Harrison Carlyon of Jersey bowled out by Waheed Ahmed during the World Cup T20 Qualifiers between UAE vs Jersey held at the Tolerance Oval cricket ground in Abu Dhabi. Pawan Singh / The National
Harrison Carlyon of Jersey bowled out by Waheed Ahmed during the World Cup T20 Qualifiers between UAE vs Jersey held at the Tolerance Oval cricket ground in Abu Dhabi. Pawan Singh / The National
Harrison Carlyon of Jersey bowled out by Waheed Ahmed during the World Cup T20 Qualifiers between UAE vs Jersey held at the Tolerance Oval cricket ground in Abu Dhabi. Pawan Singh / The National
Harrison Carlyon of Jersey bowled out by Waheed Ahmed during the World Cup T20 Qualifiers between UAE vs Jersey held at the Tolerance Oval cricket ground in Abu Dhabi. Pawan Singh / The National

Cricket lovers at the Tolerance Oval deserve more than folding chairs and tents in the sun


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Over the years, the UAE has built quite a reputation for holding international events, whether in Abu Dhabi, Dubai or the other Emirates. There are occasional glitches but by and large the country’s event management expertise and local hosting bodies ensure that not only are foreign participants satisfied but that they return home with a good impression of the country and what it has to offer.

I shan’t delve into figures but our events industry has made an enormous contribution, not only to the country’s global image, but also to the economy – creating jobs, filling hotel beds, airline seats and bringing in revenue – and long may that continue.

For that to happen though it is important to draw attention to and correct failings whenever they occur. As the Vice President and Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid has frequently noted, a continual striving for excellence and improvement is essential if the country is to keep making progress.

In recent weeks, I have observed two international events, both in Abu Dhabi. One was a conference for the International Union for Conservation of Nature hosted by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, to which I referred recently. From my own experience, it seemed to go well and that impression was echoed by the foreign participants to whom I spoke. It certainly promoted knowledge about the UAE's commitment to conservation worldwide.

The second event offers a more mixed picture – the Abu Dhabi matches in the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup Qualifier which ended on October 27. Hosted by the UAE, the qualifier involved rounds in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, leading up to the play-offs, semi-finals and finals over the next few days to determine which teams will go to the World Cup in Australia next year.

For the most part, the event has gone pretty well so far. There have been some great matches, with plenty of surprises. And thanks to the broadcasting of some games, the Qualifier has attracted millions of television viewers from around the world and promoted further the UAE's reputation as a home for international sport.

Since the team from my other home of Jersey was playing in the Qualifier round in Abu Dhabi, I turned up to a few games and was rather surprised by how much I enjoyed them. Part of that enjoyment came from the action on the field – particularly, I should confess, from Jersey’s victory over the UAE. It was also nice to engage with the small and enthusiastic band of supporters who had travelled all the way to Abu Dhabi. I even got messages from friends in Jersey saying that to their surprise they had seen me on their television sets.

By and large the UAE's event management expertise and local hosting bodies ensure that foreign participants are satisfied and return home with a good impression of the country and what it has to offer

Some of Jersey’s games were at the Zayed Cricket Stadium and I was delighted to hear, both from players and from supporters, that they were pleased with the facilities on offer. The travelling supporters of all national teams were given open access to the Royal Box to be able to watch the games in comfort, well-protected from the sun. That was a nice touch. Since Jersey sadly failed to make it into the play-offs, I won’t be travelling to Dubai and will miss out on the opportunity to experience the facilities there although I hear that they are pretty impressive.

Sadly, the other Abu Dhabi facility, the ‘Tolerance Oval’, adjacent to the Zayed Cricket Stadium, wasn’t quite so supporter-friendly. Rather than a ground surrounded by banks of seating, it’s a simple expanse of well-kept grass with a boundary fence.

For the matches there, the organisers provided for the visiting supporters a small tent, with a few folding chairs, capable of accommodating around 15 people. To our surprise, we found that this was expected to be sufficient for supporters of both teams who felt the need for shelter from the sun. For the UAE-Jersey game, this just about worked, since it was only the visiting Jersey supporters and myself who sought to make use of it. Not so for the Jersey-Ireland game, since a few resident and visiting Irish turned up, including the country’s ambassador to the UAE.

A passing official informed us that all other tents were being used for normal weekend sporting activities nearby. We managed to squash into the single tent, spilling out of it a bit, but other spectators – like the Nigerian players observing the Irish team, who they were due to play the next day and random Abu Dhabi residents interested in watching the game – had to find bits of shade wherever they could.

I heard no overt complaints and one Jersey supporter told me that they had experienced worse facilities in some other countries the team has visited. I wonder though what impression of Abu Dhabi they have gained.

Surely, when the UAE seeks to promote itself as a sporting destination, we can do better than this in catering to foreign fans.

Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Our family matters legal consultant

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Price, base / as tested Dh57,000

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Transmission Six-speed gearbox

Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm

Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km

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Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA

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Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser

Rating: 4.5/5

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First course

▶ Emirati sea bass tartare Yuzu and labneh mayo, avocado, green herbs, fermented tomato water  

▶ The Tale of the Oyster Oyster tartare, Bahraini gum berry pickle

Second course

▶ Local mackerel Sourdough crouton, baharat oil, red radish, zaatar mayo

▶ One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Quail, smoked freekeh, cinnamon cocoa

Third course

▶ Bahraini bouillabaisse Venus clams, local prawns, fishfarm seabream, farro

▶ Lamb 2 ways Braised lamb, crispy lamb chop, bulgur, physalis

Dessert

▶ Lumi Black lemon ice cream, pistachio, pomegranate

▶ Black chocolate bar Dark chocolate, dates, caramel, camel milk ice cream
 

COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)

Date started: August 2021

Founder: Nour Sabri

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace

Size: Two employees

Funding stage: Seed investment

Initial investment: $200,000

Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East) 

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HyveGeo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abdulaziz%20bin%20Redha%2C%20Dr%20Samsurin%20Welch%2C%20Eva%20Morales%20and%20Dr%20Harjit%20Singh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECambridge%20and%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESustainability%20%26amp%3B%20Environment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%20plus%20undisclosed%20grant%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVenture%20capital%20and%20government%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
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4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
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6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Law%2041.9.4%20of%20men%E2%80%99s%20T20I%20playing%20conditions
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  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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Director: Tim Burton

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Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
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Museum of the Future in numbers
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  •  30,000 square metres is its total area
  •  17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
  •  14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
  •  1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior 
  •  7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
  •  2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
  •  100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
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2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2

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- Three wins in past 10 starts
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ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

Dubai World Cup factbox

Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)

Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)

Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)

Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)

World Cup League Two

Results

Oman beat Nepal by 18 runs

Oman beat United States by six wickets

Nepal beat United States by 35 runs

Oman beat Nepal by eight wickets

 

Fixtures

Tuesday, Oman v United States

Wednesday, Nepal v United States