Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo scored an 87th-minute winner to help Al Nassr edge past Al Tai 2-1 in the Saudi Pro League.
Ronaldo converted an clinical penalty, slotting into the bottom left corner, to secure a victory which was the club's ninth in a row across all competitions. Ronaldo also provided the assist for Brazilian Talisca's opening goal.
ANassr are now just two points behind league leaders Al Hilal on 18 points.
After the match, Ronaldo lauded the team for turning things around after a difficult start to the season that saw them lose the first two league games.
"Another important victory and nine wins in a row! Well done Team! Let’s keep the good work!" Ronaldo posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Meanwhile, Al Ittihad had to settle for a 0-0 draw with Al Fayha. A clash between two of the toughest defences in the league lived up to its billing; Al Ittihad had conceded just five goals and kept as many clean sheets before Friday.
It was just the second time Ittihad dropped points all season, still feeling the absence of injured star striker Karim Benzema.
Also, Al Hilal rose to the top of the table following a 2-0 win over Al Shabab with goals from Kalidou Koulibaly and Aleksandar Mitrovic.
It was a welcome result for Hilal who had won just one of their last three matches across all competitions. They clinched victory despite a missed penalty from marquee signing Neymar, who is yet to score for the club following his big money move from Paris Saint-Germain.
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Leganes v Getafe (12am)
Levante v Alaves (4pm)
Real Madrid v Sevilla (7pm)
Osasuna v Valladolid (9.30pm)
Sunday
Eibar v Atletico Madrid (12am)
Mallorca v Valencia (3pm)
Real Betis v Real Sociedad (5pm)
Villarreal v Espanyol (7pm)
Athletic Bilbao v Celta Vigo (9.30pm)
Monday
Barcelona v Granada (12am)
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
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Lampedusa: Gateway to Europe
Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta
Quercus
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Defined benefit and defined contribution schemes explained
Defined Benefit Plan (DB)
A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.
Defined Contribution Plan (DC)
A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.
