WTA founder Billie Jean King is certain the women’s and men’s tennis tours will soon be doing business with Saudi Arabia and the American legend believes the move can have a positive impact on both the sport and the kingdom.
Steve Simon, the president of the WTA, visited Riyadh along with a couple of players and board representatives back in February and said the tour is still evaluating the possibility of staging tournaments in Saudi Arabia, or conducting other business there.
King, a fierce advocate for women’s sport and gender equality, says she is a strong believer in engagement, and that she would be keen to go to Saudi Arabia and see for herself the progress happening there on the ground.
“I’m sure they [the tours] will [go to Saudi Arabia]. I think they will,” King told The National at the WTA’s 50th-anniversary celebration at the Gloucester hotel in London on Friday.
“There’s a lot of money, which is very important to keep having money to help the players, but also help run the WTA, run the ATP and all that.
“I think the only way people change is engagement. If you don’t meet people and you don’t discuss and you don’t ask for new things to happen, they don’t. So it’s really important that we help the change to make things more equal for everyone. I’m huge on engagement.”
‘To see it is to be it’
When King founded the Women’s Tennis Association 50 years ago, one of the core principles was to give any girl or woman tennis player who was good enough the opportunity to compete.
The 12-time Grand Slam champion says it’s important for young girls to get exposed to the sport at the highest level and that going to Saudi Arabia can provide inspiration for the next generation there.
“To see it, is to be it. So when we go to a country and play a tournament, just think, if you’re a little girl, or a parent, that they get to see these women being very successful and great athletes, and it helps change the hearts and minds of people and how they think,” added the 79-year-old King.
“I know when I played Bobby Riggs [in the Battle of the Sexes] for instance, 50 years ago in 1973, by beating Bobby it changed the hearts and minds of the men, more than women. And I cannot tell you how many men have come up to me and said, ‘I never thought about my daughter that much, but I do now, and I want her to have as much as my son. And I never would have thought about it if I hadn’t watched that match’.
“So you never know how when we go to other countries, how we’re going to affect them. You might only affect one person in the stands, but that person ends up being a leader of the country or a great athlete or a CEO or someone who changes the world. So you never know how you’re affecting others. But to see it, is to be it.”
Lots of frontiers to conquer
The WTA held its first tournament in the Middle East in Cairo in 1999 but it was only staged for one year before getting scrapped. In 2001, Dubai and Doha launched women’s tennis events, and on the opposite side of the Arab region, a WTA tournament came to life in Casablanca, Morocco in North Africa (it has since moved to Fez, Marrakesh and now Rabat).
Doha hosted the year-end WTA Finals between 2008 and 2010 and more recently, two new women’s tournaments have popped up in the MENA region – one in Monastir, Tunisia, in 2022 and one in Abu Dhabi last February.
“I think it’s really important for us to go to as many countries as possible,” said King. “And when we formed the WTA in ’73 here at the Gloucester [hotel in London], the one thing I brought up all the time was ‘five continents’. We have to have people from all continents on our board, and we did. We made a real effort. We wanted everyone to realise it was a global sport.
“It may have started in the United States, but that was never the dream. The dream is to be worldwide and we have a lot of new frontiers to conquer. We have the Middle East, we have Africa, we have a lot of places we still need to go and be a part of them and them to be a part of us.”
In a recent interview with the Financial Times, ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said he had “positive” discussions with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and other potential investors to support infrastructure, technology, and events in new markets.
The PIF has already struck a shock partnership deal with the PGA Tour and European Tour following a power struggle that threatened to divide the golf landscape. It also reportedly explored a bid last year to acquire Formula 1 from owner Liberty Media. It has helped lure the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to football teams in the Saudi Pro League and also holds a majority stake in Premier League club Newcastle United.
‘Transformational’ progress
Simon has not revealed the extent of his discussions with Saudi Arabia, and there are no imminent plans to stage a tournament there or enter into a partnership with the PIF or other investors in the kingdom. But he seemed impressed by the progress being made during the time he spent in Riyadh in February.
“We wanted to see what the change was. The advancement for women’s rights and where they’ve come from is transformational right now, as far as what they’re doing in the space and they still have a long way to go, but they’re making huge strides,” Simon said during the WTA’s 50-year anniversary event on Friday.
“They are making significant changes. Where they were five years ago and where they are today with respect to women’s rights and the issues is significant. We spent time in Riyadh, downtown, if you go through the financial district, the downtown district in Riyadh, you would think you were in New York City, or another progressive Middle East city like Dubai.
“I think where we are right now is we’ve had conversations and we’ll continue to have conversations.
“I think what Billie said is right. It’s about engagement, it’s about learning the situation and sometimes when you’re in the position such as that we’re in, you need to support the change, they need to make the change but how can we work with them to support this change and keep pushing it further?”
While Simon acknowledges a lot of work has been done within the WTA to achieve equal rights and equal compensation for women in the sport, he admits the gender pay gap still exists and significant investments need to be made in order to erase that disparity.
The WTA tour announced earlier this week a pathway towards equal prize money at combined events by 2027 and non-combined events by 2033.
“We’re seeing it from the economics of sport, for all women’s sports, that they deal with, and the difference between men and women,” said Simon. “We’ll have to decide how do you take it on and involve them [Saudi Arabia], because you want them to do what they’re talking about right now and advance the opportunity for women in the country, make it better, and you need to support that, you can’t walk away from it.”
‘Supporting the betterment of women’
Simon cited Doha as an example where, initially, when the tour made plans to stage an event there, there was concern over the players competing in their regular tennis outfits.
“They’re involved in the full environment, they have women professionals in medicine, engineering, retail, every place that you want to look at. Now our tournament is actually celebrated there and they can’t wait for them to come back each year. So it is about supporting the betterment of women and creating a message that’s coming in, that there is change coming and we’re a part of it.”
Protecting the integrity of tennis
World No2 Novak Djokovic said on Saturday at Wimbledon that it “was just a question of time” before Saudi Arabia expressed interest in tennis, following on from the trend of investing in golf, Formula 1, football and other sports.
“I think from that example [golf] we can probably learn a lot, some positives, some negatives, and try to structure a deal if it's going in that direction in a proper way that is going to protect the integrity and tradition and history of this sport, but still be able to grow it in such way that it will be appropriate,” said the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
WTA No1 Iga Swiatek said she was not clued on the latest developments but will “be ready to play wherever the WTA decides we're going to play”.
WTA Player Council member and world No4 Jessica Pegula noted how going into business with Saudi Arabia could help the women’s tour achieve the pathway to equal prize money they recently announced.
“I trust Steve obviously to make the right decision on what he feels is best for the WTA. I think we all do on the Council,” said Pegula.
“I'm sure we'll talk and go about it. Especially, if they could help getting us to equal prize money. I think there's a lot of positives that can come out of it as well.
“Hopefully something good comes out of it the right way.”
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
How%20to%20avoid%20getting%20scammed
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENever%20click%20on%20links%20provided%20via%20app%20or%20SMS%2C%20even%20if%20they%20seem%20to%20come%20from%20authorised%20senders%20at%20first%20glance%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAlways%20double-check%20the%20authenticity%20of%20websites%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EEnable%20Two-Factor%20Authentication%20(2FA)%20for%20all%20your%20working%20and%20personal%20services%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EOnly%20use%20official%20links%20published%20by%20the%20respective%20entity%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EDouble-check%20the%20web%20addresses%20to%20reduce%20exposure%20to%20fake%20sites%20created%20with%20domain%20names%20containing%20spelling%20errors%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
Autumn international scores
Saturday, November 24
Italy 3-66 New Zealand
Scotland 14-9 Argentina
England 37-18 Australia
Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
Tips to help overcome burnout
Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
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
If you go
The flights
Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes.
The car
Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals. A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.
The hotels
Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes.
More info
To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com. Good guidebooks include the Lonely Planet guides to Northern California and Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest.
Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPyppl%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEstablished%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2017%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAntti%20Arponen%20and%20Phil%20Reynolds%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20financial%20services%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2418.5%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEmployees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20150%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20series%20A%2C%20closed%20in%202021%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20venture%20capital%20companies%2C%20international%20funds%2C%20family%20offices%2C%20high-net-worth%20individuals%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Fifa%20World%20Cup%20Qatar%202022%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFirst%20match%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2020%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinal%2016%20round%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%203%20to%206%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EQuarter-finals%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%209%20and%2010%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESemi-finals%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%2013%20and%2014%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinal%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%2018%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
More from Armen Sarkissian
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
FIXTURES (all times UAE)
Sunday
Brescia v Lazio (3.30pm)
SPAL v Verona (6pm)
Genoa v Sassuolo (9pm)
AS Roma v Torino (11.45pm)
Monday
Bologna v Fiorentina (3.30pm)
AC Milan v Sampdoria (6pm)
Juventus v Cagliari (6pm)
Atalanta v Parma (6pm)
Lecce v Udinese (9pm)
Napoli v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
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
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
And%20Just%20Like%20That...
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Various%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sarah%20Jessica%20Parker%2C%20Cynthia%20Nixon%2C%20Kristin%20Davis%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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
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 Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
The British in India: Three Centuries of Ambition and Experience
by David Gilmour
Allen Lane
Most match wins on clay
Guillermo Vilas - 659
Manuel Orantes - 501
Thomas Muster - 422
Rafael Nadal - 399 *
Jose Higueras - 378
Eddie Dibbs - 370
Ilie Nastase - 338
Carlos Moya - 337
Ivan Lendl - 329
Andres Gomez - 322
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
