This English Premier League (EPL) season saw the start of a new three-year cycle for the global television rights to the most popular domestic competition on the planet.
Broadcasters worldwide are paying a grand total of £8.3 billion (Dh40.47bn) to screen the matches with a significant percentage of this sum coming from Asia.
It gives clubs in England’s top tier clubs unprecedented wealth, which many have used to bolster their squads with extravagant signings. But, for domestic leagues in Asia, the popularity of the EPL is very much a mixed blessing because it means fans are more inclined to watch English football on the television than local football in an actual stadium.
The regional broadcaster BeinSport holds the EPL rights for territories across the Middle East, Asia and North Africa. Last time out the broadcaster paid US$315 million to the EPL for the equivalent period of time and the undisclosed deal signed for the 2017-2020 period is likely to be worth significantly more.
In the BeinSport heartland of Qatar local football is struggling. The country might gearing up for the 2022 World Cup but Uri Levy, who covers Middle East football for Babagoal, says the domestic league is largely overlooked,
“In Saudi Arabia the local league is highly popular and there are huge mega clubs that attract fans from all over the Arab world and Asia. In other leagues its really depends on the teams, while in the Emirates the local league is not so popular and teams hardly fill stadiums.”
He thinks the gulf in quality between Middle East football and European football makes it impossible to draw direct comparisons,
“The local leagues will never reach the level of EPL football, at least not in the near future, so there's no competition. It's simply two different dishes in one big restaurant.”
Whether digital or linear there are so many platforms to watch football on in the modern era that the restaurant analogy is apt. But what local domestic competitions can offer fans is the opportunity to attend a live match without having to fly half way around the world.
Anthony Sutton is based in Jakarta. He is the author of Sepakbola, a book about Indonesian football, and says it is one of very few countries in South East Asia that has a strong stadium culture,
“Teams like Persija, Persib, Persebaya and PSS all average in excess of 20,000 at their home games and the last two play in the second tier. Indonesian clubs have history that is passed down from father to son, people here support their local team and take great pride in their local side.
"Even if they move away from their home town they keep supporting their local side.”
Thailand is home to the best league in South East Asia in terms of technical ability, according to Mr Sutton. BeinSport recently paid $300m for the EPL broadcast rights there and if you asked the average man on the street in Bangkok which team he supported the answer is much more likely to be "Manchester United" than "Muang Thong United".
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English football's big winners show UEFA sense of fair play is misguided
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Football's preseason season is a major money-spinner for some
The Thai Premier League just started a four-year deal with the local broadcaster True Vision which is worth 4.2bn baht. This means the EPL is worth over three times as much as the top tier of the local league to broadcasters in Thailand, which gives a good idea of the struggles facing domestic football in the region
In Indonesia BeinSport paid $75m to broadcast the EPL for three seasons, starting in August. It represented a decrease of approximately $15m on the cost of the previous three-year cycle and Sutton thinks the popularity of local teams could be a factor,
“It is common to see fans from Semen Padang or PSM, for example, supporting their team hundreds of miles from home on different islands in different time zones. They have that connection with the team going back generations,” he said.
Thailand’s top teams are the Bangkok-based Muang Thong United and Buriram FC, a club situated in the provincial North East. They have existed in their current incarnation for 10 years and five years, respectively, so do not have the same history as some of the Indonesian clubs.
For countries like Indonesia and Thailand seeing a homegrown footballer succeed in the EPL remains a distant dream. But Japanese players have been heading to Europe for years and Alan Gibson, who produces JSoccer magazine, thinks this has damaged the popularity of the J-League back home.
“The main problem in my opinion is not the quality of overseas football attracting fans, it is all the Japanese players going overseas that are followed by fans who saw them grow up. They are very loyal and possessive fans and the more players J-League loses the more fans follow them.”
In Japan MP & Silva paid $90m for the current three year cycle of EPL TV rights. It is a relatively modest sum that reflects the fact that in this Asian country football sometimes takes a back seat to popular spectator sports like baseball, sumo and even rugby.
One domestic competition in Asia with genuine aspirations to compete with the EPL, at least in terms of attracting the top players, is the Chinese Super League. Salaries are spectacular with the Argentina international Ezequiel Lavezzi earning £798,000 a week while his countryman and former Manchester City favourite Carlos Tevez and the Brazilian Oscar take home £634,615 and £400,000, respectively.
Cameron Wilson covers Chinese football for www.wildeastfootball.net. He says there has always been a lot of money in the game there but that new rules and regulations have put a halt to the influx of big-name signings from Europe,
“The money had been there for quite some time but the international media didn’t really notice until the likes of [the Brazilian player] Hulk and Oscar signed. The government made new rules forcing teams to pay a 100 per cent tax on transfer fees towards a ‘development fund’ if the club was not in profit, which no Chinese club is.”
Read more:
Chinese appetite for foreign football clubs likely to fade
China opens financial floodgates for a slice of football fever
Weibo’s owner finds little appeal in live sport streams
Chelsea are among the European sides currently lamenting this change of direction. Having previously sold Oscar and Ramires to Chinese clubs, for £52m and £25m respectively, they were braced for a £76m Tianjin bid for wantaway striker Diego Costa that would almost certainly have been accepted.
The bid never materialised and instead Chelsea ended up accepting a slightly more modest £58m from Atletico Madrid. But the influx of former EPL players into Chinese football does not appear to have damaged the marketability of the English league with the current broadcast deal with the digital broadcaster PPTV worth £564m.
This is the highest amount paid by any broadcaster for the rights to a single country but the figure is more reflective of the sheer size of the audience in China than the EPL’s popularity there. According to Mr Wilson the Chinese Super League (CSL) is already holding its own in that respect,
“In China there are a lot of EPL fans just as there are in most countries, but the CSL has a good fan culture with several clubs, such as Shandong, Beijing and Shanghai Shenhua having a devoted hardcore following. The trend is towards more fans following CSL at the expense of foreign clubs.”
Nowhere is the contrast between the popularity of the EPL and apathy towards local leagues as stark as Singapore. Mr Sutton is based in Jakarta but travels all over South East Asia to attend matches and is not upbeat about the prospects for the city-state's S-League,
“That is a battle Singapore has lost I feel. People are happy to pay S$100 (Dh269) for a replica shirt of a team from a city they probably couldn't find on a map yet are loath to pay S$5 or S$6 to watch their own local side.”
Mr Sutton simply does not see it in terms of a competition between local leagues and the EPL. He feels the popularity of local football in Indonesia is proof that domestic matches can offer something that televised overseas games cannot,
"One major problem across the region is that people try to compare English football with local football on a like for like basis and see their local game falling short on a number of levels. They are not similar.
"Football is a window into its host society and should be seen as such. To compare the local game with the English game as seen on TV is a false equivalence and doesn't take into account local circumstances or cultures.”
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
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In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
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.”
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
57%20Seconds
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'Cheb%20Khaled'
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
CHINESE GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID
1st row
Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
2nd row
Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
3rd row
Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing)
4th row
Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
Sergio Perez (Force India)
5th row
Carlos Sainz Jr (Renault)
Romain Grosjean (Haas)
6th row
Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
Esteban Ocon (Force India)
7th row
Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren)
8th row
Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)
9th row
Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
Lance Stroll (Williams)
10th row
Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
arcus Ericsson (Sauber)
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Red Sparrow
Dir: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Egerton, Charlotte Rampling, Jeremy Irons
Three stars
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
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
