One of Britain's most influential YouTube stars, with a mind-boggling 2.8 billion views, a combined 13.1 million subscribers across two channels and three Guinness World Records, will be making an appearance in the capital this weekend. Alastair Aiken, more commonly known as Ali-A, will be taking to the stage at the first-ever Games Con Middle East on Saturday, to host a masterclass on the video game Call of Duty: WWII, which was released on November 3.
The bearded, baseball-cap-wearing 23-year-old vlogger began his ascent to online fame in 2009, when he started uploading short gaming clips to his YouTube channel. Although his main business is Call of Duty, he also created a second channel dedicated to videos about Pokémon, Minecraft and Need for Speed. Aiken's first graphic novel – Ali-A Adventures: Game On – was released by Puffin and Random House Children's Books in the United Kingdom and the United States last month. An American company called Scuf Gaming even released a blue-and-white Ali-A Game On game controller for PlayStation, Xbox One and PC for US$169.95 (Dh624), to coincide with the novel's release. We caught up with Aiken to find out how a YouTube gaming star is born.
How and when did you first get into gaming?
AI got into gaming through a few of my older friends, who lived on the road down from my house. They were really into Mario Kart and Smash Bros on the GameCube, and I started playing with them. Soon after, I fell in love with video games.
How did your parents and teachers react to your interest?
My parents have never been huge on games but, for me, it's always been a very social experience. I've either had friends over, or we would connect online while playing games, and we'd chat for hours because we had fun. As long as playtime was limited, and didn't effect my school work, both parents and teachers were okay.
What is it about the game ‘Call of Duty’ that you love?
I think I love COD because I'm constantly striving to be the best, and do even better with every single game I play. I always feel like I'm one step away from pulling off a crazy game, where I go flawless [don't die] and go on a crazy streak, which would make for an amazing video. I'm always competing for the number one spot in a multiplayer lobby, and I love getting on and proving I'm the best.
How does the game keep evolving to maintain your interest?
Games need to evolve, and in the case of COD, there's a new release yearly, and four huge DLC [downloadable content] packs that get released every few months. They add new weapons, maps and content to keep everyone playing and make it all feel fresh. Without the steady release of new content, it would get stale quickly. Games that offer updates and additional content during their lifespan always have a more engaged and happier fan base.
What does the future hold for gaming, in your opinion?
It's a tough question. I think both VR [virtual reality] and AR [augmented reality] are the future of gaming, potentially. I actually think AR is a lot cooler; bringing in augmented reality into your everyday life sounds amazing, but wouldn't necessarily work for games like Call of Duty. I think there'll always be a place for just a good old controller and TV set-up for gaming, but the possibilities AR and VR offer are very cool and will certainly take off soon.
Is there something you want to accomplish in this field that you have yet to do?
My next goal is to reach 10 million subscribers [on my main channel]. You are rewarded with a small YouTube plaque at 100,000, then a Gold Play button at one million. But if you manage to attain10 million subscribers, you're given an impressive Diamond Play button that only few people in the world have. I'm around 600,000 subscribers away, so I'm hoping I'll reach it in 2018.
What advice will you have for players in your WWII masterclass?
Watch lots of YouTube videos of good players, and watch what they do in all situations. Make sure your class loadouts [or multiplayer classes] are set up correctly. Use a high-quality headset to listen out for footsteps and other important audio questions. Just play a lot. The more you play, the better you’ll get.
Alastair Aiken will give his 'Call of Duty: WWII' masterclass at the Games Con Entertainment stage on Saturday from 2pm to 2.45pm
The lowdown on Games Con
The inaugural edition of Games Con Middle East, the latest offering from the team that runs the successful annual Middle East Film & Comic Con, is the latest regional testament to the strength and pull of the international gaming industry. This year, an estimated 2.2 billion gamers across the globe are expected to generate US$108.9 billion (Dh400bn) in revenues, according to a Newzoo Global Games Market Report released
in April.
Until Saturday, among the YouTube stars who will be on hand to meet fans and play each other live on stage, are two members of a group called the Sidemen: Vikram Barn, also known as Vikkstar123, and Joshua Bradley, or Zerkaa. They will join fellow British star Alastair Aiken and his partner, Clare Siobhan, who has become a gaming celebrity in her own right. The couple like to make videos while they play Pokémon Go with their dog Eevee, and they will also host their fan meet-and-greets in Abu Dhabi together.
Popular voice actors, including Chloé Hollings (Overwatch, Widowmaker), D C Douglas (Resident Evil/One Piece/Star Trek Enterprise) and Brina Palencia (Mad Moxxi), will not only meet fans, but also sell them personalised voice recordings.
There will also be a Cosplay Contest Friday from 6.15pm to 7.30pm for best portrayal of gaming characters, with prize money of up to Dh7,000 for individuals and Dh10,000 for groups. Gamers will have the chance to test as-yet unreleased 2018 titles including Monster Hunter: World and Dissidia Final Fantasy NT. There will be a strong educational aspect to the event, with visitors getting the chance to learn more about the regional scene in gaming development. There will be free game-design and development workshops on offer throughout the entire weekend.
Games Con runs from today until Saturday at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. Some of the content is only available for those who are 18 and older. A one-day standard ticket is Dh75 and three-day standard pass is Dh200. Super VIP passes are sold out, but there are select Dh500 VIP three-day passes left. For tickets and more information, go to www.me-gamescon.com
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Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
The End of Loneliness
Benedict Wells
Translated from the German by Charlotte Collins
Sceptre
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The specs: 2019 Subaru Forester
Price, base: Dh105,900 (Premium); Dh115,900 (Sport)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 182hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 239Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.1L / 100km (estimated)
EXPATS
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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
RESULT
Manchester United 2 Burnley 2
Man United: Lingard (53', 90' 1)
Burnley: Barnes (3'), Defour (36')
Man of the Match: Jesse Lingard (Manchester United)
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.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Bombshell
Director: Jay Roach
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie
Four out of five stars
the pledge
I pledge to uphold the duty of tolerance
I pledge to take a first stand against hate and injustice
I pledge to respect and accept people whose abilities, beliefs and culture are different from my own
I pledge to wish for others what I wish for myself
I pledge to live in harmony with my community
I pledge to always be open to dialogue and forgiveness
I pledge to do my part to create peace for all
I pledge to exercise benevolence and choose kindness in all my dealings with my community
I pledge to always stand up for these values: Zayed's values for tolerance and human fraternity
match info
Athletic Bilbao 1 (Muniain 37')
Atletico Madrid 1 (Costa 39')
Man of the match Iker Muniain (Athletic Bilbao)
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
