• Kingdom Arena in Riyadh hosted Al Hilal's first game against Inter Miami. Al Hilal
    Kingdom Arena in Riyadh hosted Al Hilal's first game against Inter Miami. Al Hilal
  • The multipurpose venue can host football, basketball, tennis and boxing, as well as live concerts. Riyadh Season
    The multipurpose venue can host football, basketball, tennis and boxing, as well as live concerts. Riyadh Season
  • Kingdom Arena has a capacity of 26,000. Al Hilal
    Kingdom Arena has a capacity of 26,000. Al Hilal
  • The stadium has 20 VIP boxes that can accommodate 350 people. Al Hilal
    The stadium has 20 VIP boxes that can accommodate 350 people. Al Hilal
  • The Al Hilal versus Inter Miami match featured a light show before the match. Reuters
    The Al Hilal versus Inter Miami match featured a light show before the match. Reuters
  • Lionel Messi was on target but his Inter Miami side lost 4-3 to Al Hilal. Getty Images
    Lionel Messi was on target but his Inter Miami side lost 4-3 to Al Hilal. Getty Images
  • WBA heavyweight champion Tyson Fury fought against Francis Ngannou at Kingdom Arena in October. AFP
    WBA heavyweight champion Tyson Fury fought against Francis Ngannou at Kingdom Arena in October. AFP
  • Anthony Joshua took on Otto Wallin on December 23 at the same venue. Getty Images
    Anthony Joshua took on Otto Wallin on December 23 at the same venue. Getty Images
  • Anthony Joshua celebrates after defeating Otto Wallin at Kingdom Arena. AP
    Anthony Joshua celebrates after defeating Otto Wallin at Kingdom Arena. AP

Inside Riyadh's Kingdom Arena, Saudi Arabia's new sports and entertainment centre


Neil Halligan
  • English
  • Arabic

In the few months since it opened, Riyadh's Kingdom Arena has hosted some of the world's biggest stars.

The 26,000-seat venue in the Hittin neighbourhood of the city was packed out on Monday to see Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal play Lionel Messi's Inter Miami as part of the Riyadh Season Cup football tournament.

It was the first time Kingdom Arena – formerly known as Boulevard Hall – hosted an event under its new name.

The multipurpose venue, which can host football, basketball, tennis and boxing, as well as live concerts, was built for Riyadh Season – the winter arts and culture festival that takes place over five months in the Saudi capital.

Its retractable roof means the venue can be used year-round. Inside, the stadium has 20 VIP boxes that can accommodate 350 people.

There's also a jumbotron – a four-sided video screen similar to those found in US basketball and ice hockey stadiums – hanging from the roof.

Part of the Boulevard City development, the structure was built in 60 days and was ready just in time for WBC champion Tyson Fury's fight against former UFC heavyweight title holder Francis Ngannou on October 28.

Last dance

It gives Riyadh football club Al Hilal a permanent home, having previously played at King Fahd International Stadium, Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium and King Saud University.

In September, Al Hilal signed an agreement with the General Entertainment Authority to play their home games at Boulevard Hall.

The 40 million Saudi riyal-a-year ($10.6 million) agreement included renaming the venue Kingdom Arena, after Prince Al Waleed bin Talal, a long-standing backer of Al-Hilal and founder of the Kingdom Holding Company, contributed 25 million riyals to the deal.

The venue will be full again on Thursday for the second match of the Riyadh Season Cup, which will see Lionel Messi, 36, face his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo, 38, in the Inter Miami vs Al-Nassr clash.

The match has been dubbed “The Last Dance” as it could be the final time the two football greats play on the same pitch.

Messi spent most of his career with Barcelona where he regularly battled arch-rival Real Madrid, spearheaded by Ronaldo between 2009 and 2018.

Off the pitch, their rivalry extended to the quest for individual awards, chiefly the Ballon d'Or, with Messi winning eight following his success in the 2023 poll and Ronaldo having five, the last of which came in 2017.

Their head-to-head record stands at 17 wins for Messi, 11 for Ronaldo and 9 draws.

On February 17, the eyes of the boxing world will be on Kingdom Arena when the heavyweight division is expected to crown an undisputed champion for the first time in almost 25 years with the meeting of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, the WBA, IBF and WBO champion.

Boxing was the first major event to be hosted at the then Boulevard Hall when Fury faced former UFC heavyweight title-holder Ngannou.

The high-profile fight, billed as the “Battle of the Baddest” was attended by musicians Eminem and Kanye West, as well as Ronaldo.

Anthony Joshua defeated Otto Wallin at the same venue in December, which saw Joseph Parker defeat former world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder in a unanimous points decision in the co-headline bout.

In June, the venue will host the kingdom's first UFC fight night. The event was due to take place on March 2, but was rescheduled to “ensure the best calibre of talent will be available”, Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Authority for Entertainment in Saudi Arabia, said on social media.

Euro 2020

Group A: Italy, Switzerland, Wales, Turkey 

Group B: Belgium, Russia, Denmark, Finland

Group C: Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria, 
Georgia/Kosovo/Belarus/North Macedonia

Group D: England, Croatia, Czech Republic, 
Scotland/Israel/Norway/Serbia

Group E: Spain, Poland, Sweden, 
N.Ireland/Bosnia/Slovakia/Ireland

Group F: Germany, France, Portugal, 
Iceland/Romania/Bulgaria/Hungary

Sreesanth's India bowling career

Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40

ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55

T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12

What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE

Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.

Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

The Africa Institute 101

Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction. 

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

MATCH INFO

Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')

Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')

The bio

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France

Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines

Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.

Favourite Author: My father for sure

Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst

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

UAE%20ILT20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMarquee%20players%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMoeen%20Ali%2C%20Andre%20Russell%2C%20Dawid%20Malan%2C%20Wanindu%20Hasiranga%2C%20Sunil%20Narine%2C%20Evin%20Lewis%2C%20Colin%20Munro%2C%20Fabien%20Allen%2C%20Sam%20Billings%2C%20Tom%20Curran%2C%20Alex%20Hales%2C%20Dushmantha%20Chameera%2C%20Shimron%20Hetmyer%2C%20Akeal%20Hosein%2C%20Chris%20Jordan%2C%20Tom%20Banton%2C%20Sandeep%20Lamichhane%2C%20Chris%20Lynn%2C%20Rovman%20Powell%2C%20Bhanuka%20Rajapaksa%2C%20Mujeeb%20Ul%20Rahman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInternational%20players%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ELahiru%20Kumara%2C%20Seekugge%20Prassanna%2C%20Charith%20Asalanka%2C%20Colin%20Ingram%2C%20Paul%20Stirling%2C%20Kennar%20Lewis%2C%20Ali%20Khan%2C%20Brandon%20Glover%2C%20Ravi%20Rampaul%2C%20Raymon%20Reifer%2C%20Isuru%20Udana%2C%20Blessing%20Muzarabani%2C%20Niroshan%20Dickwella%2C%20Hazaratullah%20Zazai%2C%20Frederick%20Klassen%2C%20Sikandar%20Raja%2C%20George%20Munsey%2C%20Dan%20Lawrence%2C%20Dominic%20Drakes%2C%20Jamie%20Overton%2C%20Liam%20Dawson%2C%20David%20Wiese%2C%20Qais%20Ahmed%2C%20Richard%20Gleeson%2C%20James%20Vince%2C%20Noor%20Ahmed%2C%20Rahmanullah%20Gurbaz%2C%20Navin%20Ul%20Haq%2C%20Sherfane%20Rutherford%2C%20Saqib%20Mahmood%2C%20Ben%20Duckett%2C%20Benny%20Howell%2C%20Ruben%20Trumpelman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

The specs

Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm

Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Kerb weight: 1580kg

Price: From Dh750k

On sale: via special order

New UK refugee system

 

  • A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
  • Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
  • A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
  • To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
  • Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
  • Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds

Name: Peter Dicce

Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics

Favourite sport: soccer

Favourite team: Bayern Munich

Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer

Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates 

 

500 People from Gaza enter France

115 Special programme for artists

25   Evacuation of injured and sick

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

Updated: January 31, 2024, 11:26 AM