Since the Glazer family purchased one of the six franchises in the embryonic International League T20 a little over a year ago, the new entity has mostly downplayed its links with Manchester United.
The Premier League giants are also owned by Lancer Capital, whose chairman is Avram Glazer, and whose first foray into cricket will begin when Desert Vipers side face Sharjah Warriors in Dubai on Sunday.
As the side started its final preparations for the big kick off for the UAE’s new T20 league, there was at least a hint as to who is backing them.
On Monday morning in Jebel Ali, the Vipers unveiled their jersey. Colin Munro, the New Zealand opener who is the team’s captain, arrived on a speedboat from the tranquil waters of the Arabian Gulf wearing it.
Fittingly, it is a red shirt, with black detail. When they take the field for their opener against Sharjah, maybe they will be wearing white shorts and socks, and football boots, too.
“The owners are happy with how the shirts look,” said Phil Oliver, the Vipers’ chief executive. “There has been a consultation process and the owners have been pretty involved with that.
“We think it is bold, vibrant and different. We hope that is what the Desert Vipers are going to be in this tournament, and have a bit of bite as well.”
The Vipers are the only non-Indian owned side in the new competition, which involves a raft of players from overseas, as well as 24 from the UAE.
Three of the teams – Dubai Capitals, MI Emirates and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders – are run by the owners of Indian Premier League franchises.
While the other three sides may be giving away a little in terms of franchise league experience, the Vipers are confident they will be able to compete when the tournament gets under way.
Their side includes the likes of T20 World Cup winners Alex Hales and Tymal Mills, Sri Lankan all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga, as well as their in-form captain.
The jersey unveiling was Munro’s first duty after arriving on the red-eye flight from Australia’s Big Bash League, where he had been in fine touch for Brisbane Heat.
Next up will be trying to mould together a new set of players into a competitive unit, but he is confident.
“In terms of our management and coaching support staff, there is so much experience there,” Munro said.
“We have captains all the way through our line-up. I will be leaning on [Vipers’ England wicketkeeper Sam Billings] as much as I can, and have already had chats with him about our squad. We are already looking forward to it.
“It is pretty relaxed and the only thing extra I am going to have to do on game day is toss a coin.
“We have class the whole way down [the squad]. It is going to be tough to leave some of those players out, but you have to manage those squads as well as you can.
“If you can create a good environment, guys still want to be a part of it even if they are not playing, and are still giving at games and training, that is all I can ask for.”
Tom Moody, Vipers’ director of cricket, is targeting a place in the February 12 final in Dubai.
“There are good cricketers and teams that we will be coming across, but at the end of the day we feel confident we will be playing finals,” Moody said.
“That is the aim, to be there at the back end of the tournament. Hopefully we have some good form on our side, and a little bit of luck.”
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
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Mountain%20Boy
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FIXTURES
All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Brackets denote aggregate score
Tuesday:
Roma (1) v Shakhtar Donetsk (2), 11.45pm
Manchester United (0) v Sevilla (0), 11.45pm
Wednesday:
Besiktas (0) v Bayern Munich (5), 9pm
Barcelona (1) v Chelsea (1), 11.45pm
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
