Saudi Arabia's new footballing hero Salem Al Dawsari has made it big, after being added to a collection of huge cardboard cut-outs of World Cup stars on display in an Indian village.
Al Dawsari won global acclaim after scoring the decisive goal as the Green Falcons soared to a stunning victory over Argentina on Tuesday in perhaps the greatest upset in the tournament's history.
Now his exploits are being celebrated in Pullavoor village in southern Kerala, where one of the world's most unlikely football fan zones has sprung up.
Fans set up a nine-metre tall likeness of the Saudi player in tribute to his starring role in a win that captivated World Cup watchers the world over.
The football-crazy fans of Pullavoor village have been making headlines of their own by setting up towering cut-outs of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo, the largest of which is 15 metres, near the riverbank.
The new addition to the pantheon of superstars has Al Dawsari standing tall in his green kit with the tag "Saudi Fans" and looking over the village ground.
Saudi Arabia's success no surprise in village
Subair Pandiyala, a keen follower of the Saudi striker, said he had planned the fan homage weeks before the Qatar World Cup started.
“I have seen him play and I know how good he is,” said the 48-year-old, who worked in Riyadh for more than two decades.
“After the match, so many people support Saudi Arabia. But before the match, everyone thought Argentina would win.
“No one thought Saudi Arabia was good and experienced, but I knew.
“This is the first time for such a victory for the Asian and Arab world so it needs a big celebration.”
The Saudi victory lit up the World Cup and was marked with a national holiday in the kingdom.
Working in Saudi Arabia as an electrical technician, Mr Pandiyala often watched the team play in his free time.
He has fond memories of his life in Riyadh, which came to an abrupt end when the Covid-19 pandemic struck.
Two years ago, he was in India for a holiday and could not return to work in the kingdom when airports shut, countries closed borders and his visa was cancelled.
Mr Pandiyala has since opened a small business in his village selling electric scooters.
'Home teams' in Qatar
Kerala state is home to the largest number of Indian migrants who traditionally look for opportunities in the Gulf.
For the football fanatics, every World Cup is a cause for celebration, with homes painted in “home team” colours.
Fans feel a closer connection to the Qatar games because many have family and friends who work in the country.
“I support Saudi because for more than 25 years I lived there,” Mr Pandiyala said.
“Saudi helped my family, my children are in good schools. My progress, good opportunity, is from Saudi.
“In our village, so many people work in the UAE, Saudi, Qatar, so we like and remember the GCC countries.”
The villagers have set up a big screen for public viewing of all the World Cup games.
Hundreds of fans gather daily under the glow of the enormous cut-outs lit up with white bulbs.
Al Dawsari’s portrait is probably the final cut-out to complete the quartet in Pullavoor village.
“There are many more Brazil, Portugal and Argentina fans here,” said Muhammad Ali, a Brazil fan who put up the Neymar cut-out.
“But people who worked in Saudi are coming to the village now with their family to see this new cut-out and take photos.
“These big cut-outs make us happy. We feel like we are watching the games with them.”
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Company%20profile
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Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh359,000
On sale: now
Company%20Profile
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Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Asia Cup Qualifier
Final
UAE v Hong Kong
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Company%20profile
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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
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
THREE
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POWERWASH%20SIMULATOR
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
