UAE football will welcome back fans in attendance for the first time in more than a year at next month’s President’s Cup final.
The Football Association announced late on Tuesday that spectators will be allowed to watch live the country’s showpiece football fixture on May 16, with up to 30 per cent capacity permitted at Al Ain’s Hazza bin Zayed Stadium. Shabab Al Ahli and Al Nasr contest the final.
The match will be open only to fans who have been vaccinated, with the added stipulation that they must present a negative Covid-19 test result taken within the previous 48 hours.
The FA, who confirmed the decision after coordinating with the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, stressed that fans attending must fully adhere to all precautionary measures, including wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.
To attend the final, spectators must show messages on the Al Hosn app displaying "Received the covid-19 vaccine” and the letter "E". The match is open also to those who have obtained a star from clinical trials.
The move is viewed as a major step towards bringing back spectators to UAE football matches for the 2021/22 season. The 2019/20 Arabian Gulf League was cancelled last summer having been suspended in March because of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The league was 19 rounds into its season. Fans had last attended matches in Round 17, on February 28.
A decision, via a vote of its 14 member clubs, was taken not to award the league title to then-leaders Shabab Al Ahli, while Hatta and Fujairah were spared relegation, essentially rendering the campaign null and void. However, some individual player statistics from the season were eventually restored.
Meanwhile, the UAE national team play their four remaining Group G World Cup qualifiers in Dubai in June. The National understands the FA is assessing whether to permit fans to attend those fixtures.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Director: Jon Watts
Stars: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon
Rating:*****
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 1
Mata 11'
Chelsea 1
Alonso 43'
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
Key features of new policy
Pupils to learn coding and other vocational skills from Grade 6
Exams to test critical thinking and application of knowledge
A new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance, Assessment, Review and Analysis for Holistic Development) will form the standard for schools
Schools to implement online system to encouraging transparency and accountability
Scoreline:
Everton 4
Richarlison 13'), Sigurdsson 28', Digne 56', Walcott 64'
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton)
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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.”
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million