Promoting Mahdi Ali to the role of senior national coach is the correct move, but given the nation's long history of seeking foreign aid in the running of their football teams, it is also a bold one by the Football Association.
From Carlos Alberto Parreira in the 1980s down through the years, the UAE have begun each World Cup cycle by scouring the planet for an expatriate with World Cup credentials, including Antoni Piechniczek, Roy Hodgson, Dick Advocaat, Bruno Metso and Srecko Katanec.
It was Parreira who put in motion the plan that led to the 1990 World Cup, and the pattern was set.
Mahdi Ali did not play in Italy 1990, but he would have, except for injury. And now he has led the UAE's most promising age-group side in two decades to the Olympics and returns from London 2012 with a point and several memorable moments.
To ponder his choices in the first XI or in the side is to wonder what else he might have done.
To consider the UAE scored three goals in England while the 2011 Asian Cup team scored zero in Doha demonstrates that he has a mind for attacking football that makes the Emiratis more fun for supporters and more dangerous to opponents.
His intimate knowledge of the young men who will form the senior team also cannot be discounted; he has been with many of them since they were 16. Their love and respect for him was evident during a very intense training camp ahead of London.
Mahdi Ali's teams have earned results and enthralled a nation, and he has shown the management skills to warrant a chance at the top job.
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz S 450
Price, base / as tested Dh525,000 / Dh559,000
Engine: 3.0L V6 biturbo
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
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Fuel economy, combined: 8.0L / 100km
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
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In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
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Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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VERSTAPPEN'S FIRSTS
Youngest F1 driver (17 years 3 days Japan 2014)
Youngest driver to start an F1 race (17 years 166 days – Australia 2015)
Youngest F1 driver to score points (17 years 180 days - Malaysia 2015)
Youngest driver to lead an F1 race (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest driver to set an F1 fastest lap (19 years 44 days – Brazil 2016)
Youngest on F1 podium finish (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest F1 winner (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest multiple F1 race winner (Mexico 2017/18)
Youngest F1 driver to win the same race (Mexico 2017/18)
Jigra
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Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
The specs: 2019 Audi A8
Price From Dh390,000
Engine 3.0L V6 turbo
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 345hp @ 5,000rpm
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Fuel economy, combined 7.5L / 100km
Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.