Dubai has launched a competition to design a 60,000-seater stadium that will be built in the emirate to stage matches at football’s 2019 Asian Cup, three sources said.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in March awarded hosting rights for the 24-nation tournament to the UAE, rejecting a rival proposal from Iran.
Matches are expected to be played in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Al Ain. Each will likely use two stadiums, with AFC regulations stating the hosts must employ at least six for the tournament.
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), which did not respond to requests for comment, has the remit from the emirate’s government to build the soccer stadium, the sources said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the design competition has not been made public.
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Some design bids have already been submitted to the RTA, the sources said, with a mixture of architects, engineers and consultants collaborating on individual submissions.
The stadium will be built in or near Dubai Sports City, which is already home to a 25,000-capacity cricket stadium that is also expected to host matches at the 2019 soccer tournament.
The award of the Asian Cup re-invigorated Dubai’s plans to build a large-capacity sports venue. In 2007, it was awarded a design and construction contract for two stadiums – a 60,000-capacity outdoor venue and a 10,000 capacity indoor venue – that at the time was valued at Dh830 million.
Both were scheduled to be completed in 2009, but were mothballed following Dubai’s real estate crash.
Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Sports City, which staged the final when the UAE last hosted the Asian Cup in 1996, has a capacity of 43,000, while the capital’s other main ground is the 42,000-seater Mohammed bin Zayed stadium.
Either could host the latter stages of the 2019 tournament – the minimum ground capacity for the semi-finals, finals and opening match is 40,000, an AFC spokesman said.
Group games must be played in venues holding at least 20,000 spectators, although these requirements may change, the spokesman added.
Abu Dhabi has not revealed its stadium plans for 2019.
The UAE will also stage the 2017 and 2018 editions of the Fifa Club World Cup.
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
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Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
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Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
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