The UAE's reigning Asian champions Al Ain will face Manchester City in the revamped 2025 Fifa Club World Cup group stage following a draw in Miami on Thursday night.
The new 32-team competition, to be hosted in the US next summer, has been advocated by Fifa president Gianni Infantino, but has been met with some resistance as it adds yet more fixtures to an already congested calendar.
City and fellow Premier League giants Chelsea qualified as 2023 and 2021 Champions League winners respectively, but were kept apart in the draw for the group stage as part of Fifa's complex regional constraints.
Pep Guardiola's side will play Moroccan outfit Wydad AC in their opening Group G fixture before taking on Al Ain, then Italian giants Juventus.
Saudi Pro League champions Al Hilal landed alongside Real Madrid in Group H as well as Mexico's Pachuca and RB Salzburg.
Chelsea start in Group D against Mexico's Club Leon, then Flamengo and Esperance Tunis.
Should both English clubs progress to the knockout stages as group winners, they would go into opposite sides of the draw and would then not meet until the final.
The draw in Miami proved a protracted affair, which also included a video message from US president-elect Donald Trump.
“The event is going to be incredible. I will try to be there if I can,” Mr Trump said. “Gianni is a winner. He is a president and I am the President. We have known each other a long time.
“Football is going through the roof, it has been doing very well. It really is taking over the United States as a sport. We are also going to be watching the [2026] World Cup very soon. I was very responsible along with Gianni in getting it, and it is going to be a fantastic thing.”
City beat Brazilian side Fluminense to win the Club World Cup in its previous format for the first time in 2023, while Chelsea won the 2021 final against Palmeiras.
The tournament will kick off with an opening game featuring Lionel Messi's Inter Miami against Egyptians Al Ahly at the Hard Rock Stadium on June 15.
Inter Miami's involvement as the host nation team is controversial. The Herons won the regular-season Supporters Shield, but missed out on being crowned major league Soccer champions with defeat to Atlanta in the MLS Cup play-offs.
The Club World Cup final is set to be played at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 13.
Despite the backing of Fifa president Infantino, the expanded tournament has caused plenty of concern, including from players' union Fifpro.
Fifa has been accused of failing to consult adequately with player unions and leagues on the international fixture calendar – with Premier League chief executive Richard Masters describing the introduction of the new club competition as the “tipping point”.
Unions' concerns centre chiefly on player welfare, with those based in Europe who go deep into the tournament set to be afforded very little time to properly rest and recover before the 2025-2026 domestic seasons begin. Players have also spoken out.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
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Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
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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
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- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Company%20Profile
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Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
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Artist: Linkin Park
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