It's 7am and Sharjah International Airport is abuzz with talk of a missing person.
Saudi football fans, wearing the recognisable green jersey of their national team, approach a group of Argentine supporters at the departure gates feigning deep concern.
“Excuse me,” says a young woman wearing the Saudi team scarf.
“We are just looking for Messi? Have you seen him?”
Her cheeky inquiry is a joke that went viral on social media after Saudi Arabia’s stunning World Cup victory against Argentina — a match in which Lionel Messi’s powers were rendered mute by the efficient Saudi defence.
The quip has become so popular it is now the standard Qatar World Cup greeting when seeing a Saudi football fan in public, with the reply often being variations of “he’s in my pocket.”
To their credit, the Argentines took the dig with grace and dished some shade of their own.
When realising their Saudi counterparts were joining them on their flight to Doha to experience the World Cup, they correctly predicted the Saudi side would be out of the tournament “before Sunday breakfast.”
It was a lovely moment epitomising the fun rivalry and regional pride that is coming to define the Qatar World Cup.
‘It feels like a wedding’
While the tournament is marketed as a global sporting celebration, on the ground and through the eyes of supporters from the region, this is an Arab tournament where the rest of world are invited as honourable guests.
Such a view must mean fans' support is shared — within reason — across all regional teams, thus making their matches feel like home games.
This was the hunch some friends and I acted on when we decided to watch Mena teams play at the tournament, instead of giant sides such as Brazil, France and Germany.
Our collective effort in scouring the official ticketing site bore fruit with access to matches featuring Tunisia and Morocco.
We were not only rewarded with two of the most pulsating games of the tournament, but we were given an affecting insight into fan culture, transcending the colours of jerseys and encompassing a shared history and heritage.
With many employers in Qatar offering flexible working hours during the first week of the World Cup, communities from the Mena region were able to gather to watch the games.
“This feels like a wedding,” said Tunisian fan Abdi Hamad, while standing amid a sea of supporters from his homeland outside the gates of Al Janoub Stadium an hour before his team's kick-off against Australia.
“There are about 40,000 Tunisians here in Qatar and we work in various areas like education, medicine and like me in hospitality.
"We try to create events where we can see each other but it has been tough with Covid-19 and everyone being busy.
“So seeing our countrymen play in our second home here in Qatar is the perfect chance for all of us to go out.”
And that solidarity is also heard, both in the roars reverberating through the stadium and in the whispers emanating from the venue’s numerous prayer halls during the half-time break.
When entering the space for the noon prayer, an excited Tunisian fan implores me to supplicate for a victory.
They lost to the Aussies, but perhaps a victory can be found in the sight of a community reconnected after the hardships of the past two years.
A home from home
Meanwhile, at Souq Waqif in central Doha, thousands of Moroccan fans were celebrating prior to the next day’s match against their arch rivals Belgium.
At the main courtyard near the gates of the landmark, supporters were singing folk songs and the national anthem.
“We feel comfortable here,” said Moroccan fan Abdelhadi Mountaki, who had travelled to Doha from the Austrian city of Graz.
“I have been here for three days now and what surprised me about the World Cup here is that I feel at home.
“A lot of times when Arab and African teams play, the supporters feel like we are in the minority and we really can’t express ourselves like we want to. This World Cup is different. We are now the home team and we will celebrate and support our teams in a big way.”
True to his word, Mountaki was part of the 40,000-strong crowd that turned Al Thumama Stadium in Doha into a melting pot, where the Belgians succumbed to another shock defeat.
The party atmosphere continued as we left the stadium, with fans chanting football songs and video-calling family members in Morocco to fill them in.
Draped in the Moroccan flag and cheeks smeared with streaks of red and green, Filali Said, from Tangier, couldn't decide whether he was emotional because of the victory or from the strain of a long day on his feet.
"I am tired but so happy. This is one of those moments you tell your friends and family; that you were there to see history," he says.
"The atmosphere felt like we were back in Morocco and the team felt this love from all the Arab and African fans here in Qatar with us."
With the knockout stages of the World Cup beginning on Saturday, the climb for Mena teams to the tournament's summit will feel steep, as the big sides such as Spain and Brazil show off their winning credentials.
Messi has also been seemingly found, with a commanding performance in Argentina’s victory against Mexico.
Although it appears that footballing laws of nature are steadily being restored, the Qatar World Cup has already proved that the Mena region, through its big-hearted fans and brave teams, is a force to be reckoned with.
The best football fans at the Qatar World Cup 2022 so far — in pictures
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The End of Loneliness
Benedict Wells
Translated from the German by Charlotte Collins
Sceptre
The specs: 2018 Honda City
Price, base: From Dh57,000
Engine: 1.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 118hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 146Nm @ 4,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.8L / 100km
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The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
Results
International 4, United States 1
Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods (US) beat Marc Leishman and Joaquin Niemann (International) 4 and 3.
Adam Hadwin and Sungjae Im (International) beat Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay (US) 2 up.
Adam Scott and Byeong Hun An (International) beat Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau (US) 2 and 1.
Hideki Matsuyama and C.T. Pan (International) beat Webb Simpson and Patrick Reed (US) 1 up.
Abraham Ancer and Louis Oosthuizen (International) beat Dustin Johnson and Gary Woodland (US) 4 and 3.
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
PAST 10 BRITISH GRAND PRIX WINNERS
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2015 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2013 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes-GP)
2012 - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
2011 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
2010 - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2008 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2007 - Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
Bio
Born in Dibba, Sharjah in 1972.
He is the eldest among 11 brothers and sisters.
He was educated in Sharjah schools and is a graduate of UAE University in Al Ain.
He has written poetry for 30 years and has had work published in local newspapers.
He likes all kinds of adventure movies that relate to his work.
His dream is a safe and preserved environment for all humankind.
His favourite book is The Quran, and 'Maze of Innovation and Creativity', written by his brother.
India cancels school-leaving examinations
RESULT
Chelsea 2
Willian 13'
Ross Barkley 64'
Liverpool 0
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Raghida, Szczepan Mazur (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: AF Alareeq, Connor Beasley, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-2 Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 2,200m
Winner: Basmah, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Liwa Oasis Group 2 (PA) Dh300,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Alwajel, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: SS Jalmod, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Trolius, Ryan Powell, Simon Crisford
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
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
