Swimmer Alaa Maso has come a long way since escaping unexploded bombs landing on his home in Aleppo and embarking on an arduous journey to find a new life.
Having made it to the Tokyo Olympics in the summer, 21-year-old Maso competed in the recent Fina World Swimming Championships in Abu Dhabi, where he continued to make new friends and pursue his long-term target of the 2024 Paris Games.
It is an opportunity Maso never dreamt possible when he left Syria in 2015 to build a better future and further his swimming ambitions.
The biggest life-changing opportunity came when he was named in the IOC Refugee Olympic Team for the Tokyo Games after his participation in the German national championships on June 2019.
“My name was the first to be called and it was one of the happiest moments of my life,” Maso told The National. “It was an incredible feeling when I reached Tokyo after two weeks of training in Frankfurt and a week in Qatar.”
For Maso, the Olympics was not only about competing but making a lot of friends, and soaking up the atmosphere as much as possible.
“At the Olympic Village, I learnt many things from those professional athletes, like how they prepared and how they handled the pressure before competitions,” he said. “The most fascinating thing about the Olympics was the opportunity to sit in the dining hall with very famous athletes in all sports and from all over the world.
“I was very fortunate to bump into the world tennis star Novak Djokovic. He was sitting close to me in the dining hall. I walked up to him for a chat and also take a selfie with him. I also had the opportunity to speak to several Olympic stars.”
After he was named in the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, Maso's preparation was hindered by the coronavirus pandemic.
“I had only five months to prepare for Tokyo,” he said. “I had to adjust a lot of things. I had to change my training schedules and I went from 15 hours a week to 25 hours a week.
“It was very challenging because such things need a lot of time. However, for me there was a lot of things to be happy about, and somehow, I found the time to prepare and then I had more time to adjust with the new schedule, and it all went well.
“Anyway, the Olympics was postponed by a year and I had a year and five months to prepare although we had very hard time because of the lockdowns, which meant a lot of stoppages in the training schedules.”
Tokyo was even more memorable for Maso because his brother Mohamed, 28, who lives with him in Germany, was competing in the triathlon for Syria and they won the hearts of the world when a picture of them embracing at the opening ceremony went viral on social media.
“My brother and I always dreamt about going to the Olympics, but we never thought that we were going to be there together because we always aimed for Paris 2024, so it really was a dream come true,” said Alaa.
Maso’s journey to Europe began when he and his brother decided to leave their home country in 2015 to escape the escalating troubles.
“With the situation getting worse by the day and the swimming facility in which we trained severely damaged, me and my brother decided to leave,” he said.
It was a gruelling 12-day journey to Europe involving crowded boat rides, buses, trains, and hiking as they joined thousands of Syrians to flee the country for their safety.
“Me and my brother got separated a few times as there was so many of us going to the same place,” he said.
“I had to walk around 26 kilometres with a group of 300 people for seven hours and we were all wet. We were crossing roads, fields, and mountains in very cold and rainy conditions. I remember it until today, it was one of the worst days of my life.”
Alaa and Mohamed travelled on to the border between Slovenia and Austria, and then through 10 countries including Turkey, Greece, and Serbia. They were given refuge in the Netherlands for eight months before moving to Germany.
“The first couple of months in Germany were very tough as it was completely different to what I had experienced back home,” Alaa said.
He can now speak German, Dutch, English and Arabic after continuing his education but he was still passionate about swimming.
Maso joined a local club in Hannover and after a four-year gap on the competitive stage, he quickly made a big splash in Germany and started getting noticed.
He also enjoyed taking part in the 50m and 100m freestyle in Abu Dhabi in December.
“The most remarkable thing for me was representing the first ever Fina Refugee Team in the World Championships which was a great experience and a great honour,” he said.
“Unfortunately I didn’t get to better my personal best, and that was what I was here for. The next major event coming up for me is the World Championships (long course) in Fukuoka in May.
“The long term objectives are Paris and to reach an Olympic final, and that’s something I dream about and something that I’m training for.
“I would like to say a big thank you to Fina for providing me with this opportunity and continue to compete under the Refugee Team banner representing more than 82 million refugees on the run.”
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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RACECARD
6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (PA) $50,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
6.35pm: Festival City Stakes – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m
7.10pm: Dubai Racing Club Classic – Listed (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 2,410m
7.45pm: Jumeirah Classic Trial – Conditions (TB) $150,000 (T) 1,400m
8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (D) 1,600m
8.55pm: Cape Verdi – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,600m
9.30pm: Dubai Dash – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,000m
Top goalscorers in Europe
34 goals - Robert Lewandowski (68 points)
34 - Ciro Immobile (68)
31 - Cristiano Ronaldo (62)
28 - Timo Werner (56)
25 - Lionel Messi (50)
*29 - Erling Haaland (50)
23 - Romelu Lukaku (46)
23 - Jamie Vardy (46)
*NOTE: Haaland's goals for Salzburg count for 1.5 points per goal. Goals for Dortmund count for two points per goal.
Apple%20Mac%20through%20the%20years
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David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci
Pushkin Press
ACC 2019: The winners in full
Best Actress Maha Alemi, Sofia
Best Actor Mohamed Dhrif, Weldi
Best Screenplay Meryem Benm’Barek, Sofia
Best Documentary Of Fathers and Sons by Talal Derki
Best Film Yomeddine by Abu Bakr Shawky
Best Director Nadine Labaki, Capernaum
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Race%20card
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Liz%20Truss
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What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: From Dh280,000
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
Company%20Profile
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
Verdict: 4 Stars
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
