SHARJAH // At first it was just a dot on the horizon. The dhow was about 15 miles off the Somali city of Bossaso, in the Gulf of Aden, returning to the UAE from Mogadishu, when members of her 14-strong Indian crew noticed what seemed to be a fishing boat moving towards them.
Aware of the threat of pirate attacks in the area, Sidhik Umar Bhatti, the captain of the dhow, the MV Nefya, ordered full speed ahead, just to be on the safe side.
Moments later, though, a speedboat, manned by four armed Somali pirates, had almost caught up with them.
"The pirates started firing in the air and threatened to shoot us. They came close and demanded that we throw down a ladder," said Mr Bhatti.
Another speedboat, loaded with ammunition, quickly reached the dhow. The sailors looked on helplessly as seven men climbed on board their ship. They carried two rocket launchers, several machine guns and communications equipment.
For the sailors, it was the beginning of a six-day ordeal in which every moment would be filled with dread.
"For six days, we were under fear of when they would kill us," said Mr Bhatti, 37, sitting in the dhow in Sharjah creek near Khalid Port, recalling the hostage drama.
The dhow, which has a capacity of more than 1,300 tonnes, was captured on July 10.
"They told us they wanted nothing from us but they needed the boat. They instructed us to move towards Aden," said the captain.
The crew believe that the pirates had been given a tip-off that the empty vessel was returning, and it was just what they needed. "They wanted to use this boat to capture bigger ships," said Mr Bhatti.
The pirates were young, between 25 and 30, and were taking orders from an older man.
"The older man was in constant communication with someone over the wireless phone. He would take orders in directions and the next course of action over the phone," said Mr Bhatti.
On July 13, the dhow was steered towards a Liberian oil tanker, the MV Elephant. A full assault was launched on the tanker as the crew of the dhow ducked for cover.
"I have never seen such firing before. We were all very scared and thought they would kill us too," said one of the junior sailors.
The pirates fired indiscriminately and took to their speedboats again to get close to the Elephant, then tried to climb on board.
"The captain of the ship was intelligent and he poured hot water to prevent the men from climbing on," said Mr Bhatti.
In the meantime, the tanker made contact with a French naval warship that was patrolling nearby, and which soon reached them. A helicopter also arrived, as did a vessel from the Indian Navy.
It was the first time that two warships from different navies had been involved in such an incident during the piracy off Somalia.
The warships shadowed the dhow, putting pressure on the pirates to leave the ship and release her crew. For the next few days, the warships and the helicopter kept watch on the movement of the captured dhow, not allowing it out of sight.
On board the vessel, however, the pirates' frustration was boiling over. Once their attack on the Elephant failed, they became agitated and started assaulting the crew.
"They kicked and punched us," said Mr Bhatti. "They wanted the navy vessels to go away. They asked us to communicate with the navy and tell them that all hostages would be killed if they do not go away."
The sailors were desperately worried and wondered if they would ever be rescued.
"Two of our men even thought of jumping into the sea," said Mr Bhatti. "However, the navy vessels were three miles away at this point and it would be certain death if the ships did not spot them."
Threatened with the prospect of the naval forces moving in, the pirates set the dhow for the Somali shore and got off on the morning of July 15.
Before they left, the pirates took the crew's personal belongings, including money and mobile phones, and warned the men not to talk to anyone or they would track them down and kill them.
The crew's survival is being seen as a major victory for multi-national anti-piracy patrols being carried out off Somalia.
"We thank the navies as they only left because they were scared the navies would attack and capture them," said Mr Bhatti.
"Navy patrolling in this area is necessary - and a lifesaver for us."
Hundreds of ships carrying goods such as cars, electronics, food and toys have been attacked this year off Somalia.
Reports suggest that nearly a dozen vessels remain in the hands of pirates, with hundreds of men held hostage.
The pirates appear to be getting bolder and demanding larger ransoms for the release of vessels and their crews. Last year, US$3 million (DH11m) was said to have been paid for the release of the Saudi Arabian tanker Sirius Star.
The crew of the dhow Nefya believe naval protection for merchant shipping is the only solution as they continue risking their lives travelling to and from Mogadishu.
"We have to go back, we have no choice," said Mr Bhatti, who pointed out that the ship carried goods to Somalia regularly and would be back in Mogadishu in less than a month. Asked if his family were aware of the risks he faced, Mr Bhatti said: "My family know about it and they keep asking me to leave this job and get back home."
He has been working with Haji Pir General Trading, the Sharjah-based company that owns the dhow, for 15 years and was made captain a year ago. Pirates had attacked the boat in April but they sped off before getting close.
"It all depends on our luck if we get caught or not," said Mr Bhatti, smiling. "We will see what happens the next time."
pmenon@thenational.ae
MO
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Scotland v Ireland:
Scotland (15-1): Stuart Hogg; Tommy Seymour, Huw Jones, Sam Johnson, Sean Maitland; Finn Russell, Greig Laidlaw (capt); Josh Strauss, James Ritchie, Ryan Wilson; Jonny Gray, Grant Gilchrist; Simon Berghan, Stuart McInally, Allan Dell
Replacements: Fraser Brown, Jamie Bhatti, D'arcy Rae, Ben Toolis, Rob Harley, Ali Price, Pete Horne, Blair Kinghorn
Coach: Gregor Townsend (SCO)
Ireland (15-1): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack Conan, Sean O'Brien, Peter O'Mahony; James Ryan, Quinn Roux; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ultan Dillane, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Joey Carbery, Jordan Larmour
Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL)
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
RESULT
Brazil 2 Croatia 0
Brazil: Neymar (69'), Firmino (90' 3)
PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP
Men’s:
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Nick Matthew (ENG)
Women's:
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
if you go
The flights
The closest international airport to the TMB trail is Geneva (just over an hour’s drive from the French ski town of Chamonix where most people start and end the walk). Direct flights from the UAE to Geneva are available with Etihad and Emirates from about Dh2,790 including taxes.
The trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc takes about 10 to 14 days to complete if walked in its entirety, but by using the services of a tour operator such as Raw Travel, a shorter “highlights” version allows you to complete the best of the route in a week, from Dh6,750 per person. The trails are blocked by snow from about late October to early May. Most people walk in July and August, but be warned that trails are often uncomfortably busy at this time and it can be very hot. The prime months are June and September.
West Asia rugby, season 2017/18 - Roll of Honour
Western Clubs Champions League - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons
West Asia Premiership - Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
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: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
The specs: Audi e-tron
Price, base: From Dh325,000 (estimate)
Engine: Twin electric motors and 95kWh battery pack
Transmission: Single-speed auto
Power: 408hp
Torque: 664Nm
Range: 400 kilometres
Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
MATCH INFO
CAF Champions League semi-finals first-leg fixtures
Tuesday:
Primeiro Agosto (ANG) v Esperance (TUN) (8pm UAE)
Al Ahly (EGY) v Entente Setif (ALG) (11PM)
Second legs:
October 23
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Simran
Director Hansal Mehta
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Soham Shah, Esha Tiwari Pandey
Three stars
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
