US football got a boost today when Etihad Airways announced the renewal of its Major League Soccer (MLS) partnership.
The multi-year deal continues a relationship that began in 2014 and sees Etihad extending its role as the official airline partner of MLS.
Etihad and MLS will collaborate through the MLS Flight Path campaign. One of the campaign elements explores the global paths players have taken to become stars in the US game.
“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Major League Soccer, reinforcing our long-term commitment to North American soccer fans,” said Patrick Pierce, the vice president for marketing partnerships at Etihad Airways.
MLS has 22 teams, with 19 in the US and three in Canada. The season runs from March to December.
In October 2014, the league announced the formation of a new Los Angeles-area team to replace Chivas USA, and due to start playing next year.
The former England and Manchester United football star David Beckham has been trying since 2014 to launch his own MLS team franchise but has struggled to secure a venue for a stadium in Miami. Should his and the Chivas team get the final go-ahead, there will be 24 teams in the MLS in 2018.
Despite Beckham’s struggles, last month the MLS commissioner Don Garber sounded hopeful about his proposed Miami team when he spoke at the MLS Draft in Los Angeles. “I am confident [Miami] will be our 24th team,” he said. “We’ll continue to work hard on finalising a deal there … but we are making progress. We need that team to get announced before we make any decisions going forward,” he said.
Of the new Etihad deal, Jennifer Cramer, the vice president of partnership marketing at MLS, said: “At MLS, we are dedicated to serving our global audience, which is why it is truly exciting to partner with a premium global brand whose values and approach mirror our own.”
The agreement will build on Etihad’s exposure to the US market. The airline currently operates 45 return flights each week between Abu Dhabi and six American cities – Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York JFK, San Francisco and Washington, DC.
The carrier also has partnerships with New York City FC Manchester City, Melbourne City FC, and at home with Al Ittihad FC and Al AinFC.
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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Terminator: Dark Fate
Director: Tim Miller
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Mackenzie Davis
Rating: 3/5
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The Abu Dhabi Awards explained:
What are the awards? They honour anyone who has made a contribution to life in Abu Dhabi.
Are they open to only Emiratis? The awards are open to anyone, regardless of age or nationality, living anywhere in the world.
When do nominations close? The process concludes on December 31.
How do I nominate someone? Through the website.
When is the ceremony? The awards event will take place early next year.
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
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
