Fans of CAF Champions League winners Esperance De Tunis welcome the team bus in Abu Dhabi ahead of the Fifa Club World Cup. Courtesy Fifa Club World Cup UAE 2018

Mohamed Khalfan Al Romaithi: We are thrilled to welcome the world to Abu Dhabi for Fifa Club World Cup



Major General Mohamed Khalfan Al Romaithi, chairman of Abu Dhabi Sports Council board of directors and head of the 2018 Fifa Club World Cup Local Organising Committee, has welcomed players, team officials and fans from six continental qualifiers to the UAE.

Team Wellington, the champions of Oceania, touched down in the Emirates last week and will play the tournament's opening match, a play-off against the Al Ain, on Wednesday.

Concacaf champions Guadalajara and African Champions League winners Esperance de Tunis touched down in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, while European champions Real Madrid, who are looking to win an unprecedented three Club World Cups in a row, Copa Libertadores holders River Plate and Asian Champions League winners Kashima Antlers will soon follow.

“After a long qualification process spanning domestic leagues and dramatic continental cup competitions, the Fifa Club World Cup UAE 2018 line-up is complete,” Al Romaithi said.

“In addition to our national hosts, Al Ain FC, the tournament will welcome international teams and passionate fans from Argentina, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain and Tunisia. The world is coming to the UAE and we are thrilled to be able to demonstrate the country’s hospitality and capacity to host world-class sporting events to spectators from every corner of the planet. We want everyone to make it a tournament to remember.”

Al Romaithi, who last week announced his candidacy for the Asian Football Confederation presidency, urged those travelling to the UAE to support their teams to also make time to sample the country's rich history, heritage and culture.

“Inevitably, incoming fans will want to focus on their teams’ matches, that is completely natural. However, we encourage all fans to explore the hospitality of the country – from the rich tapestry of ancient heritage sites, to the modern cultural institutions in both Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and beyond,” he added.

"In this, the Year of Zayed, we are determined to highlight our tolerant and inclusive society to our global guests. We want our visitors to understand the UAE's history by visiting Qasr Al Muwaji in Al Ain, the birthplace of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, our country's President, or the newly-restored Qasr Al Hosn Fort in our capital city, the ancestral home of the Al Nahyan family and the symbolic heart of Abu Dhabi. Fans can also experience the majestic beauty of our modern cultural institutions, such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island."

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Read more:

Fifa Club World Cup UAE 2018: Team-by-team guide and seven players to watch

Zoran Mamic: Playing in the Fifa Club World Cup a once in a lifetime opportunity for Al Ain

Craig Henderson: Former Team Wellington star backs old club to make most of Fifa Club World Cup in UAE

Fifa Club World Cup: The five best matches from past UAE tournaments

Aref Al Awani: Every game is a big game at the Fifa Club World Cup

Lowdown: All you need to know about the Fifa Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi

Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Rating: 4/5
The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
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Where can I submit a sample?

Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.

Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:

  • Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
  • Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
  • Al Towayya in Al Ain
  • NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
  • Bareen International Hospital
  • NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
  • NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
  • NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
Business Insights
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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 specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
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Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
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The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

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On sale: Now

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
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Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)

Ticket prices
  • Golden circle - Dh995
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  • Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
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Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

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The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

Disclaimer

Director: Alfonso Cuaron 

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville 

Rating: 4/5

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo

Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic

Power: 242bhp

Torque: 370Nm

Price: Dh136,814

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

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
Company%20Profile
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Need to know

Unlike other mobile wallets and payment apps, a unique feature of eWallet is that there is no need to have a bank account, credit or debit card to do digital payments.

Customers only need a valid Emirates ID and a working UAE mobile number to register for eWallet account.

Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale

Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni

Director: Amith Krishnan

Rating: 3.5/5

If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Essentials

The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.

THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic HSE

Price, base / as tested: Dh263,235 / Dh420,000

Engine: 3.0-litre supercharged V6

Power 375hp @ 6,500rpm

Torque: 450Nm @ 3,500rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Fuel consumption, combined: 9.4L / 100kms

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The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: seven-speed

Power: 620bhp

Torque: 760Nm

Price: Dh898,000

On sale: now