The Drone Racing Championship is going ahead as planned despite the record rainfall that caused chaos earlier this week.
Set to take place on Saturday and Sunday, the event will bring 16 professional drone racers from around the globe together to compete with the vibrant emirate of Sharjah as the backdrop. Among those set to compete at Al Majaz Amphitheatre will be Paul Nurkkala, the 2018 World Drone Racing Champion and holder of numerous international accolades.
"In organising this event, our aim is to showcase Sharjah as a global hub for tourism and sports," said Tariq Saeed Allay, director general of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, which is hosting the event in partnership with the Multirotor Grand Prix.
"The Drone Racing Champions event is a testament to our commitment to providing an unparalleled platform for enthusiasts to witness top-tier talent and cutting-edge drone technology in action."
Allay also emphasised the uniqueness of drone races, as they merge technology with instinctive speed and rely on research and development as the technology of the future.
Five matches will be held, three on Saturday and three on Sunday, including the final heat to crown a champion. Across the matches, those with the highest scores will compete in the final to take first place.
A prize pool of $25,000 will be split by the three finalists. The winner will receive $15,000, second will be awarded $7,000 and third will take home $3,000.
In addition to the competition, the event will also host companies and exhibitors showcasing their latest products, offering an opportunity to see the latest trends in drone equipment. There will be entertainment and shows, too.
Enthusiasts will also have a chance to bring their own drones to fly in a designated area. Interested participants must pre-register and can only use drones registered and authorised for use in the country.
For those who can't make the race, it will also be livestreamed on Twitch and YouTube.
Saturday and Sunday, 4pm to 11pm; free; Al Majaz Amphitheatre, Sharjah; more information is available at multigp.com
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
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The specs
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
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SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
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UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Fixtures (all in UAE time)
Friday
Everton v Burnley 11pm
Saturday
Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur 3.30pm
West Ham United v Southampton 6pm
Wolves v Fulham 6pm
Cardiff City v Crystal Palace 8.30pm
Newcastle United v Liverpool 10.45pm
Sunday
Chelsea v Watford 5pm
Huddersfield v Manchester United 5pm
Arsenal v Brighton 7.30pm
Monday
Manchester City v Leicester City 11pm
Essentials
The flights
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The cruise
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