Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash will lead the draw for the eighth Mubadala World Tennis Championship (MWTC) at Yas Mall on Saturday, organisers have announced.
Taking place from December 31 to January 2, MWTC will see six of the world’s top male tennis players in action at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi.
The complete line-up was confirmed last week, with South African world No 12 Kevin Anderson and French world No 10 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga added to the already confirmed Milos Raonic, the Canadian world No 14, Spanish world No 7 David Ferrer, two-time major champion, Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka, and former world No 1 and 14-time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal.
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On Tuesday, organisers revealed the draw will be held on Saturday at 12.30pm when the players will discover who they will face in the first round.
There will also be a variety of tennis-based games on offer for fans who decide to attend the draw, including a serve speed test on the purpose-built indoor courts.
“We are pleased to partner with Mubadala World Tennis Championship to host an exciting and engaging weekend of tennis activities,” Talal Al Dhiyebi, Chief Development Officer at Aldar Properties PJSC, said.
“We look forward to hosting the legendary Pat Cash and welcoming tennis fans of all ages and cultures, who we hope will also enjoy Yas Mall’s internationally renowned shopping, dining and entertainment brands.”
Tickets are on sale now at www.ticketmaster.ae and all Virgin Megastores across the UAE
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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
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
About Seez
Company name/date started: Seez, set up in September 2015 and the app was released in August 2017
Founder/CEO name(s): Tarek Kabrit, co-founder and chief executive, and Andrew Kabrit, co-founder and chief operating officer
Based in: Dubai, with operations also in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon
Sector: Search engine for car buying, selling and leasing
Size: (employees/revenue): 11; undisclosed
Stage of funding: $1.8 million in seed funding; followed by another $1.5m bridge round - in the process of closing Series A
Investors: Wamda Capital, B&Y and Phoenician Funds
