Joyous Palestinian fans have told of how they feel "at one" with fellow Arabs as they cheer on the region's hopefuls at the Qatar World Cup.
It has been an arduous journey for many of Palestine's football lovers, who were eager to soak up the atmosphere of the Middle East's maiden World Cup.
Some flew in via Israel thanks to the first flights into Doha from Tel Aviv laid on specifically to serve football fans, with others travelling from the occupied territories, through Israel and on to international flights via Amman in Jordan.
Pre-tournament, Palestinians required special permission from Israeli authorities to fly from Ben Gurion Airport.
Those restrictions were relaxed for the World Cup, allowing football-mad Palestinians, such as Sami Mujahed, to fly into Doha for games.
“We live in the West Bank so had to cross from the Palestinian territory into Israel and then Jordan, before flying to Doha,” said Mr Mujahed, an engineer from the West Bank renting a villa with nine other friends in the Salwa Road area of Doha.
“We love all the Arab countries playing at the World Cup, so I wanted to come and support as many of them as possible.
“I picked up my tickets in June on Viagogo and I’ve been to Tunisia against Denmark, Morocco v Croatia and Brazil’s match with Serbia.”
The country's flag has been flown with pride at stadiums across Doha since the tournament kicked off as an Arab sporting success story could be on the cards.
The unifying power of football has unmistakably been on display, with Palestinians eager to throw their support behind Arab teams upsetting football's international elite.
Party atmosphere as Arab ambitions grow
Arab fans turned out in force at Doha’s Souq Waqif in the opening week to celebrate Saudi Arabia’s shock win over Argentina and Morocco’s triumph over Belgium — two standout results of this World Cup so far.
The area is a throbbing tourism hub with restaurants and shops, where many Arabic television stations have based themselves for live broadcasts during the tournament to capture the growing excitement of the Arab world.
“There was a big party after the Croatia match and then the Belgium game as it was a great result for Morocco,” said Mr Mujahed, who is spending 10 days in Doha.
“I was in St Petersburg for the World Cup in Russia when Morocco played Iran.
“Iran scored a last-minute winner so I had to come back for this tournament too, it was great drama.
“Qatar is a lot more expensive, but it has been great so far. We have each spent about $3,000.
“It was cheaper for us to rent a villa together and share the costs.”
With each Arab team having played two matches, qualification for the next round is still possible for Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Tunisia.
Fan zones have become focal points for much of the action in Dubai, with Palestinian fans cheering on Arab sides.
'We are one at heart'
Awafa Ahmad, 37, who works for a public relations agency in the Emirates, said it was heartwarming to see the Palestinian flag waved by fans from across the Arab world.
“Arab nations demonstrated how we are indeed one at heart,” she said. "For example, I’m not Saudi but was with all my heart with the Saudi team and again with the Moroccan team
Her sister, Asmaa Ahmad, 39, who works with the UAE Food and Agriculture Organisation, is not a football fan but was won over by videos posted on social media.
“My friends and I have been exchanging videos posted online showing Arab people waving the Palestinian flag, it’s a testament that we are one and Palestine is alive in the hearts and minds of all Arabs,” she said.
Saeed Al Tareefi, 74, was delighted to see Arab supporters united.
“It brought Palestine back to the heart and showed the solidarity of our nations — it proved how we love each and every Arab country,” he said.
Ahmed Ibrahim, a 35-year-old Egyptian engineer for a private company in Dubai, was touched by fans carrying the Palestinian flags in matches.
“I saw a big flag of Palestine during the match between Tunisia and Australia and many fans carrying them everywhere in Doha — Palestine is always in our hearts,” he said.
Manaf Hatim, 42, from Iraq, was another who was proud to see the colours of Palestine on show.
“I felt happy and proud to see Palestine's name in the mega-event despite not qualifying,” he said.
“I wish to see any team captain wearing an armband with the colours of the Palestinian flag.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
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- Professional ethics.
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
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The biog
Hobbies: Writing and running
Favourite sport: beach volleyball
Favourite holiday destinations: Turkey and Puerto Rico
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The specs: 2019 BMW i8 Roadster
Price, base: Dh708,750
Engine: 1.5L three-cylinder petrol, plus 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 374hp (total)
Torque: 570Nm (total)
Fuel economy, combined: 2.0L / 100km
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Profile box
Founders: Michele Ferrario, Nino Ulsamer and Freddy Lim
Started: established in 2016 and launched in July 2017
Based: Singapore, with offices in the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
Sector: FinTech, wealth management
Initial investment: $500,000 in seed round 1 in 2016; $2.2m in seed round 2 in 2017; $5m in series A round in 2018; $12m in series B round in 2019; $16m in series C round in 2020 and $25m in series D round in 2021
Current staff: more than 160 employees
Stage: series D
Investors: EightRoads Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Sequoia Capital India
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
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Dust storm
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The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km
SNAPSHOT
While Huawei did launch the first smartphone with a 50MP image sensor in its P40 series in 2020, Oppo in 2014 introduced the Find 7, which was capable of taking 50MP images: this was done using a combination of a 13MP sensor and software that resulted in shots seemingly taken from a 50MP camera.
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
The specs: 2018 Bentley Bentayga V8
Price, base: Dh853,226
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 550hp @ 6,000pm
Torque: 770Nm @ 1,960rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L / 100km
