The West Indies cricket team may not have produced top class cricket since the exit of players such as Brian Lara and Richie Richardson, but it has on occasions produced surprise results.
Winning the T20 a few years ago, Chris Gayle holding the record for the best Test chase and Lara’s unbeaten test knock of over 400 were memorable indeed.
But nothing beats the victory against India, and the simultaneous thrust into the final by its female compatriots – a surprise double whammy that even the most ardent sceptic could not have conjured.
Legends such as Sir Garfield Sobers, Curtley Ambrose, Desmond Haynes and countless heroes of the invincible team of the sixties and seventies will laud these efforts.
KB Rahiman, South Africa
No alternative West Indies can spring surprises
I agree that the diverse population of this country brings with it different standards and norms in many things, which is part of what makes this place so special (A clear road out of confusion, March 31). On the roads, however, it does create conditions that are exacerbated by bad driving habits.
In other parts of the world, vehicles above a certain weight – lorries and buses, for instance – are restricted to the far-right lane.
Commercial lorries above certain weights are also restricted from city streets and highways as an additional safety measure. They are only allowed on others outside peak hours – usually between 8pm and 6am.
Signs and training encourage slower drivers to keep right, as well as to move to accommodate the flow of traffic. If slower traffic is kept to the right lanes, we would eliminate conditions for unnecessary lane changes, a primary cause of accidents.
Not only should punitive measures hit the pocketbook, they should bring the threat of licence suspension, car seizure and, yes, jail time. Risking the lives of others on the road should bring with it criminal liability, which is the only possible motivation for some reckless drivers to reconsider their behaviour behind the wheel.
Elan Fabbri, Dubai
Don’t put off your travel plan
I enjoyed Justin Thomas's opinion article Sadly, travel is becoming the purview of the intrepid (March 28). There will always be something going on in the world. Life is too short to be scared of those events and put off your travel plans. I think one just has to be cautious while travelling and exploring our beautiful planet.
Haneefa Corbie, Abu Dhabi
Time heals all wounds. My partner and I were lucky enough to travel widely in Syria in August 2010. We were awestruck to see Palmyra against the setting sun. We will return there one day.
Tim Davison, Abu Dhabi
Do we need a ski slope here?
I know a lot of people who go to Dubai just to ski (Al Maryah Central super mall 'will thrive without a ski slope', April 1). I do not go because it's a long drive on a busy road. But if there was one in Abu Dhabi, I would certainly go there. And I am not alone in this.
So how is Kevin Ryan of Gulf Related, the company building Abu Dhabi’s Al Maryah Central shopping centre, so sure that a ski slope is not needed in Abu Dhabi?
Emma Easter, Abu Dhabi
The new Reem Mall is supposed to have a ski slope, so having free parks and a library seems far better.
Samantha Attfield, Abu Dhabi
I love Abu Dhabi more than anywhere else, but malls here are a problem. There are too many of them here and some are 60 per cent to 80 per cent empty, because visitors are so fragmented among the various options.
It’s sad for visitors and not viable for tenants.
Gianmaria Vidale, Abu Dhabi
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
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.”
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh132,000 (Countryman)
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Raha%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Kuwait%2FSaudi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tech%20Logistics%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2414%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Soor%20Capital%2C%20eWTP%20Arabia%20Capital%2C%20Aujan%20Enterprises%2C%20Nox%20Management%2C%20Cedar%20Mundi%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20166%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RESULT
Bayer Leverkusen 2 Bayern Munich 4
Leverkusen: Alario (9'), Wirtz (89')
Bayern: Coman (27'), Goretzka (42'), Gnabry (45'), Lewandowski (66')
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
UAE squad to face Ireland
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
