Follow live: Al Hilal v Al Riyadh
Nearly a month after he first touched down in Riyadh to be unveiled as Al Hilal's major new signing, Neymar is finally set to make his Saudi Pro League bow on Friday.
The 31-year-old Brazilian was still recovering from a long-term ankle injury upon his arrival in the middle of August from Paris Saint-Germain.
The recent international break afforded the €96 million signing some valuable game time with Neymar starting both Brazil's 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Peru under new coach Fernando Diniz.
A brace in the 5-1 triumph over Bolivia saw Neymar overtake the legendary Pele to become Brazil's top scorer with 79 goals.
The Brazilian boarded a private jet to Riyadh on Wednesday morning and is expected to take part in training with his Hilal teammates on Thursday evening, fueling the belief that coach Jorge Jesus will include him in his squad for Friday's home game against local rivals Al Riyadh.
Neymar will don the No 10 shirt at Al Hilal previously worn by another Brazil legend Rivellino, who moved to Riyadh in 1978, spending three seasons at the club having been part of the legendary 1970 World Cup-winning squad alongside the likes of Pele, Jairzinho and Tostao.
Despite the delayed debut their marquee signing, Hilal's form has been impressive. They top the SPL after five games with 13 points, having only dropped points in the 1-1 draw against Al Fayha on the evening of Neymar’s official presentation to the home fans. Their upcoming opponents, Al Riyadh, have picked up just four points and languish in 15th place, just above the relegation zone in their first season back in the top division since 2004/05.
As he welcomes Neymar into the fold, coach Jorge Jesus will need to tweak the side to fit in his abundance of attacking talent.
So far, the former Fenerbahce and Benfica boss has preferred a 4-3-3 system with Ruben Neves and Sergei Milinkovic-Savic paired up with either Mohammed Kanno at the base or Salem Al Dawsari in a freer attacking role.
The attacking trio of Aleksandar Mitrovic, Malcom and Al Dawsari have flourished – each has four league goals already – while Michael has been exceptional when deployed down either flank. Unfortunately for the former Flamengo winger, he looks the most likely to be jettisoned from the starting lineup to accommodate Neymar.
For Brazil, Neymar has been deployed in the No 10 role, afforded the creative freedom behind Richarlison and flanked by Raphinha and Rodrygo in the absence of the injured Vinicius Junior.
Should he be used in a similar role, Malcom and Al Dawsari are likely to occupy the two wide positions, while Neves is likely to be tasked with more defensive responsibilities in addition to the role he has performed to perfection as a deep-lying playmaker. In turn, Milinkovic-Savic would operate as a box-to-box midfielder, utilising his athleticism and ability to arrive late into the box to pose an additional goal threat.
Alternatively, Jorge Jesus could opt to deploy Neymar on the left side of the three-man attack, while restoring Al Dawsari as the more advanced of a midfield trio.
Whichever way he is used on the pitch, the long-awaited arrival of Neymar to the Saudi Pro League adds to the ever-growing global interest in the competition generated by big name acquisitions such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Riyad Mahrez.
With Brazil already a key market for the SPL, with more players in the competition than any other foreign country and broadcast rights sold to Canal Goat, there will be more eyeballs from the South American nation watching the action in Riyadh than ever before.
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
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
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
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
Opening day UAE Premiership fixtures, Friday, September 22:
- Dubai Sports City Eagles v Dubai Exiles
- Dubai Hurricanes v Abu Dhabi Saracens
- Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Stan%20Lee
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Gelb%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
