Three days after polls closed, Americans continue to hear confusing narratives about the results of their presidential election. Well before many states had finished counting, Joe Biden, the Democratic challenger, assured his supporters that victory was certain. The incumbent, President Donald Trump, has claimed victory, too. He did so even as the electoral maths yesterday swung in his opponent’s favour.
Mr Trump had demanded that officials stop counting votes at the end of election night, while Mr Biden insisted on taking millions of remaining postal ballots into consideration. Mr Trump’s campaign team has already filed lawsuits in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia, to contest the outcome of the elections in states, promising weeks if not months of bitter, partisan accusations.
When American electoral races are as close as this one, various imperfections in the country’s voting system come to light. Covid-19 played its own part in bringing those flaws to light, as an unprecedented number of Americans voted by post in states with completely different legal requirements for when and how those votes are counted. The end result is more delay, more room for uncertainty and a more mystifying experience for American voters struggling to understand how their own leader is chosen.
America’s unique voting system, in which states hold their own elections using their own rules, is a manifestation of deeply entrenched constitutional values. But there is considerable scope for reform, even in ways that do not undermine the spirit of state sovereignty that characterises the election. A more standardised voting process across states, and the empowerment of existing federal election bodies would be a start.
For example, as things stand, in 21 states, voters can register to vote on the same day as the election. This is not the case in the remaining 29 states. Similarly, a majority of states allow voters to cast their ballots in advance, but in some others this is not an option. The voter registration process can also be lengthy and complicated. Some states also require that people come in person to register, a deterrent for those who are vulnerable to Covid-19 and limiting their physical interactions. There is no modern-day need for this process to be so complicated. In a number of democracies, including France, registration is automatic.
The eclecticism of the rules can be discouraging for prospective voters and confusing for voters and observers. Other democracies, some with populations comparable to or greater than the US, have managed to avoid these issues by empowering an independent federal body to oversee elections and to ensure that they are free and fair. For instance, the Election Commission of India has constitutional authority to administer all aspects of the election process in the world’s largest democracy. Last year, this system allowed for more than 600 million people to vote in a marathon six weeks.
The 2020 presidential elections have underscored the importance of balancing state freedoms with national interests
Roughly 160 million Americans voted in this year’s elections. The US has federal agencies that either oversee elections or enforce campaign finance laws, but these bodies are largely bureaucratic, and bogged down by partisan disagreements. The 2020 presidential elections have underscored the importance of balancing state freedoms with national interests. After each election, voices are raised on the need to reform the voting system and electoral college. Some say the US needs a standardised process for voting and counting ballots, others suggest using the popular vote to determine the presidential pick. The events of this week bring this issue into greater focus and should continue to garner attention after the next president is chosen. How the current presidential contest is resolved will test the laws and institutions of the US, but can also pave the path for long-term reform.
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
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
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister. "We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know. “All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.” It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins. Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement. The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
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.
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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