The UAE moved a step closer to qualifying for the 2022 Fifa World Cup with a 5-0 win over Indonesia on Friday in the penultimate round of Asia qualification group games.
This victory on home turf set up a Group G showdown with Vietnam on Tuesday. Whoever wins the game will progress to the third round of qualification as group winners.
Vietnam beat Malaysia 2-1 on Friday and currently top the group with 17 points from seven games. With the UAE two points behind in second, Vietnam would also progress with a draw.
Results in groups C and D also set up final day showdowns between the top two sides in each group.
In Group C, Iran battered Cambodia 10-0 to keep their hopes of qualifying alive, despite sitting two points behind Iraq, who they play in Bahrain on Tuesday.
Group D is also still all to play for after Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan both won against Singapore and Palestine, respectively, leaving the Falcons two points ahead.
In Group B, Australia cemented their position at the top of the group with a 3-0 victory over Nepal, while Kuwait and Jordan played out a 0-0 draw.
The final round of group games will decide who progresses to round three of the qualification process. Syria, Australia, Japan and South Korea have already secured their progress.
The 12 teams that progress to round three will be split into two groups of six, with the top two teams in each group qualifying for the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar.
Fifa 2021 World Cup Asia round three qualifying results, June 11, 2021:
Myanmar 1-8 Kyrgyzstan
Philippines 3-0 Guam
Cambodia 0-10 Iran
Nepal 0-3 Australia
Hong Kong 0-1 Iraq
Malaysia 1-2 Vietnam
Indonesia 0-5 UAE
China PR 5-0 Maldives
Afghanistan 1-2 Oman
Yemen 0-1 Uzbekistan
Singapore 0-3 Saudi Arabia
Kuwait 0-0 Jordan
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Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
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Everton (2002-2004)
- Appearances: 48
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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.”
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He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
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Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
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Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Real Sociedad v Leganes (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Real Valladolid (4pm)
Valencia v Granada (7pm)
Eibar v Real Madrid (9.30pm)
Barcelona v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Sunday
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Atletico Madrid v Espanyol (7pm)
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Chennai Super Kings 181-2 (18.3 ovs)
Chennai win by eight wickets
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Sudden change in behaviour or displays higher levels of stress or anxiety
Shows signs of depression or isolation
Ability to sleep well diminishes
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Changes in eating habits
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
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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
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