When stumps were drawn last night on the Indian Premier League’s two-week stay in the UAE, it was declared a huge success. Fans were happy because the atmosphere at the stadiums was great and the cricket was entertaining. Indeed, matches get no closer than Tuesday evening’s game between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals, which remained tied even after a “super over” had been bowled and was eventually decided on a countback of boundaries scored.
This was another endorsement of this country’s ability to host top events, be they sporting or otherwise.
The UAE has clear infrastructure advantages, with several venues capable of hosting major matches and with the tourist and transport capacity to cope with the influx of cricket fans. This should not come as a surprise, based on the success of the Etihad Airways Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Dubai Rugby Sevens, the Dubai World Cup, the Fifa U17 World Cup and many others.
Of course, the IPL was only here because of the Indian elections but most fans will be hoping that the razzmatazz, the top-class cricketers and the sheer spectacle of it all will return to these shores next year.
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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