Latest news with #Dh95
Gulf News
27-04-2025
- Business
- Gulf News
Oman announces 631 job vacancies across government agencies for 2025
403 positions require a bachelor's degree or a post-secondary diploma Last updated: Related Stories Sheikh Sultan attends Muscat International Book Fair 2m read Prabhu Deva set to dazzle at Muscat's City Amphitheatre 2m read Skip the flight, take a Dh95 bus to Oman from UAE 2m read Oman halts shark trade permits amid extinction concerns 1m read
Khaleej Times
11-04-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
A shirt for almost Dh100,000? Sports fans are ready to spend fortune over memorabilia
When it comes to sport, fans will dig deep into their pockets for a piece of their favourite stars. Sports memorabilia, from signed jerseys to trading cards, is a big business and can fetch a small fortune. But there's a growing problem of fakes. Estimates suggest that up to 70 per cent are counterfeit, and these fakes are proving harder to spot. 'The percentage of counterfeit signed sports memorabilia in the market is actually quite scary,' says Samer El Kadi, founder of YourSportsCollector, a brand that started in the UAE. 'Without reliable authentication, there's a real risk of being misled into buying items that hold no real value.' Dan Jamieson is the CEO of Icons, one of the world's biggest sports memorabilia firms, which has an exclusive worldwide deal with Leo Messi. It recently sold one of his shirts for around £20,000 (Dh95,000). Talking about fake memorabilia, he said: 'Honestly, it's the Wild West out there. We don't know whether something is fake ourselves. We only source our items from closed, professional, contracted signings with the players, which we can authenticate ourselves.' When Icons does deal with third parties, it uses partners like Upper Deck and Fanatics Authentic, who, Jamieson says, have stringent authentication processes. 'Every listing on our site showcases who created the product in the first place, we don't hide it.' To protect yourself, experts recommend only using reputable sports memorabilia agencies and authenticators. There are a number of well-known sports memorabilia agencies, such as Fanatics, Icons, and YourSportsCollector. Looking at the reviews on their websites gives a good indication of their reputations. And they tend to have a very tight circle of authenticators they work with. The most trusted authenticators are Beckett, Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), and James Spence Authentication (JSA). Honestly, it's the Wild West out there. We don't know whether something is fake ourselves. We only source our items from closed, professional, contracted signings with the players, which we can authenticate ourselves" Dan Jamieson, Ceo Of Icons Some companies provide both a physical Certificate of Authenticity (COA) along with a hologram sticker, while others have transitioned to digital verification, offering a scannable QR code. You can take the unique hologram code provided with your item and verify it on the authenticator's website. Being able to differentiate between genuine and fake hologram stickers and understanding the fine print on the COA are vital skills for ensuring the authenticity of your memorabilia. Spotting fakes As Icon's Jamieson explains, anyone can create their own site, fake a hologram, and a certificate, grab a shirt and pen and pretend to be authentic and trade on market places. So what are the tell-tale signs that help you spot these fakes? Price is a key factor. As the old adage goes: if it's too good to be true, then it probably isn't. Cheap selling prices for valuable items are always a red flag. Your defence? Check the source, the contract, the longevity of the agency, its history, the humans behind the company, and also Trustpilot for reviews. 'Memorabilia is a very considered, and expensive purchase, so choose wisely and do your research,' he adds. What if you saw two different-looking signatures from LeBron James? Would one of them be fake? Not always. Athletes' signatures can vary from the start of a signing session to the end. Blame it on fatigue. In fact, the more consistent and perfect the signature is, the more suspicious you should be, say experts. 'It's the imperfections that tell you it's from a human,' says Jamieson. 'We are competing with companies who use robots to perfectly replicate all manner of signatures and then pass them off as real by burying the fact it was done by a robot in the terms and conditions in paragraph 14.' Getting harder Spotting real from fake autographed sports memorabilia is getting more challenging, as counterfeiters continue to improve the quality of their fakes. 'I've seen cases where the signature looked perfect, but the colour and shade of the hologram and COA were noticeably off. This is something that an average buyer might not even be aware of,' says El Kadi. 'While some fakes can be spotted with a trained eye, many high quality replicas can easily slip through the cracks.' Counterfeit signatures are prevalent with high-profile athletes. The biggest names in sports tend to have the highest percentage of counterfeit signatures, including legends like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Pele, Muhammad Ali, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Tom Brady. As these athletes are in high demand, their autographs are frequently targeted by counterfeiters in the sports memorabilia market. False advertising, flashy scripts, and well-decorated platforms are everywhere. Ultimately, it's the authenticity and condition of the item that determine its value, nothing else. Authentication is key, so always prioritise it" Samer El Kadi, Founder Of Yoursportscollector Tricks Bad actors can use several tricks to deceive buyers. One tactic is false advertising through paid ads, where they may have an athlete endorse their page through platforms like Cameo, even though the athlete has no knowledge of the product. Another common trick involves framing jerseys in a way that hides the front, allowing them to pass off custom jerseys as authentic. Sellers may also inflate descriptions, claiming an item is 'rare' or 'one-of-a-kind' when it isn't, in order to increase its perceived value. Additionally, they might label an item as 'limited edition', despite it being neither numbered nor authenticated, making such claims misleading. 'False advertising, flashy scripts, and well-decorated platforms are everywhere. Ultimately, it's the authenticity and condition of the item that determine its value, nothing else. Authentication is key, so always prioritise it,' advises El Kadi. New moves The world of sports memorabilia is evolving and in-person events with athletes are becoming hugely popular, and are massively expanding the inventory of signed items. Fanatics, a global digital sports platform, recently signed a five-year strategic partnership with Qatar that includes a sponsorship agreement around Fanatics Fest NYC. The festival is the world's largest arena for sports and collectibles. Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour Al-Thani, director of Qatar's Government Communications Office, said, 'We hope to one day bring Fanatics Fest to Qatar where our passionate sports community can participate.' And Icons is tapping into the dedicated sports memorabilia collector community with a VIP Club that offers a tailored experience. VIP customers are managed by a specialist team who take care of their requests for signed memorabilia, such as curating unique one-of-a-kind items, arranging personalised shirt opportunities and locating specific match-worn pieces. While some fans buy items simply to get closer to their sporting stars, others see it as an investment opportunity, looking for rising stars whose value may soar in years to come. Experts say there are several factors to consider. First, look at the player's age, potential for stardom, fan-following, and the significance of jerseys worn during key milestones or achievements. 'It's also important to consider whether the item is numbered or a limited edition, how often the player signs, and who they sign for,' says El Kadi. A signed LeBron James jersey from 20 years ago might have cost around $3,000, but today it could easily be worth $12,000. So what are some of the weirdest things players have been asked to sign? NBA stars Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks has signed a frying pan and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors autographed a toaster during a live press conference. 'The most surprising part, though, was the players' reactions when they were handed those items to sign,' jokes El Kadi.
Khaleej Times
30-03-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
ALEC partners with Emirates Red Crescent, SmartLife, Charity Association in Riyadh for Ramadan campaign
As part of its community outreach during the holy month, ALEC donated dry food and hygiene care packages worth Dh160,000 to labourers and low-income families in UAE and Saudi Arabia. These items were distributed among beneficiaries through ALEC partners Emirates Red Cresent, SmartLife (NPO/NGO) and Charity Association in Riyadh. Over 1,800 ALEC employees, including some of ALEC's subcontractor and other partners across nine projects across UAE and Saudi Arabia as well as the company's head offices and factories donated these items. Furthermore, 64 ALEC employees volunteered to package the dry food and hygiene products into care hampers and then, alongside SmartLife volunteers, actively participated in distributing these at a labour camp in Dubai. ALEC matched this employee in-kind donation and donated Dh95,000 towards Emirates Red Crescent's Tarahum — for Gaza (UAE Relief Campaign to People Affected by War in Gaza) and King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Center's The Public Relief Campaign for Palestine People in Gaza projects. Another Dh65,000 was donated to SmartLife (NPO/NGO)'s Smart Medic programme, focussed on providing critical treatments and surgeries, setting up tele medicine kiosks, and providing medicines, not covered by existing medical insurance, for labourers in the UAE. In addition to this employee donation matching initiative, ALEC also distributed 3,563 care packages to subcontracted labourers across 15 ALEC, ALEMCO, ALEC FITOUT, ALEC Energy, LINQ, ALEC DIC sites in UAE. 'At ALEC, we believe true success goes beyond financial performance — it's about the meaningful impact we make in the communities we serve. Our commitment to positive change is embedded in everything we do, from our operations to our values. This spirit is reflected across our entire team, and we're incredibly proud to match the generous contributions our employees have made to support these vital humanitarian efforts,' said Barry Lewis, CEO of ALEC. Drawing attention to the need for such corporate-led action, Abhijeet Oak, Vice President, at SmartLife (NPO/NGO) said, 'We are thankful to ALEC for its continued support and contributions as it enables SmartLife to implement some key year-round projects for the blue-collar community. This engagement serves as a role model for sustainable community work championed by the team at ALEC.' The gold bar and coin sector sees greater demand in China than anywhere else. This strong investment demand naturally propels the popularity of gold bars and coins, reaching 280 tonnes. China surpassed India in 2023 to become the world's top consumer of gold jewellery, with a demand of 630 tonnes, a 10 per cent year-on-year increase. India follows with jewellery demand totaling 562 tonnes in 2023. India also ranks among the top ten nations with the highest gold reserves, holding approximately 804 tonnes worth $50 billion. Mohammed Suhaib, Managing Director of Unique World Group, says, the new Gold Destination will help jewellery sales to accelerate further. 'As the population of Dubai and UAE increases rapidly – to cross 3.8 million in Dubai and 10.8 million in the UAE – we see the creation of a new Gold and Lifestyle Hub an important step in facilitating this industry to grow further,' Suhaib said. 'In addition to the population growth, a jump in annual tourist inflow – many of whom have gold and diamond in their shopping list – will require a new Gold and Lifestyle Hub that will help shoppers to hunt for new and trendy collection.' Unique World Group is a Dubai-based diversified business conglomerate with interests in Business Centre, Education and Real Estate sectors, and is currently embarking on a new more diversified growth trajectory. Unique World Group, established by Sulaiman TM, a non-resident Indian serial entrepreneur from Kerala state, has demonstrated leadership in all the areas that he had ventured in – in the UAE. Over the last 27 years, the group has grown from strength to strength with a vision to continuously grow and expand, leveraging the power of digitalisation and innovation. In more than a quarter of a century, the group helped thousands of new businesses with business advisory services, trade licenses, office facilities and a bouquet of business enabling services to help them establish in the UAE. The company actively seeks new opportunities and partnerships, aiming to improve, evolve, and establish itself as an industry leader in the Business Centre, Education, and Real Estate sectors. He and Muhammed Suhaib, the scion of the family, are now getting ready to embark on a new journey that will add greater value to Dubai's economy. Established in 1998, Unique World Group currently manages a portfolio of five business centres, educational institutions and a number of real estate assets in the UAE with a team of more than 100 professionals working day and night to expand the group's business into new economic sectors. Over the last 27 years, the Group has evolved from a small business into a formidable corporate entity, mirroring Dubai's remarkable economic success. Through its business, the group has impacted more than 500,000 businesses with a substantial number of satisfied clients.
