Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema will have to wait until December to face off for the first time in the Saudi Pro League after the 2023/24 fixtures were released on Saturday.
The former Real Madrid teammates, who represent Al Nassr and Al Ittihad respectively, will meet on the pitch during Round 17 of the new campaign, at the latter's King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah. The match will fall between December 14-16.
However, champions Ittihad have to contest the 2023 Fifa Club World Cup, which also takes place in their home city. That runs from December 12-22.
Intriguingly, Ittihad and Nassr, the top two teams last season, meet again on the campaign's final day on May 27. The 2023/24 season kicks off on August 11, with Roberto Firmino's new side Al Ahli hosting hosting Al Hazem.
Elsewhere, Steven Gerrard will begin his managerial reign at Al Ettifaq on August 14 with a testing home tie against Ronaldo's Nassr, while Ittihad kick-start the defence of their crown on the same day away to Al Raed.
Last season, Ittihad pipped Nassr to the Pro League title by five points. They have since signed reigning Ballon d’Or winner Benzema, 2018 World Cup winner N’Golo Kante and Portuguese winger Jota from Celtic, while they are expected to complete a deal in the coming days for Liverpool midfielder Fabinho.
Ittihad are believed to have bid $52 million for the Brazil international.
Meanwhile, record 18-time Saudi champions Al Hilal will put their impressive batch of new signings to the test for the first time in the top flight away to Abha. That match also takes place on August 14.
Hilal, who last season finished a distant third while also being beaten in the final of both the Fifa Club World Cup and Asian Champions League, have already recruited Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
The Riyadh side are also in the market for a striker, with offers reportedly made to Fulham’s Aleksander Mitrovic and Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku.
The 2023/24 Pro League season will break between Rounds 19 and 20 to accommodate the rescheduled 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
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Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
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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
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
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Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
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