It is five minutes to kick off at Dubai FC stadium, where the hosts are taking on Ajman.
When the whistle blows, both grandstands are still completely empty.
The crowd of less than two dozen supporters, club staff and other players is huddled in the more comfortable seats normally reserved for the press.
It is only a Reserve League game, but the empty seats are at the heart of the challenge facing the six-year-old Pro League as it seeks to attract bidders for the media and broadcast rights of UAE professional football for the next three seasons.
"There are some clubs with only 1,000 fans at the match - which is useless for companies marketing," says Subhi Khalid, 38, who is among the small group of spectators.
The lifelong football fan and director of protocol at a UAE university follows Al Ain at home and attends the games of other clubs such as Dubai when he can. In Europe, he supports the Italian Serie A club Inter Milan.
But the spartan stadium on the outskirts of Dubai is a long way from the San Siro, home to the Italian giants where average attendances top 44,000. The only branding to be seen is that of Etisalat, the official title sponsor of the league.
Making such league games a must-watch experience for football fans in the UAE is the stiff task now facing the Pro League, which holds the commercial rights to Emirates club football and its 14 professional teams.
Every week tens of thousands of football fans across the UAE tune in to watch the big games in Europe on subscription TV, or gather in bars and cafes to cheer on their teams.
But many professional football clubs here struggle to attract 3,000 fans.
That will need to rise substantially if the UAE game is to lure private-sector sponsors and meet attendance targets set by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Under AFC rules, the UAE Pro League must achieve average attendances of 5,000, a spokesman confirms.
"If they do not meet it, they will be required to submit a promotion plan to increase the attendance in order to get an exemption," says Steve Kim, the head of research and support services within the competitions division of the AFC.
But increasing attendances by such a margin over one or two seasons appears ambitious.
"There are leagues going for 110 years in Europe and you are comparing them with 30 or 40-year-old leagues [here]," says Mr Khalid, keeping one eye on the action on the pitch.
"We need more time. I don't think the leagues became so famous in Europe until the 80s and 90s - so we are not moving slowly."
Now the media and broadcast rights for the Pro League are up for grabs in what is expected to be a big test for the domestic competition's viewer appeal and its ability to catch the attention of the major sponsors and advertisers who hold sway over the beautiful game globally.
The bidding is open to UAE domestic broadcasters, which is likely to mean a three-way contest between Abu Dhabi Sports, Dubai Sports and Sharjah Sports.
The bid process is split into two separate packages: package A will include the Etisalat Pro League and Etisalat Reserve League; package B will cover the Etisalat Cup and the Etisalat Super Cup.
"The two packages may be awarded to one broadcaster, or may be awarded to two separate broadcasters, depending on what is deemed the best deal for all stakeholders," says Colin Smith, the chief executive of the UAE's Professional League Committee.
The deadline to submit tenders is April 15 but the Pro League has not disclosed when a winner will be selected or announced.
Overshadowed by the big leagues of Europe, the Pro League is on a quest to increase its profile and widen its fan base.
That means the winner of the tender process now under way may be required to offer English as well as Arabic commentary to cater to the country's expat football fans.
The fast-expanding expat population of cities such as Dubai represents a big opportunity for local football teams, says Ken Dearsley, a senior counsel at DLA Piper, an international law firm.
Dubai's economic rebound has attracted a huge influx of expatriates from Europe, Asia and elsewhere. At the same time, the Arab Spring has also triggered an exodus of expats from countries such as Egypt and Syria, many of whom have moved to the Emirates.
"This used to be a transient place," says Henry Birtles who runs HBA, a sports media consultancy based in the United Kingdom specialising in television rights.
"But it is no longer a two or three-year situation for many people. It instead becomes, 'This is home, this is where we are going to live.'
"That will generate loyalty and following, which will impact on attendances at football matches."
That seems a long way off as the half time whistle blows and the Ajman and Dubai footballers head to their dressing rooms in front of the silent scattering of spectators.
But sitting high in the empty stand, Mr Khalid seems to have a good view, literal and figurative, of the game. He remains upbeat about the prospects of the domestic league and believes a little marketing can go a long way.
"We have some derby games, big matches. You have to advertise them in the malls, the schools, the restaurants. You need to market them on social media, not just newspapers.
"Go to the expats and give them free tickets, they might have fun and come again."
scronin@thenational.ae
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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 banned).
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 White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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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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.
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.
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Milkman by Anna Burns
Ordinary People by Diana Evans
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Circe by Madeline Miller
LEAGUE CUP QUARTER-FINAL DRAW
Stoke City v Tottenham
Brentford v Newcastle United
Arsenal v Manchester City
Everton v Manchester United
All ties are to be played the week commencing December 21.
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