Baseball United has announced a historic partnership deal with the Saudi Baseball and Softball Federation (SBSF) that provides them an unlimited term to host professional league and tournaments in the kingdom.
It includes rights to new Baseball United franchises representing Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam – three of the kingdom’s largest cities, marking professional baseball's first foray into Saudi Arabia.
“This is a monumental day for the sport of baseball,” Kash Shaikh, chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Baseball United, said.
“Saudi Arabia is setting the pace for sports development, investment, and growth in the kingdom and beyond, and we are truly honoured to now include baseball within those ambitious plans.
“This agreement significantly elevates Baseball United’s standing and footprint within the region, and, just as importantly, enables us to work at the grassroots level to help grow the game in the Middle East’s largest country.
“We will also now expand our BU franchises into Saudi Arabia, building local fanbases in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, and helping to inspire more young people to fall in love with the game.”
Baseball United is the first professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and Indian subcontinent, and as part of the agreement, they will open a subsidiary in Saudi Arabia and partner with the SBSF to develop baseball in the kingdom.
It includes promoting the game across the region, developing local talent in Saudi Arabia, and designing training programmes and curriculums for players, coaches, and umpires at both the amateur and professional levels.
In addition, Baseball United will look to host future tournaments and league games in Saudi Arabia, appealing to the estimated 1.5 million baseball fans already in the country.
Formed in 2019, the SBSF is the youngest baseball federation in the world. Over the past five years, the federation has made significant inroads in developing the foundational infrastructure necessary to expand the game in the country.
The SBSF will now partner with Baseball United to develop its national team, with aims to compete in upcoming World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) tournaments.
Kash Shaikh, CEO and chairman of Baseball United, and Nayef bin Muhammad bin Abdul Mohsen bin Humaid, chairman of Saudi Baseball and Softball Federation after signing the partnership. Photo: Baseball United
The SBSF works in concert with Saudi Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia's roadmap for economic diversification, global engagement, and enhanced quality of life.
“On behalf of our federation, I am honoured to welcome Baseball United to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said Nayef bin Muhammad bin Abdul Mohsen bin Humaid, chairman of SBSF.
“Operating under the leadership of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee, the SBSF has worked to build and inspire a local community that loves and practices baseball and softball within Saudi Arabia, with aspirations to also reach international horizons and achievements.
“This partnership with Baseball United will help fuel that vision, and it will elevate the calibre of players, events, and attention for the sport here in Saudi Arabia. We are looking forward to many years of prosperity with Kash Shaikh and the entire Baseball United team.”
Baseball United began play in Dubai last November with its inaugural All-Star Showcase, the first professional baseball games in the history of the region. The event was broadcast in 127 countries, reaching what it said was an 200 million households.
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
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.
The Case For Trump
By Victor Davis Hanson
How to wear a kandura
Dos
Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
The Bio
Ram Buxani earned a salary of 125 rupees per month in 1959
Indian currency was then legal tender in the Trucial States.
He received the wages plus food, accommodation, a haircut and cinema ticket twice a month and actuals for shaving and laundry expenses
Buxani followed in his father’s footsteps when he applied for a job overseas
His father Jivat Ram worked in general merchandize store in Gibraltar and the Canary Islands in the early 1930s
Buxani grew the UAE business over several sectors from retail to financial services but is attached to the original textile business
He talks in detail about natural fibres, the texture of cloth, mirrorwork and embroidery
Buxani lives by a simple philosophy – do good to all
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
THE SPECS
Jaguar F-Pace SVR
Engine: 5-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 680Nm
Price: Dh465,071
PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP
Men’s:
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Nick Matthew (ENG)
Women's:
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
Dubai World Cup factbox
Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
