The Saudi Pro League hosts its inaugural Derby Week with matches involving city and crosstown neighbours taking place across the kingdom.
The Red Coast city of Jeddah kicks off proceedings on Thursday evening with a tantalising clash as Al Ittihad host rivals Al Ahli in the Sea Derby. Leaders Al Hilal take on Riyadh counterparts Al Nassr in the Capital Derby on Friday before the action moves to Dammam when Al Ettifaq take on Al Qadsiah in the Eastern Derby.
Al Ittihad head into Thursday's match buoyed by a run of form that has seen them win four of their last five games in the league to move into second place.
“For us it is a really important game, the team is in a really good moment," said Ittihad midfielder Fabinho.
"We are second in the league just behind Al Hilal and we want to be at the top, so we have to win this game. This will be my third derby, the first two were not very good for us. We lost both of them, so it is an opportunity to give a nice result to our fans. The fans they are asking for us to give everything to win this game.”
Ittihad's rise has been largely based on the goals of Karim Benzema, with the former Real Madrid and France striker looking back to his best with eight strikes already.
Coach Laurent Blanc rested the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner in the midweek King's Cup victory over Al Jandal but the 36-year-old frontman is expected to be restored for the visit of Ahli.
Riyad Mahrez was on target in Ahli's 1-1 draw against Al Okhdood in the league last Friday and coach Matthias Jaissle will look to the Algerian to spark a team languishing in eighth place with only three league wins from their first eight games.
Al Ittihad and Al Ahli share a rivalry dating back to 1938, when they played their first fixture. It’s a clash that has gripped the city ever since.
Al Nassr suffered a shock exit in the King's Cup on Wednesday when they were beaten 1-0 at home by Al Taawoun.
Cristiano Ronaldo was restored to the line-up after missing last week's thrilling 3-3 draw to Al Kholood but the Portuguese suffered a frustrating night at Al Awwal Park.
It's hardly the type of form new coach Stefano Pioli would have hoped for ahead of his biggest test since replacing Luis Castro, especially when Friday's visitors Al Hilal boast a perfect league record of eight wins to top the SPL table.
"It will be a great experience. We face a team that seems unbeatable, that seems invincible. So, we will put ourselves to the test," said Pioli of the task awaiting him in what will be his first taste of the Riyadh derby.
"For sure, it’s a very important game. It is clear that the standings could take one way or another based on the result. So, if we put together the importance of the match at an atmosphere level, and the importance of the match at the level of the standings, it is clear that it will be the most important match of this period. We will prepare ourselves the best way to be ready."
While Neymar continues his integration into the team following a year on the sidelines, Saudi forward Salem Al Dawsari has been in inspired form, and riding high at the top of the goals chart is Aleksandar Mitrovic. The Serb scored his 10th league goal of the season in last week's 2-0 win over Al Taawoun with defender Joao Cancelo contributing his fifth assist since his summer move from Manchester City.
Jorge Jesus' side are unbeaten in 43 league games but head into the Capital Derby without the services of key midfielder Ruben Neves who continues his recovery from a knee injury sustained in the epic 5-4 AFC Champions League Elite win over Al Ain earlier this month.
Al Hilal have dominated this fixture in recent seasons, winning eight and drawing two of the last 10 matches across competitions. They swept all before them last season, going the entire domestic campaign unbeaten to win the league-and-cup double.
Nassr were their closest challengers but are already in danger of slipping too far behind. Ronaldo and his teammates are in third place in the standings, trailing their Riyadh rivals by six points.
The final match of the inaugural Derby Week pits Steven Gerrard's Al Ettifaq against local rivals Al Qadsiah in the Eastern Derby.
Qadsiah are back in the top flight after a three-year absence to renew hostilities with Ettifaq. The last time the teams met in the Saudi Pro League, in the 2020/21 season, Qadsiah emerged 3-1 victors at Al Ettifaq. Earlier in the campaign, fortunes were reversed with Al Ettifaq prevailing 2-1 on enemy territory.
Fast forward to present day, and the respective sides are managed by European club legends in former Liverpool midfielder Gerrard and ex-Real Madrid star Michel.
Al Qadsiah experienced a transformative summer, investing heavily in players to recruit the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Real Madrid captain Nacho.
They have more than adjusted to life back in the top flight, winning four of their eight games to sit in fifth place ahead of Saturday's encounter. Al Ettifaq are 10th in the 18-team league.
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Low turnout
Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.
Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.
"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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