Ons Jabeur (Tunisia) – Tennis
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The Tunisian continues her historic rise up the WTA rankings and kicks off her 2022 campaign at No 10 in the world.
The 27-year-old enjoyed a history-making 2021, becoming the first Arab player – man or woman – to make it to the top 10 in tennis, peaking at No 7 in November.
She became the first Arab to win a WTA title when she triumphed in Birmingham last June, and followed that up by becoming the first Arab woman to reach the quarter-finals at Wimbledon.
“As you know I’m someone that likes challenges and especially likes to say the goals out loud. I want to keep breaking records, I want to keep making history and giving even more the example for the athletes out there,” Jabeur told reporters in Abu Dhabi last month.
“I want to continue my journey and be able to win more titles, prove myself that I deserve the spot in the top 10. I’m very ambitious for next year, I’m going to expand more the team, I’ll let you know when everything is confirmed and it’s going to be a great season hopefully.”
Hamda Al Qubaisi (UAE) – Motorsport
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Having already secured six victories in the F4 UAE championship, the Emirati teenager made history in 2021, by becoming the first woman to step on the podium in the Italian F4 Championship, when she finished third at Misano last June.
“What an amazing feeling! I got my first podium, and it was quite unexpected. Obviously, I knew I had the pace and I could reach the top three, but it is a dream come true for me,” Al Qubaisi said after the race.
The 19-year-old from Abu Dhabi, following in the footsteps of her father Khaled and her older sister Amna, has made a lasting impression on racing in Italy for Prema Powerteam and will be eyeing further success this year in Formula 4 and the Formula Regional Asian Championship.
Farah Jefry (Saudi Arabia) – Football
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Jefry and her Jeddah Eagles side have just been crowned Western Region champions in the Saudi Women’s Football League.
In the league’s inaugural edition, the Saudi teenager finished as top-scorer aged just 17.
Now 18, the midfielder recently turned up in a photo on Zinedine Zidane’s Instagram, who met with Jefry and Emirati footballer Nouf Al Anzi as part of a campaign for their shared sponsor, Adidas.
“Thank you for sharing your passion for football with me. Keep going on your journey,” Zidane wrote in the caption.
Jefry is the first woman from Saudi Arabia to be named as an ambassador for Adidas and she is thrilled to play a part in promoting women’s sport in the country.
“I am happy with the development of women’s football in Saudi Arabia, and I aspire to do more with the hope that the spotlight will be on more female talents,” she said.
Hana Goda (Egypt) – Table tennis
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In December 2019, at just 12 years of age, Goda became the first African to be ranked No 1 in the ITTF Under 15 girls’ cadet category.
Last September, age 13, the Egyptian prodigy defeated Africa's most successful female player Dina Meshref 4-2 in the semi-finals to become the youngest finalist in the history of the African Table Tennis Championships.
At the ITTF World Youth Championships last month, Goda won gold in the U15 girls’ doubles event and took silver in the singles, to finish her landmark 2021 on a high note.
Now 14, Goda is ranked No 4 in the world youth rankings, among players aged 19 and under.
An Olympic champion in the making, Goda’s journey is already a remarkable one and she already has her sights set on making more history in 2022.
Maha Haddioui (Morocco) – Golf
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The 33-year-old Moroccan is the first Arab to earn playing privileges on the Ladies European Tour and just wrapped up her 11th full season competing on the circuit.
In 2021, Haddioui qualified for her second consecutive Olympic Games, where she stunned with an ace on the seventh hole in Round 2 before concluding her Tokyo campaign in 43rd place.
The Agadir resident’s 2021 season was highlighted by an 11th-place finish at the Czech Ladies Open and more recently an eighth-place finish at the Aramco Team Series event in Jeddah.
Nour El Tayeb (Egypt) – Squash
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Back from maternity leave, the former world No 3 made a winning return to the PSA tour a few weeks ago, defeating compatriot Hana Ramadan to reach the quarter-finals of the CIB Squash Open Black Ball, just five months after giving birth to her baby daughter Farida.
El Tayeb, who slipped to No 9 in the rankings, will be looking to climb her way back up and challenge fellow Egyptians Nour El Sherbini and Nouran Gohar at the top.
Can the 28-year-old recapture her best form and make it to the highest level as a new mom? It will be interesting to find out.
Mayar Sherif (Egypt) – Tennis
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The first Egyptian to win a WTA 125 title, the first Egyptian woman to win a match at a Grand Slam, the first Egyptian to reach a WTA final, the first Egyptian woman to crack the top 100 … Sherif’s extensive list of firsts achieved in 2021 earned her a nomination for the tour’s Newcomer of the Year award.
The Cairene finished her season ranked a career-high 61 in the world and will be searching for new heights as a new campaign gets underway this month in Australia.
Manon Ouaiss (Lebanon) – Alpine skiing
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The 21-year-old Lebanese has qualified for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, where she is set to compete in the slalom and giant slalom events.
Currently training at her base near Les 3 Vallées in France, Ouaiss enjoyed a strong 2020-21 campaign with four victories in slalom and giant slalom in Cedars and great showings at FIS events in Montenegro.
Farida Osman (Egypt) – Swimming
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Egypt’s most successful swimmer rebounded from a difficult Tokyo 2020 Olympics with some strong performances at the World Championships in Abu Dhabi last month, reaching the final in the 100m butterfly and the semi-finals in the 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly events.
The African record-holder, three-time Olympian, and two-time World Championship bronze medallist is looking to hit some best times in this upcoming season, with an eye on the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka in May.
Layla Al Khatib (UAE) – Swimming
At the tender age of 15, Al Khatib has already represented the UAE at a World Championship, thanks to the wildcard she received to compete in Abu Dhabi last month.
The teenage backstroker recently picked up two gold medals and a bronze at the Arab Swimming Age Group Championships in the UAE and is looking to take another step forward in her young career in 2022.
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at Mount Maunganui
England 353
Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88
New Zealand 144-4
Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8
Power 625hp at 6,000rpm
Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm
Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto
Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec
Top speed 305kph
Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km
Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)
On sale Jan/Feb 2020
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Retail gloom
Online grocer Ocado revealed retail sales fell 5.7 per cen in its first quarter as customers switched back to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.
It was a tough comparison from a year earlier, when the UK was in lockdown, but on a two-year basis its retail division, a joint venture with Marks&Spencer, rose 31.7 per cent over the quarter.
The group added that a 15 per cent drop in customer basket size offset an 11.6. per cent rise in the number of customer transactions.
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Name: Sari Al Zubaidi
Occupation: co-founder of Cafe di Rosati
Age: 42
Marital status: single
Favourite drink: drip coffee V60
Favourite destination: Bali, Indonesia
Favourite book: 100 Years of Solitude
Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
Verdict: 4 Stars
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier
Results
UAE beat Saudi Arabia by 12 runs
Kuwait beat Iran by eight wickets
Oman beat Maldives by 10 wickets
Bahrain beat Qatar by six wickets
Semi-finals
UAE v Qatar
Bahrain v Kuwait
THE TWIN BIO
Their favourite city: Dubai
Their favourite food: Khaleeji
Their favourite past-time : walking on the beach
Their favorite quote: ‘we rise by lifting others’ by Robert Ingersoll
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
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
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
MO
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreators%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Amer%2C%20Ramy%20Youssef%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Amer%2C%20Teresa%20Ruiz%2C%20Omar%20Elba%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Isle of Dogs
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Liev Schreiber, Ed Norton, Greta Gerwig, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson
Three stars
