Caroline Garcia, Marketa Vondrousova, Ashlyn Krueger and Wakana Sonobe have been added to the line-up for this year’s Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.
The WTA 500 event, scheduled to take place from February 1-8 at Zayed Sports City, has been bolstered by the addition of four more talented players, with Garcia, Vondrousova and Krueger awarded wildcards for the main draw and Sonobe entering the qualifiers.
Tournament director Nigel Gupta said: “We are thrilled to announce four more top players for this year’s tournament. Both Caroline and Marketa boast a proven pedigree at the highest level, while Ashlyn and Wakana arrive as two of the sport’s rising stars.
“They join a brilliant line-up of talent and, with less than one week to go until the start of the event, we are set for the most exciting Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open to date.”
French star Garcia, 31, has won 11 WTA Tour singles titles and is a two-time major champion in doubles after winning the French Open in 2016 and 2022, alongside compatriot Kristina Mladenovic.
In the 2024 season, she reached the quarter-finals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, demonstrating her consistency at high-level tournaments. A WTA Finals champion in 2022, Garcia is known for her aggressive baseline play, making her a dangerous contender in Abu Dhabi.
Czech Vondrousova, 25, secured her first Grand Slam in 2023 when she defeated Ons Jabeur in the Wimbledon final, making history by becoming the first unseeded female to claim the title. She also won a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after losing to Belinda Bencic in three sets.
American rising star Krueger, 20, has made significant strides in her career in the last 12 months. In 2024, she achieved her first main draw victory in a WTA 1000 event, defeating Garcia at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Krueger also reached the third round of the US Open, highlighting her ability to challenge top players on her day. Her powerful serve will make her an exciting player to watch in the UAE capital.
Aged just 17, Japan’s Sonobe is one of the game's brightest prospects and showcased her talent by winning the girls’ singles title at the Australian Open last weekend.
Sonobe, who was also a runner-up at last year’s US Open, took less than one hour to beat USA’s Kristina Penickova in straight sets, losing just a single game on her way to victory.
Garcia, Krueger and Sonobe will all be returning to Abu Dhabi having competed in the 2024 competition.
Garcia faced a challenging first-round match against Sorana Cirstea, where she was edged out in a three-set battle, while Krueger lost at the hands of eventual runner-up, Daria Kasatkina.
Sonobe, meanwhile, was beaten in straight sets by Bernarda Pera. Their return to Abu Dhabi sets the stage for compelling narratives and high-quality tennis.
This year’s edition of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open is set to be the most competitive yet, featuring many of the world’s best female players. Elena Rybakina will defend her title, while Bencic plays in Abu Dhabi for the first time since winning the inaugural event in 2023.
The field also includes Kasatkina, Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, Spain’s Paula Badosa, and Tunisia’s Jabeur, who is expected to receive strong support from local fans.
Tickets for the tournament are now available from the official website. Children can attend the first five days of the tournament free of charge, while adult ticket prices start from just Dh25.
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
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- 150 tonnes to landfill
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800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
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Fight card
1. Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) v Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
2. Featherweight: Hussein Salim (IRQ) v Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
3. Catchweight 80kg: Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Khamza Yamadaev (RUS)
4. Lightweight: Ho Taek-oh (KOR) v Ronald Girones (CUB)
5. Lightweight: Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) v Damien Lapilus (FRA)
6. Bantamweight: Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) v Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
7. Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
8. Flyweight: Shannon Ross (TUR) v Donovon Freelow (USA)
9. Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Dan Collins (GBR)
10. Catchweight 73kg: Islam Mamedov (RUS) v Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM)
11. Bantamweight World title: Jaures Dea (CAM) v Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
12. Flyweight World title: Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Fixtures (all in UAE time)
Friday
Everton v Burnley 11pm
Saturday
Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur 3.30pm
West Ham United v Southampton 6pm
Wolves v Fulham 6pm
Cardiff City v Crystal Palace 8.30pm
Newcastle United v Liverpool 10.45pm
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Chelsea v Watford 5pm
Huddersfield v Manchester United 5pm
Arsenal v Brighton 7.30pm
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Manchester City v Leicester City 11pm
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What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
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Maestro
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National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
Rashmee Roshan Lall: Sound of silence in South Asia
Fanar Haddad: The Iranian response will be gradual
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Read more about the coronavirus
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
Rashmee Roshan Lall: Sound of silence in South Asia
PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0
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The five pillars of Islam
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
