Winter in the UAE marks the beginning of the region’s sporting season – and this year, it promises to be an action-packed line-up.
With Expo 2020 Dubai under way, Dubai Fitness Challenge set to begin, and a number of scheduled races and fitness events, it’s time to lace up those sneakers and hit the gym.
Here’s a look at some sporting events that are on the horizon, to get you motivated.
Jeep Tough Mudder, November 13, December 10, January 28
The world-famous obstacle race course – known for testing the foundations of teamwork and community – is back, with three events coming up. Jeep Tough Mudder will take place in Hatta on Saturday, November 13, Abu Dhabi’s Al Hudiyarat Island on Friday, December 10, and Fujairah Adventures Park on Friday, January 28. Mudders can expect a return to many of its popular challenges including the Pyramid Scheme that requires teamwork to scramble up a slippery slope, Spread Eagle, a tightrope challenge over water, and the Cage Crawl, where participants cling overhead to keep moving over 152 centimetres of water. There will be two course routes to choose from: the Jeep Tough Mudder 5K, which includes more than 13 obstacles on a 5km route, and the Jeep Tough Mudder Classic, which hosts 25-plus obstacles on a 10km route.
Saturday, November 13; Friday, December 10; Friday, January 28; entry from Dh257 for Tough Mudder 5K, ages 13+ and Dh312 for Tough Mudder Classic; toughmudderarabia.com
Expo 2020 Dubai Run, November 19
A new – and once-in-a-lifetime – event coming to Dubai’s race calendar this year is the Expo 2020 Dubai Run. It will take participants across the world fair's pavilions and allow them to admire the stunning architecture on foot. There will be three options, with 3km, 5km and 10km routes, and all participants will receive free entry to Expo 2020 for the run day, a custom T-shirt, medal, goody bags, chip timings and a digital certificate.
Friday, November 19; 7am onwards; from Dh50; Expo 2020 site; premieronline.com/event/expo_2020_dubai_run_5562
Spartan Trail Arabia, November 20, January 14, March 4, March 25
Spartan Trail Arabia is coming to the UAE for the first time, with four running events planned across some of the UAE's most famous settings.
The event kicks off with Hatta’s Wadi Hub on Saturday, November 20, with 10km and 21km routes available. The first event of 2022 will be held on Abu Dhabi’s Al Hudayriat Island on Friday, January 14 and has a 10km and 21km course route.
People will also be able to sign up for a 10km, 21km or 50km course route in Ras Al Khaimah’s Jebel Jais on Friday, March 4, and a 10km and 21km course route at Fujairah Adventure Park on Friday, March 25.
The races will take participants through mountain trails and stunning wadis. The top three competitors of each event will have the chance to claim prize money starting at $100, and all participants will receive a finisher T-shirt and medal. Participants of the 2022 events will also get the chance to earn the highly sought after Spartan Trail Arabia Trifecta medal.
Saturday, November 20; Friday, January 14; Friday, March 4; Friday, March 25; Dh915 ($249); spartantrailarabia.com
Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon, November 26
One of the biggest events on the UAE sporting calendar, the Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon was cancelled in 2020 owing to the pandemic, but is back again with a bang. This year, it will feature expanded age categories, with those between 6 and 70 allowed to participate. Families can sign up for the 2.5km or 5km runs, while there are more challenging 10km, full 42.2km marathon races and – new for the year – a marathon relay for teams of two. No matter the distance you sign up for, you’ll get to run along Abu Dhabi’s picturesque Corniche and loop around Qasr Al Hosn, one of the city’s most beautiful historical buildings. Winners of the elite men's and women's races take home $50,000 (Dh183,000) while there’s a $30,000 (Dh1,10,000) prize for those who break the current course record of 2hrs:04min:40sec for men and 2:21:01 for the women. All runners aged 16 to 70 must be vaccinated to participate, while those under 16 will need to show a negative PCR test, taken 48 hours before the event.
Friday, November 26; Dh350 for marathon, Dh550 for marathon relay, teams of two, Dh150 for 10km run, Dh75 for 5km run, Dh50 for the not-times 2.5km run; registrations open now at adnocabudhabimarathon.com/register-now/.
DFC Santa Run, December 10
Now in its third year, the Dubai Festival City Santa run is back to make sure everyone has a jolly good time. There will be three options for the untimed run – 1km, 2.5k and 5km. All participants get a finisher medal and a prize for the best costume.
Friday, December 10; 8.45am; Dh125 plus VAT; raceme.ae/event/dubai-santa-run/
Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge, February 18
Calling all cyclists! The Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge is back in February 2022. Cyclists can now reserve a place for the 92km race journey. This year, event organisers have planned a shorter course ride for first-timers, as well as a post-event race village for the riders, friends and family to enjoy. And if you need help preparing for the big day, there’s also a series of build-up rides planned at Al Qudra Cycle Track to help you get into shape. There will also be junior rides for children aged 2 to 15.
Friday, February 18; 6.15am onwards; Dh325 for the main event, Dh160 for the short course; venue to be announced; cyclechallenge.ae/register
Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon, February 18
The 15th annual Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon is back, and will take place on Friday, February 18, on the picturesque Al Marjan Island. Participants can register now for the event organised by RCS Sports and Events, and choose from four categories, with early bird prices from Dh295 for the half marathon, Dh500 for the two-person half marathon relay, Dh80 for the 5km, and Dh50 for the 1km fun run. Runners can expect gorgeous views of the ocean, framed by white sandy beaches on their run. This year, the event will also introduce new experiences such as VIP packages that include hotel stays, a special bag drop area and priority entrance to the starting line, if you want to turn this into a weekend or staycation experience.
Friday, February 18; 7am onwards; from Dh50; registrations now open; Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah; therakhalfmarathon.com
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
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.
Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
Info
What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
When: December 27-29, 2018
Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier
Results
UAE beat Saudi Arabia by 12 runs
Kuwait beat Iran by eight wickets
Oman beat Maldives by 10 wickets
Bahrain beat Qatar by six wickets
Semi-finals
UAE v Qatar
Bahrain v Kuwait
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
What should do investors do now?
What does the S&P 500's new all-time high mean for the average investor?
Should I be euphoric?
No. It's fine to be pleased about hearty returns on your investments. But it's not a good idea to tie your emotions closely to the ups and downs of the stock market. You'll get tired fast. This market moment comes on the heels of last year's nosedive. And it's not the first or last time the stock market will make a dramatic move.
So what happened?
It's more about what happened last year. Many of the concerns that triggered that plunge towards the end of last have largely been quelled. The US and China are slowly moving toward a trade agreement. The Federal Reserve has indicated it likely will not raise rates at all in 2019 after seven recent increases. And those changes, along with some strong earnings reports and broader healthy economic indicators, have fueled some optimism in stock markets.
"The panic in the fourth quarter was based mostly on fears," says Brent Schutte, chief investment strategist for Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. "The fundamentals have mostly held up, while the fears have gone away and the fears were based mostly on emotion."
Should I buy? Should I sell?
Maybe. It depends on what your long-term investment plan is. The best advice is usually the same no matter the day — determine your financial goals, make a plan to reach them and stick to it.
"I would encourage (investors) not to overreact to highs, just as I would encourage them not to overreact to the lows of December," Mr Schutte says.
All the same, there are some situations in which you should consider taking action. If you think you can't live through another low like last year, the time to get out is now. If the balance of assets in your portfolio is out of whack thanks to the rise of the stock market, make adjustments. And if you need your money in the next five to 10 years, it shouldn't be in stocks anyhow. But for most people, it's also a good time to just leave things be.
Resist the urge to abandon the diversification of your portfolio, Mr Schutte cautions. It may be tempting to shed other investments that aren't performing as well, such as some international stocks, but diversification is designed to help steady your performance over time.
Will the rally last?
No one knows for sure. But David Bailin, chief investment officer at Citi Private Bank, expects the US market could move up 5 per cent to 7 per cent more over the next nine to 12 months, provided the Fed doesn't raise rates and earnings growth exceeds current expectations. We are in a late cycle market, a period when US equities have historically done very well, but volatility also rises, he says.
"This phase can last six months to several years, but it's important clients remain invested and not try to prematurely position for a contraction of the market," Mr Bailin says. "Doing so would risk missing out on important portfolio returns."
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Meg%202%3A%20The%20Trench
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBen%20Wheatley%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJason%20Statham%2C%20Jing%20Wu%2C%20Cliff%20Curtis%2C%20Page%20Kennedy%2C%20Cliff%20Curtis%2C%20Melissanthi%20Mahut%20and%20Shuya%20Sophia%20Cai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
Rating: 3/5
UAE release: January 31
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm
Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: L/100km
Price: Dh306,495
On sale: now
Profile of Udrive
Date started: March 2016
Founder: Hasib Khan
Based: Dubai
Employees: 40
Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.
