Officially, the Cristiano Ronaldo era at Al Nassr, with Saudi Arabian football still coming to terms with their superstar arrival, is up and running.
On Sunday night, one of the most recognisable athletes on the planet made his delayed debut for his new employers, captaining the Riyadh side to a 1-0 victory against Al Ettifaq at an excitable and expectant Mrsool Park.
It wasn’t quite the performance to match the pageantry, yet still it felt enough. Certainly, it hinted at more to come. There were stepovers and shots from distance, the obligatory free-kick off target, even an attempted overhead kick.
Maybe, there was a part to play in the game’s only goal. If Ronaldo didn’t glance Abdulmajeed Al Sulaiheem’s cross on to Anderson Talisca’s head right on the half-hour, then he definitely proved enough of a distraction to allow his teammate to strike.
Predictably, and as it was always going to be, Ronaldo represented the main attraction. Even before the concluding fixture on Saudi Pro League Matchday 14 had unfolded, Nassr declared on their ever-swelling social media that “starting today” more than 30 television channels would broadcast the contest worldwide. ESPN were cited in the United States; CCTV in China; Sky Sports and others in Europe. Channels in Africa, Albania, Thailand and Indonesia, too.
Adding to the sense of occasion, Fabrizio Romano, the world’s foremost social-media transfer guru, was in attendance, taking in the action from the VIP section.
For that’s what Ronaldo brings. Nassr have at times felt the centre of the footballing world since the five-time Ballon d’Or winner agreed last month to a two-and-a-half-year contract that is thought to earn him more than $200 million per annum.
Add that up for what Nassr hope will constitute his entire stay in the capital, and that’s about as many million followers as Ronaldo has on Instagram – more than any other person on the platform. Patently, he is more than simply a footballer.
It felt as much earlier this month at his official and frenzied introduction at Mrsool Park, or last Thursday, when Ronaldo captained an Allstar XI against Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain in an exhibition in Riyadh. Not to be outdone, Ronaldo scored twice then, collecting yet another the man-of-the-match award in a career full of them.
Three days on, the first chants of “Ronaldo” echoed around Mrsool Park long before kick-off and when the stadium was still sparely populated. The Nassr ultras, committed and no doubt canny enough to get to their seats early, waved their giant flags and called out for their new arrival.
When Ronaldo did emerge, for the warm-up and leading out his side, he was welcomed with a mighty roar. He clapped high above his head and, ever the pro, set about his drills.
His first touch in the match brought another swirl of noise, even if the ball was stuck below his feet, possession relinquished. A misplaced pass soon followed. Then encouragement from the Nassr faithful.
Ronaldo offered that, also, whenever a teammate overhit the ball, or a cross was misdirected; of those, there were a few. Still, Ronaldo clapped once more, or raised a thumb in appreciation.
On seven minutes, his shot from range was deflected for a corner. Later, he fell in the Ettifaq penalty area following a collision – of sorts – with rival defender Marcel Tisserand, but Ronaldo’s brief protest was correctly waved away.
On the half-hour, he rose as illogically high as he has for most of his career to meet Al Sulaiheem’s inswinging cross from the left and, while he appeared poised to head home, the ball was nodded into the Ettifaq net by Talisca.
Ronaldo looked to have, perhaps instinctively, claimed an assist with the faintest of touches, but the replays showed that might have been a mite optimistic. Not that anyone cared, really. Nassr were in front.
Before the half was out, Ronaldo fired a free-kick from 20-odd yards well over the Ettifaq crossbar, while an attempted back-heel elicited a few sarcastic screams. Even five-time Uefa Champions League winners aren’t immune to a bit of ridicule.
Never one to be deterred, the former Manchester United forward took aim at the Ettifaq goal at the beginning of the second half, only for his effort to be deflected for a corner.
Just before the hour, Ronaldo chased a ball over the top to the touchline and expertly picked out Pity Martinez with his cross. The playmaker’s sumptuous left-footed volley was superbly tipped over by Ettifaq goalkeeper Paulo Victor.
At one stage, Ronaldo tried an overhead kick, flinging the mind back to that Real Madrid goal at Juventus, but he failed to connect. With 12 minutes remaining, he left a defender on the floor with a feint before forcing Victor to block at his near post.
And that was as close as he came. Although some way from his vintage – he turns 38 in two weeks – Ronaldo appeared already the darling of the 22,862 watching on and plausibly the many million tuning in from afar.
Surprisingly, Mrsool Park was a little short of capacity, and Ronaldo was someway lacking of his burning-ember best, but you imagine there will be time for that.
In the end, Nassr went back to the top of the table. They remain in pole for a first top-flight title in four years. Brought by huge expense and the promise to send Saudi football stratospheric, Ronaldo should have more memorable nights than this.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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List of alleged parties
May 12, 2020: PM and his wife Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at least 17 staff
May 20, 2020: They attend 'bring your own booze party'
Nov 27, 2020: PM gives speech at leaving party for his staff
Dec 10, 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
Dec 13, 2020: PM and his wife throw a party
Dec 14, 2020: London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff event at Conservative Party headquarters
Dec 15, 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
Dec 18, 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Scoreline
Arsenal 0 Manchester City 3
- Agüero 18'
- Kompany 58'
- Silva 65'
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
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
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
Global institutions: BlackRock and KKR
US-based BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with $5.98 trillion of assets under management as of the end of last year. The New York firm run by Larry Fink provides investment management services to institutional clients and retail investors including governments, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, banks and charitable foundations around the world, through a variety of investment vehicles.
KKR & Co, or Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, is a global private equity and investment firm with around $195 billion of assets as of the end of last year. The New York-based firm, founded by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, invests in multiple alternative asset classes through direct or fund-to-fund investments with a particular focus on infrastructure, technology, healthcare, real estate and energy.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20JustClean%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20with%20offices%20in%20other%20GCC%20countries%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202016%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20160%2B%20with%2021%20nationalities%20in%20eight%20cities%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20online%20laundry%20and%20cleaning%20services%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2430m%20from%20Kuwait-based%20Faith%20Capital%20Holding%20and%20Gulf%20Investment%20Corporation%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
more from Janine di Giovanni
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
