The Arab world needs some good news. After just three days of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, it has got exactly that, thanks to a remarkable new generation of athletes.
The unfolding drama of their success is not just built on medals and statistics. It is about their journeys to the Games, too.
In what is being described as the first major shock of the competition, Tunisian swimmer Ahmed Hafnaoui won the final of the men's 400-metre freestyle. At only 18, he now plans to follow in the footsteps of Tunisia's two-time Olympic gold medal swimmer Oussama Mellouli. He also gave the Arab world its first gold medal at the Games.
Hafnaoui beat favourites from Australia and the US in Saturday's race. Both countries are global leaders in the sport. Throughout the history of the Olympics, Australia has won almost 60 swimming gold medals; the US, nearly 250. Tunisia, across all sports, has won gold only five times. This might be a modest number, but three of these victories have now been in swimming, giving the country a stake in one of the toughest and most famous disciplines at the Games.
In table tennis, Syrian athlete Hend Zaza was already winning before the competition started. Just 12 years old, she is the youngest athlete competing in Tokyo, a remarkable achievement given her background growing up in the city of Hama, which has been caught up heavily in the country's civil war.
Zaza joins many other Middle Eastern athletes who have excelled in spite of tragedy. More than half of the 29-strong refugee squad hail from the region, particularly Syria and Iran.
Regardless, their sportsmanship is shining through. Zaza was knocked out early after a defeat against Austria's Liu Jia, who was three times her age. After the match, she was pictured going up to the Austrian and taking a selfie. Many adults at the Games would be incapable of such decorum. And during the opening ceremony, Syrian refugee brothers Alaa and Mohamed Maso were pictured embracing each other, as they prepared to compete in swimming and triathlon respectively. Hafnaoui dedicated his victory to his family, his coaches and the people of Tunisia.
Taking place in the middle of a pandemic, Tokyo 2020 has been one of the most controversial Olympic Games in history. While debates around safety are necessary, after a year of tragic news bulletins, the Middle East deserves to celebrate this important chapter in its sporting history. And with all the pain of recent years, young Middle Easterners are shouldering a particularly heavy burden. Far too many are beginning life amid conflict, upheaval and uncertainty. We should never romanticise preventable hardship, but the resilience of the region's youth is staggering audiences across the world. Within just a few days, countless have become the ambassadors of a more positive future, one where struggle on and off the field is forming young people into remarkable adults.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THREE
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
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THE DEALS
Hamilton $60m x 2 = $120m
Vettel $45m x 2 = $90m
Ricciardo $35m x 2 = $70m
Verstappen $55m x 3 = $165m
Leclerc $20m x 2 = $40m
TOTAL $485m
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PRISCILLA
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Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Ads on social media can 'normalise' drugs
A UK report on youth social media habits commissioned by advocacy group Volteface found a quarter of young people were exposed to illegal drug dealers on social media.
The poll of 2,006 people aged 16-24 assessed their exposure to drug dealers online in a nationally representative survey.
Of those admitting to seeing drugs for sale online, 56 per cent saw them advertised on Snapchat, 55 per cent on Instagram and 47 per cent on Facebook.
Cannabis was the drug most pushed by online dealers, with 63 per cent of survey respondents claiming to have seen adverts on social media for the drug, followed by cocaine (26 per cent) and MDMA/ecstasy, with 24 per cent of people.
Need to know
When: October 17 until November 10
Cost: Entry is free but some events require prior registration
Where: Various locations including National Theatre (Abu Dhabi), Abu Dhabi Cultural Center, Zayed University Promenade, Beach Rotana (Abu Dhabi), Vox Cinemas at Yas Mall, Sharjah Youth Center
What: The Korea Festival will feature art exhibitions, a B-boy dance show, a mini K-pop concert, traditional dance and music performances, food tastings, a beauty seminar, and more.
For more information: www.koreafestivaluae.com
