Cristiano Ronaldo's current deal with Al Nassr runs out at the end of this season. Reuters
Cristiano Ronaldo's current deal with Al Nassr runs out at the end of this season. Reuters
Cristiano Ronaldo's current deal with Al Nassr runs out at the end of this season. Reuters
Cristiano Ronaldo's current deal with Al Nassr runs out at the end of this season. Reuters

Al Nassr set to offer Cristiano Ronaldo new contract and minority stake, reports say


Steve Luckings
  • English
  • Arabic

Al Nassr are set to offer Cristiano Ronaldo a new contract that will cement his status as the highest-paid player in world football as well as see him take a minority stake in the Saudi club, according to reports.

Spanish newspaper Marca reported that Nassr have proposed a one-year extension to the 39-year-old's contract that expires this summer. Both Marca and the Daily Mail reported that Ronaldo's new deal is worth €200 million as well as a five per cent stake in the Riyadh club.

Nassr are one of four teams owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which has a 75 per cent stake in the club, as well as rivals Al Ittihad, Al Ahli and Al Hilal.

Nassr shook the football world two years ago with the announcement they had signed Ronaldo as a free agent after the Portuguese superstar had his contract at Manchester United terminated in December 2022.

His arrival has paved the way for a flood of others to move to the kingdom including 2022 Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema, Brazil forward Neymar and two-time African player of the year Sadio Mane.

Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring against Al Okhdood during a Saudi Pro League match on January 9, 2025. Reuters
Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring against Al Okhdood during a Saudi Pro League match on January 9, 2025. Reuters

The former Sporting, Real Madrid and Juventus player is largely credited with transforming the Saudi Pro League into a global brand and has also helped promote the country's tourism as well as attended high-profile events outside of football such as boxing and UFC.

Following Saudi Arabia's successful bid to host the 2034 World Cup, Ronaldo backed the kingdom to deliver "the best World Cup ever".

Ronaldo has enjoyed a prolific spell during his two-year stint in Riyadh, netting 81 goals in 90 games across competitions, though he is yet to win a major trophy with only the lightly regarded 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup to show from his time in Saudi Arabia.

Nassr and Ronaldo's trophy prospects this season are looking increasingly thin. They sit third in the league table, 12 points behind joint leaders Al Hilal and Al Ittihad who have both played a game more.

Nassr are already of out the King's Cup, leaving the AFC Champions League Elite competition as their only realistic prospect of a trophy this season. Nassr are currently third in the revamped competition.

Ronaldo is the most prolific goalscorer in the history of men's football, netting more than 900 times in over 1,200 games including 135 goals in 217 appearances for Portugal.

He is the only player to have scored over 100 goals in three of Europe's top leagues (Premier League, La Liga and Serie A) and has won 30 major titles.

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.
 

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus 

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

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.

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinFlx%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%202021%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amr%20Yussif%20(co-founder%20and%20CEO)%2C%20Mattieu%20Capelle%20(co-founder%20and%20CTO)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%20in%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.5m%20pre-seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Venture%20capital%20-%20Y%20Combinator%2C%20500%20Global%2C%20Dubai%20Future%20District%20Fund%2C%20Fox%20Ventures%2C%20Vector%20Fintech.%20Also%20a%20number%20of%20angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

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

Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
  • Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
  • Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
  • Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
  • Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.

Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPAD%20PRO%20(12.9%22%2C%202022)
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PROFILE OF HALAN

Started: November 2017

Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport and logistics

Size: 150 employees

Investment: approximately $8 million

Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar

Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)

What is THAAD?

It is considered to be the US' most superior missile defence system.

Production:

It was first created in 2008.

Speed:

THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.

Abilities:

THAAD is designed to take out projectiles, namely ballistic missiles, as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".

Purpose:

To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.

Range:

THAAD can target projectiles both inside and outside of the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 93 miles above the Earth's surface.

Creators:

Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.

UAE and THAAD:

In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then deployed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.

MATCH INFO

Burnley 0

Man City 3

Raheem Sterling 35', 49'

Ferran Torres 65'

 

 

57%20Seconds
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Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

Updated: January 17, 2025, 6:48 AM