Back at, not quite where it all began, but certainly an important juncture in his burgeoning football journey, Yahya Al Ghassani is provided with an opportunity, finally, to take stock.
It has been a whirlwind few weeks since Al Ghassani struck the goal that sealed a first UAE top-flight title in seven years for Shabab Al Ahli, the club he supported as a boy.
The celebrations have been understandably prolonged, the Dubai side commemorating their Adnoc Pro League success alongside dignitaries, club sponsors and supporters.
There was even an audience with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.
As Al Ghassani sits here now, in a classroom at his old Dubai Carmel School following an afternoon meeting his former principal, teachers and staff – the visit included a kickabout and Q&A with the class of 2023 – it hits home just how far he’s come.
“It’s an incredible journey,” Al Ghassani tells The National. “And still the beginning. But let’s talk from now, it’s incredible. Because as a kid you always dream to make it, to win titles, to be the best player. But seeing this achieved and feeling it, how it feels to be one of the champions, and one of the main reasons of the team to win the league, it feels really different.
“And to come to the school where I used to play, and where I won some trophies; I know how priceless this feeling is right now. I can’t even explain to people how I feel from inside … because even when I talk, the words would not be the right ones to say.”
Al Ghassani, engaging and erudite, doesn’t need to find the words while he watches back in silence the goal that last month brought him to where he is now.
He has viewed the championship winner against Baniyas countless times since – he reckons most recently this very morning – the sensation washing over him each time, the emotion of the moment still as raw as that night in Al Shamkha on the north-eastern side of Abu Dhabi.
“I was really connected to God at that time; on the field, even I had a really close connection to Allah,” Al Ghassani says as the clip plays out. “But seeing the people crying after I scored the goal … if everyone talking to me asked me, ‘You want to have 10, 15 goals in the season or score the last goal, the goal that will make everyone happy?’, I will score that one.
“Because I don’t care if I’m top scorer in the league, to be the best player – it’s an individual thing. This is another thing. Even you saw the Sheikh was so, so happy. He was dancing. It’s the first time I see the Sheikh dancing for a trophy in football.
"This year was unforgettable for me. Because everyone is happy: family, kids, if you see the school people here, the kids, my principal. Being able to make the people happy, this is the most important prize I ever get.”
Al Ghassani, 25, recognises better than most the significance of the title to Shabab Al Ahli supporters. He is one himself, a product of the club’s youth system who joined aged 11 and, other than three years at Al Wahda from 2018, has spent his entire career there.
Al Ghassani grew up in nearby Sharjah; Dubai Carmel School is minutes by car from Shabab Al Ahli’s Rashid Stadium. Clearly, the club has been a constant in his life.
“I was in the academy, going to matches, so I watched Al Ahli [the club's name before a 2017 merger] celebrate the league title in 2016 – their last league title,” Al Ghassani says. “So, imagine, as a kid I was celebrating with them in the stadium, and then they never won it.
“Then you come again, you’re in the first team, you play for your hometown team, and then you win it, and you are the one who scored the winning goal.
“All of it, if you give me a paper to write what I want in the season, I will not even mention it. So it’s a really, really unbelievable feeling. As soon as the whistle blew it felt a relief, but I was a really, really happy man. Straight away I remember my years in the academy.”
Long tipped as one of UAE football’s brightest prospects, Al Ghassani attributes his impact last season – nine goals, six assists, most probably the 2022/23 Golden Ball for the league's best Emirati – to several contributing factors.
His ever-increasing maturity; the personal challenges overcome – “the people who are close to me know the things I went through”; the professional support from then-manager Leonardo Jardim.
Last summer, Al Ghassani was close to a transfer to Spain, but it did not go through. Jardim then confirmed to the winger that he wanted him to stay, placing his trust in a player with an obvious talent and tenacity.
Having repaid that faith, Al Ghassani is focussed now on what comes next.
“I have to be proud of what I did, and to build on that,” he says. “Because I don’t have to stop. This is not my only goal.
“My strategy is to start step-by-step. My objective will be to qualify first from the group stages of the Asian Champions League and to win this trophy, which is missing in our cabinet.
“And then to stay on top in the league, of course. Because we don’t want to finish second, we want to finish top always. As Sheikh Mohammed, His Highness, said, ‘To be on the top is easy but to stay is really hard’. So we will try to follow that strategy also.”
The lofty goals, though, aren’t confined to Shabab Al Ahli.
“In the winter – this is my biggest objective also – is to win something with the national team, which is the biggest competition in Asia: the Asian Cup,” Al Ghassani says. “We have hopes and, from now on, I’m really aiming for that tournament to be one of the reasons to make the people happy and to win it.”
Given the current flux around the national team – former Portugal and South Korea boss Paulo Bento was on Sunday installed as UAE manager – a first Asian Cup title might, at present, seem fanciful.
Semi-finalists in the past two editions, the UAE have been drawn in the January 12-February 10 tournament in Group C, alongside Iran, Hong Kong and Palestine.
Asked how the team can deliver in Qatar, Al Ghassani says: “As a group, we have to work together. We have to have discipline. We have to know that we are not a footballer only, we come from country that our leaders try to be No 1 in everything.
“We must put this in our minds. In the end, it’s football, you never know, you can’t guess the results. It is why we love it.”
His affection for the game palpable, Al Ghassani aspires to at some point showcase his skills to a wider audience. There was a concrete proposal from Cadiz in La Liga last year – he would’ve been the first Emirati to ply his trade in a major European league – while clubs in Saudi Arabia, chiefly champions Al Ittihad and Al Fayha, have registered a strong interest.
“My first goal until now was to go to Europe and to play,” Al Ghassani says. “My imagining is to make it big there, not just to go and show I’m the first Emirati player.
“To go there, I have to take things step-by-step – I still have a lot to give Shabab Al Ahli – to be the best everywhere I go, so I can prove to myself that I can go to Europe and be the best.
“I don’t think players in Europe are different than us players in the Gulf countries. Everything is achievable if you work hard. If you set a goal, you follow the plan and you give the effort, sacrifice everything for football, it will give you back. I’m sure of this.
“And, Inshallah, one time you will see me there and you will interview me there.”
Al Ghassani delivers the final comment with a wide smile, a staple of the time spent in his company. Perhaps his easy disposition comes from when he began watching football because of Robinho, memorised by the Brazilian’s flair, by the “jogo bonito”.
Al Ghassani, however, soon switched allegiances to Cristiano Ronaldo, inspired not only by the Portuguese forward’s talent, but his temperament.
Ronaldo, of course, plays now at Al Nassr in Riyadh.
“It’s a feeling that even I cannot describe, to be able to share a pitch with Cristiano Ronaldo,” Al Ghassani says. “I don’t call him a footballer, he’s the greatest athlete.
“Because he’s the right role model; he sacrifices more than all players, all athletes. That’s why he’s getting the rewards he's getting now. He works the hardest. If you choose the wrong role model you won’t have success.”
Patently, being an inspiration to others matters to Al Ghassani.
“For myself, I have to be the right person, I have to show the kids what they have to do,” he says. “I don’t like to act it, it’s natural. Since I was a kid, I was trying to be like this, inside the field, outside the field, in the family.
“I had a certain belief in myself that I can inspire the next generation. So having this right now and building on this, and coming back to my old school, seeing my old principal and teachers, even the old sports teacher, gives me chills in my body.
“It’s an honour, the most special I can have outside the field.”
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
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.”
Match info
Manchester United 4
(Pogba 5', 33', Rashford 45', Lukaku 72')
Bournemouth 1
(Ake 45 2')
Red card: Eric Bailly (Manchester United)
Porsche Taycan Turbo specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 1050Nm
Range: 450km
Price: Dh601,800
On sale: now
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
THE BIO
Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai
Favourite Book: The Alchemist
Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna
Favourite cuisine: Italian food
Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
A%20MAN%20FROM%20MOTIHARI
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdullah%20Khan%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPenguin%20Random%20House%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E304%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Bareilly Ki Barfi
Directed by: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring: Kriti Sanon, Ayushmann Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao
Three and a half stars
RESULTS - ELITE MEN
1. Henri Schoeman (RSA) 57:03
2. Mario Mola (ESP) 57:09
3. Vincent Luis (FRA) 57:25
4. Leo Bergere (FRA)57:34
5. Jacob Birtwhistle (AUS) 57:40
6. Joao Silva (POR) 57:45
7. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) 57:56
8. Adrien Briffod (SUI) 57:57
9. Gustav Iden (NOR) 57:58
10. Richard Murray (RSA) 57:59
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Seoul from Dh3,775 return, including taxes
The package
Ski Safari offers a seven-night ski package to Korea, including five nights at the Dragon Valley Hotel in Yongpyong and two nights at Seoul CenterMark hotel, from £720 (Dh3,488) per person, including transfers, based on two travelling in January
The info
Visit www.gokorea.co.uk
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Manchester City 4
Otamendi (52) Sterling (59) Stones (67) Brahim Diaz (81)
Real Madrid 1
Oscar (90)
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Voy!%20Voy!%20Voy!
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Omar%20Hilal%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Muhammad%20Farrag%2C%20Bayoumi%20Fouad%2C%20Nelly%20Karim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Scores
Day 2
New Zealand 153 & 56-1
Pakistan 227
New Zealand trail by 18 runs with nine wickets remaining
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Suggested picnic spots
Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes
TEST SQUADS
Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mominul Haque, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed.
Australia: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson and Jackson Bird.
Gertrude Bell's life in focus
A feature film
At one point, two feature films were in the works, but only German director Werner Herzog’s project starring Nicole Kidman would be made. While there were high hopes he would do a worthy job of directing the biopic, when Queen of the Desert arrived in 2015 it was a disappointment. Critics panned the film, in which Herzog largely glossed over Bell’s political work in favour of her ill-fated romances.
A documentary
A project that did do justice to Bell arrived the next year: Sabine Krayenbuhl and Zeva Oelbaum’s Letters from Baghdad: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Gertrude Bell. Drawing on more than 1,000 pieces of archival footage, 1,700 documents and 1,600 letters, the filmmakers painstakingly pieced together a compelling narrative that managed to convey both the depth of Bell’s experience and her tortured love life.
Books, letters and archives
Two biographies have been written about Bell, and both are worth reading: Georgina Howell’s 2006 book Queen of the Desert and Janet Wallach’s 1996 effort Desert Queen. Bell published several books documenting her travels and there are also several volumes of her letters, although they are hard to find in print. Original documents are housed at the Gertrude Bell Archive at the University of Newcastle, which has an online catalogue.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
