The UAE were knocked out of the Fifa Arab Cup on Friday night, losing 5-0 to hosts Qatar in the quarter-final in Al Khor.
The national team, who qualified from the group stages as runners-up in their pool, conceded all five goals before half-time at a packed Al Bayt Stadium as the current Asian Cup champions ran rampant.
The UAE got off to the worst possible start, when an unprompted mistake from Mohanad Salem led eventually to an Ali Salmeen own goal. Seeking to thwart Qatar forward Akram Afif from tapping into the empty net, the Al Wasl midfielder could only divert a ricochet into the goal. There were only six minutes on the clock.
Qatar doubled their lead just before the half hour, when a Mahmoud Khamis handball gifted the home side a penalty. Striker Almoez Ali converted from the spot.
On 36 minutes, Qatar were awarded another penalty following another series of mistakes from the UAE, with Salmeen first giving away possession and goalkeeper Ali Khaseif then bringing down Ali as Salem attempted to stop the Qatar forward. A VAR review eventually confirmed the infringement. This time, Qatar defender Boualem Khoukhi kept his cool from 12 yards, sending the ball high into the corner.
Abdulaziz Hatem made it 4-0 a minute before half-time, the midfielder sweeping a beautiful right-footed shot into the top corner following a pull-back from Afif. Then, in stoppage time, the UAE’s woes were complete. Khaseif’s misplaced pass allowed Qatar to pounce, Afif then rolling in Ali who got his second of the night.
Speaking to a pitchside reporter immediately after the final whistle, shocked UAE manager Bert van Marwijk said: “First of all, it’s the first experience in my life, in my whole career. It sounds crazy, but in the first half we played good football. Only that actually we made all the goals ourselves, at least four. If you make such mistakes, the goals, then you get a game like this. It’s crazy.
“We do our utmost best all the time, we prepared the team as good as possible, very well I think, and there was confidence. You saw it in the beginning the way we play. We were better. It sounds crazy, for the third time, but if you make such mistakes... we gave the goals away ourselves."
Qatar, next year's Fifa World Cup hosts, will take on either Morocco or Algeria, with the North Africans facing off in their last-eight clash in Doha on Saturday. Tunisia are through to the last four already after defeating Oman 2-1 earlier on Friday.
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
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
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
