Formula One fans celebrated Lewis Hamilton's victory in the first Saudi Arabian Grand Prix held on the shores of Jeddah on Sunday evening.
The race on the street circuit under the lights in Jeddah featured three standing starts, a pair of restarts, multiple safety cars, and an intense back-and-forth between the title contenders.
Hamilton won despite crashing into the back of Max Verstappen at one point during a race in which the Dutchman twice had to cede a position to the Mercedes driver that he had gained illegally.
"It was such an exciting and scary experience - from the moment Mick Schumacher crashed to Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen clashing, it was so intense. We saw a racecar being towed away, sparks flying ... we're just happy no one was hurt and my favourite Hamilton won!" said Abdul Aziz, a jubilant fan at the race in Jeddah.
An overjoyed crowd welcomed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who made a surprise appearance at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
"We were screaming in excitement and all of us were applauding the man who is the reason all of this is possible," said Mohammed Irfan.
"My friends, family, and country are able to host this world championship because of his vision and resolve - to make this happen in only eight months. This honestly was the highlight of the evening for me, apart from the race."
The race concluded with a spectacular fireworks display and fans cheering from the grandstands. "It was magical. My husband and kids - all of us decked out in Mercedes merch, enjoyed every bit of it. I saw helicopters take VIPs, there was Akon and David Guetta there too, and there was so much happening I had the best time," said Nada Akeel, another racegoer.
Many foreigners and nationals said the new changes are part of Vision 2030 and that they are looking forward to more sporting events being held in the kingdom.
"My sister and brother both want to be part of F1 and race cars. They joined the young Saudi Stars programme and are so excited to be participating in e-karting activities," said Maha Ahmed.
Hamilton is now level on points with Red Bull rival Verstappen on 369.5 points meaning that next week's final race of the season in Abu Dhabi is a winner-takes-all.
Preparations for the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP
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
'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Afghanistan fixtures
- v Australia, today
- v Sri Lanka, Tuesday
- v New Zealand, Saturday,
- v South Africa, June 15
- v England, June 18
- v India, June 22
- v Bangladesh, June 24
- v Pakistan, June 29
- v West Indies, July 4
Top goalscorers in Europe
34 goals - Robert Lewandowski (68 points)
34 - Ciro Immobile (68)
31 - Cristiano Ronaldo (62)
28 - Timo Werner (56)
25 - Lionel Messi (50)
*29 - Erling Haaland (50)
23 - Romelu Lukaku (46)
23 - Jamie Vardy (46)
*NOTE: Haaland's goals for Salzburg count for 1.5 points per goal. Goals for Dortmund count for two points per goal.
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
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Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Director: Romany Saad
Starring: Mirfat Amin, Boumi Fouad and Tariq Al Ibyari
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
