Few occasions bring people together the way sporting events do. For a world experiencing the painful burden of distance under the weight of a pandemic, it can be said without a doubt that a coming together of sorts – perhaps not physically, but in spirit – is sorely needed.
International sporting action returns to the UAE this weekend when "UFC Fight Island", a two-week-long mixed martial arts competition, begins in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. It marks the first time a high-profile athletic event is to be held in the Emirates since March, when the coronavirus outbreak forced almost all of the major tournaments and leagues around the world to be called off or postponed. It also serves as a timely reminder that, in these immensely difficult times when normal life has been upended by Covid-19, the show can go on.
This is not the first event to be held globally since the pandemic forced a time-out in sport. Most football leagues across Europe returned to action in June and a cricket match between England and the West Indies is currently under way in the English city of Southampton.
Fight Island, however, is receiving an enormous amount of global attention for a variety of reasons.
A UFC Fight Island sign at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy DCT-Abu Dhabi
An octagon on the beach for UFC Fight Island. Courtesy DCT-Abu Dhabi
UFC Fight Island branding can be seen outside Yas Links golf club. Courtesy DCT-Abu Dhabi
A UFC Fight Island sign on Yas Island. Courtesy DCT-Abu Dhabi
The setup outside Flash Forum for UFC Fight Island. Courtesy DCT-Abu Dhabi
UFC Fight Island branding can be seen outside Yas Links golf club. Courtesy DCT-Abu Dhabi
An octagon on the beach for UFC Fight Island. Courtesy DCT-Abu Dhabi
A UFC Fight Island board on Yas Island with Ferrari World in the background. Courtesy DCT-Abu Dhabi
A UFC sign lights up outside the W Hotel on Yas Island. Courtesy DCT-Abu Dhabi
A sign for UFC Fight Island placed outside W Hotel on Yas Island. Courtesy DCT-Abu Dhabi
A social distancing sign inside the W Hotel on Yas Island. Courtesy DCT-Abu Dhabi
A social distancing sign is placed on a table inside W Hotel. Courtesy DCT-Abu Dhabi
A view outside the W Hotel on Yas Island where UFC fighters will stay. Courtesy DCT-Abu Dhabi
An In Abu Dhabi sign has been placed on Yas Beach. Courtesy DCT-Abu Dhabi
A UFC sign has been placed outside the W Hotel on Yas Island. Courtesy DCT-Abu Dhabi
A view outside the W Hotel and Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island. Courtesy DCT-Abu Dhabi
Outside seating area at the W Hotel on Yas Island. Courtesy DCT-Abu Dhabi
Outside seating area at the W Hotel on Yas Island. Courtesy DCT-Abu Dhabi
First, it has taken the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the world's leading MMA production, a matter of mere weeks to put it together, at relatively short notice, and at a time when the pandemic continues to be a part of daily life.
The event also serves as a statement of intent, for the organisers and the host nation: despite the adverse impact of Covid-19 on lives and livelihoods, humankind should still be able to enjoy what life has to offer, not least one of its most soul-nourishing pastimes. This intention was reflected in the fact that the UFC announced the concept for this competition as early as April, when other sports were still grappling with the difficult question of when, or even whether, to return to action.
Furthermore, with one of the UAE’s biggest strengths being its ability to host high-profile sporting events, Fight Island serves as a signal to the world that the country is once again open for business, with appropriate planning and care. Over the past three decades, the Emirates has built its reputation as the pre-eminent destination for a wide variety of international competitions, including Formula One racing, Dubai Rugby Sevens, Test cricket and the Special Olympics.
Few countries can match the UAE's profile as a hub for sports tourism. That the UFC was able to swiftly replace its original headline act Gilbert Burns, who pulled out after testing positive for coronavirus, with Jorge Masvidal, another fighter of global repute, less than a week before UFC 251, is testament to this fact.
The reasons for the country's attractiveness in this regard are many – including a strong middle class, an advantageous geographic location and the ease of doing business. The third factor was particularly crucial for the UAE last month when it secured the right to host Fight Island. In the weeks since, Abu Dhabi has pulled out all the stops, involving government agencies, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and Etihad Airways in putting together the event to be held on Yas Island, the home of the annual Abu Dhabi Grand Prix F1 race.
Four months ago, the pandemic delivered a knockdown blow against the world of sport. Which is to say that the global sports industry, valued at $471 billion by the World Economic Forum in 2018, sustained injuries that were so debilitating that it could not fight the good fight, at least temporarily.
We should welcome the fact that, even as it gingerly returns to action, sport is ready to fight again.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Uefa Nations League: How it Works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
