ABU DHABI // Novak Djokovic, the men's world No 1, will close out a stellar year by making his first appearance at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.
Djokovic, who has won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open grand slam titles this year, has become the dominant force this year, with the Serbian only losing three matches and winning 68.
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are also among the six entrants from the top 10 players on the ATP Tour who will compete for the winner-takes-all US$250,000 (Dh918,300) prize, with Nadal, the Spanish world No 2 and Federer the Swiss world No 4, returning to Abu Dhabi for the fourth time in the fourth instalment to be played at the Zayed Sports City on December 29-31.
Rafael Nadal is relishing his return to the tournament, which he has won the previous two editions beating Robin Soderling in 2010 and then Roger Federer at the start of this year..
"Having seen the strength of the field, I'm already looking forward to a serious test and defending my title," Nadal said. "I know I'll need to be at my best, so it's exactly the preparation I need ahead of the Australian Open."
David Ferrer, the Spanish world No 5, Jo-Winifed Tsonga, the French world No 9 are returning for the second time, while Gael Monfils, 10th in the rankings, will make his first appearance in Abu Dhabi.
Federer said appearing in Abu Dhabi gets better and better each year, especially off-court work, where the players conduct a tennis clinic for the winner of the Mubadala Community Cup — a competition set up to help tennis in the emirates grow at grassroots level.
"The city's genuine commitment to support the growth of tennis in the region is exciting and the opportunity to work with junior players makes it personally rewarding to play here as part of this celebration of tennis," Federer said.
"Abu Dhabi is a place I always look forward to returning to as I have always had a wonderful time."
Originally called the Capitala World Tennis Championship, the tournament is a not part of the ATP Tour, and is based on a knock-out format over three days.
The top two players receive a bye to the semi-finals and will play the winner of first round of matches.
Andy Murray, the Briton, won the first edition in 2009, beating Nadal in three sets.
sports@thenational.ae
The view from The National
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
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
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
Meatless Days
Sara Suleri, with an introduction by Kamila Shamsie
Penguin
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh289,000
The five pillars of Islam
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
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
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Friday’s fixture
6.15pm: Al Wahda v Hatta
6.15pm: Al Dhafra v Ajman
9pm: Al Wasl v Baniyas
9pm: Fujairah v Sharjah
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BABYLON
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Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
