Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr have a point to prove as they returned to the UAE for the Saudi Super Cup over the weekend.
Al Nassr will take on Al Hilal at the Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium on Monday, hoping for a better outing than the last time they were in the Emirates.
Last month, UAE club Al Ain defeated a star-studded Al Nassr 1-0 in the first leg of their Asian Champions League quarter-final at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium. That result proved critical as Al Ain then edged past Nassr in the return leg in Riyadh, winning on penalties to secure a place in the Asian Champions League semi-finals.
However, Nassr have since bounced back well. They are on a run of four straight Saudi Pro League wins, with Ronaldo at the front and centre of their campaign.
Ronaldo notched his second hat-trick in the space of 72 hours as Nassr routed Abha 8-0 in the SPL.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner scored three goals and recorded two assists in the first half for the nine-time Saudi Arabian champions.
The hat-trick was his third of the league season following his treble in Saturday’s 5-1 win over Al Tai. The Portuguese star leads the league with 29 goals and will be hoping to bring that form to the UAE.
Their opponents on Monday Hilal announced that striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, second behind Ronaldo with 22 goals in the league, is likely to miss the rest of the season through injury.
The Saudi Super Cup moved to the UAE after the Saudi Arabian Football Federation announced it had entered an agreement with the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi.
The tournament kicks off on Monday with Al Ittihad taking on Al Wehda at the Al Nahyan Stadium (9pm UAE time), followed by a clash between Al Hilal and Al Nassr at the Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium (11:30pm). The final takes place on April 11.
Al Nassr coach Luis Castro admitted his side might be fatigued from recent SPL exertions but expects them to go all out for the silverware.
"The Super Cup comes to us too soon. It was a time when we had players to recover from the last games we had," he said.
"However, we have arrived for the game in good condition and are very excited about competing in another competition that we want to win. The time is short, but the players are ready.
"Football taught us not to be afraid of anything. The best way for us to face the unknown is to prepare in the best way we can. A game is something that we always face the unknown. Therefore, our preparation was very focused on ourselves rather than to think about the opponents.
"Obviously, we are playing against a strong opponent. They have strengths and depth in every line.
"But we have prepared in the best way possible to face any challenge that we will encounter. I have a lot of confidence in my players. I have a lot of confidence in my fans. I have confidence in the administration and my staff.
"We hope at the end of the game to be happy and to see our fans happy. I don't think our players are under pressure. I believe we are used to playing these types of games.
"I wish we can entertain the fans with a spectacular game. I think that’s the aim of both teams. I hope it's a great semi-final which we really want to win."
Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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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
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
FINAL RESULT
Sharjah Wanderers 20 Dubai Tigers 25 (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries: Gormley, Penalty
cons: Flaherty
Pens: Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries: O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons: Caldwell 2
Pens: Caldwell, Cross
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
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
