Al Ahli Saudi have become the champions of Asia for the first time after they outclassed Kawasaki Frontale at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah.
They became the third side from Saudi to claim the mantle of the continent’s best side, after winning the AFC Champions League Elite final 2-0 in the port city.
They had been the best side throughout the campaign, and especially so once the new, centralised finals event decamped to their home patch.
They followed wins over Buriram United in Saturday’s quarter-final, and against Saudi rivals Al Hilal in Wednesday’s semi-final, with a dominant display against the side from Japan.
To say it was well received, given that the trophy they have craved for so long was finally delivered in their home stadium, understates it.
The official attendance was given as 58,281, but it felt certain there were far more inside “The Jewel”, as the stadium is affectionately known.
The gates were shut two hours before the game as a number of ticketless fans were attempting to enter. When they were later opened with a beefed-up security presence, thousands rushed the gates.
It made for an extraordinary atmosphere, even by this city’s standards. The fans of Jeddah’s two clubs, Ahli and Al Ittihad – who, along with Hilal, are the other Saudi side to have won this title – are known for being the most raucous in the Gulf region.
If the noise during Ahli’s semi-final win was loud, it was amplified massively for the final.
Realistically, the resistance the small group of travelling fans were putting up was largely futile. The sound from the home fans was deafening.
But the 300 or so away fans still did their best to be heard. They even had a smart little sign of their own which they unveiled as a gigantic banner was unfurled across three tiers in the home end, and a massive tifo ran all the way along the stands to the side.
On it was a picture of their smiling coach, Shigetoshi Hasebe, accompanied by the message: “Hasebe Frontale”.
Hasebe has a tough act to live up to. His predecessor won four titles in five seasons for Kawasaki but the incumbent has won many admirers – not just among his own club’s fan base – during their run to this final.
Talking of high approval ratings, the biggest roars at the start were reserved for Ali Majrashi, the Ahli right back.
In the 15th minute, he gave Marcinho, the Kawasaki left-winger, a mouthful after he snubbed out an attack. The Brazilian looked nonplussed – he had done nothing wrong – but Majrashi had been amped since way before the start.
His name received the largest roar when the teams were read out. And as the team lined up, arms linked, on the 18-yard line in front of the Ahli ultras, he belted out the team song with the fans.
The home fans hardly needed to be whipped into any more of a fervour. Amid the bedlam, the Ahli players took some time to settled.
Despite that, they shaded the early exchanges, but it took them till the 35th minute to break to deadlock. And it took a special strike to do it.
Galeno provided the magic, curving a bouncing ball into the very top right corner of the goal. Louis Yamaguchi, the Kawasaki goalkeeper, had no chance.
The Saudi outfit took control of the game seven minutes later when Franck Kessie doubled the advantage, heading in from close range after great endeavour from Roberto Firmino on the right-hand side.
Just after the hour mark, Riyad Mahrez had the chance to put the tie to bed, when a fast break up the Ahli left ended with the ball trickling into his path on the right side of the box.
It fell on his less assured right foot, though, and the former Manchester City winger blazed wide.
Kawasaki battled on, but it was in vain. Bayed on by such vociferous support, the Ahli players were never going to let them down.
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
TV (UAE time);
OSN Sports: from 10am
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh135,000
Engine 1.6L turbo
Gearbox Six speed automatic with manual and sports mode
Power 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Company%20Profile
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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.”
TOP%2010%20MOST%20POLLUTED%20CITIES
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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%20SPECS
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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.
The%20specs
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
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