Football lovers in the UAE are planning flying visits to Qatar in the weeks to come to cheer on their heroes at the World Cup.
The month-long sporting spectacle — being held in the Middle East for the first time — is off to a thrilling start with upset wins and a glut of goals in the first round of fixtures.
With Doha only a short flight away, many supporters in the UAE are planning whistle-stop tours to see the action up close.
FlyDubai and Qatar Airways will operate up to 120 daily shuttle flights in and out of DWC until December 19, carrying football fans to Doha for the game and back to Dubai.
Anjali Menon and her husband Rajiv Menon, from Dubai, are excited over their second taste of the tournament having attended Russia in 2018.
The couple from Kerala are flying to Qatar on December 7 to take in a trio of games during the knockout stages.
“The World Cup in Russia was an unforgettable experience for us,” said Ms Menon who works in sales and marketing for a finance company. "This time, we have bought tickets for three matches — two quarter-finals and one semi-final. All three are going to be nail-biting matches.
“I am a Lionel Messi fan and will be rooting for Argentina. Rajiv is a Ronaldo supporter and hence he is backing Portugal.”
The couple said they spent Dh1,200 ($326) each for the quarter-final tickets and Dh2,500 each for the semi.
“The return flight tickets cost us around Dh1500," said Ms Menon. "We are staying with friends in Doha and thus saved on hotel cost.”
Both of them will work remotely on non-match days and that helped them save on leave as well as choose cheaper flight dates.
Student set to cheer on Messi
Madhav Manoj, 21, a student at the Canadian University Dubai, is flying to Qatar to cheer for Lionel Messi, his all time-favourite player.
“My father works in Qatar and it is easy for me to fly in and stay with him. We are going to watch Argentina play against Mexico,” he said.
“I really want Argentina to win as this is Messi’s last World Cup. His is like magic on the field.”
Anfal Kavungal, a travel agent from Kerala, is a Brazil fan but had to settle for the match between Germany and Costa Rica on December 1.
“I did not get tickets for any Brazil match," he said. "Me and a group of friends bought tickets for Dh260 during a special offer available in August.
“It is touch and go for me. I will fly Qatar Airways on December 1 and will return early morning the next day after watching the match that starts at 11pm on Friday.”
His economy ticket cost Dh1,400.
“How can we miss this World Cup when it is happening so close by? I want to have the experience of watching a World Cup match from the stadium."
Rooting for Ronaldo
Indian Vijayshankar Kavasseri said he is flying in to watch Portugal against South Korea next week, travelling with his wife and four children.
“We will be supporting Portugal as we are fans of Cristiano Ronaldo,” said the facilities manager.
The family are travelling from Dubai with flights costing him Dh10,000 for all four.
“We are going because the World Cup is the most prestigious sporting event in the sporting calendar,” he said.
Roaring on the Three Lions
Qasim Sharif, from England, is travelling on Friday along with his daughter to support his home nation against the US and then back again for the final group game against Wales.
“We are looking forward to it as it is a once-in-a-lifetime event and I can’t wait to share it with my daughter,” said Mr Sharif, who works as a financial controller for a hotel group.
“Though World Cups happen every four years, who knows where we will be the next time it happens?
“We’re excited to take this opportunity while we can.”
Daily shuttle flights for him and his daughter are costing him Dh3,500.
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MATCH INFO
England 2
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Nigeria 1
Iwobi (47')
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- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
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Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
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Hunting park to luxury living
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- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
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A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Four reasons global stock markets are falling right now
There are many factors worrying investors right now and triggering a rush out of stock markets. Here are four of the biggest:
1. Rising US interest rates
The US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times this year in a bid to prevent its buoyant economy from overheating. They now stand at between 2 and 2.25 per cent and markets are pencilling in three more rises next year.
Kim Catechis, manager of the Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Emerging Markets Fund, says US inflation is rising and the Fed will continue to raise rates in 2019. “With inflationary pressures growing, an increasing number of corporates are guiding profitability expectations downwards for 2018 and 2019, citing the negative impact of rising costs.”
At the same time as rates are rising, central bankers in the US and Europe have been ending quantitative easing, bringing the era of cheap money to an end.
2. Stronger dollar
High US rates have driven up the value of the dollar and bond yields, and this is putting pressure on emerging market countries that took advantage of low interest rates to run up trillions in dollar-denominated debt. They have also suffered capital outflows as international investors have switched to the US, driving markets lower. Omar Negyal, portfolio manager of the JP Morgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust, says this looks like a buying opportunity. “Despite short-term volatility we remain positive about long-term prospects and profitability for emerging markets.”
3. Global trade war
Ritu Vohora, investment director at fund manager M&G, says markets fear that US President Donald Trump’s spat with China will escalate into a full-blown global trade war, with both sides suffering. “The US economy is robust enough to absorb higher input costs now, but this may not be the case as tariffs escalate. However, with a host of factors hitting investor sentiment, this is becoming a stock picker’s market.”
4. Eurozone uncertainty
Europe faces two challenges right now in the shape of Brexit and the new populist government in eurozone member Italy.
Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, which has offices in Dubai, says the stand-off between between Rome and Brussels threatens to become much more serious. "As with Brexit, neither side appears willing to step back from the edge, threatening more trouble down the line.”
The European economy may also be slowing, Mr Beauchamp warns. “A four-year low in eurozone manufacturing confidence highlights the fact that producers see a bumpy road ahead, with US-EU trade talks remaining a major question-mark for exporters.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
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Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
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Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
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COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
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● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
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GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
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