The UAE is poised to enjoy a major economic boost from the legion of international sporting events taking place in the country this year.
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Experts say the Volvo Ocean Race is just the beginning of a big year for sport in the UAE, as more than 12,000 hotel nights in the capital have been booked by race teams, organisers and guests - and the same number of reservations are expected from fans, according to the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) .
Within the next few months, the UAE will host two international golf championships, an international tennis championship, the Dubai World Cup horse racing meet, the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon, the Dubai Marathon and a number of cricket matches between England and Pakistan.
"Sporting events by their nature are often strong generators of awareness, given widespread market interest and dedicated media coverage, especially when coupled with the celebrity status of many top-ranked competitions and participants," said Lawrence Franklin, the strategy and policy director at ADTA. He said the country would continue to harness the benefits of sporting events as it matures as a destination and increase focus on events that had the capacity to "realise major economic returns rather than solely awareness-building".
Greg Sproule, the managing director in the Middle East and North Africa for IMG, one of the largest sports agencies in the world, said events were likely to be "refined" this year to provide the biggest economic benefits.
"Sporting events are just one part of the tourism puzzle," he said. "But these big events bring TV audiences and that impacts spending in the economy."
IMG helps to organise and run the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon and the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.
About 100,000 spectators are expected to visit the purpose-built Destination Village on the capital's breakwater during the Volvo Ocean Race's two-week stint in Abu Dhabi. St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, the official hotel of the event, earmarked 1,300 room nights for the period.
John Pelling, the hotel's general manager, said the event provided a good platform to promote its brand. "I am confident that Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority's events calendar not only raises awareness for 'destination Abu Dhabi' but offers us the stage to create once-in-a-lifetime experiences," he said.
The decision to become a host city for the Volvo Ocean Race is part of a strategy by Abu Dhabi to boost tourism through major sporting events.
"A country bids for one of these events because it's big business," said Brian Greenwood, a managing partner for the Middle East and India at the sports marketing company Prism.
"People follow international events. A lot of people come into the country to follow the tennis, and the golf, certainly."
Experts say each sports tournament brings different benefits, all boosting the UAE economy.
The Formula One race in the capital is a global televised event that puts Abu Dhabi on the map, said Mr Greenwood, while sailing showcases Abu Dhabi's coast and attracts a different type of tourist.
About 60 per cent of Volvo Ocean Race followers occupy senior managerial positions, according to organisers.
"Sailing covers everything from dinghy sailing where you do not need a lot of money, to superyachts, where clearly you do. But yes, there is a certain group there that is usually educated and has disposable income and is interested in going to new places," added Mr Greenwood.
The Volvo Ocean Race, which takes place across six continents, will also generate significant television time for Abu Dhabi. More than 70 broadcasters from 50 countries are covering the event.
The Abu Dhabi leg of the event, which started on New Year's Eve, ends on Saturday, when the boats will leave for leg three of the race to Sanya, China.
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
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A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
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Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
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Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
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Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
