It only feels like a few weeks ago that Ilkay Gundogan was lifting the Champions League trophy for Manchester City and yet here we are, back again with European football's premier club competition about to kick into gear.
This will be the 69th season of the tournament formerly known as the European Cup but the 32nd year in its current Champions League format.
It will be the final one with the current format of 32 teams participating in group-stage section before its expansion next season.
Here is everything you need to know.
What is it?
The Uefa Champions League is the annual competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations – Uefa – and contested by top-division European clubs.
The group stage is contested by 32 teams consisting of eight groups of four who play each other in a round-robin format and look to qualify for the two-legged knockout phase.
When is it?
The first round of matches kick off on September 19 with the final games taking place on December 13. The knockout stages begin on February 13, 2024, while the final, being held at London's Wembley Stadium, is scheduled for June 1.
Who is playing?
GROUP A Galatasaray, FC Copenhagen, Bayern Munich, Manchester United.
GROUP B Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, Sevilla, Lens.
GROUP C Real Madrid, Union Berlin, Sporting Braga, Napoli.
GROUP D Benfica, Red Bull Salzburg, Real Sociedad, Inter Milan.
GROUP E Feyenoord, Celtic, Lazio, Atletico Madrid.
GROUP F AC Milan, Newcastle United, Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund.
GROUP G Young Boys, RB Leipzig, Manchester City, Red Star Belgrade.
GROUP H Barcelona, Royal Antwerp, Shakhtar Donetsk, FC Porto.
Who qualifies for knockout stage?
There will be 16 teams who qualify for the round of 16: the eight group winners and eight runners-up. The eight teams who finish third in the table drop down to the Europa League, while the bottom eight sides see their European adventure come to an end this season.
How much is the prize money?
Reaching the group stage €15.64 million
Group stage wins €2.8 million each
Group stage draws €960,000
Round of 16 €9.6 million
Quarter-finalists €10.6 million
Semi-finalists €12.5 million
Runners-up €15.5 million
Champions €20 million
Who are the current title holders?
English side Manchester City are the reigning champions after they defeated Italian club Inter Milan 1-0 in Istanbul thanks to Rodri's second-half goal.
Where can you watch the games?
The Champions League is being broadcast in the UAE and throughout the Mena region on beIN Sports.
Fixture list
GROUP A
Wednesday, September 20
Galatasaray v FC Copenhagen (8:45pm) / Bayern Munich v Manchester United (11pm)
Tuesday, October 3
FC Copenhagen v Bayern Munich (11pm) / Manchester United v Galatasaray (11pm)
Tuesday, October 24
Galatasaray v Bayern Munich (8:45pm) / Manchester United v FC Copenhagen (11pm)
Wednesday, November 8
Bayern Munich v Galatasaray (midnight) / FC Copenhagen v Manchester United (midnight)
Wednesday, November 29
Galatasaray v Manchester United (9.45pm) / Bayern Munich v FC Copenhagen (midnight)
Tuesday, December 12
FC Copenhagen v Galatasaray (midnight) / Manchester United v Bayern Munich (midnight)
GROUP B
Wednesday, September 20
Arsenal v PSV Eindhoven (11pm) / Sevilla v Lens (11pm)
Tuesday, October 3
Lens v Arsenal (11pm) / PSV Eindhoven v Sevilla (11pm)
Tuesday, October 24
Lens v PSV Eindhoven (11pm) / Sevilla v Arsenal (11pm)
Wednesday, November 8
Arsenal v Sevilla (midnight) / PSV Eindhoven v Lens (midnight)
Wednesday, November 29
Sevilla v PSV Eindhoven (9.45pm) / Arsenal v Lens (midnight)
Tuesday, December 12
Lens v Sevilla (9.45pm) / PSV Eindhoven v Arsenal (9.45pm)
GROUP C
Wednesday, September 20
Real Madrid v Union Berlin (8:45pm) / Sporting Braga v Napoli (11pm)
Tuesday, October 3
Union Berlin v Sporting Braga (8:45pm) / Napoli v Real Madrid (11pm)
Tuesday, October 24
Union Berlin v Napoli (11pm) / Sporting Braga v Real Madrid (11pm)
Wednesday, November 8
Napoli v Union Berlin (9.45pm) / Real Madrid v Sporting Braga (midnight)
Wednesday, November 29
Real Madrid v Napoli (midnight) / Sporting Braga v Union Berlin (midnight)
Tuesday, December 12
Union Berlin v Real Madrid (midnight) / Napoli v Sporting Braga (midnight)
GROUP D
Wednesday, September 20
Benfica v Red Bull Salzburg (11pm) / Real Sociedad v Inter Milan (11pm)
Tuesday, October 3
Red Bull Salzburg v Real Sociedad (8.45pm) / Inter Milan v Benfica (11pm)
Tuesday, October 24
Inter Milan v Red Bull Salzburg (8.45pm) / Benfica v Real Sociedad (11pm)
Wednesday, November 8
Real Sociedad v Benfica (9.45pm) / Red Bull Salzburg Inter Milan (midnight)
Wednesday, November 29
Benfica v Inter Milan (midnight) / Real Sociedad v Red Bull Salzburg (midnight)
Tuesday, December 12
Red Bull Salzburg v Benfica (midnight) / Inter Milan v Real Sociedad (midnight)
GROUP E
Tuesday, September 19
Feyenoord v Celtic (11pm) / Lazio v Atletico Madrid (11pm)
Wednesday, October 4
Atletico Madrid v Feyenoord (8.45pm) / Celtic v Lazio (11pm)
Wednesday, October 25
Feyenoord v Lazio (8.45pm) / Celtic v Atletico Madrid (11pm)
Tuesday, November 7
Atletico Madrid v Celtic (midnight) / Lazio v Feyenoord (midnight)
Tuesday, November 28
Lazio v Celtic (9.45pm) / Feyenoord v Atletico Madrid (midnight)
Wednesday, December 13
Atletico Madrid v Lazio (11pm) / Celtic v Feyenoord (midnight)
GROUP F
Tuesday, September 19
AC Milan v Newcastle United (8.45pm) / Paris Saint-Germain v Borussia Dortmund (11pm)
Wednesday, October 4
Borussia Dortmund v AC Milan (11pm) / Newcastle United v Paris Saint-Germain (11pm)
Wednesday, October 25
Newcastle United v Borussia Dortmund (11pm) / Paris Saint-Germain v AC Milan (11pm)
Tuesday, November 7
Borussia Dortmund v Newcastle United (9.45pm) / AC Milan v Paris Saint-Germain (midnight)
Tuesday, November 28
AC Milan v Borussia Dortmund (midnight) / Paris Saint-Germain v Newcastle United (midnight)
Wednesday, December 13
Borussia Dortmund v Paris Saint-Germain (midnight) / Newcastle United v AC Milan (midnight)
GROUP G
Tuesday, September 19
Young Boys v RB Leipzig (8.45pm) / Manchester City v Red Star Belgrade (11pm)
Wednesday, October 4
Red Star Belgrade v Young Boys (11pm) / RB Leipzig v Manchester City (11pm)
Wednesday, October 25
RB Leipzig v Red Star Belgrade (11pm) / Young Boys v Manchester City (11pm)
Tuesday, November 7
Red Star Belgrade v RB Leipzig (11pm) / Manchester City v Young Boys (11pm)
Tuesday, November 28
Manchester City v RB Leipzig (11pm) / Young Boys v Red Star Belgrade (11pm)
Wednesday, December 13
Red Star Belgrade v Manchester City (9.45pm) v RB Leipzig v Young Boys (9.45pm)
GROUP H
Tuesday, September 19
Barcelona v Royal Antwerp (11pm) / Shakhtar Donetsk v FC Porto (11pm)
Wednesday, October 4
Royal Antwerp v Shakhtar Donetsk (8.45pm) / FC Porto v Barcelona (11pm)
Wednesday, October 25
Barcelona v Shakhtar Donetsk (8.45pm) / Royal Antwerp v FC Porto (11pm)
Tuesday, November 7
Shakhtar Donetsk v Barcelona (9.45pm) / FC Porto v Royal Antwerp (midnight)
Tuesday, November 28
Shakhtar Donetsk v Royal Antwerp (9.45pm) / Barcelona v FC Porto (midnight)
Wednesday, December 13
FC Porto v Shakhtar Donetsk (midnight) / Royal Antwerp v Barcelona (midnight)
The full list of 2020 Brit Award nominees (winners in bold):
British group
Coldplay
Foals
Bring me the Horizon
D-Block Europe
Bastille
British Female
Mabel
Freya Ridings
FKA Twigs
Charli xcx
Mahalia
British male
Harry Styles
Lewis Capaldi
Dave
Michael Kiwanuka
Stormzy
Best new artist
Aitch
Lewis Capaldi
Dave
Mabel
Sam Fender
Best song
Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber - I Don’t Care
Mabel - Don’t Call Me Up
Calvin Harrison and Rag’n’Bone Man - Giant
Dave - Location
Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart
AJ Tracey - Ladbroke Grove
Lewis Capaldi - Someone you Loved
Tom Walker - Just You and I
Sam Smith and Normani - Dancing with a Stranger
Stormzy - Vossi Bop
International female
Ariana Grande
Billie Eilish
Camila Cabello
Lana Del Rey
Lizzo
International male
Bruce Springsteen
Burna Boy
Tyler, The Creator
Dermot Kennedy
Post Malone
Best album
Stormzy - Heavy is the Head
Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka
Lewis Capaldi - Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent
Dave - Psychodrama
Harry Styles - Fine Line
Rising star
Celeste
Joy Crookes
beabadoobee
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre
Power: 325hp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh189,700
On sale: now
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
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Jaguar E-Pace First Edition
Price, base / as tested: Dh186,480 / Dh252,735
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 246hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 365Nm @ 1,200rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
EA Sports FC 24
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
The essentials
What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
When: Friday until March 9
Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City
Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.
Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.
Information: www.emirateslitfest.com
