EA FC launch day remains one of the most anticipated dates on the gaming calendar, and the latest edition of the world’s most popular football video game series, EA FC 26, will be released worldwide on September 25 on PC and September 26 on console.
Publisher EA Sports has promised a host of improvements to the title formerly known as Fifa, fuelling excitement among gamers across the Middle East who are eager to take control of their favourite stars.
With global football’s spotlight shifting to Saudi Arabia after a wave of high-profile players joined the kingdom’s growing professional league, fans can now line up these stars for their new clubs in the virtual arena. Meanwhile, many Arab players have enjoyed standout seasons for club and country in 2024-25, earning significant boosts to their in-game ratings.
Here are two standout XIs or primary players from EA FC 26, one showcasing the best of the Saudi Pro League, and another featuring the highest-rated Arab players, lining up in an attacking 4-2-1-3 formation.
Arab XI
Striker: Omar Marmoush 84 (Egypt)
The Manchester City attacker earned a huge bump from last season’s 79 rating, thanks largely to his real-life form over the second half of the season, when he hit eight goals in 25 games following his move to the Premier League from Eintracht Frankfurt. His newest in-game iteration will feature a wicked combination of pace (89), shooting (85) and dribbling (86), which will make him an early regular in the game's Ultimate Team card-collecting game mode.
Right winger: Mohamed Salah 91 (Egypt)
It would not be an Arab XI without the Egyptian King, who not only makes a claim to be the greatest Arab player ever, but also one of the best players to grace English football. And after a scintillating 29-goal Premier League campaign with Liverpool, Salah, 33, is now the joint top-ranked active player on the new game, rising from last season’s 89 to become one of four 91-rated players alongside Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe and the FC Barcelona duo of Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati. In-game, his Finesse Shot PlayStyle+ is likely to prove as deadly as ever.
Left winger: Salem Al Dawsari 82 (Saudi Arabia)
The veteran Saudi winger, 34, earns his spot on the left after another impressive season captaining club and country, hitting 15 league goals. Like Salah, he proves age is just a number both in-game and on the pitch, with his rating rising up from last season's 80 – including a rise in pace from 85 to 87, which, along with 84 dribbling and 81 physical, will again make him a very usable wide option in-game.
Attacking midfield: Brahim Diaz 82 (Morocco)
Playing alongside Real Madrid’s present-day Galacticos of Mbappe, Vini Jr and Co didn’t prevent the Moroccan midfielder from making an impression in La Liga, chipping in four goals in an injury-hit season, along with eight goals in 11 games for Morocco. Not a world-beating player in-game, but his 85 dribbling rating plus good passing PlayStyles including Incisive Pass and Tiki Taka will make him fun to use on the ball.
Defensive midfield: Sofyan Amrabat 78 (Morocco)
A solid if unspectacular midfield is completed by Diaz’s international teammate – another Jack of all trades without a speciality. Still 78-rated, Amrabat has moved up from a gold common to a gold rare card in-game since joining Spanish side Real Betis. His new card features decent passing and a good physical rating.
Defensive midfield: Ismael Bennacer 80 (Algeria)
Dropped from an 83-rated player last season to 80 this season after an injury-hit campaign for AC Milan and Algeria, Bennacer remains a good all-rounder with 83 dribbling and 76 defending, and no main rating below 72, as well as Incisive Pass and Tiki Taka regular PlayStyles.
Left-back: Rayan Ait-Nouri 81 (Algeria)
Ait-Nouri is another Arab star who made the move to the Etihad Stadium in 2025. However, in the case of this adventurous left-back, it was a shorter trip from the English Midlands, where his bravery on the ball and willingness to attack from full-back earned him a move from Wolves to the Manchester giants. Those attacking instincts are reflected in his in-game ratings, with improvements across the board from his 79 rating from 12 months ago, most notably in both dribbling and defending.
Centre back: Noussair Mazraoui 80 (Morocco)
The calm, adaptable Manchester United defender is equally comfortable at left-back or right-back – earning him comparisons to Red Devils legend Denis Irwin from some inside the club – and it is as a wide defender where he will play best in EA FC 26. But here he finds himself a victim of his versatility, sitting in the centre of defence to accommodate the two star full backs on either side of him. His overall rating takes a small step back in EA FC 26, from 81 a year ago, but he is capable on the ball and also in the tackle.
Centre back: Nayef Aguerd 81 (Morocco)
The left-footed centre back parlayed an impressive loan spell at Spanish club Real Sociedad into a ratings rise from last season’s 79. In-game, he has good height at 1.92 metres, and defending to go along with reasonable pace and physicality, as well as the Anticipate regular PlayStyle.
Right-back: Achraf Hakimi 89 (Morocco)
The Morocco captain is the highest-rated active right-back on EA FC 26, and the highest outside Icon cards for Brazilian legends Cafu and Carlos Alberto. Hakimi’s 89 rating reflects an outstanding season in which his PSG won the treble in the best season in club history. Ligue 1 and Coupe de France titles were followed by a record 5-0 win against Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final, in which Hakimi scored the first goal. In-game, his 92 pace will again make him a menace on both sides of the pitch, with the Relentless PlayStyle+ on his card, meaning he will make overlapping runs into attacking wide positions right until the final whistle.
Goalkeeper: Yassine Bounou 82 (Morocco)
Bounou's fall from the previous game’s 84 rating says more about his outstanding 2023 – capped by a Ballon d’Or nomination – than it does about a 2024-25 campaign that featured his usual reliable displays, including 10 saves in the 4-3 extra-time over Manchester City in the Club World Cup round of 16, during which the Moroccan produced a superb one-on-one stop against winger Savinho, earning the 1.98-metre-takk keeper an 85 reflexes rating in game.
Honourable mention: Riyad Mahrez 84 (Algeria)
A real-world Arab XI would surely include the tricky Al Ahli winger, whose in-game player can only play on the right wing or right midfield, meaning here he has to be content with a place on the bench behind Salah (or Hakimi). He dropped to an 84 rating, but once more proved an attacking threat with eight goals and 10 assists during a season when he again wore the captain’s armband for club and country.
Saudi Pro League's best XI
Striker: Cristiano Ronaldo 85 (Al Nassr)
Who else? Ronaldo at 40 remains one of the world’s most favoured players. Even as his overall rating drops from the previous game’s 86, he will remain a popular, and expensive, forward for many players in the early stages of the game’s Ultimate Team online card-collecting mode. The Portuguese legend's 88 finishing and 89 positioning earns him this spot over former French Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema (85), though the latter has the Low Driven Shot PlayStyle+, which proved much more reliable in front of goal in the previous game compared with Ronaldo's Power Shot PlayStyle+.
Left-winger: Kingsley Coman 83 (Al Nassr)
The Riyadh side’s new signing pips Al Hilal’s Saudi star Salem Al Dawsari to the left-wing spot after his move from German giants Bayern Munich. The French speedster is always a popular purchase in Ultimate Team starter squads thanks to his combination of pace and dribbling, plus the Rapid PlayStyle+, giving the player a higher sprint speed while dribbling. Coman is sure to be a demon in the flanks once again, particularly for those who love to get to the by-line looking for cutback goals.
Right-winger: Moussa Diaby 84 (Al Ittihad)
Speed rules EA FC – and this is how we will build our squads until told otherwise. Step forward Moussa Diaby, Al Ittihad’s flying French winger who combines 95 pace and 95 acceleration with Quickstep PlayStyle+, which makes a player significantly faster when accelerating, as well as the Rapid regular PlayStyle, meaning he will leave the vast majority of full backs in the dust time after time.
Attacking midfield: Malcom 82 (Al Hilal)
More pace in attacking positions! Even without a PlayStyle+, the Brazilian playmaker easily earns this spot over Al Nassr's new signing Joao Felix thanks to his 92 acceleration. Combine that with great agility and balance, and you have a player to help you exploit left-stick dribbling until your opponent is tearing out their hair in frustration.
Defensive midfield: Sergej Milinkovic-Savic 84 (Al Hilal)
Worth a spot just for the style points added by his moustache. What the 1.92-metre-tall Serbian midfielder lacks in pace, he makes up for in physicality, strength and jumping for high balls, which earns him this spot over teammate Ruben Neves, who is a candidate for those who like to play out from the back thanks to his 87 passing rating.
Defensive midfield: N’Golo Kante 85 (Al Ittihad)
The French defensive midfielder may have lost a yard of pace on the field, but in the digital arena, he has actually gained a bit of speed, improving by a point to 77 over the previous game's 76. But his 85 defending rating, featuring 90 standing tackle and 88 interception, earns him a spot sitting in front of the back four.
Left-back: Theo Hernandez 84 (Al Hilal)
Speaking of the back four, say hello to another Saudi League summer signing – a defender considered one of EA FC 25’s most annoying to face. Ultimate Team players regularly ignored their right-winger completely for 90 in-game minutes when facing the French full back, whose high strength and Bruiser+ PlayStyle made him almost impossible to beat to the ball. He has lost his PlayStyle+, but we bet Hernandez will maintain his intangible aura and again prove to be a beast.
Centre back: Roger Ibanez 82 (Al Ahli)
Proved a popular cheap beast in the early stages of last season’s Ultimate Team mode thanks to his combination of speed and physicality. The quick Brazilian centre back can keep pace with most attackers, giving you a get-out-of-jail-free card if your back line is beaten by a well-timed through-ball.
Centre back: Kalidou Koulibaly 82 (Al Hilal)
The bruising defender is missing the Bruiser PlayStyle+, but he does have 89 strength and 87 jumping to go along with the regular version of Bruiser. An odd pace split of 84 speed but only 61 acceleration means you will be playing catch-up against the game’s quicker strikers, but they won’t easily beat the Senegalese in the air.
Right-back: Joao Cancelo 84 (Al Hilal)
If the Saudi Pro League were contested on the EA FC pitch, Al Hilal would be certain champions. Yet another blue in defence, the Portuguese full back always proves popular across gameplay types thanks to his positional versatility, playing right-back, left-back and right midfield, as well as his all-rounder appeal, with solid attacking and defending ratings.
Goalkeeper: Koen Casteels 82 (Al Qadsiah)
The 1.97-metre-tall Belgian goalkeeper beats Al Hilal’s Moroccan star Bounou to the gloves thanks to slightly superior diving, reactions and height, a key factor in choosing who to stick between the posts.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Champions League Last 16
Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) v Bayern Munich (GER)
Sporting Lisbon (POR) v Manchester City (ENG)
Benfica (POR) v Ajax (NED)
Chelsea (ENG) v Lille (FRA)
Atletico Madrid (ESP) v Manchester United (ENG)
Villarreal (ESP) v Juventus (ITA)
Inter Milan (ITA) v Liverpool (ENG)
Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid (ESP)
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Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
START-UPS%20IN%20BATCH%204%20OF%20SANABIL%20500'S%20ACCELERATOR%20PROGRAMME
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Forced%20Deportations
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Violence%20
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Revival
Eminem
Interscope
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
CRICKET%20WORLD%20CUP%20QUALIFIER%2C%20ZIMBABWE%20
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua Based: Dubai, UAE Number of employees: 28 Sector: Financial services Investment: $9.5m Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
SPECS
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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.
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
'Champions'
Director: Manuel Calvo
Stars: Yassir Al Saggaf and Fatima Al Banawi
Rating: 2/5
STAY%2C%20DAUGHTER
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Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30:
- UAE bt Nepal by 78 runs
- Hong Kong bt Singapore by 5 wickets
- Oman bt Malaysia by 2 wickets
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
