As the Fifa World Cup 2018 kicked off with a match between hosts Russia and Saudi Arabia, football fans in the UAE were gripped to the action, despite a disappointing 5-0 defeat for the kingdom.
At the World Cup tent at Fairmont The Palm in Dubai, ear-bashing cheers and riotous applause greeted the Gulf team as they entered the pitch.
Mustafa Al Saedi, a 50-year-old Saudi, flew to Dubai three days ago to watch the football match and celebrate Eid.
Pointing happily to the Saudi flag above his table, he said: “It’s a massive achievement for the Saudi team to play at the World Cup. I’m hoping our team will score some goals.
“This is a big event for Saudis. The team has been preparing for the match for months.”
Mr Al Saedi broke his fast while watching the match at the World Cup tent.
This year marks Saudi Arabia’s fifth appearance in the World Cup after their first qualification in 1994, and the last time the Saudi team participated was in 2006.
Mr Al Saedi's daughter, Fatima, said she is not interested in football, but this match is one of a kind.
“I am proud of the Saudi team. It does not matter who scores more. What matters to me is that the Saudis are playing in the World Cup,” said the 26-year-old clinical instructor.
With Russia scoring twice in the first half, Ahmed Al Jahni, a 24-year-old Saudi, told The National: "I am a bit disappointed that Russia scored twice. I believe reaching here is a great achievement, but I want my team to score goals.
“I am here to cheer the 'green team' and support my country. I will always support them, regardless of who scores more and wins today.”
Issa Aghabi, a Jordanian investor, 35, said: “It will be really cool if Saudi wins today’s game. Last time, they lost with a huge gap of scores when they played in the World Cup.”
“Everyone is talking about the Egyptian team this year. I like Egyptian player Mohammed Salah. Let’s see who will win this year,” said Mr Aghabi.
As Saudi Arabia began to concede goals, the screams of 28-year-old Mohammed Abdul Aziz were increasingly heard across the tent.
“I just can’t believe it. I thought the team will perform better this year," he said of his home team. "So many chances to score were missed due to misjudgment by players."
In Abu Dhabi, Haitham Yasin and his friends Saahil Giddebhai and Mohammed Issa had the Marina Mall cinema completely to themselves to watch the opening match of play out on the big screen.
As 16-year-olds, they were too young to join their compatriots in Abu Dhabi’s bars or shisha cafes. But as Saudis, they felt they had an obligation to support their team.
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Read more:
World Cup 2018 opening ceremony — in pictures
Egypt in the World Cup: 'A passion we cannot give up'
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They had bought their VIP tickets minutes before iftar and settled into the top row of seats in time to watch Russia score the first goal.
The only drinks in sight were three slushies that remained untouched until 7.15pm. Inside the chilly mall, there was no call to the prayer to tell them that they could take their iftar. With the commentator’s voice booming through the otherwise empty cinema, the Saudi teenagers kept patiently checking their glowing mobiles.
And in the capital, suhoor tents have been quickly converted into World Cup centres — the dangling crescents and stars have been replaced with footballs and flags of qualifying teams.
At the Sofitel, the Al Barza Ramadan tent had been renamed the Sofitel Football Fanzone and big screens played the match as people enjoyed their iftar.
“We should be partying for the opening of the World Cup but we’re still in the Ramadan mood,” said Saber Belghith, 33. “We’re waiting for Eid and tomorrow will feel like the first day of the World Cup.”
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Florida: The critical Sunshine State
Though mostly conservative, Florida is usually always “close” in presidential elections. In most elections, the candidate that wins the Sunshine State almost always wins the election, as evidenced in 2016 when Trump took Florida, a state which has not had a democratic governor since 1991.
Joe Biden’s campaign has spent $100 million there to turn things around, understandable given the state’s crucial 29 electoral votes.
In 2016, Mr Trump’s democratic rival Hillary Clinton paid frequent visits to Florida though analysts concluded that she failed to appeal towards middle-class voters, whom Barack Obama won over in the previous election.
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
The years Ramadan fell in May
FIRST TEST SCORES
England 458
South Africa 361 & 119 (36.4 overs)
England won by 211 runs and lead series 1-0
Player of the match: Moeen Ali (England)
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
India Test squad
Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rahul, Vijay, Pujara, Rahane (vc), Karun, Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Pandya, Ishant, Shami, Umesh, Bumrah, Thakur
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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.
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Sugary teas and iced coffees
The tax authority is yet to release a list of the taxed products, but it appears likely that sugary iced teas and cold coffees will be hit.
For instance, the non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Cold coffee brands are likely to be hit too. Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
More coverage from the Future Forum
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
TOURNAMENT INFO
Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
Genesis G80 2020 5.0-litre Royal Specs
Engine: 5-litre V8
Gearbox: eight-speed automatic
Power: 420hp
Torque: 505Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L/100km
Price: Dh260,500
It
Director: Andres Muschietti
Starring: Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor
Three stars
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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
- 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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Results
4pm: Al Bastakiya Listed US$300,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Emblem Storm, Oisin Murphy (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
4.35pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Wafy, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 $350,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Wildman Jack, Fernando Jara, Doug O’Neill.
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 $400,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Barney Roy, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Matterhorn, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
7.30pm: Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Loxley, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Film: Raid
Dir: Rajkumar Gupta
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
Verdict: Three stars
