Al Ittihad completed the biggest Saudi Pro League transfer of the summer so far on Wednesday evening after announcing the arrival of French forward Moussa Diaby from Aston Villa.
Diaby, who spent one season at Premier League side Villa, has signed a five-year contract with Ittihad. While the exact sum of the transfer fee has yet to be revealed, it is widely reported that the Jeddah giants paid £51.9 million ($67m) to secure the Frenchman's services.
"I am thrilled to join Al Ittihad and be part of a project that aims to build a strong team reflecting the club's rich history and values," Diaby, 25, said. "I look forward to collaborating with my teammates to achieve victories and bring joy to our dedicated fans."
Diaby had a largely successful solitary season at Villa, scoring 10 goals and creating nine assists in 54 matches across all competitions to help the club qualify for the 2024/25 Uefa Champions League by placing fourth in the Premier League.
His move to Villa Park came after establishing himself as a leading player in the German Bundesliga for Bayer Leverkusen, with whom he spent four seasons having joined from boyhood club Paris Saint-Germain in 2019.
Diaby is Ittihad's second major international transfer deal of the summer following the arrival of Algerian midfielder Houssem Aouar from Roma for a reported €12m ($13m). The club have also signed Saudi international midfielder Ahmed Al Ghamdi from Al Ettifaq, full-back Muath Fagihy and forward Saleh Al Shehri, both from Al Hilal.
Ittihad will hope the arrival of Diaby will help to transform them back into contenders after the nine-time Pro League champions struggled to defend their title last season; they finished fifth in the table, 42 points behind winners Al Hilal.
Diaby, capped 11 times by France, also further boosts a strong French contingent at the club, which includes star striker Karim Benzema, World Cup-winning midfielder N'Golo Kante, and manager Laurent Blanc. Fellow new signing Aouar represented France at youth level before committing to Algeria.
"Our sports committee identified the need to strengthen the winger position with an exceptional player, and we are confident Moussa Diaby is one of the top players who stand out globally in this role," Ittihad CEO Domingos Oliveira said.
"He will be a significant asset to the team. His addition aligns perfectly with our preparations for the new season, aiming to achieve remarkable performances and results that honour Al Ittihad's esteemed legacy and its passionate fanbase."
The 2024/25 Saudi Pro League season begins on August 22, with Ittihad playing their first match away to promoted Al Kholood on August 24.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
EXPATS
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The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Tips%20for%20holiday%20homeowners
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Company name: Dharma
Date started: 2018
Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: TravelTech
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
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DIVINE%20INTERVENTOIN
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
James Mustich, Workman
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
