Fifa has opened the door to another winter World Cup after publishing an evaluation report into the proposed 2034 tournament in Saudi Arabia.
Two years ago Qatar hosted the first winter World Cup, enabled by a break in the regular club season to allow the finals to be played in November and December.
Fifa’s report highlights that daytime temperatures in Riyadh in June and July, when the finals are traditionally played, exceed 40 degrees Celsius. The report cites an "elevated risk” in terms of timing because of the kingdom's climate, and says the bid “does not stipulate a proposed window” for the tournament to take place.
“Taking into consideration local climatic conditions as well as the local calendar of sporting and cultural events taking place in 2034, the exercise of identifying the optimal window for the competition brings with it some complexities,” the report states.
“Nevertheless, the substantial lead-in time to arrive at a men’s international match calendar for 2034 and the flexibility and spirit of collaboration demonstrated by the bidder serve as partially mitigating factors.”
Fifa's report also scores Saudi Arabia’s bid as low risk for sustainability and environmental protection.
“While the extent of construction would have a material environmental impact, the bid provides a good foundation for delivering mitigation measures to address some of the environment-related challenges,” it stated.
The 2030 tournament is set to be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, while the opening three matches will take place in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay in South America to mark the World Cup's centenary. The first ever World Cup was staged in Uruguay in 1930.
The official confirmation of both tournaments' respective hosts is set to take place at a Fifa Congress on December 11. Saudi Arabia is the sole bidder for 2034.
Earlier this month the kingdom unveiled design plans for the King Salman Stadium, a 92,000-capacity facility in Riyadh set to stage the opening match and final of the 2034 tournament.
The Saudi sports ministry unveiled a promotional video made with computer-generated imagery to offer a first look at the stadium which is scheduled to be completed in 2029.
The Populous-designed stadium is set to serve as the main base of the Saudi Arabia national team and will be part of a sports complex featuring an indoor sports hall, an Olympic-sized pool and other facilities
The main stadium will have a gross seating capacity of more than 92,000, with amenities including a royal box, hospitality skyboxes and lounges, 300 VVIP seats, and 2,200 VIP seats. The venue will feature internal screens, gardens and a walking path on its roof with panoramic views of King Abdulaziz Park.
"The 2034 World Cup is our invitation to the world to witness Saudi Arabia's development, experience its welcoming society, culture and heritage and become part of its history," said Saudi Arabia Football Federation president Yasser Al Misehal.
"Fans can look forward enjoying a maximum of only, I would say, three hours flying time between cities and stadiums while exploring our mountains, our islands, and of course our culture. Everything will be connected with state-of-the-art facilities to guarantee an amazing fan experience."
Shireen Hamdan, general manager of Populous KSA, said: “The King Salman Stadium and Masterplan is an innovative, iconic destination that will harmoniously blend the realm of sports with the beauty of nature. Beyond creating advanced sports facilities, the development aims to unite athleticism and the environment, inspiring all who engage with it.
“To achieve this, the design teams have drawn direct inspiration from nature’s patterns and elements. The design philosophy reflects a commitment to cutting-edge infrastructure while paying tribute to the intrinsic connection between sustainable development, human activity and the natural world.”
If you go
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Santiago, via Sao Paolo cost from Dh5,295 with Emirates.
The trip
A five-day trip (not including two days of flight travel) was split between Santiago and in Puerto Varas, with more time spent in the later where excursions were organised by TurisTour.
When to go
The summer months, from December to February are best though there is beauty in each season
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
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Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books
Which products are to be taxed?
To be taxed:
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
Products excluded from the ‘sweetened drink’ category would contain at least 75 per cent milk in a ready-to-drink form or as a milk substitute, baby formula, follow-up formula or baby food, beverages consumed for medicinal use and special dietary needs determined as per GCC Standardisation Organisation rules
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
