ABU DHABI AND DUBAI // Football fans in the UAE reacted with predictable delight yesterday at the possibility of the English Premier League being made available to the masses - free.
Abu Dhabi TV's Sports channel, a free-to air broadcaster, has won the exclusive rights to the games starting in August 2010. Its owner Abu Dhabi Media Company, which publishes The National, says it is a chance to take the rights "to a wider public". Eyad al Abdullah, 27, an accountant working in the capital, was pleased to hear it, but said he would be even happier if the games were made available free of charge, and not just via a different type of paid subscription.
"Football brings people together and provides an atmosphere of entertainment to everyone, not just hard-core fans," Mr al Abdullah said.
"It's not fair that people have to spend money on a useless subscription just to be able to be part of the fun of football, or have to pay ridiculous cover charges and minimum charges to go out and watch a game with friends.
"Maybe now, with ADMC getting the rights, things might be a bit more fair for the average person who just wants to enjoy watching a good game."
Abu Dhabi TV has secured the rights to bring live matches to the Middle East and North Africa for three consecutive league seasons.
Many fans said they were unhappy with the way the games were currently being presented on pay-TV.
Ben Adams, 28, a British-born construction manager living in Dubai, pays Dh250 (US$68) a month for a package and said: "I only got it for the football, but in comparison to the entertainment you get back in the UK, it is terrible. I don't mind paying for a set-top box, although I would prefer getting it free ... I will buy whichever package includes Premier League football."
Andy Jarvis, 35, a wealth manager, added: "I am in a serviced apartment and get paid-for television, but I would definitely consider getting a set-top box for the football."
Dana Alnemeh, 29, said her husband, Samer, was a huge fan of football. "If there's a chance he can watch his favourite football games free, I'm sure my husband will go for it," she said.
David Ramskill of Scotland is a quantity surveyor working in Abu Dhabi. He said: "The sport packages are the reason I subscribe, and part of reason is because of the Premiership, but it depends on the country you're from. If you were American, you would get a different response. ... as long as Premier League is there, I'll watch it."
Rajesh Gopalakrishnan, 56, says he is not a typical football fan, but understands that it is a big deal for some people.
"Football brings people together in the Middle East, it is fact," Mr Gopalakrishnan said. "I think it is, of course, a good thing to have it available to everyone, but it will not stop all the friends preferring to go out together and watch a good game from a cafe, because it is enjoyable as a group."
Vincent Gomez, assistant manager at NRG Sports Bar in Abu Dhabi's Le Meridien hotel, said the Abu Dhabi TV broadcast of the games would prove successful only if a few conditions were in place first.
"The football is very popular here, along with cricket, tennis and rugby," he said. "Service needs to be very clear, and there has to be a good sound system. It would be better to give English and Arabic commentary as well."
Lee Callaghan, 41, works as a sales manager in Dubai, and says he is a "diehard fan of the Arsenal team".
"If I really can get my football games free on Abu Dhabi TV, then there's just nothing more I need in this country," Mr Callaghan said.
hkhalaf@thenational.ae
tyaqoob@thenational.ae
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The Saudi Cup race card
1 The Jockey Club Local Handicap (TB) 1,800m (Dirt) $500,000
2 The Riyadh Dirt Sprint (TB) 1,200m (D) $1.500,000
3 The 1351 Turf Sprint 1,351m (Turf) $1,000,000
4 The Saudi Derby (TB) 1600m (D) $800,000
5 The Neom Turf Cup (TB) 2,100m (T) $1,000,000
6 The Obaiya Arabian Classic (PB) 2,000m (D) $1,900,000
7 The Red Sea Turf Handicap (TB) 3,000m (T) $2,500,000
8 The Saudi Cup (TB) 1,800m (D) $20,000,000
THE SPECS
BMW X7 xDrive 50i
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: Eight-speed Steptronic transmission
Power: 462hp
Torque: 650Nm
Price: Dh600,000
The Specs
Engine 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp (542bhp in GTS model)
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000 (Dh549,000 for GTS)
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
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THE TWIN BIO
Their favourite city: Dubai
Their favourite food: Khaleeji
Their favourite past-time : walking on the beach
Their favorite quote: ‘we rise by lifting others’ by Robert Ingersoll
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.