The eyes of the world were on Qatar on Sunday night, as the Fifa World Cup 2022 kicked off.
Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, mother of Sheikh Tamim, the Emir of Qatar, was among those in attendance at Al Bayt Stadium, where the opening ceremony was held.
"The time has come," she wrote in a caption on Instagram, alongside a carousel of images from the evening. “The time is now. Welcome to the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022."
The images show her with her husband, Sheikh Hamad, former emir of Qatar, and her children, Sheikha Hind bint Hamad and former heir apparent Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad.
She also posted a Reel with clips from the opening night, with the message: "Welcome, and good luck to all."
Sheikha Moza, who is also the co-founder and chairwoman of the Qatar Foundation, married Sheikh Hamad in 1977.
Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad, Sheikh Tamim's first wife and consort, received the wives of world leaders from participating countries as the much-anticipated event began.
Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad, Sheikh Tamim's sister and Sheikha Moza's daughter, also posted a photo of the opening ceremony to Instagram, writing in the caption: "Tonight we celebrated the world through the power of football. I couldn’t be more proud of our leader, my brother — my whole family — the men and women who worked day and night for this moment.
"For 12 years Qatar was unfairly attacked — for some reason these critics believed that an Arab and Muslim nation was incompetent to organise such a tournament. Tonight we set the bar high, and La3eeb is ready to take you through a journey of a lifetime.
"We’re ready to welcome all those who are here, and those who will arrive in the coming weeks. Hard luck to Qatar and congrats to Ecuador."
Enner Valencia led Ecuador to victory in their opening match as the South Americans eased past Qatar.
Valencia scored both goals in the 2-0 win at Al Bayt Stadium to give Ecuador the ideal start in Group A.
Qatar manager Felix Sanchez conceded the weight of the occasion got to his players as they became the first host nation in World Cup history to suffer defeat in their opening game.
“There’s no excuse. We want to congratulate our opponents, they deserved to win,” Sanchez said.
Scroll through the gallery below to see more images of the opening ceremony
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
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How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
MATCH INFO
CAF Champions League semi-finals first-leg fixtures
Tuesday:
Primeiro Agosto (ANG) v Esperance (TUN) (8pm UAE)
Al Ahly (EGY) v Entente Setif (ALG) (11PM)
Second legs:
October 23
RESULTS
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: Najem Al Rwasi, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
2.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Fandim, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
3pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Harbh, Pat Cosgrave, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
3.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Wakeel W’Rsan, Richard Mullen, Jaci Wickham
4pm: Crown Prince of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Jawaal, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
4.30pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup (TB) Dh200,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Sebastian Stefan, Sebastian Morar and Claudia Pacurar
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2014
Number of employees: 36
Sector: Logistics
Raised: $2.5 million
Investors: DP World, Prime Venture Partners and family offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
Directed by: Shaka King
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons
Four stars
