LONDON // An array of problems and challenges facing female Saudi students studying in the West has been addressed at a unique gathering over the weekend at a British university.
More than 100 female undergraduates and post-graduate Saudi Arabian students met for the first time at an academic forum described as a "landmark event", at the University of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
With increasing numbers of young Saudi women heading abroad to study under scholarship schemes sponsored by King Abdullah, the gathering addressed the cultural and educational problems that this emerging intellectual force can encounter at UK universities.
"It was a chance for us to share our experiences and our achievements," said Ahlam al Zahrani, a post-graduate student at Sheffield who organised the event, the first of its kind to be held in the United Kingdom.
"The aim was, on one hand, to let the girls know that they are not alone in the problems they face. We all face them and, hopefully, the sharing of our experiences will make us stronger.
"Also, we wanted to pool our knowledge so that it could be of help to the girls who come here after us. If our experiences can relieve the stress of future students, then it will all have been worthwhile."
Students from universities all over the UK and Ireland travelled to the event, which was co-hosted by the University of Sheffield and the Saudi Students' Clubs and Schools, in association with the Saudi Cultural Bureau.
Ms al Zahrani, 34, who is chief female coordinator of the students' clubs, said yesterday that the difficulties highlighted by the meeting were both academic and cultural.
"The main challenge for students studying in the UK is the differences between the way higher education is conducted here and the way it is done both at home and in the US," she said.
"In Saudi Arabia and America, it is very much based on lectures and the classroom. Here, you very much work on your own initiative.
"You might have lectures on only two days a week. You are given guidelines and then you have to take the lead, researching in libraries. It is not always easy - it requires discipline, organisation and time management."
Many of the girls also had problems adjusting to life in Britain, said Ms al Zahrani because of "conservative attitudes that make it very difficult to socialise".
The situation between the two very different cultures, she added, was made worse because of what she described as the often-false image of life in Saudi Arabia portrayed by the western media.
"The British do get a good image of Saudi people from the media," she said. "It is important for all students, girls and boys, to realise that each of us is an ambassador for our country and so, by our behaviour, we must try to change attitudes.
"And we must keep trying. We benefit from very generous scholarships from King Abdullah and, in my case as a post-graduate student, from the ministry of higher education. It is something we must repay while we are in Britain by the way we conduct ourselves."
Ms al Zahrani is nearing the end of six years' study in the UK and is writing her 70,000-word doctoral thesis on ethnographic research into feminine health in Saudi Arabia, which she has carried out at the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Sheffield.
"Like all the Saudi women studying in Britain, we want to go home and contribute to life there, be it in the field of education, health, technology or whatever," she said.
"We have been given this precious opportunity of studying abroad and it is down to us to make the most of these benefits to play our part in improving life in our own society.
"The staff at the University of Sheffield have been so supportive of me from day one. It's now my turn to share my knowledge, and to support other female students from Saudi who need help, whether it be a listening ear, or someone to assess academic work."
Carrie Warr, the university's director of external relations, added: "The University of Sheffield is immensely proud and delighted to have co-hosted the very first academic forum for Saudi female students studying in the UK and Ireland.
"The university's international students - and particularly those from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East in general - represent some of our most exceptional students.
"These talented students are tomorrow's leaders, and we are honoured to be able to partner with them on their academic journey."
dsapsted@thenational.ae
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
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.”
Meatless Days
Sara Suleri, with an introduction by Kamila Shamsie
Penguin
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Brief scores
Day 1
Toss England, chose to bat
England, 1st innings 357-5 (87 overs): Root 184 not out, Moeen 61 not out, Stokes 56; Philander 3-46
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
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TUESDAY'S ORDER OF PLAY
Centre Court
Starting at 2pm:
Elina Svitolina (UKR) [3] v Jennifer Brady (USA)
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) v Belinda Bencic (SUI [4]
Not before 7pm:
Sofia Kenin (USA) [5] v Elena Rybakina (KAZ)
Maria Sakkari (GRE) v Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) [7]
Court One
Starting at midday:
Karolina Muchova (CZE) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) v Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR)
Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) v Dayana Yastermska (UKR)
Petra Martic (CRO) [8] v Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) v Anett Kontaveit (EST)
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
