Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou can't wait to embark upon a new journey as Al Hilal prepare to write an exciting chapter in their history during the Fifa Club World Cup in the United States this summer.
The Saudi Arabian giants are looking to make an impression on the wider world, having dominated football in the kingdom and also the region for many years.
The Club World Cup offers Al Hilal an opportunity to not only test themselves against the best in the business, during an expanded tournament, but also show how far the club and Saudi football in general has progressed in the past few years, especially since the huge wave of investments in the Saudi Pro League.
Their first challenge will be one of the biggest in world football – against 15-time Uefa Champions League winners Real Madrid in their opening Group H fixture at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, on June 18. They will then lock horns with FC Salzburg and CF Pachuca.
And leading their challenge will be Bounou. The Moroccan goalkeeper had a memorable tournament at the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar, helping his team to an unprecedented run to the semi-finals.
Los Blancos are an opponent that Bounou knows well, having played against them 10 times during his spells at Spanish clubs Girona and Sevilla. Al Hilal also faced Madrid in the final of the 2022 Club World Cup, which the Spanish giants won 5-3.
“I've played against Real a lot; I have many friends in the team, and I've always met their fans on the streets of Spain. I've always had mutual respect for the club and its supporters. I've faced a lot of great teams throughout my career, and I'm privileged that Real Madrid is one of them, and it's a great honour to do it again wearing the Al Hilal shirt, which is a world-famous club in its own right,” Bounou told Fifa.com.
“There are no easy games in modern football, and that certainly applies to this tournament. We want to go as far as possible. As a Moroccan player at a World Cup, I aspire to reach a level I have never reached before.”
The Moroccan star said he will be looking to draw from his experience at Qatar 2022 where Bounou emerged as one of the premier goalkeepers in the world.
“Participating in the World Cup is a very important part of every player's career, and the experience I have gained from it will be an additional factor that the team can capitalise on,” he said.
Beyond football, Bounou said the tournament is important in spreading the game to a massive territory like the United States and North America, which will also host the Fifa World Cup in 2026, while also representing the football culture of the Gulf region.
“Since a World Cup is a tournament that brings together many cultures from all over the world in one country and one stadium, I'm sure the atmosphere will be amazing.
“As part of our position in the Arab world, we recognise the value of the fans and realise how important they will be for us at the Club World Cup. Great teams seek to reach a larger audience in a tournament like this. We already have fans on different continents, and our participation is a positive thing for them.”
Ultimately, many players at the Club World Cup will have one eye on the 2026 finals which also take place in the US. But Bounou wants to focus on the tournament in front of him.
“Every player in the world wishes to have the opportunity to represent his country in the World Cup, but now there is a new opportunity thanks to the Club World Cup. I am honoured to represent Al Hilal in this tournament and, God willing, we will perform at our best,” said the 34-year-old.
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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
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11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
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How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The years Ramadan fell in May
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes.
Where to stay
The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.
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Tottenham 4 (Alli 51', Kane 50', 77'. Aurier 73')
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Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
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• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
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League A:
Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands
League B:
Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey
League C:
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania
League D:
Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar
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Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.
Stat of the day - 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.
The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227 for four at the close.
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THREE
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
