This time last year, Sultan Ahmed was doing his best to stay fit during lockdown in his apartment in Sharjah by doing squats with his son on his shoulders.
What a difference 12 months makes. From wondering when precisely he would be able to return to cricket back then, the UAE bowler was this week able to celebrate a dream fulfilled after he was drafted into the Pakistan Super League.
The left-arm spinner, 31, was called in to the Lahore Qalandars squad as replacement player, ahead of the league's resumption in Abu Dhabi next month.
The PSL was suspended at the start of March after a Covid outbreak among a number of the teams.
After the remaining 20 matches were rescheduled and relocated to the UAE, a variety of foreign players from the original playing rosters were left unavailable.
Shakib Al Hasan was initially called in as a replacement for Qalandars, only to be taken off for national duty with Bangladesh instead.
To cover his overs of left-arm spin, Qalandars plumped for a player they already knew well.
Sultan has been rewarded for his excellence over the past two season representing the team of the same name in the Abu Dhabi T10 league.
And it is fair to say the franchise have at least one new, die-hard fan in their midst thanks to their recruitment drive.
“All my family and friends are so happy – and especially my son,” Sultan said of five-year-old Abubakar.
"After getting a place in Lahore Qalandars my son has been singing the team's name, and Main Hun Qalandar Dil Se [the team's anthem for this season].
"This moment is really great for me, to feel that I’m making my family proud, and especially UAE cricket.”
Sultan will be the lone UAE international involved in the PSL, although there will be other home involvement.
Mohammed Wasim, who is one of the outstanding players in UAE domestic cricket but has yet to represent the national team, has been called up as a replacement for Multan Sultans.
Usman Khan, the Quetta Gladiators batsman, is also a prolific run-scorer in the domestic game, having moved here from Pakistan last year.
“It was like a dream come true when I saw my name in PSL,” Sultan said.
“Everyone who is representing any country wants to play in big leagues like Big Bash, PSL, IPL, T20 Blast and the others. I was confident that, Inshallah, I will play in big leagues one day.
“The first time I played in T10 and performed well, they picked me according to the needs of the team.
“Thanks to Aaqib [Javed, the UAE coach] and Sameen Rana [the chief operating officer]. They trusted me, asked me about fitness and gave me the green signal.
“I was trying to put my 100 per cent best effort in T10 and tried my best. I’m lucky I was playing for Qalandars because Aaqib and Sameen are known for giving opportunities to every performer.
“You can see from the beginning they know what they are doing. So I was positive about to get a chance in the PSL.”
Rashid Khan, the Afghanistan spinner, is unexpectedly available for the Qalandars. He was due to play for Sussex in the English T20 competition, but will remain in UAE and play for his PSL franchise instead.
Sultan is looking forward to rubbing shoulders with one of franchise cricket’s brightest stars.
“Rashid is playing and it will be a great experience to be with him,” Sultan said.
“Pressure will be there, but as a bowler who can do bowling even with new ball, it will not affect me. I will try to give 100 per cent.”
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
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
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
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Alasdair%20Soussi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20300%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%20Scotland%20Street%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAvailable%3A%20December%201%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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Empty Words
By Mario Levrero
(Coffee House Press)
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
