A completed Fifa World Cup Panini sticker album is the pride of the playground in many parts of the world.
Every four years, children spend pocket money on collecting packs to swap with friends.
Created by Italian company Panini Group, the sticker albums have been released for every tournament since 1970.
It is like an assembly line, ticking off the got and need numbers as they come in. We are really into it and so are our three daughters
Simon Smedley (DJ Catboy from Dubai 92)
They are again a popular feature ahead of this year's World Cup in Qatar.
Even in Dubai, the hunt for them is as strong as anywhere, despite the stickers not being available for sale locally because there are no distributors.
This year, the feat of collecting all 670 stickers for the latest album is likely to be the most expensive yet.
Depending on where you live in the world, a complete collection will cost about $135 (Dh500) ― that is, of course, if you get all the stickers the first time around.
Big costs
While that is hugely unlikely, the secondary market is where the fun is ― with total costs likely to be closer to $270 (Dh1,000) to fill an album.
Typically, duplicates are swapped with friends, with shiny stickers of a national badge or stadium picture usually commanding a higher value.
Chris Huntley, 38, a British primary school teacher who also trades in vintage football shirts with RetroSportifDXB, is an avid collector who established Dubai’s first bi-weekly swap shop.
“Collecting Panini stickers is something I do for every World Cup,” said Mr Huntley, who says France 98 was his most memorable tournament.
“In Dubai, I’ve noticed it is something people want, but there are no distributors here.
“I have a friend in the UK who sends them over to me, but the trading element keeps it cheaper and is part of the fun.”
Regular swap shops
Stickers can be bought online, but books are few and far between and are often the US or South American versions.
While Panini offers an option to buy missing stickers to complete a book, aficionados believe in the purity of the swap deals.
Mr Huntley, who began collecting World Cup stickers 32 years ago for Italia 90, hosts regular swap shops at Nightjar coffee shop in Alserkal Avenue.
The final book he completed was the 2014 Brazil World Cup edition.
“I was a teacher and remember well the kid who I swapped the final sticker with that I needed ― it was a big day,” Mr Huntley said.
“It is hard to describe the feeling of seeing the corner of a shiny badge in a sticker pack; it is almost like the excitement of Christmas Day.
"Especially when you are down to the lower numbers required, the hunt for random players like Bryan Oviedo becomes obsessive."
A quirk of the phenomenon is that plenty of players featured in the album don’t actually reach the World Cup, either being omitted from final squads or suffering injuries in the build-up.
As albums and stickers are printed well in advance of squad announcements for national teams, inclusions are based on expectations by publishers Panini.
For the 2018 World Cup in Russia, 89 stickers were printed of players who ended up not going to the tournament.
They included high-profile stars Leroy Sane and Alvaro Morata, whose form nosedived at the end of the 2018 season, and French stars Laurent Koscielny, Adrien Rabiot, Alexandre Lacazette and Anthony Martial ― all left out of the World Cup-winning squad.
Sense of community
Another avid Dubai collector is Simon Smedley ― better known locally as radio DJ Catboy on Dubai 92 ― who has been involved in collecting World Cup stickers since 1978.
“My uncle Martin introduced me to it. I remember he had a pile of swapsies about four inches thick,” he said.
“I’ve done it every four years and still not completed a book.
“So far for Qatar, I’ve bought two boxes of 100 packets for Dh350 each and spent about Dh800 in total. I’m still about 20 short, so I should be able to fill it for under Dh1,000.
“It’s a false economy to buy any more packets, because from 30 packets we had just one that we needed, so I’m relying on swaps now.”
Mr Smedley, who admits to not being a football fan outside of the World Cup, is heavily involved with the swap shop meet-ups. His wife Lorra has even developed a spreadsheet of stickers required.
“It is like an assembly line, ticking off the got and need numbers as they come in,” he said.
“We are really into it and so are our three daughters.
“The swap shop is developing a real sense of community.
“But there are rules, like two normal stickers for a badge or a shiny sticker ― some kids need educating about that.
“It is a rite of passage, and certainly helps build the excitement in the run-up to Qatar.”
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
As You Were
Liam Gallagher
(Warner Bros)
Awar Qalb
Director: Jamal Salem
Starring: Abdulla Zaid, Joma Ali, Neven Madi and Khadija Sleiman
Two stars
Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder
Started: October 2021
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Industry: technology, logistics
Investors: A15 and self-funded
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
World Cup 2022 qualifier
UAE v Indonesia, Thursday, 8pm
Venue: Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
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THE%20SPECS
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What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
NEW%20PRICING%20SCHEME%20FOR%20APPLE%20MUSIC%2C%20TV%2B%20AND%20ONE
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Infiniti QX80 specs
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The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
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Torque: 620Nm
Price: Dh980,000
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Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
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Asia Cup 2018 Qualifier
Sunday's results:
- UAE beat Malaysia by eight wickets
- Nepal beat Singapore by four wickets
- Oman v Hong Kong, no result
Tuesday fixtures:
- Malaysia v Singapore
- UAE v Oman
- Nepal v Hong Kong
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Company%20Profile
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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
Background: Chemical Weapons
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Company%20Profile
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
(All games 4-3pm kick UAE time) Bayern Munich v Augsburg, Borussia Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen, Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin, Wolfsburg v Mainz , Eintracht Frankfurt v Freiburg, Union Berlin v RB Leipzig, Cologne v Schalke , Werder Bremen v Borussia Monchengladbach, Stuttgart v Arminia Bielefeld
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
'Ghostbusters: From Beyond'
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace
Rating: 2/5
THE%20STRANGERS'%20CASE
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