Newcastle United chief executive Darren Eales insists Saudi Arabia's enormous investment in domestic football will not come at a cost to the project at St James's Park.
The Gulf state’s Public Investment Fund, which owns an 80 per cent stake in Newcastle, has acquired a majority stake in the nation’s top four clubs – Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ahli and Al Ittihad – and bankrolled a spending spree that has brought some of the sport's biggest names to the kingdom.
Meanwhile, on Tyneside, recruitment has remained steady and targeted, with a total spend of around £350 million across four transfer windows since the Saudi takeover.
Eales said: “An investment was made and Financial Fair Play is the regulation, so within those parameters everybody knew what the guard rails are in terms of what you can spend and how you can spend it.
“Our job is to try to now grow Newcastle United to where we want it to be within the regulations which every club has to follow.”
While the level of investment in players is a far cry from under previous chairman Mike Ashley, many expected a bout of sustained spending given the PIF is worth in the region of £514 billion.
But Eales, who admitted the emergence of the Saudi Pro League could lead to calls for a change to spending regulations in Europe, says that the club and its owners are happy to grow with a long-term perspective.
“The reality is they came in and it has been incredible, fighting relegation to finishing 11th, then finishing fourth. We have very shrewd operators in our ownership group," he said.
“We have got a great skill-set and set of people who have experience in various businesses. They understand it is a long-term plan not short-term.”
The summer window has seen Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento arrive to reinforce the Newcastle squad as the club prepares for Champions League football for the first time in two decades.
Meanwhile, the books were balanced somewhat by the departure of Allan Saint-Maximim to Saudi club Al Ahli, raising ethical concerns about a player effectively moving from one PIF-owned club to another.
But Newcastle's technical director, Dan Ashworth, said: “We are absolutely convinced it is fair market value and without going into the actual price it was, there is plenty evidence of players of similar age, similar position, similar ability, similar CV that are moving for similar amounts outside the Saudi league.”
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Atalanta v Juventus (6pm)
AC Milan v Napoli (9pm)
Torino v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Sunday
Bologna v Parma (3.30pm)
Sassuolo v Lazio (6pm)
Roma v Brescia (6pm)
Verona v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sampdoria v Udinese (9pm)
Lecce v Cagliari (11.45pm)
Monday
SPAL v Genoa (11.45pm)
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at Mount Maunganui
England 353
Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88
New Zealand 144-4
Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28
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Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
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- 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
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4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
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Three stars
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%3Cp%3EThe%20influx%20of%20talented%20young%20Afghan%20players%20to%20UAE%20cricket%20could%20have%20a%20big%20impact%20on%20the%20fortunes%20of%20both%20countries.%20Here%20are%20three%20Emirates-based%20players%20to%20watch%20out%20for.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EHassan%20Khan%20Eisakhil%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMohammed%20Nabi%20is%20still%20proving%20his%20worth%20at%20the%20top%20level%20but%20there%20is%20another%20reason%20he%20is%20raging%20against%20the%20idea%20of%20retirement.%20If%20the%20allrounder%20hangs%20on%20a%20little%20bit%20longer%2C%20he%20might%20be%20able%20to%20play%20in%20the%20same%20team%20as%20his%20son%2C%20Hassan%20Khan.%20The%20family%20live%20in%20Ajman%20and%20train%20in%20Sharjah.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMasood%20Gurbaz%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20opening%20batter%2C%20who%20trains%20at%20Sharjah%20Cricket%20Academy%2C%20is%20another%20player%20who%20is%20a%20part%20of%20a%20famous%20family.%20His%20brother%2C%20Rahmanullah%2C%20was%20an%20IPL%20winner%20with%20Kolkata%20Knight%20Riders%2C%20and%20opens%20the%20batting%20with%20distinction%20for%20Afghanistan.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOmid%20Rahman%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20fast%20bowler%20became%20a%20pioneer%20earlier%20this%20year%20when%20he%20became%20the%20first%20Afghan%20to%20represent%20the%20UAE.%20He%20showed%20great%20promise%20in%20doing%20so%2C%20too%2C%20playing%20a%20key%20role%20in%20the%20senior%20team%E2%80%99s%20qualification%20for%20the%20Asia%20Cup%20in%20Muscat%20recently.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Barcelona 2
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Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
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
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- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
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