Al Hilal manager Jorge Jesus says his side are more concerned with winning trophies than breaking records, despite the opportunity to enter the history books in the Asian Champions League quarter-final second leg on Tuesday night.
The Riyadh side, record four-time Asian champions, take on fellow Saudi Arabian club Al Ittihad in Jeddah with a place in the last four at stake.
Hilal triumphed 2-0 in the first leg at home last week, with Aleksandar Mitrovic opening the scoring from the penalty spot and reigning Asian Footballer of the Year Salem Al Dawsari scoring minutes later to place his team in pole position to advance.
Hilal, who lead the Saudi Pro League by 12 points, defeated Al Riyadh 3-1 on Friday to claim a 27th successive victory and thus equal the world record for wins on the bounce. Welsh club The New Saints set the mark in the 2016/17 season, surpassing a 45-year record held previously by Ajax.
However, Jesus emphasised that Hilal are focused much more on adding to their already-stocked trophy cabinet, a quest that resumes with Tuesday night’s all-Saudi clash at King Abdullah Sports City.
“The win record is a secondary plan that has come about,” the Portuguese said. “If the record comes about, it is history for the players, the coach and the club.
“It’s a world record but it’s not a title; titles are the league, the [King’s Cup] and the Asian Champions League. It’s true that the more you win then the closer you are to achieving your objectives, and we welcome that.
“[Against Al Riyadh], we didn’t show a lot of freshness, but we showed sufficiency to achieve the target of winning the game. We are prepared for Ittihad in the Champions League.”
Hilal, runners-up in last year's competition, go into the Ittihad encounter not only with a healthy advantage, but with a number of their star players in fine form.
Mitrovic netted a penalty against Riyadh last week to take his league tally to 20 goals in 22 matches since joining last summer from Premier League side Fulham – second only to Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo. The Serbian international, 29, sits as joint-top scorer in the Champions League, with eight goals in nine appearances.
Mitrovic has been ably supported of late by midfielders Ruben Neves and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and forward Malcom – like the former Newcastle United striker, the trio are in their debut campaign with Hilal – while Al Dawsari continues to prove a standout in both the domestic league and in Asia.
“Sergej and Ruben are among the players that have played the most minutes this season,” said Jesus regarding his decision to start both on the bench against Riyadh. “I felt that after the last game against Ittihad that they were a little bit tired.
“I tried to give them a little bit more rest by not starting against Riyadh, so that they can be more ready and fresh for the next game against Ittihad.
“They are fundamental players in the team and it’s important that we have them well recovered. It’s also important we can recover Salem for the next match. Every game we make three to four changes, and the weekend match was similar.
“Both Sergej and Ruben have big intensity when they are on the field. Against Al Riyadh, they were influential when they came on. Like Malcolm and Salem, we always want to keep them at their highest level of freshness.”
In contrast, Ittihad go into the second leg without instrumental midfielder N’Golo Kante. The 2018 World Cup winner is suspended after being sent off last week for a late tackle on Kalidou Koulibaly, another former Chelsea player.
Ittihad, Asian champions in 2004 and 2005, were already missing Karim Benzema, the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner, through injury. The former Real Madrid forward is not expected to be available for Tuesday’s return fixture.
However, Ittihad manager Marcelo Gallardo said on Monday: “I am completely confident that in tomorrow's match we will be fully focused and avoid mistakes. In the last match, we lost our concentration within minutes and conceded two goals.
“Tomorrow we must be fully focused in order to turn around the tie. The key is good mental preparation and concentration in all positions.”
The Argentine added: “In football, anything is possible, especially when it comes to will and initiative and being the best from the beginning. But I promise the fans that the team will represent them well from the first minute until the last.”
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
ATP WORLD No 1
2004 Roger Federer
2005 Roger Federer
2006 Roger Federer
2007 Roger Federer
2008 Rafael Nadal
2009 Roger Federer
2010 Rafael Nadal
2011 Novak Djokovic
2012 Novak Djokovic
2013 Rafael Nadal
2014 Novak Djokovic
2015 Novak Djokovic
2016 Andy Murray
2017 Rafael Nadal
2018 Novak Djokovic
2019 Rafael Nadal
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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.”
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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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
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
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Anna and the Apocalypse
Director: John McPhail
Starring: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Mark Benton
Three stars
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About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
