With the Paris Olympics looming ahead this summer and the Africa Cup of Nations and Asia Cup football tournaments kicking off in January, 2024 promises to be a big year for Arab athletes.
Here are 10 of the top sportsmen from the Mena region primed for success over the next 12 months.
Ahmed Hafnaoui (Tunisia) – Swimming
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At just 20 years of age, at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan last spring, Ahmed Ayoub Hafnaoui asserted himself as one of the fastest swimmers in history in all three of the men’s distance events, clinching gold in the 800m and 1,500m freestyle, and silver in the 400m freestyle.
His time in the 1,500 freestyle ranks him second all-time, while his 800 freestyle was the third-fastest in history, and his 400 freestyle the fifth-fastest.
Hafnaoui exploded onto the scene at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 when he stunned the field to win gold in 400m freestyle while swimming in lane 8, which is dedicated to the slowest swimmer of the eight qualifiers into the final.
Just 18 at the time, Hafnaoui shocked himself and the world with his performance and has proven two years later his Tokyo heroics were no fluke.
Currently training in California with The Swim Team (TST) elite group under acclaimed coach Mark Schubert, Hafnaoui has a busy year ahead with the World Aquatics Championships coming up in February in Qatar and the Paris 2024 Olympics commencing in July.
Mohamed Salah (Egypt) – Football
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The tireless Mohamed Salah has so far netted 12 goals in 19 Premier League games for Liverpool this campaign, standing joint-second on the top-scorers list behind Erling Haaland (14).
He has been setting records all year and his exploits have helped guide the Reds to the top of the Premier League table.
In March, the ‘Egyptian King’ became Liverpool’s all-time leading Premier League goal-scorer when he bagged a brace against Manchester United to eclipse the tally of previous leader Robbie Fowler.
In October against Toulouse in the Europa League, Salah scored his 43rd goal for Liverpool in Europe, to set a new record for most goals scored by a player for a single English club in major European competitions.
In November against Brentford in the Premier League, Salah netted the 200th goal of his career in English football, in all competitions, and also became the first Liverpool player to score in each of the club’s first six home league games.
“A player with his numbers I’m not sure I will ever coach again,” Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp recently said of Salah. “Absolutely exceptional player, all-time great. No shadow of a doubt.”
Besides seeking a second Premier League crown with Liverpool, Salah will be looking to guide Egypt to a record eighth Africa Cup of Nations title, and first since 2010, when he leads the Pharaohs in the competition, which begins on January 13 in Ivory Coast.
Ahmad Abu Al Soud (Jordan) – Gymnastics
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Jordanian gymnast Ahmad Abu Al Soud almost quit the sport in 2015 because he wasn’t getting the results he was hoping for.
“Imagine being in gymnastics for 15 years without medals, it was very difficult to stay,” he told The Straits Times in an interview. “But with discipline, I got the first gold medal in the Asian Championships in Mongolia [in 2019] and that was the big key to starting my journey.”
In 2022, Abu Al Soud secured the silver medal in pommel horse at the World Championships in Liverpool, making him the first-ever Jordanian or Arab gymnast to make the podium at a Worlds.
Despite battling injuries for most of 2023, Abu Al Soud managed to clinch bronze in his signature event at the World Championships in Antwerp.
The 28-year-old from Amman, who has a skill named after him in the official rulebook, needed gold to guarantee himself a spot in the Paris 2024 Olympics but can still qualify by gathering points at the World Cup series in the coming months.
“I know I can do better. I was going for the gold for the Olympics, but it’s fine. I will fight for it next year in the World Cups. Going to Paris is a dream. I know I can win the gold, but it’s pommel horse, it does not always work as you like. But it’s fine, we will work on it,” said Abu Al Soud.
Omar Al Marzooqi (UAE) – Equestrian
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When he was just 15, Omar Al Marzooqi won a silver medal in individual showjumping in Buenos Aires to become the first Emirati to ever step on the podium at a Youth Olympic Games.
Five years on, Al Marzooqi was part of the UAE team that claimed a historic qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics, marking the first time the Emirates has made it to the Games as a full team.
At the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou in October, Al Marzooqi clinched silver in individual showjumping, and bronze in the team event with his fellow Emiratis and now has his sights firmly focused on this summer’s Paris Olympics.
“It’s a new level for us, especially the Olympics is something we never saw,” Al Marzooqi told The National following his Asian Games success. “I’ll try to do my best to, if not get a medal, for sure everyone wishes for a medal, but I want to finish the Olympics with a great image of Omar Al Marzooqi, and the UAE riders as well, not only Omar.”
Abdullah Shelbayh (Jordan) – Tennis
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With a crafty lefty game and a high tennis IQ, 20-year-old Abdullah Shelbayh rocketed up the rankings in 2023, rising from 470 at the start of the season to a career-high 185 in the world in November.
The Rafa Nadal Academy player became the first Jordanian and youngest Arab in history to win a Challenger title when he triumphed in Charleston in September.
He finished the year in style, by competing – via a wildcard – at the Next Gen Finals in Jeddah, where he won one of his three group-stage matches before exiting the tournament.
Shelbayh, who has spent time practicing with 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal at the Spaniard’s academy in Mallorca during the offseason, is set to make his Grand Slam qualifying debut at the Australian Open in January.
With a professional team of coaches and mentors in his corner (that includes Toni Nadal), and a talent that has carried him into the top 200 before turning 20, there’s no telling how far Shelbayh can go in 2024.
Amine Adli (Morocco) – Football
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Into his third full season with Bayer Leverkusen, Amine Adli has scored five goals and supplied eight assists across all competitions this campaign, helping his side enter the winter break at the top of the Bundesliga table.
After representing France at U18 and U21 levels, the 23-year-old winger announced in August he will be playing for Morocco moving forward and he scored his first goal for the Atlas Lions in an Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against Liberia.
Adli was named in Walid Regragui’s final squad for the upcoming Afcon, where the Moroccans will be considered one of the favourites following their heroic fourth-place finish at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Whether it’s with Leverkusen or the Atlas Lions, Adli has a legitimate chance of scooping silverware in 2024.
Mutaz Barshim (Qatar) – Athletics
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Footage of Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi deciding to share the high jump gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 is still being shared on social media and will forever go down as one of the most iconic scenes in the history of the Games.
The two friends, who had helped each other overcome career-threatening injuries in the build-up to Tokyo, felt they both deserved the gold after they attempted and failed to clear 2.39m in the final.
They have vowed not to repeat that gesture again if they find themselves tied at the Paris 2024 Olympics, with Barshim assuring he would opt for the jump-off.
The 32-year-old Barshim is an institution when it comes to the high jump, having collected two silver medals at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics before sharing the top step of the podium with Tamberi in Tokyo.
The popular Qatari is a three-time World Championship gold medallist and most recently clinched bronze at Worlds in Budapest.
Can he medal for a fourth consecutive Olympic Games?
Firas Al Buraikan (Saudi Arabia) – Football
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A surprise exclusion from Roberto Mancini’s squad for Saudi Arabia’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers in November has not slowed down Firas Al Buraikan, who has been impressing in the Saudi Pro League in a stacked Al Ahli roster that features the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino, and Allan Saint-Maximin.
The 23-year-old Saudi Arabian striker started his 2023/2024 campaign with Al Fateh, netting four goals in five games before making a big-money move to Al Ahli that is reportedly worth SAR40 million ($10.7m) – a record sale for Al Fateh.
Since joining the Jeddah-based side, Al Buraikan has scored seven goals in 11 games, taking his total tally this campaign to 11 – the most netted by a local player in the league, and fourth-most overall behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Aleksandar Mitrovic, and Georges-Kevin N'Koudou.
In their first season back in top flight following a shock relegation that sent them to first division for a year, Al Ahli are unbeaten in their last eight games and lie third in the Saudi Pro League table.
As Mancini gets set to name his squad for January’s AFC Asia Cup in Qatar, the Italian might reconsider including Al Buraikan given the Saudi forward has scored five goals in his last four games.
Soufiane El Bakkali (Morocco) – Athletics
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At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali made history when he became the first non-Kenyan to win the 3,000m steeplechase since 1980.
He has not lost a race in the event since.
Gold medal showings have followed at the World Athletics Championships in 2022 and 2023, along with a string of Diamond League triumphs.
“I came ready and prepared and believed I could win. This medal gives me additional motivation for the Olympic Games in Paris. I want to win there too,” the 27-year-old from Fes said at Worlds in Budapest in August, where he came up with a clutch final 200m to overcome world record-holder Lamecha Girma.
It’s hard seeing anyone getting the better of El Bakkali in Paris.
Yahia Omar (Egypt) – Handball
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One of Egypt’s most talented handball players, Yahia Omar played a key role in the Pharaohs’ fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and made the tournament’s All-Star team as the best right back.
Omar also helped guide Egypt to an eighth African title in 2022, and was named MVP of the competition.
Disaster struck in December 2022 when he tore his ACL while playing a game for his Hungarian club Telekom Veszprem but after undergoing surgery and a long road to recovery, Omar was back on court nine months later.
While he was recovering, it was announced that Omar will be joining Paris Saint-Germain from July 2024 on a three-season deal, spelling the end of a storied journey with Veszprem, with whom he won a national championship (2023), three SEHA leagues (2020, 2021, 2022) and three Hungarian Cups (2021, 2022, 2023).
With Egypt fancied to qualify for the Paris Olympics, and Omar finding a new home at PSG, the French capital might prove to be a special place for the 26-year-old Cairene in 2024.
To read Reem Abulleil's top 10 Arab sportswomen to watch out for in 2024, click here.
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Company%20profile
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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
BMW X7 xDrive 50i
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: Eight-speed Steptronic transmission
Power: 462hp
Torque: 650Nm
Price: Dh600,000
Afghanistan Premier League - at a glance
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Fixtures:
Tue, Oct 16, 8pm: Kandahar Knights v Kabul Zwanan; Wed, Oct 17, 4pm: Balkh Legends v Nangarhar Leopards; 8pm: Kandahar Knights v Paktia Panthers; Thu, Oct 18, 4pm: Balkh Legends v Kandahar Knights; 8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers; Fri, Oct 19, 8pm: First semi-final; Sat, Oct 20, 8pm: Second semi-final; Sun, Oct 21, 8pm: final
Table:
1. Balkh Legends 6 5 1 10
2. Paktia Panthers 6 4 2 8
3. Kabul Zwanan 6 3 3 6
4. Nagarhar Leopards 7 2 5 4
5. Kandahar Knights 5 1 4 2
Zayed Sustainability Prize
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Company%20profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua Based: Dubai, UAE Number of employees: 28 Sector: Financial services Investment: $9.5m Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Results
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m; Winner: Mcmanaman, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
6.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Bawaasil, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Bochart, Fabrice Veron, Satish Seemar
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Mutaraffa, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
7.50pm: Longines Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,00 (D) 1,900m; Winner: Rare Ninja, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.25pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Alfareeq, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9.35pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Zorion, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi
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.
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.
Company%20Profile
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
Biography
Favourite drink: Must have karak chai and Chinese tea every day
Favourite non-Chinese food: Arabic sweets and Indian puri, small round bread of wheat flour
Favourite Chinese dish: Spicy boiled fish or anything cooked by her mother because of its flavour
Best vacation: Returning home to China
Music interests: Enjoys playing the zheng, a string musical instrument
Enjoys reading: Chinese novels, romantic comedies, reading up on business trends, government policy changes
Favourite book: Chairman Mao Zedong’s poems
Pakistan squad
Sarfraz (c), Zaman, Imam, Masood, Azam, Malik, Asif, Sohail, Shadab, Nawaz, Ashraf, Hasan, Amir, Junaid, Shinwari and Afridi
Asia Cup Qualifier
Final
UAE v Hong Kong
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am
The biog
Name: Mohammed Imtiaz
From: Gujranwala, Pakistan
Arrived in the UAE: 1976
Favourite clothes to make: Suit
Cost of a hand-made suit: From Dh550
Fight card
- Aliu Bamidele Lasisi (Nigeria) beat Artid Vamrungauea (Thailand) POINTS
- Julaidah Abdulfatah (Saudi Arabia) beat Martin Kabrhel (Czech Rep) POINTS
- Kem Ljungquist (Denmark) beat Mourad Omar (Egypt) TKO
- Michael Lawal (UK) beat Tamas Kozma (Hungary) KO
- Zuhayr Al Qahtani (Saudi Arabia) beat Mohammed Mahmoud (UK) POINTS
- Darren Surtees (UK) beat Kane Baker (UK) KO
- Chris Eubank Jr (UK) beat JJ McDonagh (Ireland) TKO
- Callum Smith (UK) beat George Groves (UK) KO
BRAZIL%20SQUAD
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Series information
Pakistan v Dubai
First Test, Dubai International Stadium
Sun Oct 6 to Thu Oct 11
Second Test, Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tue Oct 16 to Sat Oct 20
Play starts at 10am each day
Teams
Pakistan
1 Mohammed Hafeez, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Haris Sohail, 6 Babar Azam, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed, 8 Bilal Asif, 9 Yasir Shah, 10, Mohammed Abbas, 11 Wahab Riaz or Mir Hamza
Australia
1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Mitchell Marsh, 5 Travis Head, 6 Marnus Labuschagne, 7 Tim Paine, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Jon Holland
Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
Five%20calorie-packed%20Ramadan%20drinks
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Nations League
League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
Landfill in numbers
• Landfill gas is composed of 50 per cent methane
• Methane is 28 times more harmful than Co2 in terms of global warming
• 11 million total tonnes of waste are being generated annually in Abu Dhabi
• 18,000 tonnes per year of hazardous and medical waste is produced in Abu Dhabi emirate per year
• 20,000 litres of cooking oil produced in Abu Dhabi’s cafeterias and restaurants every day is thrown away
• 50 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s waste is from construction and demolition
RESULTS
Men
1 Marius Kipserem (KEN) 2:04:04
2 Abraham Kiptum (KEN) 2:04:16
3 Dejene Debela Gonfra (ETH) 2:07:06
4 Thomas Rono (KEN) 2:07:12
5 Stanley Biwott (KEN) 2:09:18
Women
1 Ababel Yeshaneh (ETH) 2:20:16
2 Eunice Chumba (BRN) 2:20:54
3 Gelete Burka (ETH) 2:24:07
4 Chaltu Tafa (ETH) 2:25:09
5 Caroline Kilel (KEN) 2:29:14
More Expo 2020 Dubai pavilions:
The five types of long-term residential visas
Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:
Investors:
A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.
Entrepreneurs:
A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.
Specialists
Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.
Outstanding students:
A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university.
Retirees:
Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.
Bio
Born in Dibba, Sharjah in 1972.
He is the eldest among 11 brothers and sisters.
He was educated in Sharjah schools and is a graduate of UAE University in Al Ain.
He has written poetry for 30 years and has had work published in local newspapers.
He likes all kinds of adventure movies that relate to his work.
His dream is a safe and preserved environment for all humankind.
His favourite book is The Quran, and 'Maze of Innovation and Creativity', written by his brother.
Company%20Profile
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FIGHT%20CARD
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MATHC INFO
England 19 (Try: Tuilagi; Cons: Farrell; Pens: Ford (4)
New Zealand 7 (Try: Savea; Con: Mo'unga)
It’ll be summer in the city as car show tries to move with the times
If 2008 was the year that rocked Detroit, 2019 will be when Motor City gives its annual car extravaganza a revamp that aims to move with the times.
A major change is that this week's North American International Auto Show will be the last to be held in January, after which the event will switch to June.
The new date, organisers said, will allow exhibitors to move vehicles and activities outside the Cobo Center's halls and into other city venues, unencumbered by cold January weather, exemplified this week by snow and ice.
In a market in which trends can easily be outpaced beyond one event, the need to do so was probably exacerbated by the decision of Germany's big three carmakers – BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi – to skip the auto show this year.
The show has long allowed car enthusiasts to sit behind the wheel of the latest models at the start of the calendar year but a more fluid car market in an online world has made sales less seasonal.
Similarly, everyday technology seems to be catching up on those whose job it is to get behind microphones and try and tempt the visiting public into making a purchase.
Although sparkly announcers clasp iPads and outline the technical gadgetry hidden beneath bonnets, people's obsession with their own smartphones often appeared to offer a more tempting distraction.
“It's maddening,” said one such worker at Nissan's stand.
The absence of some pizzazz, as well as top marques, was also noted by patrons.
“It looks like there are a few less cars this year,” one annual attendee said of this year's exhibitors.
“I can't help but think it's easier to stay at home than to brave the snow and come here.”
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
