This has been the most entertaining summer in Arabian Gulf League history. Nearly every day, another outlandish transfer rumour, some of which become reality.
Jorge Valdivia, “The Magician”? Now you see him, now you don’t. Fujairah had him, lost him, might still get him.
Robinho? Al Ahli and Al Jazira allegedly sniffing around. Madjid Bougherra, the Algeria captain? A done deal, actually, with Fujairah, the little guys who punch above their weight.
Asamoah Gyan with a contract extension from Al Ain to the summer of 2018, by which time he might be up near a double century of goals. Jorginho, Al Wasl’s 14th coach since 2008, linked with a move back to Brazil to become an assistant to Dunga, the new national coach. Not happening, but fun to talk about.
Jazira capturing Mirko Vucinic, a man with 101 Serie A goals, 21 of them for Juventus. Habib Fardan, the UAE international, shifting from Al Nasr to Jazira for Dh40 million? Or is Ahli in there again?
Rashid Essa loaned from Wasl to Al Ain, where seemingly half the UAE national team have gathered. Baniyas pursuing Hamdan Al Kamali, previously thought to be an Al Wahda defender for life. Neil Lennon, former Celtic coach, possibly headed for Al Shabab.
Paulo Bonamigo collecting Brazilians at Sharjah, Promoted Kalba, reeling in Thaer Bawab, a forward formerly on the books of both Real Madrid and Barcelona. Ajman hiring a Tunisian coach, Emirates and Dhafra waiting for the big guys to settle on their expat foursomes, ready to swoop on those made redundant.
Never a dull day in the AGL. Rarely a dull moment.
poberjuerge@thenational.ae
Follow our sports coverage on Twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
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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"
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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.
MATCH INFO
First Test at Barbados
West Indies won by 381 runs
Second Test at Antigua
West Indies won by 10 wickets
Third Test at St Lucia
February 9-13
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
SPEC SHEET
Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz
Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core
Memory: 8/12GB RAM
Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB
Platform: Android 12
Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW
Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps
Front camera: 40MP f/2.2
Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
I/O: USB-C
SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano
Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red
Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
