DOHA // Fans looking for shirts, hats or even a replica of the cute desert rat mascots from the Asian Cup are likely to leave Qatar empty-handed.
No such items are being sold at Asia's premier football tournament - not at the stadiums, or even at the Asian Cup stands in the malls. Unlike other tournaments such as the World Cup, organisers made no arrangements to sell merchandise, although they did give away memorabilia to the media, volunteers and visiting dignitaries.
Fans can buy souvenirs celebrating Qatar, such as maroon and white scarves, flags and replicas of the World Cup trophy in honour of its hosting the 2022 tournament. There are also photos on sale of the Al Thani ruling family, and a scarf featuring portraits of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar.
Local organisers say they failed to persuade World Sports Group (WSG), the marketing and media partner of the Asian Football Confederation, to sell souvenirs.
"It doesn't look nice without merchandise," said Jassim al-Rumaihi, the operations director at the tournament. "But it wasn't in our control. We tried to convince WSG to have merchandise but they are still having strict regulations on this."
Tokuaki Suzuki, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) competitions director, said a meeting with the Qatar organising committee and WSG was convened over the issue on Tuesday but produced no breakthroughs.
Suzuki said the WSG, which has the rights to sell merchandise, told the AFC that it could not reach an agreement on sales with Qatar ahead of the tournament, and also that it did not feel there was much of a market for souvenirs at the competition which struggled in the early stages with poor attendances.
Suzuki said: "We respect the decision made by the World Sports Group and QLOC [Qatar Local Organising Committee]. So it's OK for us that they are not selling merchandise."
Company%20Profile
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Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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MATCH INFO
Bangla Tigers 108-5 (10 ovs)
Ingram 37, Rossouw 26, Pretorius 2-10
Deccan Gladiators 109-4 (9.5 ovs)
Watson 41, Devcich 27, Wiese 2-15
Gladiators win by six wickets
IF YOU GO
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info
Where to stay: Hilton Giardini Naxos offers beachfront access and accessible to Taormina and Mount Etna. Rooms start from around €130 (Dh561) per night, including taxes.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
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Employees: Five
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Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
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Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
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Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz