Yousuf Abdulrahman (Al Ain)
One of the outstanding players in UAE's campaign at the Youth World Cup in Egypt last year and the Under 23 Gulf Cup earlier this year, Abdulrahman has the safest pair of hands in the country. Given that he is only 21, and goalkeepers usually peak as they get older, he looks to have a particularly bright future.
Fabio Cannavaro (Al Ahli)
With a World Cup winners' medal, a Fifa Player of the Year award and numerous other accolades, the Italian is the biggest name to grace UAE club football. At 36, his age may have slowed him down, but his experience and poise would be invaluable to the side. Cannavaro also gets the captain's armband - something that he has had at two World Cups for Italy.
Hamdan al Kamali (Al Wahda)
Nicknamed "The Rock" for his tough-tackling ways, al Kamali would form a formidable pairing with Cannavaro at centre-back. A natural leader, blessed with ample skills and a maturity beyond his 21 years, he has been at the head of UAE's "golden generation". He also has a knack of scoring crucial goals in dead-ball situations.
Waleed Abbas (Al Shabab)
The left-back does not figure among the UAE's glamour footballers, but he is a diehard on the pitch and is one of the first names on the national team sheets. His qualities came to the fore when Al Shabab won the league title in 2008. A tireless runner on the flanks, he is always in the middle of the action and his frail frame belies an inherent toughness. Abbas makes the team ahead of some bigger names for his work-rate and attitude.
Yousuf Jaber (Baniyas)
Jaber, a UAE international and a league title winner with Al Ahli, is another of tireless performers, in the mould of Abbas. The 25-year-old makes his presence felt on the pitch with his lightning runs on the right - organising attacks, helping out in the midfield and then falling back for his defensive duties. Few can match his blistering pace or energy in the field.
Ibrahim Diaky (Al Jazira)
A veteran of UAE football with 215 appearances for Al Jazira, the Ivory Coast-born midfielder, 28, has consistently been one of the best players in the league since joining Jazira in 2006. He can be a creator or an enforcer as needs arise. As Jazira chase an elusive league title, Diaky will again shoulder the bulk of the responsibilities.
Amer Abdulrahman (Baniyas)
Picked as one of the five best players at the Youth World Cup in Egypt last year and player of the tournament at the U23 Gulf Cup last month, the diminutive playmaker, aged 21, is one of the most skilful players in the country, delightful to watch as he weaves his magic around defences and midfields. He should play a leading role, even if his appearances are limited by international commitments.
Sultan Bargash (Al Jazira)
Another member of Mahdi Ali's magical band who impressed at the Youth World Cup last year, Bargash, 21, is a bustling midfielder in the mould of a Italy's Gennaro Gattuso, tough-tackling and elusive on the attack. He will also miss part of the season due the Olympic and national teams, but in the matches he plays for Jazira he will have ample opportunities to cement his growing reputation.
Matias Emilio Delgado (Al Jazira)
The Argentine player, 27 years of age, is a newcomer to the Emirates, but comes with an impressive reputation. A creative playmaker, he had a phenomenal strike rate at FC Basel in Switzerland with 58 goals from 113 games. He was also the captain of Besiktas in Turkey and has won a league title, two Turkish Cups and a Super Cup with the club. Adept at free-kicks and sharp with headers, he is set to leave defences bemused and Jazira fans entertained.
Jose Sand (Al Ain)
The top scorer in the Pro League last season with 24 goals, the former Argentina international is a top-class striker. Before arriving at Al Ain, Sand had become the first player since Diego Maradona in 1980 to top-score in consecutive tournaments in Argentina - the 2008 Apertura and the 2009 Clausura. He continued with the same proficiency in the Pro League last season and is again a candidate for the golden boot.
Ahmed Khalil (Al Ahli)
The 2008 Asian Youth Player of the Year, Most Valuable Player at the Asia U19 Championship and top scorer at the U23 Gulf Cup last month, Khalil is one of the biggest talents in UAE football. He is expected to stay at the top for many years to come, given that he is aged just 19 and has the ability to score some stunning goals.
arizvi@thenational.ae
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
MATCH INFO
BRIGHTON 0
MANCHESTER UNITED 3
McTominay 44'
Mata 73'
Pogba 80'
The%20Specs%20
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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 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
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
All%20We%20Imagine%20as%20Light
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPayal%20Kapadia%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Kani%20Kusruti%2C%20Divya%20Prabha%2C%20Chhaya%20Kadam%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
HWJN
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
SCORES IN BRIEF
New Zealand 153 and 56 for 1 in 22.4 overs at close
Pakistan 227
(Babar 62, Asad 43, Boult 4-54, De Grandhomme 2-30, Patel 2-64)
Company%20profile
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Teri%20Baaton%20Mein%20Aisa%20Uljha%20Jiya
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England World Cup squad
Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
GCC-UK%20Growth
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List of UAE medal winners
Gold
Faisal Al Ketbi (Open weight and 94kg)
Talib Al Kirbi (69kg)
Omar Al Fadhli (56kg)
Silver
Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Khalfan Belhol (85kg)
Zayed Al Mansoori (62kg)
Mouza Al Shamsi (49kg women)
Bronze
Yahia Mansour Al Hammadi (Open and 94kg)
Saood Al Hammadi (77kg)
Said Al Mazroui (62kg)
Obaid Al Nuaimi (56kg)
Bashayer Al Matrooshi (62kg women)
Reem Abdulkareem (45kg women)
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
Star%20Wars%3A%20Episode%20I%20%E2%80%93%20The%20Phantom%20Menace
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Roll of honour: Who won what in 2018/19?
West Asia Premiership: Winners – Bahrain; Runners-up – Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership: Winners – Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners-up – Jebel Ali Dragons
Dubai Rugby Sevens: Winners – Dubai Hurricanes; Runners-up – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Conference: Winners – Dubai Tigers; Runners-up – Al Ain Amblers
