is accused of being a financier of Hezbollah. Photo: US Treasury Department
Nazem Ahmad is accused of being a financier of Hezbollah. Photo: US Treasury Department

The US has offered a $10 million reward for information on Mr Ahmad, 59, who is understood to be living in Beirut.

The Lebanese art dealer and diamond smuggler who has been accused of financing Hezbollah, was first accused by the US Department of the Treasury in 2019 of laundering “substantial” amounts of money and being involved in the smuggling of “blood diamonds” for Hezbollah, which the Americans have designated a terrorist organisation and hit with sanctions.

Mr Ahmad was sanctioned and then in April last year, he was charged by the US along with eight associates, including his UK-based right-hand man Sundar Nagarajan, with offences relating to breaching sanctions regulations.

Mr Nagarajan was extradited to the US in December.

The UK government also sanctioned Mr Ahmad, saying he had an extensive art collection in Britain and conducted business with several UK-based artists, art galleries and auction houses.

I am particularly concerned about how terrorist networks and organised crime might use a warehouse to hide goods
Rick St Hillaire,
lawyer

A month later came the Metropolitan Police action in which, under a warrant, 23 paintings he owned were seized at a warehouse of art storage company Williams & Hill in Feltham, near Heathrow.

A further nine works were seized at Phillips auction house in London, where Mr Ahmad had sent them to be sold. A forfeiture order was issued in October.

Phillips told The National it has co-operated fully with the authorities in the US and the UK. In a statement, it said: "On becoming aware of the allegations and the action taken by the US authorities, Phillips immediately ensured that Mr Ahmad was banned from transacting with us and froze all artworks belonging to Mr Ahmad in our possession globally at that time.

"In February 2020, Phillips provided a full list to the US Department of Justice of all properties held by us belonging to Mr Ahmad.

"When the UK police subsequently requested to take possession of the property belonging to Mr Ahmad, Phillips fully and promptly complied.”

Warehouses of art storage and shipping company Williams & Hill in Feltham, west London. The National
Warehouses of art storage and shipping company Williams & Hill in Feltham, west London. The National

Williams & Hill has three large centres holding artwork for shipping, or long-term storage.

The company offers a 32,000-square-foot "custom-designed facility" with the "latest in high-security storage" that is "fully climate-controlled".

There is no suggestion Williams & Hill has committed any criminal offence. The company declined to comment when approached by The National.

Art is movable and hideable as an asset compared to property or a yacht. So when a painting is stored, nobody really knows that it’s there
Angelika Hellweger,
lawyer

London's Met Police told The National that officers from the UK's National Terrorist Financing Investigation Unit (NTFIU) are investigating "suspected terrorist financing and money laundering which is believed to be connected to wealthy art collector and diamond dealer, Nazem Ahmad".

"Ahmad is suspected of being a funding source for Hezbollah, a proscribed terrorist organisation," said the force.

"Terrorist groups rely on financial support and funding for their activities, and the NTFIU works closely with agencies in the UK and around the world to identify and take action against those who provide and facilitate this funding."

Although storage owners “had ceased dealing with the subject” and the artwork had been left for more than a year, the “companies involved had not notified the authorities of what they were holding, or for whom”, said the NCA.

The case "highlights the risk of art storage facilities as a mechanism for long-term storage and concealment of high-value assets by sanctioned persons", it said.

Tactics of terrorists

The activity of money launderers and sanctions evaders mirrors the tactics used by terrorists.

The NCA’s alert comes after the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an intergovernmental organisation aimed at combatting money laundering, including terrorist financing, issued a similar warning last year.

Rick St Hilaire, a New Hampshire-based cultural heritage lawyer and former chief prosecutor, said: “It’s a growing concern to law enforcement, and for those of us practising in this sector, we’ve known about this for a long time."

Mr St Hilaire said the organised structure that ISIS had in place for the export and sale of looted antiquities indicates that the group had a governing department to supervise, tax, and get these cultural heritage objects to market.

Andy Warhol’s ‘Flowers’ was also seized by police investigating the financing of terrorism. Getty Images
Andy Warhol’s ‘Flowers’ was also seized by police investigating the financing of terrorism. Getty Images

“I am particularly concerned about how terrorist networks and organised crime might use a warehouse to hide goods," he told The National.

"It’s been on my mind now for many years, though much of the evidence we have in private industry is anecdotal. Law enforcement likely has more.

“You know their transactions have to run through normal shipping routes. They have to get goods from point A to point B and it’s got to go through some place and that’s what raises, in my mind, the use of warehouses and freeports.”

The FATF report says while ISIS has lost all the territory it once controlled, the group has affiliates across the world, meaning they may still have access to cultural heritage sites or possess artefacts that could generate funds.

Other terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda and its affiliates, have used similar schemes in the Middle East, North Africa and certain parts of Asia.

In some cases, transnational organised crime groups have co-operated with terrorist groups to acquire such items and smuggle them out of conflict areas.

Businesses working in these markets, such as art dealers and advisers, auction houses and storage facilities, face a variety of risks, the organisation warns.

The US is offering $10 million for information about Nazem Ahmad. Photo: Rewards for Justice
The US is offering $10 million for information about Nazem Ahmad. Photo: Rewards for Justice

Mr St Hilaire cited the uncovering of the activities of Italian antiquities smuggler Giacomo Medici as a clue that others could be using storage facilities for trading in antiquities and artwork.

Medici used storage in the Geneva freeport to conceal his illicit trade, for which he was given a 10-year jail sentence and €10 million ($10.7 million) fine in 2004.

“That’s a textbook illustration of warehouses used in this way, so why wouldn’t I think they’re being used by terrorists and organised crime in the same fashion?”

While the UK is finally moving to deal with the threat posed by criminals using art storage, the Swiss authorities have been taking action since the country’s police first raided Medici’s warehouse in the Geneva freeport in 1995.

It introduced a six-month time limit on the storage of goods intended for export and the identity of the buyer of the goods that are to be exported to the country's freeports must be declared.

The country's commitment to dealing with the problems is something Mr St Hilaire welcomes.

"If you look back at the situation in 1995, now is a very different time when Swiss authorities have finally said, ‘We’re tired of this, we don’t want criminals to come to Switzerland’."

Breaking the rules

Rena Neville, an expert on money laundering and the art market, described the NCA’s notice as unprecedented and “a shot across the bow of the art market, and in particular shippers and storage facilities”.

The NCA warning covers warehouses, auction houses, art dealerships, galleries, museums and freeports, which also offer services including insurance, inventory management, customs bonding, private viewing rooms and office or boardroom facilities.

Ms Neville, the head of the art division at the FCS Compliance consultancy and a lawyer who previously had a 30-year career at auction house Sotheby’s, said the notice was “unusually targeted and specific".

From 2020, anyone dealing in works worth €10,000 ($10,700) or more has been subjected to a number of obligations, including reporting suspicious transactions to the authorities and carrying out due diligence on customers before they conclude a transaction.

“The feedback I’ve been getting from government is that since the art market sector became regulated in January 2020, we are submitting many fewer suspicious activity reports than other regulated sectors and many fewer than they would expect from us,” Ms Neville said.

A painting by Stanley Whitney, whose work is seen here, was the most valuable work seized by UK police. Photo: Getty Images
A painting by Stanley Whitney, whose work is seen here, was the most valuable work seized by UK police. Photo: Getty Images

So far Mr Ahmad’s case is unique in linking terrorism, money laundering and art storage, she said, but “everybody that I know everywhere in the world in law enforcement really believes this is happening and says they see it”.

Rather than masterpieces, the work traded is more likely to be in the "middle and lower end of the market" to avoid attracting attention, and "most artwork" sells for "under £100,000", she said.

While two of the works seized from Mr Ahmad are valued in six figures, most are under £10,000, according to the full list provided to The National.

Another Andy Warhol work seized, Flowers, is valued at £15,000, and Edouard Vuillard ‐ Deux Ourvrieres Dans L'atelier De Couture by Julio Anaya Cabanding is valued at £1,200.

Running art warehouses is made difficult, explains lawyer Angelika Hellweger, because of the opaque nature of many deals.

Artwork is rarely bought using the new owner's real name. Cash deals sealed by handshakes are not uncommon, nor are sales through a shell company or trust.

Dr Hellweger, an art crime, sanctions and money laundering specialist, as well as legal director at London firm Rahman Ravelli, has prepared a briefing note for her clients on the NCA alert.

“This is obviously a warning shot to everyone having some type of storage facility that when they are holding suspicious things that they actively reach out to authorities,” she told The National.

“Art is movable and hideable as an asset compared to say property or a yacht. So when a painting is stored, nobody really knows that it’s there."

Dr Hellweger explained that due to crackdowns on concealing the beneficial owners of properties, high-worth individuals turned to artworks to conceal their assets, using the same opaque ownership structures.

Nazem Ahmad pictured in his Beirut gallery. Photo: US Department of Justice
Nazem Ahmad pictured in his Beirut gallery. Photo: US Department of Justice

“It’s now much easier to find out the owner of a huge property or a very expensive home, even if it’s held by intermediaries,” she said. But that is not the case with art.

“First and foremost, they will not openly buy one in their own name," she said. "They buy through a chain of people who don’t really know each other.

"Also, if I am the buyer, I do discreet research via other people because if they find out who I am, that can push the price up.”

Criminals test warehouses' due diligence processes by conducting legitimate business activity, before switching to illicit items, says the NCA.

They may request sudden service changes to conceal and move assets that may be proceeds of crime or subject to sanction.

“They might say they want the temperature at a certain level, which is a sign they are moving artwork in to be stored,” said Dr Hellweger.

Storage centres should be alert to attempts to transfer ownership to a family member, close contact, business associate or other intermediary, as well as to sell artwork or move it quickly, warns the NCA.

Daily updated lists of sanctioned people should also be checked, it says.

“Often when it comes to corruption or to money laundering, you have the problem that these people are doing normal business as well,” said Dr Hellweger.

“But often the art has been stored for many years and there’s not even a register of what is in the storage rooms. They will often not really know what’s there.”

Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOutsized%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2016%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAzeem%20Zainulbhai%2C%20Niclas%20Thelander%2C%20Anurag%20Bhalla%20and%20Johann%20van%20Niekerk%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EIndia%2C%20South%20Africa%2C%20South-East%20Asia%2C%20Mena%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Recruitment%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20staff%20count%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2040%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeed%20and%20angel%20investors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

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.”

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

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Results

Ashraf Ghani 50.64 per cent

Abdullah Abdullah 39.52 per cent

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar 3.85 per cent

Rahmatullah Nabil 1.8 per cent

Another way to earn air miles

In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.

An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.

“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.

UAE%20athletes%20heading%20to%20Paris%202024
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEquestrian%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAbdullah%20Humaid%20Al%20Muhairi%2C%20Abdullah%20Al%20Marri%2C%20Omar%20Al%20Marzooqi%2C%20Salem%20Al%20Suwaidi%2C%20and%20Ali%20Al%20Karbi%20(four%20to%20be%20selected).%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EJudo%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMen%3A%20Narmandakh%20Bayanmunkh%20(66kg)%2C%20Nugzari%20Tatalashvili%20(81kg)%2C%20Aram%20Grigorian%20(90kg)%2C%20Dzhafar%20Kostoev%20(100kg)%2C%20Magomedomar%20Magomedomarov%20(%2B100kg)%3B%20women's%20Khorloodoi%20Bishrelt%20(52kg).%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECycling%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESafia%20Al%20Sayegh%20(women's%20road%20race).%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESwimming%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMen%3A%20Yousef%20Rashid%20Al%20Matroushi%20(100m%20freestyle)%3B%20women%3A%20Maha%20Abdullah%20Al%20Shehi%20(200m%20freestyle).%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAthletics%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMaryam%20Mohammed%20Al%20Farsi%20(women's%20100%20metres).%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The candidates

Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
  1. Join parent networks
  2. Look beyond school fees
  3. Keep an open mind
Retirement funds heavily invested in equities at a risky time

Pension funds in growing economies in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have a sharply higher percentage of assets parked in stocks, just at a time when trade tensions threaten to derail markets.

Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.

The escalating trade spat between the US and China has heightened fears that stocks are ripe for a downturn. With tensions mounting and outcomes driven more by politics than economics, the S&P 500 Index will be on course for a “full-scale bear market” without Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts, Citigroup’s global macro strategy team said earlier this week.

The increased allocation to equities by growth-market pension funds has come at the expense of fixed-income investments, which declined 11 percentage points over the five years, according to the survey.

Hong Kong funds have the highest exposure to equities at 66 per cent, although that’s been relatively stable over the period. Japan’s equity allocation jumped 13 percentage points while South Korea’s increased 8 percentage points.

The money managers are also directing a higher portion of their funds to assets outside of their home countries. On average, foreign stocks now account for 49 per cent of respondents’ equity investments, 4 percentage points higher than five years ago, while foreign fixed-income exposure climbed 7 percentage points to 23 per cent. Funds in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan are among those seeking greater diversification in stocks and fixed income.

• Bloomberg

'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)

Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)

Saturday

Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)

Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)

Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)

Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)

Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)

Sunday

Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)

Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)

Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)

 

 

Chelsea 2 Burnley 3
Chelsea
 Morata (69'), Luiz (88')
Burnley Vokes (24', 43'), Ward (39')
Red cards Cahill, Fabregas (Chelsea)

The%20BaaS%20ecosystem
%3Cp%3EThe%20BaaS%20value%20chain%20consists%20of%20four%20key%20players%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsumers%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20End-users%20of%20the%20financial%20product%20delivered%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDistributors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Also%20known%20as%20embedders%2C%20these%20are%20the%20firms%20that%20embed%20baking%20services%20directly%20into%20their%20existing%20customer%20journeys%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEnablers%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Usually%20Big%20Tech%20or%20FinTech%20companies%20that%20help%20embed%20financial%20services%20into%20third-party%20platforms%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProviders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Financial%20institutions%20holding%20a%20banking%20licence%20and%20offering%20regulated%20products%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

If you go

The flights
Emirates (www.emirates.com) and Etihad (www.etihad.com) both fly direct to Bengaluru, with return fares from Dh 1240. From Bengaluru airport, Coorg is a five-hour drive by car.

The hotels
The Tamara (www.thetamara.com) is located inside a working coffee plantation and offers individual villas with sprawling views of the hills (tariff from Dh1,300, including taxes and breakfast).

When to go
Coorg is an all-year destination, with the peak season for travel extending from the cooler months between October and March.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK 

Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Xpanceo

Started: 2018

Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov

Based: Dubai, UAE

Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality

Funding: $40 million

Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)

The bio

Who inspires you?

I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist

How do you relax?

Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.

What is favourite book?

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times

What is your favourite Arabic film?

Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki

What is favourite English film?

Mamma Mia

Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?

If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.  

 

Prop idols

Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.

Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)

An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.

----

Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)

Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.

----

Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)

Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.

COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

NO OTHER LAND

Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus 

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

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Updated: February 15, 2024, 9:53 AM