The uncle of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has been taking an increasingly central role in the emirate's business affairs and has, aides say, been "extremely busy" with the Dubai World negotiations.
His position as the chairman of the Supreme Fiscal Committee, and his status as one of his nephew's key advisers, means his advice will be crucial to the outcome.
At 51 years old, Sheikh Ahmed is known as the business-friendly international face of Dubai. As the head of the fast-growing Emirates Airline he is as comfortable in western boardrooms as he is in the Ruler's majlis, and he led a delegation of Dubai executives selected to calm western financial media after the shock of Dubai World's "standstill" announcement last November.
A key element of Sheikh Ahmed's job now will be to reassure the heads of international banking groups, with whom he is well acquainted, that Dubai wants to maintain a mutually profitable relationship in the years ahead.
The chairman of Dubai World was the inspiration behind the creation of Dubai's best-known "flagship" company, which put the emirate on the global business map during its rapid expansion in the years leading up to 2008.
He and his family were close friends and confidants to the Al Maktoum family, the rulers of Dubai, and he began his career running the sleepy container port in Jebel Ali in the 1980s
Before Dubai World was overtaken by the fallout from the financial crisis, Mr bin Sulayem was credited with the two big initiatives that catapulted Dubai into the top slot as the region's commercial hub: establishing the Jebel Ali Port and Free Zone, and the acquisition of the global ports business P&O.
He was also responsible for two artificial island projects that captured the world's imagination: Palm Jumeirah and The World archipelago.
Both underlined the emirate's reputation for daring architecture and glitzy lifestyle, but they proved too financially demanding for their developer, the Dubai World subsidiary Nakheel, when the financial crisis struck in 2008.
Although Mr bin Sulayem remains chairman, most of the day-to-day operational decisions regarding the restructuring have been handled by Mr Birkett.
As the director general of the emirate's Department of Finance and the head of the Dubai Financial Support Fund (DFSF), Mr al Saleh, 51, has been intricately involved in the restructuring talks since last November.
The DFSF has provided the operational finance needed to maintain the day-to-day business of those parts of Dubai World undergoing restructuring, and has so far disbursed about US$11 billion (Dh40.4bn) of the $20bn pledged by Abu Dhabi and the Federal Government to support Dubai entities in their financial need.
Mr al Saleh was closely involved in the decision not to seek "preferred creditor" status for the DFSF, which broke an impasse in the negotiations with creditors last month. As a result, the Dubai Government takes its place in the pool of unsecured creditors for the $23.5bn of liabilities.
A former senior official of the Dubai Customs Department, he has worked closely on the minutiae of the restructuring with Marwan Abedin, the executive director of the DFSF.
Paul Reynolds (Rothschild)
Paul Reynolds, above, 41, is the managing director of debt business in the Middle East for the investment bank Rothschild and the leader of the bank's team that is advising Dubai World.
When Mr Reynolds arrived in Dubai in September 2008, the financial crisis was just beginning to hit the emirate. An early job was to advise the Dubai Government on the criteria for the DFSF.
He already had a wealth of experience on his curriculum vitae of handling indebted corporates and countries, and was no stranger to crisis. He was an executive of the British investment bank Barings when it spectacularly went bust in 1995, before moving on to the blue-blood stockbroker Cazenove and then to Rothschild.
A famed early-riser, Mr Reynolds is often found at 7am having breakfast at the Dubai International Financial Centre before heading to the nearby Rothschild offices. When not helping rescue debt-ridden companies, he is a keen sailor.
Augusto Sasso (Moelis & Company)
Moelis & Company was something of a surprise choice as an adviser to the Government on the Dubai World restructuring. The firm is a niche investment bank on the US scene, plying its speciality trade outside the big names of Wall Street.
But Dubai had worked before with Moelis, and with Augusto Sasso, above right, 38, over the emirate's investment in MGM Mirage and the CityCenter development in Las Vegas, which had hit financing difficulties. Mr Sasso earned the trust and respect of Dubai officials for his shrewd handling of that sensitive issue.
A native of Los Angeles and a graduate in electrical engineering from UCLA, Mr Sasso worked for Credit Suisse First Boston and the investment bank Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette before joining Moelis in 2007 as the managing director. Underlining the firm's commitment to the region, Moelis has a nine-person team in Dubai.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%20profile
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
On racial profiling at airports
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
Company%20Profile
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Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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Race card
4pm Al Bastakiya Listed US$300,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
4.35pm Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,200m
5.10pm Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 $350,000 (Turf) 1,200m
5.45pm Burj Nahaar Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,600m
6.20pm Jebel Hatta Group 1 $400,000 (T) 1,800m
6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m
7.30pm Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections:
4pm Zabardast
4.35pm Ibn Malik
5.10pm Space Blues
5.45pm Kimbear
6.20pm Barney Roy
6.55pm Matterhorn
7.30pm Defoe
Super Saturday race card
4pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 | US$350,000 | (Dirt) | 1,200m
4.35pm: Al Bastakiya Listed | $300,000 | (D) | 1,900m
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 | $350,000 | (Turf) | 1,200m
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 | $350,000 | (D) | 1,600m
6.20pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 | $300,000 | (T) | 2,410m
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 | $600,000 | (D) | 2,000m
7.30pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 | $400,000 | (T) | 1,800m
Hunger and Fury: The Crisis of Democracy in the Balkans
Jasmin Mujanović, Hurst Publishers
Other simple ideas for sushi rice dishes
Cheat’s nigiri
This is easier to make than sushi rolls. With damp hands, form the cooled rice into small tablet shapes. Place slices of fresh, raw salmon, mackerel or trout (or smoked salmon) lightly touched with wasabi, then press, wasabi side-down, onto the rice. Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.
Easy omurice
This fusion dish combines Asian fried rice with a western omelette. To make, fry cooked and cooled sushi rice with chopped vegetables such as carrot and onion and lashings of sweet-tangy ketchup, then wrap in a soft egg omelette.
Deconstructed sushi salad platter
This makes a great, fuss-free sharing meal. Arrange sushi rice on a platter or board, then fill the space with all your favourite sushi ingredients (edamame beans, cooked prawns or tuna, tempura veggies, pickled ginger and chilli tofu), with a dressing or dipping sauce on the side.
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh135,000
Engine 1.6L turbo
Gearbox Six speed automatic with manual and sports mode
Power 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
The%20Specs
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Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company%20Profile
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How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
You Were Never Really Here
Director: Lynne Ramsay
Starring: Joaquim Phoenix, Ekaterina Samsonov
Four stars