Dubai Basketball are set to make history as the first team from the UAE to compete in a leading European basketball league. The newly formed club, also referred to as Dubai BC, are taking part in the 2024/25 ABA League – the top-tier basketball competition for teams from the former Yugoslavia.
Ahead of the historic first game of their inaugural season against defending champions Red Star from Serbia, here is everything you need to know about Dubai BC.
What is Dubai Basketball?
Dubai BC is a new professional basketball team who will compete in the ABA League for the next three seasons. The team was founded by Abdulla Saeed Al Naboodah, the former chairman of Al Ahli Football Club (now Shabab Al Ahli), and Dejan Kamenjasevic, who will work as the club's general manager. Salem bin Dasmal – a prominent businessman and former national tennis champion – has been appointed as chief executive.
Dubai BC will play their home games at the Coca-Cola Arena.
What is the ABA League?
The ABA League is the leading professional basketball league for teams from the former Yugoslavia. The 2024/25 season has been expanded to 16 teams and includes clubs from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, and Montenegro.
It has been a breeding ground for many NBA players from the Balkan region, including Serbia's three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, former NBA All-Star Goran Dragic (Slovenia), Phoenix Suns centre Jusuf Nurkic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia).
The new season will comprise 30 regular season games, with the top eight advancing to the play-offs and the bottom team consigned to relegation to the ABA League Second Division. The second-bottom side will play a qualification against the Second Division finalists to avoid demotion.
The play-off quarter-finals and semi-finals will be played in a best-of-three series, with the finals decided in a best of five.
What is the Dubai Basketball roster?
Dubai BC have assembled a 12-player squad representing nine countries: Serbia, USA, Italy, Latvia, Turkey, Jordan, Croatia, the Philippines, and Slovenia.
Dubai BC roster: Klemen Prepelic, captain (shooting guard, Slovenia), Davis Bertans (power forward, Latvia), Leon Radosevic (centre, Serbia), Awudu Abass (small forward, Italy), Nate Mason (point guard, USA), Ahmet Duverioglu (centre, Jordan-Turkey), JaCorey Williams (power forward, USA), Nemanja Dangubic (small forward, Serbia), Danilo Andusic (shooting guard, Serbia), Aleksa Uskokovic (point guard, Serbia), Bora Yasar (centre, Turkey), Thirdy Ravena (Philippines, shooting guard).
Dubai Basketball fixtures
Dubai BC's first game will be against defending regular and post-season champions Red Star on September 22 at Coca-Cola Arena. The regular season will be played until May 2-5 followed by the play-off quarter-finals from May 9. The finals are scheduled to begin on June 6.
How to get tickets
Tickets to watch Dubai BC's season-opener are available from the Coca-Cola Arena website with prices starting from Dh75. Season passes can also be purchased, starting at Dh1,750, which includes reserved seating for all 15 regular season home games.
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Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SPECS
Aston Martin Rapide AMR
Engine: 6.0-litre V12
Transmission: Touchtronic III eight-speed automatic
Power: 595bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh999,563
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test Thursday-Monday at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
In The Heights
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
Stars: Anthony Ramos, Lin-Manual Miranda
Rating: ****
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