UAE team manager Yasser Salem says preparations have begun in earnest for the busy road ahead through to the 2023 Asian Cup.
The UAE are currently in Austria for an 11-day training camp, with Friday’s friendly against Paraguay their first match since losing the Fifa World Cup play-off in June. After Paraguay – the match takes place in Wiener Neustadt, just south of Vienna - the national team take on Venezuela in another friendly next Tuesday.
The camp marks the first in a number of UAE get-togethers as Rodolfo Arruabarrena's men set sights first on the Arabian Gulf Cup in Iraq in January, and then the West Asian Football Federation Championship, on home soil, in March and April.
Focus will then shift to the Asian Cup next summer. The hosts for the continent’s premier competition have yet to be decided following China’s withdrawal in May.
The national team have already confirmed their next training camp, in Abu Dhabi in November, where they will take on Argentina in a high-profile friendly and then Kazakhstan. Those fixtures fall on November 16 and 19.
Salem said preparations in Austria have been going well – the UAE have been there since Saturday - while he stressed priority has been given to implementing Arruabarrena's philosophy rather than results against Paraguay or Venezuela.
Salem said: "An ambitious plan has been drawn up for the national team by the Football Association and the National Teams Committee, and in coordination with the team’s technical staff, to ensure the best preparation. Because we are on the verge of important competitions, during which we hope to achieve the desired results.
“The start will be with tomorrow’s match against Paraguay, the first friendly match for the national team this season, and then the team will play a second international friendly on the 27th against Venezuela before returning to the UAE.
“We all know that such friendly matches are aimed at obtaining technical benefits for the team, regardless of results.”
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The five pillars of Islam
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
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
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
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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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The%20specs
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The Programme
Saturday, October 26: ‘The Time That Remains’ (2009) by Elia Suleiman
Saturday, November 2: ‘Beginners’ (2010) by Mike Mills
Saturday, November 16: ‘Finding Vivian Maier’ (2013) by John Maloof and Charlie Siskel
Tuesday, November 26: ‘All the President’s Men’ (1976) by Alan J Pakula
Saturday, December 7: ‘Timbuktu’ (2014) by Abderrahmane Sissako
Saturday, December 21: ‘Rams’ (2015) by Grimur Hakonarson
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
