The closing hours of the transfer window, which slammed shut for most of the major leagues of Europe on Monday night, can leave a newly-contracted footballer exhausted.
The clock ticks towards deadline, medicals need scheduling, flights arranging. Contingency plans must be put into place. And that’s when things go relatively smoothly.
Spare a thought then for Eliesse Ben Seghir, the 20 year-old winger, a rising star of Moroccan football much admired across Europe for his incisive impact at Monaco, for whom he debuted at 17.
On the penultimate day of trading, he at last put pen to paper on a deal long in the negotiating, a five-year commitment to Bayer Leverkusen, a transfer that will earn Monaco a minimum of €30m.
Ben Seghir is entitled to see the move as a step up, Germany’s top division being stronger than France’s, Leverkusen being the winners of a Bundesliga and German Cup Double as recently as 2023-24.
Yet barely had Ben Seghir made his introductions to his new employer than he learned they had sacked their head coach. Erik ten Hag, appointed by Leverkusen in May, left on Monday, deadline day, a mere two league matches - one drawn one loss - into his tenure.
The club hope to have a successor in place by the end of the international break, by which time Ben Seghir will at least have a chance to reflect on the whirligig of events shaping his future with several compatriots whose careers have also taken new directions this busy summer.
It is a mark of the strength in depth of Moroccan football that so many of Ben Seghir’s fellow countrymen have animated a summer that, driven by ever-higher English Premier League budgets and stimulated by the Saudi Arabian Pro League’s muscular spending, will set new records for overall outlay on players.
By the close of trading in the main European leagues nine Morocco internationals aged 25 or under had made significant moves that should advance their club careers.
That’s one strand of a notable summer of transfers for leading footballers from across the Mena region. The last 48 hours of business bought big moves for some established, older stars, too: Mehdi Taremi, the Iran striker, joined Olympiakos of Greece, for whom this season he will play in the Uefa Champions League, having helped guide Internazionale to the competition’s final in 2024-25 and led the line for Porto in the European Cup through four campaigns earlier in his distinguished career.
Sofyan Amrabat, the worldly Moroccan midfielder, made an 11th hour move to Real Betis, where he will add a stint in La Liga to a storied resum that, since Amrabat starred for his country in the 2022 World Cup, has included spells in Italy’s Serie A, with Fiorentina, the English Premier League, with Manchester United, and Turkey’s Super Lig, with Fenerbahce.
Further proof that a tough, disciplined anchor midfielder will always be in demand is the latest journey of Libya’s Muattasim Al Musrati, transferred to Verona of Italy’s top flight, his fourth port of call in two years, after spells at Portugal’s Braga, France’s Monaco and Besiktas in Turkey.
It’s been a threshold summer for leading Palestine players, with Wessam Abou Ali switching from Al Ahly, where he made such a strong impression, notably in the Club World Cup in June, to Columbus Crew of the American MLS. His compatriot, Oday Dabbagh, ensured the Palestine flag still flies high in Cairo football, joining Zamalek from Belgium’s Charleroi.
While Saudi football continues to lure some of the world’s best to the kingdom’s leading clubs, a select few Saudi footballers are busy doing something scarcely precedented: moving within Europe.
Saud Abdulhamid, the attacking full-back who last season went from Al Hilal to Roma, is now at Lens of France’s top division. He has made a fine start, coming off the bench to swiftly contribute his first assist of the season in Lens’s victory at the weekend over Brest.
Such was the impression made last season by 21-year-old Saudi winger Marwan Al Sahafi at Belgian club Beerschot that Royal Antwerp, a stronger club than Beerschot, have now snapped him up.
Higher up the club hierarchy, the dashing Algeria left-back Rayan Ait Nouri joined Manchester City from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a fee that could rise above €40m.
His fellow international, the precocious Ibrahim Maza, 19, left Hertha Berlin of Germany’s second tier, for Leverkusen, where, like Ben Seghir, he is now digesting the news that the coach who welcomed him, Ten Hag, is no longer in charge.
For a young player, events like that can be startling, unnerving. Ben Seghir at least can talk through the turmoil at Leverkusen with Amine Adli as they link up ahead of Morocco’s World Cup qualifying matches this week and next. Adli, 25, has just left Leverkusen to join Bournemouth, one of a caravan of Moroccans lured to the Premier League, the starlets Adam Aznou, 19 and now of Everton, and Chemsdine Talbi, 20 and at Sunderland, among them.
With Morocco confidently marching towards a hosting of the Africa Cup of Nations in December and an all-but-confirmed place at next summer’s World Cup, several other Atlas Lions have made upgrades to their club careers that, they hope, will help their international prospects.
Bilal El Khannouss, 21, left relegated Leicester City for German Cup holders Stuttgart on deadline day; Hamza Igamane, 22, pushed hard for his move from Glasgow Rangers to Lille. Neil El Ayanoui joined Roma from Lens and was almost immediately rewarded with a first senior Morocco call-up.
Their ambition, and the clear, eager market for young Moroccan talent can only please the country’s head coach Walid Regragui.
But as he gathers his players together, he’ll note that some have arrived distracted and a little frayed. Sealing a late move in the transfer window is stressful, even when that move promises a bright, exhilarating future.
Scorebox
Dubai Hurricanes 31 Dubai Sports City Eagles 22
Hurricanes
Tries: Finck, Powell, Jordan, Roderick, Heathcote
Cons: Tredray 2, Powell
Eagles
Tries: O’Driscoll 2, Ives
Cons: Carey 2
Pens: Carey
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.”
The five pillars of Islam
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
More on Quran memorisation:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
RESULTS
1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m
Winner: Dirilis Ertugrul, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer)
2.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,400m
Winner: Kidd Malibu, Sandro Paiva, Musabah Al Muhairi
2.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,000m
Winner: Raakezz, Tadhg O’Shea, Nicholas Bachalard
3.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,200m
Winner: Au Couer, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar
3.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
Winner: Rayig, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m
Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m
Winner: King’s Shadow, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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All%20We%20Imagine%20as%20Light
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HOSTS
T20 WORLD CUP
2024: US and West Indies; 2026: India and Sri Lanka; 2028: Australia and New Zealand; 2030: England, Ireland and Scotland
ODI WORLD CUP
2027: South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia; 2031: India and
Bangladesh
CHAMPIONS TROPHY
2025: Pakistan; 2029: India
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
the pledge
I pledge to uphold the duty of tolerance
I pledge to take a first stand against hate and injustice
I pledge to respect and accept people whose abilities, beliefs and culture are different from my own
I pledge to wish for others what I wish for myself
I pledge to live in harmony with my community
I pledge to always be open to dialogue and forgiveness
I pledge to do my part to create peace for all
I pledge to exercise benevolence and choose kindness in all my dealings with my community
I pledge to always stand up for these values: Zayed's values for tolerance and human fraternity
Living in...
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.
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The%20specs
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last-16, second leg:
Real Madrid 1 (Asensio 70'), Ajax 4 (Ziyech 7', Neres 18', Tadic 62', Schone 72')
Ajax win 5-3 on aggregate
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Company%20Profile
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First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
