Nasr Al Neyadi, in red, cheers with supporters after free-falling from the Burj Khalifa in 2010. The divers made the jump after the inauguration of the building, covering a descent of 672 metres.
Nasr Al Neyadi, in red, cheers with supporters after free-falling from the Burj Khalifa in 2010. The divers made the jump after the inauguration of the building, covering a descent of 672 metres.

Things are looking up for skydiver Nasser Al Neyadi



Nasser Al Neyadi stood on the ledge of the plane waiting for the count, more than 4,000 metres above the ground, with nervous energy coursing through his veins.

The Emirati, like every first-timer in the world of skydiving, was tempted to look at the expanse below him.

His instructor, however, told him not to make that mistake.

"He told me not to look down, but look at the horizon, because as soon as you look down, you will get dizzy and scared," Al Neyadi said.

That was 15 years ago. Now, Al Neyadi is a skydiving expert who has clocked close to 5,000 jumps.

"From that first jump, I have been in love with this sport," he said. "The first time, you try to shut everything out. You try not to think too much. Sure it's scary, but you get over it."

The sport is not for the faint-hearted, but it is impossible to ignore the thrills once you get past that first jump, the nerves as you walk towards the ledge with wind gushing noisily past.

Even the bravest will feel giddy, when they look below them. But once you let go of the spokes on the count of three, there is no looking back.

Aficionados insist nothing can beat the exhilaration of free-falling at 200kph and gliding through the air, with the wind violently contorting your face and your heart ready to explode. You are breathless and yet in raptures.

"It's just an incredible feeling," Al Neyadi said.

He concedes to being a jumping addict who seeks the adrenalin high, especially when he is feeling a bit down.

"When I am in a bad mood, or not feeling good, I go for a jump," he said. "I come back feeling fresh, feeling great again."

Al Neyadi's conquests include a jump from the "Roof of the World", the mighty, 8,848m Mount Everest, and the tallest man-made structure, the 829.8m Burj Khalifa. He has also landed on the roof of the Burj Al Arab.

"Jumping from Everest was one of my best experiences because I was carrying my country's flag," he said. "I was so happy."

Al Neyadi describes himself as an extreme sports enthusiast; he was a regular at wakeboarding and paragliding before he went for his first free fall. Today, his four children - three sons and a daughter - also are avid skydivers.

"My father and mother supported me and just said may God take care of you," said Al Neyadi, who was introduced to the thrills of free-falling by his friends. "Now everybody in my family skydives."

Given his passion for the sport, Al Neyadi is an obvious choice to head the just-formed Emirates Air Sports Federation. The sport is growing rapidly in the UAE with more than 7,000 members at two clubs. The country also hosted the FIA World Parachuting Championships last year and now the new federation is preparing to welcome back the world's best at the richest event in the sport - the fourth edition of the Dubai International Parachuting Championship (DIPC).

The competition will be held from November 29 to December 9. More than 1,000 participants from 55 countries are expected to take part across eight disciplines.

"No championships in the world provides the kind of prize money we do at the DIPC," said Al Neyadi, who is also chairman of the tournament's local organising committee.

The prize money this year will be Dh1.51 million.

Al Neyadi said the tournament would not be possible without the support of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed. "He is supporting parachuting not just here in the UAE, but across the globe," Al Neyadi said.

The UAE will have strong representation at the event, including a women's team.

"We will have 12 teams from the UAE and they will be leaving for Spain to prepare for the championships," said Yousuf Al Hammadi, the deputy chairman of the local organising committee.

The teams will compete in four- and eight-way competitions. One will comprise the country's first canopy-formation team made up of young parachuters who are at the beginning of their careers.

Al Neyadi can promise they will never have a dull moment.

Need to know

When: October 17 until November 10

Cost: Entry is free but some events require prior registration

Where: Various locations including National Theatre (Abu Dhabi), Abu Dhabi Cultural Center, Zayed University Promenade, Beach Rotana (Abu Dhabi), Vox Cinemas at Yas Mall, Sharjah Youth Center

What: The Korea Festival will feature art exhibitions, a B-boy dance show, a mini K-pop concert, traditional dance and music performances, food tastings, a beauty seminar, and more.

For more information: www.koreafestivaluae.com

The specs: 2018 Maserati Ghibli

Price, base / as tested: Dh269,000 / Dh369,000

Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 355hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 500Nm @ 4,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 8.9L / 100km

Disclaimer

Director: Alfonso Cuaron 

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville 

Rating: 4/5

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher:  Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5

SPECS

Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now

The specs: 2018 Renault Megane

Price, base / as tested Dh52,900 / Dh59,200

Engine 1.6L in-line four-cylinder

Transmission Continuously variable transmission

Power 115hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque 156Nm @ 4,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined 6.6L / 100km

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The biog

Name: Sari Al Zubaidi

Occupation: co-founder of Cafe di Rosati

Age: 42

Marital status: single

Favourite drink: drip coffee V60

Favourite destination: Bali, Indonesia 

Favourite book: 100 Years of Solitude 

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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Power: 268bhp / 536bhp
Torque: 343Nm / 686Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
On sale: Later this year
From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

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Five expert hiking tips
    Always check the weather forecast before setting off Make sure you have plenty of water Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon Wear appropriate clothing and footwear Take your litter home with you
'Midnights'
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Results:

CSIL 2-star 145cm One Round with Jump-Off

1.           Alice Debany Clero (USA) on Amareusa S 38.83 seconds

2.           Anikka Sande (NOR) For Cash 2 39.09

3.           Georgia Tame (GBR) Cash Up 39.42

4.           Nadia Taryam (UAE) Askaria 3 39.63

5.           Miriam Schneider (GER) Fidelius G 47.74

Business Insights
  • Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
  • The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
  • US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
The biog

Name: Fareed Lafta

Age: 40

From: Baghdad, Iraq

Mission: Promote world peace

Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi

Role models: His parents 

Company%20Profile
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How it works

Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.

Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.

As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.

A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.

Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.

What is Diwali?

The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.

According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.

In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.  

 

OPTA'S PREDICTED TABLE

1. Liverpool 101 points

2. Manchester City 80 

3. Leicester 67

4. Chelsea 63

5. Manchester United 61

6. Tottenham 58

7. Wolves 56

8. Arsenal 56

9. Sheffield United 55

10. Everton 50

11. Burnley 49

12. Crystal Palace 49

13. Newcastle 46

14. Southampton 44

15. West Ham 39

16. Brighton 37

17. Watford 36

18. Bournemouth 36

19. Aston Villa 32

20. Norwich City 29

 

 

 

 

 

 

How green is the expo nursery?

Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery

An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo

Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery

Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape

The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides

All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality

Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country

Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow

Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site

Green waste is recycled as compost

Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs

Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers

About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer

Main themes of expo is  ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.

Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months

TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues


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