Marwan Shurrab is the vice president and the chief trader at Gulfmena Investments and looks after funds valued at US$70 million (Dh257m).
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"I bring in my ideas into the investment decision-making, which is why I like working with Gulfmena Investments," says Mr Shurrab, 28, who specialises in GCC markets.
In 2009, he joined Gulfmena when the company was launched and now operates out of the Dubai International Financial Centre at the Gate village.
Mr Shurrab took The National through a day in the life of a trader.
9am
Mr Shurrab walks into his DIFC office and drops a copy of the Financial Times on his desk.
On the wall behind him are six clocks set to the time zones of Dubai, New York, London, Cairo, Riyadh and Tokyo. To his right are two television screens tuned to Al Arabiya and CNBC, which relay the latest developments in the Arab world.
Four computer monitors on his desk blink with Bloomberg and Reuters data as well as an Excel programme he developed to assist him with his trading. He yawns.
9.15am
He starts sifting through his e-mails. They are flooded with equity trading reports from many of the brokerages. "Reading newspapers is old school," Mr Shurrab says.
"We've moved on to brokers' reports that have the day's headlines consolidated in one note." Yet he still takes the time to read the FT, which he says, provides a better take on international news. But before he is finished, Mr Shurrab is interrupted.
"Morning meeting wrap-up," says the fund manager. T
he brain-storming session with the rest of the team at Gulfmena Investments comprises a round-up of the news in the UAE and elsewhere, as well as looking at where US futures, Asian markets and commodities are trading. In addition he looks at the current holdings of the funds he trades for.
9.30am
Mr Shurrab launches the instant Bloomberg messaging service. While he speaks to everyone he can in the industry in the morning to get a flavour of where the markets might be going, he really only does business with up to five brokerages, he says, based on the quality of their service and competitive commission fees.
All his trades are made via internet messenger chat systems rather than by phone or e-mail. Two black-and-white adorned sculptures, a bull and a bear, sit beneath his monitor.
"I vote for the bull or the bear depending on my take on the markets," he says. The bull is his favourite these days as he bets on the UAE and Qatar to outperform market expectations.
Yesterday he bought positions in a mix of shares that he believes will outperform other stocks in the MSCI indexes during the next month, including National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Emaar Properties, Masraf Al Rayan, Doha Bank and Industries Qatar. Two minutes to go to the opening bell.
10am
The hour begins with a whimper: UAE markets lack direction. Indicators are already showing uncertainty in the day ahead. The S&P 500's rebound is looking aggressive.
European markets and the euro are being plagued by concerns that Greece will need a second bailout after receiving €110 billion (Dh570bn) last year from the EU and IMF. Hong Kong and Japan equities are already up by 30 basis points while Shanghai is flat after China declared inflation was running at more than 5 per cent.
More bad news. Shuaa Capital announces it will cut 39 jobs as it posts a loss of Dh26.3m in the first quarter compared with a profit of Dh19.5m a year earlier.
"Oh, that sounds bad. Is it shortable? [the act of short-selling]," asks one fund trader. "No the inventory is not available, it's a pretty illiquid stock," Mr Shurrab replies.
By now, Tamweel, an Islamic financing company based in Dubai, is down 10 per cent on 26 million shares for the second consecutive day after being suspended from trading more than two years.
Mr Shurrab sees the stock as a trading opportunity for the hedge fund. In the background, an analyst is studying Tamweel's debt to equity.
11am
Mr Shurrab's telephone rings. A Reuters reporter wants a comment on Renaissance Services, which is based in Oman. The share price has slumped to its lowest since November, losing 6.1 per cent and is trading at about 0.945 rials.
The company has reported that first-quarter profit tumbled 80 per cent to 935,000 rials. "
The stock is down because the numbers are out today," Mr Shurrab says."But the company's expansion plans are impressive and we could see recovery in the major markets they have a presence in. I receive a lot of calls from reporters during the day, around 8 to 10 a day on average," he adds.
"It's part of keeping our presence in the industry to promote our product and help out with our expertise with explaining markets to the public." Mr Shurrab pauses and cranks up the volume on his television. On Al Arabiya TV, the GCC announces it may expand to include Jordan following a request from the country.
"Wipe that grin off your face! So now you're Khaleeji [meaning now he is someone from the Gulf]," the fund manager says to Mr Shurrab, who is half Jordanian, half Egyptian.
Noon
The Saudi market is open. A look at the Tadawul technical chart implies a "double top," Mr Shurrab points out. A double top is a term used to describe the rise of a stock, a drop, another rise to the same level, and finally another drop. This moves in an "M" shape.
As the minutes tick away, he receives an instruction to increase his exposure in Saudi Arabian Fertiliser Company, or Safco, and Saudi International Petrochemical, or Sipchem.
He glances at the screens and picks up his phone. "Hi Jackie, is Rania there? It's Marwan from Gulfmena," he says as he talks to a broker from Morgan Stanley. "You guys are active when it comes to DP World, get me 81,000 shares, with execution at a market price of 0.6823 [US cents]. Thanks." Back to Bloomberg chat.
Shurrab: "Are you expecting for DP World?
Broker: "They announced early. DP World reports Q1 consolidated volumes up 8.05 per cent year on year, that is 6 per cent ahead of Morgan Stanley's estimate. Listing is on track for end of May, early June."
Shurrab: Get me 100,000 at 0.6890 cents, and 181,000 at 0.6863 cents.
Looking up, he talks through his latest decision. "It's illiquid, if I get too involved I might be stuck," Mr Shurrab says. "I have a good feeling about it though, the stock is already up 1.3 per cent."
1pm
"Markets are all weak, and they're not breaking resistance points," Mr Shurrab says. "I don't like it." Mr Shurrab throws darts on a board, which hangs just before his television screen before briefly walking out of his office.
He heads to Caribou Coffee, which is five minutes from his office, and orders his first drink of the day, hot chocolate. Apart from the markets, chocolate is his passion.
2pm
UAE markets are little changed at the close. The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange General Index edged 0.2 per cent higher to 2,675.79 points, while Dubai's benchmark, the Dubai Financial Market General Index, ended flat at 1,608.49 points.
3pm
Mr Shurrab meets with fund managers to discuss the events of the day. Two bombs have gone off near the Saudi consulate in the Pakistan city of Karachi. "That explains why the Saudi market was slow and performing that way," Mr Shurrab says. Turning away, he needs to make a decision about increasing his holdings in Safco and Sipchem when the time and price are right. "Should we take a risk and load up? I don't want to regret it if markets rally on Saturday," the fund manager says to Mr Shurrab. "Markets are weak and not encouraging," he replies.
5pm
Saudi markets close, adding 0.1 per cent to 6722.38 points. Mr Shurrab decides not buy Safco and Sipchem, there was no need to take risks by increasing exposure on Saudi stocks.
At the end of the day, his fund has already outperformed the benchmark. The hedge fund was up 30 basis points, while the S&P Pan Arab Index was up only 10 basis points.
He leaves his office, but is still looking at markets by using the Bloomberg application on his BlackBerry phone. Oil futures decline more than 5 per cent in New York after an unexpected jump in petrol inventories. Crude for June delivery fell US$5.67, or 5.4 per cent to settle at $98.21 a barrel.
The euro was also down more than 1 per cent against the pound at 87.06 pence, the lowest since March 24. US stocks decline, with the S&P 500 Index reporting its biggest fall since March. He was glad he did not take the risk, maybe he will tomorrow.