Football fever is rising with the approach of the Euro 2012 tournament which starts on Friday.
Football fever is rising with the approach of the Euro 2012 tournament which starts on Friday.
Football fever is rising with the approach of the Euro 2012 tournament which starts on Friday.
Football fever is rising with the approach of the Euro 2012 tournament which starts on Friday.

It's all about to kick off: the best Abu Dhabi venues to watch Euro 2012


Saeed Saeed
  • English
  • Arabic

1. Team: Y-Bar

Formation: eight television screens ranging from 42 to 50 inches, plus a 1.2-metre projector.

Vibe: a modern and chic setting, with an array of lounges and stools and spruced up with football merchandise, with the staff wearing football shirts.

Venue: Yas Island Rotana at Yas Island. 12pm-1.30am. Free entry. 02 656 4000.

2. Team: NRG

Formation: seven projector screens of various sizes, indoor and at the outdoor garden.

Vibe: fun, loud - patrons can square off on the Fifa Championship PlayStation competition with funds going to charity

Venue: Le Meridien, Abu Dhabi Tourist Club. Open according to match times. Free entry until the quarter-finals, then Dh75 fee applies. 02 644 6666.

3. Team: Cristal Bar

Formation: 45-inch screens.

Vibe: the anti-sports bar - for those wanting to view the matches in elegant, intimate surroundings. An in-house jazz pianist will be there to soundtrack the joys and sorrows of the matches.

Venue: Millennium Hotel, Al Markaziyah. 5pm-2am. Free entry. 02 614 6000.

4. Team: Plaza Bar

Formation: over a dozen 42-inch screens and two projectors in a fully air-conditioned tent.

Vibe: the tent can hold over 400 people. Shisha will be available, as well as live DJ performances and a daily raffle.

Venue: Shangri-La Hotel Qaryat Al Beri, Bain Al Jessrain. 6pm-3am. Entry fee Dh75, with group packages from Dh1,000. 02 509 8888.

5. Team: Brahaus

Formation: 32-inch and 47-inch screens, plus a 16ft projector, indoors, at the courtyard and on the terrace.

Vibe: "It's a lively crowd," says the manager Carl Peters. "People come in wearing different jerseys. It's a lot of fun." As well as the rich Bavarian cuisine on offer, specials includes burgers and hot dogs for Dh40.

Venue: Beach Rotana, Tourist Club. Free entry. 4pm-1am. 02 697 9000.

6. Team: Stars 'n' Bars

Formation: 40-inch screens.

Vibe: the most down to earth option in Yas Island, where one can go in his jersey, jeans and team hat. "We have a multicultural crowd," says the manager Ahmed El Saeed. "It's friendly, a good place if you're a sports fan."

Venue: Yas Island. 11.30-2.30am. Free entry. 02 565 0101.

7. Team: The Clubhouse

Formation: 46-inch screens.

Vibe: "It's a very sporty atmosphere," says The Clubhouse's Maria Gedeon. "We will screen all the games so nothing will be missed."

Venue: Zayed Sports City. Doors open half an hour before kick off. Free entry. 02 403 4200.

8. Team: Gardenia

Formation: 42-inch screens.

Vibe: lively - a great place to hang out with football-crazy youngsters. PlayStation consoles can be hired to play in private booths.

Venue: 12th Street, Khalidiyah, close to the Etisalat Tower and behind Lebanese Flower. Free entry. 02 632 3255.

9. Team: Crazy Horse

Formation: two large screens.

Vibe: a charming ramshackle of a venue, where old-timers catch up for a game of cards, with 1950s Egyptian ballads playing from a scratchy radio.

Venue: Tourist Club, 3rd Street. Behind the Russian Embassy. Open till late.

10. Team: The Village Club

Formation: two 5ft projectors in an outdoor air-conditioned tent.

Vibe: "Because it's outdoors, it has its own natural ambience," says The Village Club's Julia Jachowicz. "It's very laid back." A meal deal is offered, including a drink, shisha and finger food for Dh85.

Venue: One to One Hotel, Al Nahyan. 5pm till late. Entry fee Dh25-50. 02 495 2000.

11. Team: InterContinental Abu Dhabi

Formation: three large screens in both the Belgian Cafe and the Aquarius Pool Bar on the 3rd floor.

Vibe: the Belgian Cafe is always a popular option for football matches, with monitors inside and outside the restaurant. Those wanting more tranquil surroundings can check out the action by the pool deck at Aquarius.

Venue: InterContinental Abu Dhabi, Al Khubeirah. Free entry. 02 666 6888.

The Penguin

Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz

Creator: Lauren LeFranc

Rating: 4/5

Scorebox

Sharjah Wanderers 20-25 Dubai Tigers (After extra-time)

Wanderers

Tries Gormley, Penalty

Cons Flaherty

Pens Flaherty 2

Tigers

Tries O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly

Cons Caldwell 2

Pens Caldwell, Cross

ETFs explained

Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.

ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.

There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.

Which honey takes your fancy?

Al Ghaf Honey

The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year

Sidr Honey

The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest

Samar Honey

The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments

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

Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar

The results of the first round are as follows:

Qais Saied (Independent): 18.4 per cent

Nabil Karoui (Qalb Tounes): 15.58 per cent

Abdelfattah Mourou (Ennahdha party): 12.88 per cent

Abdelkarim Zbidi (two-time defence minister backed by Nidaa Tounes party): 10.7 per cent

Youssef Chahed (former prime minister, leader of Long Live Tunisia): 7.3 per cent

RESULTS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E9pm%3A%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(Dirt)%202%2C000m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Mubhir%20Al%20Ain%2C%20Antonio%20Fresu%20(jockey)%2C%20Ahmed%20Al%20Mehairbi%20(trainer)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E9.30pm%3A%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh70%2C000%20(D)%202%2C000m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Exciting%20Days%2C%20Oscar%20Chavez%2C%20Doug%20Watson%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E10pm%3A%20Al%20Ain%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Prestige%20(PA)%20Dh100%2C000%20(D)%202%2C000m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Suny%20Du%20Loup%2C%20Marcelino%20Rodrigues%2C%20Hamad%20Al%20Marar%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E10.30pm%3A%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(D)%201%2C800m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Jafar%20Des%20Arnets%2C%20Oscar%20Chavez%2C%20Ahmed%20Al%20Mehairbi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E11pm%3A%20Wathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(D)%201%2C600m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Taj%20Al%20Izz%2C%20Richard%20Mullen%2C%20Ibrahim%20Al%20Hadhrami%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E11.30pm%3A%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(D)%201%2C400m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Majdy%2C%20Antonio%20Fresu%2C%20Jean%20de%20Roualle%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E12am%3A%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(D)%201%2C400m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Hamloola%2C%20Sam%20Hitchcott%2C%20Salem%20Al%20Ketbi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A