Elena Rybakina is set to begin the defence of her Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open crown when the tournament returns for its third edition in the capital next month.
Zayed Sports City once again plays host to the WTA 500 event that runs from February 1-8 and also features three-time Grand Slam runner-up Ons Jabeur, as well as recent Australian Open semi-finalist Paula Badosa.
World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka won the inaugural tournament in 2021 while Olympic gold medal winner Belinda Bencic took the honours in 2023 after a one-year gap.
The National sat down with tournament director, Nigel Gupta, to discuss what we can expect from the upcoming event.
How proud are you of the success of the tournament since its return to the calendar?
We are massively proud of the success of this tournament. I think we've seen substantial growth since we first introduced it.
The first edition came about quite quickly, as you know. So, we had to put together the tournament within approximately four weeks.
But we saw double the occupancy last year, introducing community programmes that really resonated with schools and the next generation of players. Hopefully for 2025, we're going to see another increase on that as well.
How easy is it to attract top level players?
We are a 500 level event. So we are very, very high up in terms of the standards. You know, that naturally attracts players that want to come and play and earn points early on in the season.
We're also kind of perfectly positioned on the calendar. So once players are finished in Australia for the first Grand Slam of the season, they're heading this way anyway. We've created now what is probably classed as a Middle Eastern swing with Abu Dhabi first, followed by Doha and Dubai.
You can see, from the first two editions and the upcoming one, that the top talent want to come here. They want to play here and participate. And I think seeing the number of players that are returning again is really positive for us.
We've got a great facilities here. The weather's great. We work extra hard to ensure the players feel like they are taken care of. They've got access to go and visit sites around Abu Dhabi. And I think they enjoy that aspect of things as well.
What is the feedback that you have received from the players?
Overall, it is positive feedback, and we're always open to making changes – improving the quality of facilities or the playing surfaces or whatever it might be.
We want to make sure these players are in the best condition to perform on court in front of the crowds. We are always looking to improve on what we deliver. But I think overall the players have been pretty happy so far.
What did you think of last year's tournament? Did you feel that there was a difference from the first year?
Yes, massively. Last year really showed the intent of the tournament. We've got a really, strong partner in Abu Dhabi Sports Council, and they've got a strong ambition to grow this event. And I think we saw that last year.
We, had a huge schools programme, which is obviously really important. For us, we don't want to just come here and showcase the best players in the world, which we do.
But we also want to make sure we're introducing tennis to the next generation and providing a pathway for the future growth of players from the UAE.
We had a few days where the stadium was full with schoolchildren and kids, and that was really nice to see. I think the players enjoyed playing in front of them as well.
Have you made any significant changes from last year?
This year, in terms of how we are growing and adapting, we've really focused on the off-court experience. We know that the on-court tennis will take care of itself.
We've got the best names coming over here to participate. So we we've expanded our off-court fan experience for 2025. We've moved to a 15,000-square metre activation area. The mobile, the tennis village, which is going to be made up of a variety of kids activities.
We've got live entertainment and music throughout the week. So it's going to be a huge experience for fans that want to come down and just have a good time with family.
Has low ticket prices worked in attracting more visitors?
Yeah, definitely. We want this tournament to be as accessible as possible for everyone. We want people to be introduced to tennis and to come again and watch tennis year on year. We priced it at a point where we think it will attract a wider audience as well.
Looking at some of the statistics, 61 per cent of attendees are men. Are you working on getting more women to attend, since it's a women's tournament?
Definitely. We're always looking at ways in which we can attract more women to participate in and watch the tennis.
The WTA put in a lot of effort as well on their side, and they're looking at ways to promote female tennis across the world, maximising sponsorship revenue and trying to grow the game that way.
But I think it's important for tournaments like us locally to be doing whatever we can as well. And it's through programmes that we've introduced, such as the road team community programme and also all the school programmes that we've introduced.
We want to try to encourage the next generation of female players, female Emirati players as well, to come and hopefully one day play on the courts here as well.
It's very important for tournaments to be doing whatever they can. On a local level, community initiatives really put the put the sport in front of as many people as we can and hopefully grow in that way.
Saudi Arabia hosted the WTA Finals. What are your views on that?
The region has always had major tennis events for many years. And we have been along that journey since 2009 when we hosted exhibition events here in Abu Dhabi.
The region has always had a strong eye on tennis and they [fans] enjoy seeing the best players come and perform here. Saudi is not different in that respect.
They're obviously looking at the best, the biggest sports and the best tournaments to host. And the WTA Finals kind of fell into that as well.
We are doing well as a region. Tennis is a growing sport here as well and we're doing everything we can locally to do that. But it also helps when the spotlight is shone on the region. When you've got the WTA Finals in the region, it helps tennis in general. It’s exciting.
So what about your future plans when it comes to this tournament?
I do think, with the kind of support that we have and the key stakeholders like Mubadala, like Abu Dhabi Sports Council, their ambition is to always bring these world-class events to Abu Dhabi and then grow them to reach their potential.
The focus is on doing the best we can with this event. Grow it to the maximum, like we have managed in the first two years.
Do you think this region can grow to be a power player and one of the dominant forces in tennis?
Yes, I think this region can grow to be one of the dominant forces in tennis. It has already shown that. We've obviously had major tournaments here for many, many years.
Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open is now firmly on the calendar and up there with some of the biggest, but we see it throughout the year with players wanting to come and train here in their off-season.
The facilities are amazing. A lot of players have moved to the UAE now as well. So, I think that is doing its part as well and showing how important tennis is to the region.
You have Ons Jabeur attending, obviously a huge name when it comes to the Arab region. How important is her presence for this tournament?
Naturally Ons being from the region – the most successful Arab tennis player – she resonates well with the fans here in the UAE. And it's really important, for us to ensure that she's here and playing.
She's a pivotal factor in the growth of tennis as well, especially in this region, because a lot of the next generation look up to her. They idolise her. They want to see her playing here on the court.
For the local girls and boys to come down and watch Ons play on the courts here in Abu Dhabi is amazing.
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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.”
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.
The bio
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
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School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
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Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
Schedule for Asia Cup
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Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)
Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four
Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)
Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 28: Final (Dubai)
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