So Real Madrid, pretty popular, yeah?
That was certainly borne out on Monday night in Abu Dhabi, when the world's grandest club descended on the capital's New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) campus to train ahead of this week's Fifa Club World Cup semi-final against Al Jazira.
Abu Dhabi responded in kind, with what felt like the entire emirate descending on Saadiyat Island. A right din was made by the hundreds who did turn out, first when Madrid’s team bus rocked up around 6:25pm UAE time, a good half hour before the players trotted out to stretch their legs and warm their muscles, staving off a nippy night in the Emirates.
Madrid are used to all this of course, 12-time winners of the European Cup, holders of the Uefa Champions League three of the past four years. Wherever they travel, they cause a stir.
That much was evident even before they made the short journey from their hotel to NYUAD, with fans staked out there, stalking their every move, supplying social media with a regular stream of sightings and first-hand stories.
Fresh off the plane from Spain late on Sunday, soon Madrid made their way to training, obligatory police escort guiding the way. Once there, they were met with a crescendo of calls: “Ronaldo!”, “Bale!”, “Marcelo!”, “Ramos!”.
TV crews from Spain, Brazil and Japan chased the crowd, interviewing local journalists to decipher what it really means to have Madrid, that illustrious old club, the illustrious old club, in their own backyard.
It was not too difficult to discern: it means a lot.
Fans sported Madrid jerseys, Madrid baseball caps, Madrid scarves. A few even draped themselves in Madrid flags. The majority, though, scrambled to make it inside the modest but impressive athletic facility. Those that did not were undeterred, peering over the towering fence that enveloped the running track that encircled the pitch.
Still, they howled and hollered with the best of them.
Such is the significance of becoming the first team to win the Club World Cup back-to-back, the defending champions have brought with them to Abu Dhabi a full squad. Ronaldo, Bale, Marcelo, Ramos et al.
When the team opened training with laps of the pitch, the noise grew as they jogged past the stand housing the supporters. The players seemed content with chatting among themselves as they trotted.
For them, Abu Dhabi could be Yokohama, or Marrakesh, or any number of far-flung places the Real Madrid juggernaut parks throughout the year. For the fans, however, it was very much Madrid In Abu Dhabi, their Abu Dhabi.
Eager simply to shake off any jetlag, the training was not too intense, although welcome news was that Gareth Bale and Rafael Varane, two recent injury concerns, were involved.
Sergio Ramos, the captain who has grown to embody this Madrid side, trained as well after missing through suspension Saturday’s thrashing of Sevilla, but his left calf was strapped.
On the sidelines, former full-backs Michel Salgado and Roberto Carlos looked on, the Spaniard a Dubai resident for some time now, the Brazilian a Madrid ambassador, looking dapper in a dark suit, armed with a microphone, doing his bit for Real Madrid TV.
With 24 trophies for Madrid between them, they form an obvious link to the club’s celebrated recent past.
Fellow Galactico Zinedine Zidane serves as a rather renowned bridge to the now.
Madrid’s manager at present, he put the club's current crop through their paces, prepared to let his assistants bark instructions or tend to players’ needs.
When he enjoyed a particular piece of skill, such as when Cristiano Ronaldo nutmegged a teammate, Zidane clapped his approval. Presumably, he has countless victims from his playing days.
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Read more
Henk ten Cate: Al Jazira have done the UAE proud by reaching semi-final
Romarinho: Jazira must forget the '22 superstars' and 'just play football'
Ramos: Madrid enthusiastic about prospect of defending CWC title
Gremio used to being underdogs ahead of semi against Pachuca
Here is the complete Fifa Club World Cup team-by-team guide
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As expected, Ronaldo represented the star attraction. Only a few days previously, the Portuguese was awarded a fifth Ballon d’Or. Wearing gold boots – standard – almost his every move was followed by the crowd, nearly every touch of the ball cheered.
In a quick game of keep ball, he featured for the group without bibs, alongside Gareth Bale, Luka Modric, Marcelo and Marco Asensio.
Some fives team, that. With the quintet working together, who needs a goalkeeper anyway? To be fair, the other lot were not half bad either, and included Sergio Ramos, Isco, Karim Benzema and Toni Kroos.
At the end, as the players sauntered off, Ronaldo acknowledged the frenzy in the stands, clapping and waving to his audience. Ramos did also. Marcelo made a heart sign with his hands.
The sentiment was reciprocated: clearly, Abu Dhabi loves Real Madrid, too.
HOW TO WATCH
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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
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Syria v Australia
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* Second leg in Australia on October 10
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Why the Tourist Club?
Originally, The Club (which many people chose to call the “British Club”) was the only place where one could use the beach with changing rooms and a shower, and get refreshments.
In the early 1970s, the Government of Abu Dhabi wanted to give more people a place to get together on the beach, with some facilities for children. The place chosen was where the annual boat race was held, which Sheikh Zayed always attended and which brought crowds of locals and expatriates to the stretch of beach to the left of Le Méridien and the Marina.
It started with a round two-storey building, erected in about two weeks by Orient Contracting for Sheikh Zayed to use at one these races. Soon many facilities were planned and built, and members were invited to join.
Why it was called “Nadi Al Siyahi” is beyond me. But it is likely that one wanted to convey the idea that this was open to all comers. Because there was no danger of encountering alcohol on the premises, unlike at The Club, it was a place in particular for the many Arab expatriate civil servants to join. Initially the fees were very low and membership was offered free to many people, too.
Eventually there was a skating rink, bowling and many other amusements.
Frauke Heard-Bey is a historian and has lived in Abu Dhabi since 1968.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Try out the test yourself
Q1 Suppose you had $100 in a savings account and the interest rate was 2 per cent per year. After five years, how much do you think you would have in the account if you left the money to grow?
a) More than $102
b) Exactly $102
c) Less than $102
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q2 Imagine that the interest rate on your savings account was 1 per cent per year and inflation was 2 per cent per year. After one year, how much would you be able to buy with the money in this account?
a) More than today
b) Exactly the same as today
c) Less than today
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q4 Do you think that the following statement is true or false? “Buying a single company stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.”
a) True
b) False
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
The “Big Three” financial literacy questions were created by Professors Annamaria Lusardi of the George Washington School of Business and Olivia Mitchell, of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Answers: Q1 More than $102 (compound interest). Q2 Less than today (inflation). Q3 False (diversification).
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
