Just like any other media, it is important to evaluate the efficacy of a sports organisation’s social network efforts at various points of the consumer journey.
There is little concrete information on how football clubs across the GCC utilise the various platforms and their relation to goals set by those clubs. However, it is likely that Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia leads the way in terms of fan engagement, with 4.24 million followers on Twitter alone.
But regardless of their social reach, the ability of an organisation to understand the motivation of fans and how they interact with the brand is significant, according to Simon Chadwick, a professor of sports enterprise at Salford business school at the University of Salford near Manchester in north-west England.
“Social media appears to be very popular in the Middle East and it therefore offers a great deal of potential to clubs.
“What clubs have to understand is what motivates fans to use social media and what do they want when using it. If a club can understand this, then they will be well placed to establish a strong position and profile in the social media space.”
As social media managers strive towards understanding their worth in terms of social media value and raising the bar on fan engagement, for Prof Chadwick, the successful sports organisations are the ones that manage to uniquely configure their business around their online presence.
"We are already seeing some consolidation in the market, with the likes of Facebook and Twitter dominating. And the services they offer are becoming increasingly similar," he says.
As such, the challenge for football clubs is to understand how they can create a differential advantage through social media that delivers value to their existing activities, he adds.
“Beyond this, clubs should be looking towards the next generation of social media that enables them to draw closer to key target audiences, most notably the millennial generation and those that follow-on from them.”
Although analytic tools across the various networks display metrics that predict the quantity and quality of a consumer’s journey within those networks, with the availability of enormous amounts of data the need for a football club or other sporting entity to truly identify goals and objectives prior to a campaign is extremely important.
“Success is measured in follower growth, tickets sold – we have tracking links – and engagement,” says Daniel Robertson, the digital content and social media manager at the Major League Soccer club FC Dallas.”
An example he cites is, he says, one of the most interesting project he has worked on with the club. “I think my favourite was our ‘Vote For Tesho’ campaign in 2014 where we created a whole campaign based around forward Tesho Akindele to win rookie of the year.
"We made videos spoofing the Napoleon Dynamite movie, created shareable social graphics for our fans and infographs sent to the media, which ended up winning Tesho the rookie of the year award."
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Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Baby Driver
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James
Three and a half stars
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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