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.
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)
TV: Abu Dhabi Sports
The%20Killer
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In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Remaining Fixtures
Wednesday: West Indies v Scotland
Thursday: UAE v Zimbabwe
Friday: Afghanistan v Ireland
Sunday: Final
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Fifa Club World Cup quarter-final
Esperance de Tunis 0
Al Ain 3 (Ahmed 02’, El Shahat 17’, Al Ahbabi 60’)
England World Cup squad
Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
Meydan Racecourse racecard:
6.30pm: The Madjani Stakes Listed (PA) | Dh175,000 | 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden for 2-year-old fillies (TB) | Dh165,000 | 1,400m
7.40pm: The Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) | Dh265,000 | 1,600m
8.15pm: Maiden for 2-year-old colts (TB) | Dh165,000 | 1,600m
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) | Dh265,000 | 2,000m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh190,000 | 1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh190,000 | 1,600m.
Countries offering golden visas
UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Scores in brief:
Boost Defenders 205-5 in 20 overs
(Colin Ingram 84 not out, Cameron Delport 36, William Somerville 2-28)
bt Auckland Aces 170 for 5 in 20 overs
(Rob O’Donnell 67 not out, Kyle Abbott 3-21).
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
RESULT
Argentina 0 Croatia 3
Croatia: Rebic (53'), Modric (80'), Rakitic (90' 1)
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
