It is a fallacy that overseas players find every game in the Saudi Pro League a cakewalk. Mainly because there are so many of them in each side.
Among the big four clubs – Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Ahli Saudi and Al Ittihad – at least, it has come to feel more like an all-star league than a domestic one.
That is a large part of the reason their trio of sides have been so dominant in the AFC Champions League Elite this season.
Al Nassr’s forward-line – Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Jhon Duran – is rightly vaunted, but it was their Croatian dynamo Marcelo Brozovic who inspired their thrashing of Yokohama.
And Ahli’s challenge is led by Algeria's Riyad Mahrez, Englishman Ivan Toney and Ivorian Franck Kessie.
Despite the calibre and quantity of imports, one has stood out above the rest. Watching Milinkovic-Savic in Hilal’s midfield in particular so often feels like watching men against boys.
There were times in Friday’s quarter-final when he bulldozed through Gwangju players, then turned around to pick them up and make sure they were OK.
He set the tone for this phase of the Champions League in the sixth minute against Gwangju, when he rose at the near post to glance in a Salem Al Dawsari corner. The goals flooded in for the Saudi clubs thereafter.
He was named player of the match for another commanding performance. He was their driving force when Hilal won 31 of 34 league matches – drawing the other three – on their way to a Saudi domestic double last season.
Maybe his global renown is not greater because he is hidden away from the view of the mainstream while playing in Saudi.
The eyes of the world might remain trained on Europe, even though 10 of the 14 best paid players in the world – as per weekly gross salary – are now playing in Saudi.
But for a Gulf-based audience, Milinkovic-Savic is hidden in plain sight, playing in front of an extraordinary set of fans, in a league not short of that.
The idea that Saudi was trying to buy a football culture when it started its trolley dash for world stars a little over two years ago remains an awkward one.
There were over 47,000 Hilal supporters in the stadium for their opening game against Gwangju on Friday night. They haven’t just pitched up on the basis of a few glossy stars arriving from overseas in recent seasons.
Yes, this tournament is being played in Saudi Arabia. But it is precisely 1,003kms door-to-door from the Kingdom Arena, Hilal’s home ground in Riyadh, to the stadium informally known as The Jewel, in Jeddah, where the semi-final is taking place.
Travelling in such vast numbers is remarkable, and the atmosphere in Tuesday’s first semi-final – between Hilal and Ahli – promises to be electric.
While Hilal’s fans are exceptional – evidence their Game of Thrones-inspired tifo in the win over Gwangju – they will meet their match in the form of their Ahli counterparts.
It was instructive that Matthias Jaissle, Ahli’s German manager, and Kessie both referenced their club’s supporters in almost every answer they gave in their pre-semi-final briefing – no matter the question.
“I hope it’s clear to see the stadium tomorrow is more green than blue, but there are different rules as it is an AFC match, not a league match,” Jaissle said.
“We count on each one to support us, and that they know how grateful we are, and how much I appreciate the support of the fans.”
While Hilal were all-conquering domestically last season, and have won Asia’s top club competition more than anyone else, Jaissle appeared confident ahead of the encounter.
Hilal have stuttered in the league of late, likely surrendering their lead to the other Jeddah giants, Al Ittihad. Their drop off in form included a 3-2 home defeat to Ahli at the end of February.
“Hilal is a club with such a lot of quality and a really professional infrastructure, so, of course, we need to be at our best level,” Jaissle said.
“We know, because of our last league match against them, we can beat them, but everything needs to fit together.
“All the details in all phases of the game need to be precise. Sometimes you also need a bit of luck, and then the extra energy of the fans, which will be there tomorrow for sure.”
Kessie, the former AC Milan and Barcelona midfielder for Ahli, echoed his coach’s view that Hilal are beatable, no matter their pedigree.
“It is going to be a difficult game and we know that,” Kessie said. “We are playing against an opponent we know very well. We are ready, with our fans also.”
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
UAE and Russia in numbers
UAE-Russia ties stretch back 48 years
Trade between the UAE and Russia reached Dh12.5 bn in 2018
More than 3,000 Russian companies are registered in the UAE
Around 40,000 Russians live in the UAE
The number of Russian tourists travelling to the UAE will increase to 12 percent to reach 1.6 million in 2023
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
Usain Bolt's World Championships record
2007 Osaka
200m Silver
4x100m relay Silver
2009 Berlin
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2011 Daegu
100m Disqualified in final for false start
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2013 Moscow
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2015 Beijing
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
}Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
'Young girls thinking of big ideas'
Words come easy for aspiring writer Afra Al Muhairb. The business side of books, on the other hand, is entirely foreign to the 16-year-old Emirati. So, she followed her father’s advice and enroled in the Abu Dhabi Education Council’s summer entrepreneurship course at Abu Dhabi University hoping to pick up a few new skills.
“Most of us have this dream of opening a business,” said Afra, referring to her peers are “young girls thinking of big ideas.”
In the three-week class, pupils are challenged to come up with a business and develop an operational and marketing plan to support their idea. But, the learning goes far beyond sales and branding, said teacher Sonia Elhaj.
“It’s not only about starting up a business, it’s all the meta skills that goes with it -- building self confidence, communication,” said Ms Elhaj. “It’s a way to coach them and to harness ideas and to allow them to be creative. They are really hungry to do this and be heard. They are so happy to be actually doing something, to be engaged in creating something new, not only sitting and listening and getting new information and new knowledge. Now they are applying that knowledge.”
Afra’s team decided to focus their business idea on a restaurant modelled after the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Each level would have a different international cuisine and all the meat would be halal. The pupils thought of this after discussing a common problem they face when travelling abroad.
“Sometimes we find the struggle of finding halal food, so we just eat fish and cheese, so it’s hard for us to spend 20 days with fish and cheese,” said Afra. “So we made this tower so every person who comes – from Africa, from America – they will find the right food to eat.”
rpennington@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Company%20profile
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