When two Emirati women shooters set their sights on success at the Paralympic Games in Paris, they will send a powerful message of how sport can transform lives.
Ayesha Al Mehairi and Ayesha Al Shamsi are among a select group of UAE athletes to qualify for the competition that starts on August 28.
The keen-eyed duo seek to lead by example and show there should be no barriers to pursuing your dreams.
I want every person who has no hands to see how I play
Ayesha Al Shamsi,
Paralympic shooter who will represent the UAE in Paris
Crackling shots resound across the indoor shooting range of the Dubai Club for People of Determination where the athletes are training hard.
“Shooting is not only a game, it’s in my blood, it gave me a chance,” said Ayesha Al Mehairi, competing in her second Paralympic Games after Tokyo 2021.
“Our challenge is the target. But shooting also makes me happy.”
She is part of a UAE team that will compete with more than 4,000 athletes from around the world. The disciplines include para powerlifting, athletics, shooting, wheelchair basketball and cycling in arenas beneath the Eiffel Tower and at the Versailles Palace park.
The sporting journey of the two UAE women shooters is just one example of how the games aims to change perceptions about people with disabilities.
Setting goals
Inside the Dubai shooting range, Ms Al Mehairi uses her right arm and chin to guide the rifle and keeps it steady by firmly resting her chin on a wooden niche.
The air rifle competition is the ultimate test of skill and accuracy with competitors aiming to place a series of shots close to the centre of a target.
Ms Al Mehairi has won several local and international medals, and is particularly proud of her first international gold in the 2022 Para Shooting World Cup in France.
The Emirati mother of five was diagnosed with polio as a child that impaired movement in her arms and legs.
That never stopped her from pushing the limits and trying different sports.
She played boccia, a game where players throw or kick the ball so it lands near a target, for several years before shifting to shooting.
“I found myself in shooting,” she said. “You need to be quiet.
“It is me and the target, no need for other players.”
Ms Al Mehairi is also a chef and runs a restaurant that serves traditional Emirati cuisine in Dubai’s Al Quoz area.
“I know I’m special. I like winning medals,” she said.
“This is my second Paralympics. I hope to be in the top eight of the competition.
“You have to list your goals and the steps of how to reach this.”
Can-do attitude
It will be the first time at the Paralympic Games for Emirati shooter Ayesha Al Shamsi.
For Ms Al Shamsi, too, the switch from boccia to shooting several years ago was key.
The 40-year-old Emirati has the Tetra-Amelia syndrome, a rare disorder characterised by the absence of all four limbs.
Ms Al Shamsi recalls the general disbelief when she decided to take up shooting, as she does not have shoulders or arms to rest the rifle.
But she never let her condition stop her and constantly learnt from watching overseas athletes compete.
Working with her coach, she first learnt to pull the trigger with her mouth.
After much experimentation, she now tugs a cord attached to her toe to release the trigger.
At the training centre, an assistant straps her in to specially-built wider chair and tucks the rifle under her chin.
“I shoot with my foot, not arm,” said Ms Al Shamsi deftly handling the rifle with her mouth.
“Many people in the Gulf say, ‘no arm, how do you play?’
“In Europe I see people with no arms shoot, no problem.
“I want every person who has no hands to see how I play.
“I want Arab people to see me. I want them to see they also can shoot, they can do archery, they can do everything.”
She listens to Beethoven to relax, does yoga to meditate and wants to show that anyone can take up a sport, whatever their disability.
“I tell people – don’t say, ‘I cannot,'" she said. “You can do everything.’”
Ms Al Shamsi also paints using water colours and enjoys playing video games.
After a strong showing in international competitions, Ms Al Shamsi is anxious about her Paralympic debut.
“I’m nervous,” she said.
“This game needs calm and focus. I will go to Paris, be calm, sit alone, relax listen to classic music, close my eyes, breathe deeply.”
Love of sport
This never-die spirit is encouraged by coach Mohammad Hussein.
“Shooting is very accurate, your mind and rifle must be like a computer,” said Mr Hussein who is also the Dubai Police shooting coach.
“You have to know the rifle, know it well.”
Understanding how to tailor the equipment to fit the special needs of each athlete is a key part of his job.
After lengthy research, he devised the trigger and stand for Ms Al Shamsi’s rifle.
“Nothing is impossible,” he said.
“When I started with Ayesha Al Shamsi, I asked myself, ‘How can I teach her when she cannot hold a rifle.’
“Step-by-step we made it work.”
The UAE team won three medals in Tokyo 2021, seven medals at Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and three medals at the London 2012 Paralympics.
But Mr Hussein is against pressuring athletes to bag medals.
“When my player enters the Paralympics, I feel that is the gold medal,” he said.
“If you ask for a medal from your shooter, you give them pressure.
“I tell them not to forget their training.
“I want them to enjoy, get their normal score or do better and then they will be number one.”
The Paris games run until September 8 and will showcase 22 individual and team sports.
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Match info
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Liverpool v Porto, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Scoreline
Liverpool 3
Mane (7'), Salah (69'), Firmino (90')
Bournemouth 0
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
INFO
What: DP World Tour Championship
When: November 21-24
Where: Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20EduPloyment%3Cbr%3EDate%20started%3A%20March%202020%3Cbr%3ECo-Founders%3A%20Mazen%20Omair%20and%20Rana%20Batterjee%3Cbr%3EBase%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Recruitment%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%2030%20employees%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20Pre-Seed%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Angel%20investors%20(investment%20amount%20undisclosed)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SE%20(second%20generation)
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The biog
Name: Salem Alkarbi
Age: 32
Favourite Al Wasl player: Alexandre Oliveira
First started supporting Al Wasl: 7
Biggest rival: Al Nasr
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Jawan
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Company%20Profile
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The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
Profile of Tarabut Gateway
Founder: Abdulla Almoayed
Based: UAE
Founded: 2017
Number of employees: 35
Sector: FinTech
Raised: $13 million
Backers: Berlin-based venture capital company Target Global, Kingsway, CE Ventures, Entrée Capital, Zamil Investment Group, Global Ventures, Almoayed Technologies and Mad’a Investment.
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
SCHEDULE FOR SHOW COURTS
Centre Court - from 4pm (UAE time)
Angelique Kerber (1) v Irina Falconi
Martin Klizan v Novak Djokovic (2)
Alexandr Dolgopolov v Roger Federer (3)
Court One - from 4pm
Milos Raonic (6) v Jan-Lennard Struff
Karolina Pliskova (3) v Evgeniya Rodina
Dominic Thiem (8) v Vasek Pospisil
Court Two - from 2.30pm
Juan Martin Del Potro (29) v Thanasi Kokkinakis
Agnieszka Radwanska (9) v Jelena Jankovic
Jeremy Chardy v Tomas Berdych (11)
Ons Jabeur v Svetlana Kuznetsova (7)
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Cry Macho
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam
Rating:**
The years Ramadan fell in May
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- And then copy into this box
- It can be as long as you link
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- That's about it
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
Company%20Profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
