Thousands of Emirati supporters have descended on Doha, turning the city centre all white ahead of the national team’s World Cup qualifier play-off campaign.
The UAE allocation of around 5,000 tickets for the opening fixture of the three-team competition, against Oman at the 15,000-capacity Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on Saturday night, is sold out.
The winner of the three-team group, which also involves hosts Qatar, will qualify for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico next year.
For the UAE, that would be a first appearance since 1990. Qatar played in the last one as hosts, while Oman have yet to make it to a World Cup.
Given what is at stake, as well as the proximity to the UAE, the appetite for fans to show their support has been massive.
Thousands have made use of the various flights that have been specially arranged for fans from various airports across the Emirates.
Hundreds more have made the 700km drive to get there, with the football authorities coordinating with the land border officials to ease entry, according to the UAE Football Association.
Fans who collected their match tickets in person from the UAE FA delegation at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Doha were given scarves and gifts to thank them for their support.
The fans later on Friday night congregated in vast numbers at Souk Waqif, the marketplace in the centre of Qatar’s capital city.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak, the president of the UAE FA, wished the players success in the fixture against “their brotherly Omani counterpart”.
“The UAE football fans stand firmly behind the national team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup,” Sheikh Hamdan said.
“The team includes talented players armed with local and international experience, and these talents are capable of achieving their dreams.”
Khalid Essa, the UAE goalkeeper and captain, likened the feeling ahead of the play-off to the Gulf Cup. The regional competition evokes fierce support among fans of each of the nations.
When the UAE won the first of their two titles in that event in 2007, it coincidentally came with a win in the final against Oman.
That success, secured when Ismail Matar, the UAE’s star striker, scored the lone goal past Ali Al Habsi, Oman’s keeper who was playing club football in the English Premier League at that time, sparked days of celebration in the Emirates.
Essa acknowledges, though, that the rewards for success will be different this time around.
“It is like a mini Gulf Cup with different goals maybe, or maybe higher stakes than what you usually see in the Gulf Cup,” Essa said.
“Not that the Gulf Cup is something we underestimate. That is a championship of its own, a very strong championship with a legacy, and a long history amongst us as Gulf teams.
“But today is like a mini Gulf Cup but with different goals and objectives. And you know where this round is going to take you [to next summer’s World Cup].”
Fixtures between UAE and Oman are generally more cordial than those between the national team and the other side in the group, Qatar, for example.
It is often claimed that the fixture means more to Oman’s players, given the greater attention generally paid to UAE football.
Cosmin Olaroiu, the UAE coach, refuted the idea that his players will be any less motivated than their counterparts.
“I don’t [understand] why Omanis are used to playing this derby and Emiratis are not used to playing this derby,” Olaroiu said.
“If it is a derby between two teams, then both are used to playing this kind of competition and these kind of derbies.
“Of course, they will fight because for them is not less important than for us. We know they will fight, we saw the games they play.
“It’s a team that has a wonderful spirit, but of course, we have to fight back, and we have to fight more than them. And I think we are able to do this.”
At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020
Launched: 2008
Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools
Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)
Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13
Impact in numbers
335 million people positively impacted by projects
430,000 jobs created
10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water
50 million homes powered by renewable energy
6.5 billion litres of water saved
26 million school children given solar lighting
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The five pillars of Islam
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
Australia World Cup squad
Aaron Finch (capt), Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Steve Smith, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Jhye Richardson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Lyon, Adam Zampa
TWISTERS
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
Rating: 2.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
57%20Seconds
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Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
The Land between Two Rivers: Writing in an Age of Refugees
Tom Sleigh, Graywolf Press
Fixtures (all times UAE)
Saturday
Brescia v Atalanta (6pm)
Genoa v Torino (9pm)
Fiorentina v Lecce (11.45pm)
Sunday
Juventus v Sassuolo (3.30pm)
Inter Milan v SPAL (6pm)
Lazio v Udinese (6pm)
Parma v AC Milan (6pm)
Napoli v Bologna (9pm)
Verona v AS Roma (11.45pm)
Monday
Cagliari v Sampdoria (11.45pm)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Afghanistan fixtures
- v Australia, today
- v Sri Lanka, Tuesday
- v New Zealand, Saturday,
- v South Africa, June 15
- v England, June 18
- v India, June 22
- v Bangladesh, June 24
- v Pakistan, June 29
- v West Indies, July 4
match info
Athletic Bilbao 1 (Muniain 37')
Atletico Madrid 1 (Costa 39')
Man of the match Iker Muniain (Athletic Bilbao)
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Liverpool's all-time goalscorers
Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
Mohamed Salah 250
Gordon Hodgson 241
Billy Liddell 228
Teams
India (playing XI): Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami
South Africa (squad): Faf du Plessis (c), Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock, Dean Elgar, Zubayr Hamza, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Vernon Philander, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Rudi Second
How to tell if your child is being bullied at school
Sudden change in behaviour or displays higher levels of stress or anxiety
Shows signs of depression or isolation
Ability to sleep well diminishes
Academic performance begins to deteriorate
Changes in eating habits
Struggles to concentrate
Refuses to go to school
Behaviour changes and is aggressive towards siblings
Begins to use language they do not normally use
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MORE ON THE US DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES
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Moonfall
Director: Rolan Emmerich
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry
Rating: 3/5
The five types of long-term residential visas
Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:
Investors:
A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.
Entrepreneurs:
A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.
Specialists
Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.
Outstanding students:
A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university.
Retirees:
Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.
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