While the UAE were disappointed that they did not claim all three points from their opening match on Friday, with bigger tests to come, their Omani counterparts were more than satisfied with a draw.
Ali Al Habsi, the Oman captain, said he could not hide his delight at being back in goal for his country at this competition.
“I have missed taking part in the Gulf Cup and enjoying its very special atmosphere,” said the former Wigan goalkeeper, who is on loan to English Championship side Brighton & Hove Albion. “I’m very happy to be back, especially that I managed to keep a clean sheet. I think it was a fair result.”
Al Habsi modestly played down suggestions he was the man of the match.
“I thank God for our performance. I think all the players played well,” he said. “I tried my best to do my own job. Not conceding was the most important thing. Maybe we could have done better up front but there was also a lot of pressure on us in this first match.”
The Oman captain was keen to highlight how important the draw could ultimately prove.
“It was important not to lose,” Al Habsi said. “A point ensures you still have something to play for going into the last match.”
Al Habsi’s delight at the point was shared by forward Qasim Saeed, who had a headed goal disallowed for a foul on UAE defender Abdulaziz Haikal.
“It’s a fair result for both teams,” he said. “It’s normal to be happy with a draw against the champions. The UAE is one of the best teams in the Gulf and in the Arab world, at the moment.”
akhaled@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Test
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
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Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
On Women's Day
Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action
Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality
The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?
Justin Thomas: Challenge the notion that 'men are from Mars, women are from Venus'
The%20Beekeeper
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"