BEIRUT // When Ibrahim Madhoon left Bahrain for Lebanon last month, he did not plan to be gone for long.
The manager of a transportation logistics company who also is a member of Bahrain's main opposition group Al Wefaq, Mr Madhoon planned to attend business meetings in Beirut for a few days, then return to Manama.
Five weeks later, he is still here, pondering the likelihood that it will be weeks, perhaps months, until he sees his two wives and children again.
"I am an exile. If I return they will put me in jail. Why should I give them my neck?" he said in a hotel cafe in the southern suburbs of Beirut. "I'm not sleeping, just thinking about my family. Bahrain is not a safe place for its citizens."
Mr Madhoon is not alone. In Lebanon, he is among of a handful of other Bahrainis; critics and opponents of the Bahraini government who believe they will be arrested when they land in Manama and whisked off to prison.
Saying the country faced an "external threat", the Bahraini government declared a state of emergency five weeks ago and invited a GCC force made up of Saudi troops and UAE policemen to help it restore order.
Last week, Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the foreign minister, declared that security had been re-established on the island. While challenges remained, he said, they "only enhance our resolve to continue the building process in order to boost democracy and bring about more achievements".
Rights groups paint a different picture. Amnesty International last week described a "spiralling human rights crisis" in Bahrain, in which more than 500 people were arrested in the month following the imposition of the three-month state of emergency.
Although to his knowledge there is no warrant for his arrest, it is that number that worries 50-year-old Mr Madhoon. He and some other Bahrainis here have not been silent in their criticism of the security measures, giving interviews on satellite television stations and participating in seminars on the crisis in their homeland.
Sayed Jaffar al Allawi, 52, a political and religious figure, arrived in Lebanon more than two months ago with his Lebanese wife who was undergoing medical treatment. He said he made public statements criticising the government crackdown. Now he worries about the consequences.
"Most of my colleagues are either already in prison or are hidden … I know if I go back now to Bahrain there will be too many problems for me and my family," Mr al Allawi said, while at his wife's family home in the south Beirut neighbourhood of Bourj al Barajneh. Mr al Allawi, who is a member of the Amal political society - a key faction within Bahrain's opposition - served 18 years of a 25-year sentence after he was convicted on charges of trying to overthrow the government in the early 1980s. He was released in 1999, as part of the political reforms introduced when King Hamad came to power. But, according to Mr al Allawi, the slow pace of reform has not been to the liking of many Bahrainis.
"We want a new constitution and for the people to choose the system of government that they want - whether that is a constitutional monarchy or something else," he said. "I have even cried when I've seen what's happening to my people. Until there is reconciliation between the regime and the people that gives us a real peaceful situation, we cannot return."
Complicating the situation of Bahrainis here is their government's allegation - reportedly made in a confidential report sent last week to UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon - that the Beirut-based and Iranian-backed Hizbollah has provided training for Bahraini opposition figures in Lebanon and Iran.
Mr al Allawi and Mr Madhoon said it was business or family connections that brought them to Lebanon, rather than political ties. According to Mr al Allawi, he and other Bahrainis in Beirut have only received "moral support" since their arrival in Lebanon.
Though he fears his politics may consign him to a life of exile, Mr Mahdoon makes no apology for his actions and beliefs.
Mr Madhoon and his sons Hamed, 25, Khalil, 23, Taher, 18, and 16-year-old Jihad had been involved in the month-long protests at the now-demolished Pearl Roundabout. Like his party, Al Wefaq, Mr Madhoon was pressing for major political reforms, including the establishment of a constitutional monarchy. He arrived in Beirut just a couple of days before the security forces destroyed the protest camp at the roundabout on March 16.
Mr Madhoon claimed security forces raided his house on March 23, arresting his four sons. The family does not know where they are being held or on what charges, but his two wives have had brief conversations with them.
"Our sons simply said: 'We are OK. We're in Bahrain'," said Mr Madhoon, lighting yet another cigarette. "I'm very worried about them."
Since his sons were arrested, Mr Madhoon's wives and 10-year-old daughter have been moving between family members' homes.
"I am in a lot of pain. I can't go back and it feels like I'm in a prison in Lebanon," Mr Madhoon said. "But in this jail, at least you can talk. There, no one will be able to hear my voice. Like no one can hear my sons' voices."
zconstantine@thenational.ae
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
Get Out
Director: Jordan Peele
Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford
Four stars
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 White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Ramy%3A%20Season%203%2C%20Episode%201
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreators%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAri%20Katcher%2C%20Ryan%20Welch%2C%20Ramy%20Youssef%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERamy%20Youssef%2C%20Amr%20Waked%2C%20Mohammed%20Amer%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20pillars%20of%20the%20Dubai%20Metaverse%20Strategy
%3Cp%3EEncourage%20innovation%20in%20the%20metaverse%20field%20and%20boost%20economic%20contribution%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20outstanding%20talents%20through%20education%20and%20training%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20applications%20and%20the%20way%20they%20are%20used%20in%20Dubai's%20government%20institutions%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAdopt%2C%20expand%20and%20promote%20secure%20platforms%20globally%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20the%20infrastructure%20and%20regulations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
THE%C2%A0SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.4-litre%20four-cylinder%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20210hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Starting%20from%20Dh89%2C900%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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)
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
