A group of lucky fishermen in southern Yemen stand to become overnight millionaires after finding a large blob of ambergris inside a dead whale they hauled to shore.
The waxy substance, generally found floating in the seas after being expelled from the digestive system of sperm whales, is particularly prized by perfume makers and fetches a price higher than gold.
The whale's carcass was spotted about 30 kilometres out in the Gulf of Aden on Saturday, according Mohammed Abdo, from Al Khaisa area in Al Bouraika district of Aden, who is one of the fishermen in line for a share of the good fortune.
"I and three of my colleagues found a big dead whale floating while fishing with fishermen from Shoukra area in Abyan and others from Al Khokha area in Hodeidah. We made the discovery 18 miles from Al Tawahi in eastern Aden," Mr Abdo told The National.
“The whale was very big. We couldn’t grab it so we called all the fishermen around to help us pull it to the shore.”
Working together, 37 fishermen used their boats to drag the whale carcass to Dounafa beach, a small isolated stretch of shoreline near Al Tawahi, where they cut open its stomach and extracted the ambergris.
The ambergris weighed 127 kilograms, according to another of the fishermen, who asked not be identified.
“Many perfume businessmen from Gulf states contacted us offering to buy it. One businessman sent his representative with an offer of 45,000 Saudi riyals [$12,000] per kilo if the blob is proven to be of high quality,” he said.
The average annual income in Yemen is about 200,000 rials – $800 at the current official exchange rate – with many people struggling to make ends meet after six years of civil war.
When The National visited Al Khaisa on Sunday, dozens of armed men were guarding the house where the fishermen stored the ambergris. The house was surrounded by cars and people, some of whom came to make bids while others were drawn by the story of poor fishermen who stood to become overnight millionaires.
“We want to strike a deal to sell it as soon as possible, because the longer it stays the more challenging the situation will become,” the man said.
“We have had a big quarrel over how the money should be shared.”
The fishermen did not allow photos of the ambergris, instead sharing video footage of them bringing in the whale carcass.
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The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
The specs
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Primera Liga fixtures (all times UAE: 4 GMT)
Friday
Real Sociedad v Villarreal (10.15pm)
Real Betis v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Barcelona (8.15pm)
Levante v Deportivo La Coruna (10.15pm)
Girona v Malaga (10.15pm)
Las Palmas v Atletico Madrid (12.15am)
Sunday
Espanyol v Leganes (8.15pm)
Eibar v Athletic Bilbao (8.15pm)
Getafe v Sevilla (10.15pm)
Real Madrid v Valencia (10.15pm)
MATCH INFO
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
