Rory McIlroy will be bidding to make more history in the UAE this weekend when he tees it up at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club from Thursday.
Defending champ
McIlroy will become the first player to win the tournament three times in a row if he retains the Dallah Trophy this weekend.
He will also become the first to reach five Classic titles – extending his own record, having won for the fourth time 12 months ago.
The original
This will be the 36th edition of the Classic. The first one, won by Mark James in 1989, was the first time a European Tour event had been staged in the Gulf.
It is fair to say it paved the way for vast changes in the make up of the European Tour, with a swing towards the desert.
This season there are six events being played in the region, including in Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Bahrain and Qatar.
Debuting star
Remarkably, given that he is one of Europe’s greatest stars, Jon Rahm will only play a full 18 holes for the first time at the Majlis during Wednesday’s Pro Am.
The Spaniard is debuting at the Classic this weekend. He knows how to win in Dubai. The two-time major winner won the DP World Tour Championship in 2017, 2019 and 2022, and the Race to Dubai in 2019.
All-star cast
Simon Corkill, the tournament director of the Classic, reckons this week “boasts the strongest and most exciting field we’ve witnessed in many years”.
That includes Viktor Hovland, who was the last person to claim the Dallah Trophy before McIlroy’s winning streak, back in 2022.
There are also the likes of Robert MacIntyre, Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard, Tyrrell Hatton, Padraig Harrington, Patrick Reed, Adam Scott and Jimmy Walker.
Fleetwood’s back
UAE resident Tommy Fleetwood has enjoyed plenty of success on the fairways of his adopted homeland. He has yet to contend at the Classic, though.
It is something the Olympic silver medallist hopes to put right this week. “I don't think I've been miles away,” Fleetwood said. “I just have to try and put it all together out here.”
Prize fund
The Classic is the first Rolex Series event of the new season and carries with it a $9 million prize pool. For many players, it also marks the start of their run to try to make Europe’s Ryder Cup team for the match at Bethpage in September.
Tickets
General admission tickets are available for free at www.dubaidesertclassic.com and through the Classic app.
Tee times
Note: Selected players, all times UAE
Shubhankar Sharma (7:25 am)
Padraig Harrington (7:25 am)
Thorbjorn Olesen (7:55 am)
Rory McIlroy (8:05 am)
Viktor Hovland (8:05 am)
Tommy Fleetwood (8:05 am)
Paul Waring (8:15 am)
Tyrrell Hatton (8:15 am)
Nicolai Hojgaard (8:15 am)
Keita Nakajima (8:25 am)
Jimmy Walker (8:25 am)
Pablo Larrazabal (11:45 am)
Thomas Pieters (11:55 am)
Luke Donald (12:05 pm)
Jon Rahm (12:25 pm)
Robert MacIntyre (12:25 pm)
Adam Scott (12:25 pm)
Rasmus Hojgaard (12:35 pm)
Patrick Reed (12:45 pm)
Nicolas Colsaerts (12:55 pm)
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Schedule:
Friday, January 12: Six fourball matches
Saturday, January 13: Six foursome (alternate shot) matches
Sunday, January 14: 12 singles
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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
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch
Power: 710bhp
Torque: 770Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 2.9 seconds
Top Speed: 340km/h
Price: Dh1,000,885
On sale: now
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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 four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative
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Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
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RESULT
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Van Dijk (52')
Man of the match: Diogo Jota (Liverpool)
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Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
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Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
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Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
