As a remarkable sporting year draws to a close, we want you to decide just who was the greatest sportsman or woman of 2012 in the UAE.
Our sports team have gone back through a year of success from the Emirates to put together a shortlist of athletes who have all made headlines for their performances this year.
And we're throwing open the final decision to you.
Below are the five nominees for our sportsperson of 2012, along with a brief biography of them and their achievements this year. Then just follow the link and vote for who you think deserves to be the winner.
Omar Abdulrahman - footballer
Widely regarded as one of the best young players in the Etisalat Pro League, he returned from injury in January to help Al Ain win the title. Was a part of the UAE U23 side which impressed at the London Olympics, providing much of the creative play in their campaign.
Mahdi Ali - football coach
The former Al Ahli player was appointed head coach of the UAE national team after guiding the U23 side to the London Olympics with a dramatic 3-2 win in March over Tashkent. In London the side were unlucky to lose against Uruguay and Team GB before drawing with Senegal
Abdullah Sultan Al Aryani - shooting
The Paralympian claimed gold for the UAE at the 2012 Paralympics in London, winning the mixed 50m rifle prone SH1 category to become only the second Paralympics gold medal winner in the country's history.
Khaled Al Balooshi - motorsport
The Qatar A-Anabi team racer became the first driver from the Middle East to win in the elite-class Top Fuel drag racing circuit in the USA. Just 22 races into his career, he beat top driver Antron Brown to claim success in Pennsylvania.
Velimir Stjepanovic - swimming
The Abu Dhabi-born teenager represented Serbia at the London Olympics, where he broke the Serbian national record and reached the finals of the Men's 200m butterfly final, finishing 6th behind Chad Le CLos and Michael Phelps.
Which of the five do you think should be the UAE's sportsperson of the year? Click here to vote.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
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
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RESULT
Bournemouth 0 Southampton 3 (Djenepo (37', Redmond 45' 1, 59')
Man of the match Nathan Redmond (Southampton)
Understand What Black Is
The Last Poets
(Studio Rockers)
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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