Godolphin will parade their first batch of runners at Meydan ahead of the Dubai World Cup Carnival on New Year’s Day.
The spotlight will be on a Royal Blues trio entered in the UAE 1000 Guineas Trial, the Charlie Appleby-trained Silk Romance and Saeed bin Suroor’s pair Beautiful Secret and Heart Of Summer.
Silk Romance has been campaigned in England and brings some decent form to the table.
The Sharmadal filly finished second behind another Godolphin horse, Tinderbox, on her racecourse debut at the all-weather Kempton Park. She won a novice at Newmarket in her next start and was then beaten by a neck in the Class-2 at Newbury in her last start.
Bin Suroor’s duo also hold decent form. Beautiful Secret won her third and last start at the all-weather Chelmsford City, and Heart Of Summer was third in her sole start in a Doncaster maiden.
The seven-race card also includes two races for the Purebred Arabians is the Listed Garhoud Sprint which has attracted a field of eight.
Doug Watson’s Tariq, mount of stable jockey Pat Dobbs, made a winning seasonal return over 1,200m at Jebel Ali in late November, his only run during the current campaign.
He won both the 1,000m Listed Jebel Ali Sprint and the Group 3 Al Shindagha Sprint over Saturday’s track and trip.
“He is in great form at home and this is the next step in his season which, we hope, will conclude on Dubai World Cup night,” Watson said of the five-year-old Oasis Dream gelding.
“He should run well because, as I said, he is in really good form in the mornings.”
Bhupat Seemar has enjoyed a fine run since taking over the licence at Zabeel Stables and saddles three, with stable jockey Tadhg O’Shea aboard Switzerland.
He has won over course and distance, as have both his stable companions, Lavaspin and Gladiator King, the mounts of Richard Mullen and Mickael Barzalona respectively.
“Switzerland won the Dubawi Stakes last season and has been training well, so we expect a big run and, hopefully, a good season with him,” Seemar said.
“It is his first run of the season but we know he can run well fresh. Gladiator King is also pleasing us in his work and making his return for the season. He too can run well fresh so, we hope, will be very competitive.
“Lavaspin needs to bounce back after a lesser performance on his return but he should, hopefully, give a good account of himself.”
Antonio Cintra Pereira relies on Upper Class who ran just twice at the 2021 Dubai World Cup Carnival, well beaten on both occasions.
Racecard:
6.35pm: Etihad Museum – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.10pm: Dubai Opera – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (D) 1,400m
7.45pm: Al Jaddaf Mile – Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (Turf) 1,600m
8.20pm: Nad Al Sheba Classic – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 2,000m
8.55pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial – Condtions (TB) Dh183,650 (D) 1,400m
9.30pm: Al Garhoud Sprint – Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,200m
10.05pm: The Palm Jumeirah – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Company profile
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
Company%20profile
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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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
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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.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
RESULTS
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: Samau Xmnsor, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Ottoman, Szczepan Mazur, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Sharkh, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 85,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Yaraa, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Maaly Al Reef, Bernardo Pinheiro, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Jinjal, Fabrice Veron, Ahmed Al Shemaili
8pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Al Sail, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
