As Libya celebrates the 40th anniversary of Colonel Muammer Qadafi's coup after welcoming the Lockerbie bomber back home, some western leaders may be rethinking their commercial ties with the maverick Mediterranean state.
This week's big party in Tripoli was attended by neither western heads of state nor the Libyan people, although it was ostensibly staged for the benefit of both.
World leaders snubbed invitations in irritation over the hero's welcome accorded Abdelbasset al Megrahi, the former Libyan agent convicted of blowing the plane from the sky, after his release from prison in Scotland on compassionate grounds. Locals were kept away from the lavish parade and stageshow honouring Mr Qadafi because of security concerns.
Six years after Mr Qadafi renounced weapons of mass destruction and apologised for the bombing of a Pan Am airliner as it flew over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, and five years after the US and UN lifted most of their sanctions against Libya, relations between Tripoli and the West remain fragile.
Libya's reintegration into the international fold has not gone as smoothly as many had hoped, largely because Mr Qadafi's regime has shown a penchant for spicing its business relations with politics, forming an unpredictable and sometimes explosive mix.
In the latest reminder of this, Libya has demanded about US$800,000 (Dh2.9 million) as a condition for allowing two Swiss businessmen to return home.
The pair sought refuge in the nearly deserted Swiss embassy in Tripoli more than a year ago, after they were accused of immigration offences, briefly imprisoned and banned from leaving Libya.
The accusations against Max Goeldi, a director of the Swedish-Swiss engineering company ABB, and Rachid Hamdani, a Swiss employee of a small construction firm, closely followed the arrest last year of one of Colonel Qadafi's sons in a luxury hotel in Geneva.
Swiss police arrested Hannibal Qadafi and his wife, Aline, after receiving reports that the couple had abused their two servants. That triggered a diplomatic stand-off between Switzerland and Libya that has persisted despite an official Swiss apology.
In the past year, Tripoli has imposed a freeze on Swiss business, withdrawn $5 billion in assets from Swiss banks, banned Swiss flights to Tripoli, cancelled oil deliveries to Switzerland and refused a visa to the new Swiss ambassador.
Last week, however, the impasse seemed on the verge of resolution as Swiss authorities said Hans-Rudolf Merz, the president of Switzerland, had received a "written assurance" that the businessmen would be allowed to leave Libya before the end of last month.
But Abdelrahman Shalgam, the Libyan foreign minister, said on Sunday the two would have to meet the public prosecutor before being allowed to go home. That meeting has yet to be scheduled.
Apart from their desire to defuse the international security threat that Libya once posed, western governments also sought rapprochement with Tripoli to gain access to the country's more than 43 billion barrels of oil reserves, the largest in Africa.
Libya has held four oil and gas licensing rounds in the past four years, attracting major oil companies from around the world, as well as some smaller ones, and has brokered deals with Royal Dutch Shell and BP. But western energy firms' efforts to operate in the country have been as prone to disruption as Switzerland's imports of Libyan crude.
"Libya has a reputation of using access to its resources as a political tool, as well as to threaten international oil companies (IOCs) in commercial negotiations with legal and political repercussions," says Samuel Ciszuk, the MENA energy analyst for the consulting firm IHS Global Insight.
"A pattern of using its oil and gas reserves for political ends has continued to be practised, paired with a tendency to renege on legal and commercial obligations to IOCs by applying political pressure to influence negotiations with the companies in question, or with their home governments."
Examples of the difficulties foreign oil firms face include labour laws requiring them to hire Libyan nationals even when they lack the appropriate skills, a mess of competing ownership claims for Libyan real estate that can turn even the simple task of setting up an office into a nightmare, and heavy customs duties for importing equipment. Contractual exemptions from duties are usually ignored by corrupt and underpaid customs officials.
Serious problems stem from Libya's overloaded bureaucratic system. Even routine requests regarding field operations normally require clearance from top officials, so supplies and spare parts run out before the paperwork for restocking them can be completed.
This compromises operational efficiency and oilfield safety, for which Libya's record is among the worst in the world.
This year, when Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) was trying to renegotiate production-sharing agreements with a number of foreign oil firms, its parliament, the Basic People's Congresses, suddenly called for full nationalisation of the oil and gas sector. The radical policy suggestion was dropped after oil companies signed new contracts giving NOC a bigger share of oil revenues.
But to be fair, it is not just western oil interests in Libya that have suffered from political interference. In 2007, Alexander Tsygankov, the chief representative in Libya of Russia's Lukoil, was jailed during negotiations between Lukoil and NOC. Libyan authorities have never offered an explanation for his incarceration.
International interest in Libya's oil and gas resources may be waning, especially as there have been few major discoveries in the era since sanctions were lifted.
The country's last oil and gas bidding round, in 2007, attracted tepid interest from western firms, with most of the awards going to state-controlled companies such as Russia's Gazprom and Algeria's Sonatrach. They can tolerate lower returns on investment.
Despite flat oil production capacity of about 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) for the past three years, well below the government's official target of pumping 3 million bpd by 2015, no further auction is on the cards.
Analysts also say the NOC is dragging its feet on approving foreign oil companies' development plans, due to funding pressures during the downturn.
@Email:tcarlisle@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (Turf) 1,000m
7.40pm: Curlin Stakes – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (D) 2,200m
8.15pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
10pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
Company profile
Name: Oulo.com
Founder: Kamal Nazha
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2020
Number of employees: 5
Sector: Technology
Funding: $450,000
Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Real Sociedad v Leganes (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Real Valladolid (4pm)
Valencia v Granada (7pm)
Eibar v Real Madrid (9.30pm)
Barcelona v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Sunday
Real Mallorca v Villarreal (3pm)
Athletic Bilbao v Levante (5pm)
Atletico Madrid v Espanyol (7pm)
Getafe v Osasuna (9.30pm)
Real Betis v Sevilla (midnight)
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hoopla%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jacqueline%20Perrottet%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2010%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20required%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500%2C000%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.”
FORSPOKEN
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Starfield
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Ten10 Cricket League
Venue and schedule Sharjah Cricket Stadium, December 14 to 17
Teams
Maratha Arabians Leading player: Virender Sehwag; Top picks: Mohammed Amir, Imad Wasim; UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Zahoor Khan
Bengal Lions Leading player: Sarfraz Ahmed; Top picks: Sunil Narine, Mustafizur Rahman; UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Rameez Shahzad
Kerala Kings Leading player: Eoin Morgan; Top picks: Kieron Pollard, Sohail Tanvir; UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Imran Haider
Pakhtoons Leading player: Shahid Afridi; Top picks: Fakhar Zaman, Tamim Iqbal; UAE players: Amjad Javed, Saqlain Haider
Punjabi Legends Leading player: Shoaib Malik; Top picks: Hasan Ali, Chris Jordan; UAE players: Ghulam Shabber, Shareef Asadullah
Team Sri Lanka Cricket Will be made up of Colombo players who won island’s domestic limited-overs competition
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2a)
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Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
Mobile phone packages comparison
Company%20Profile
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