Al Jazira keeper Ali Kosif dominates his area.
Al Jazira keeper Ali Kosif dominates his area.
Al Jazira keeper Ali Kosif dominates his area.
Al Jazira keeper Ali Kosif dominates his area.

Jazira keeping foot on the gas


Amith Passela
  • English
  • Arabic

ABU DHABI // Al Jazira travel to Khor Fakkan tomorrow night for their Etisalat Cup opener with Al Khaleej, whom they thrashed 6-1 two weeks ago in the Pro League at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium. It may seem a comparatively easy task for the league leaders but their Brazilian coach Abel Braga wants to guard against complacency. "We won the first meeting very convincingly," said Braga. "That's one of the reasons why we have to guard against complacency. In most cases the players tend to take it easy when they know the opposition is weak.

"We want to win every game and to achieve that we need to play at our best. Khaleej will be a different team on their home turf and that has been proven many times." Braga has no intentions to try out a new starting XI so early in the season. And he said: "I want to start with the best available line-up and not just win this game, but win convincingly." Jazira will only be missing Ahmed Dada, who is on duty with the UAE national team for their World Cup qualifiers.

While Jazira travel in full strength, their neighbours Al Wahda will be severely weakened from the absence of national team players Ismail Matar, Haider Ali, Basheer Saeed, Mohammed al Shehhi and Mohammed Othman against defending champions Al Shabab in their away game. Besides the captain Abdulraheem Jumaa, who is out due of injury, there are fitness doubts over Moroccan defender Mourad Ainy and the Brazilian forward Alecsandro Barbosa. @Email:apassela@thenational.ae

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ipaf in numbers

Established: 2008

Prize money:  $50,000 (Dh183,650) for winners and $10,000 for those on the shortlist.

Winning novels: 13

Shortlisted novels: 66

Longlisted novels: 111

Total number of novels submitted: 1,780

Novels translated internationally: 66

10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

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 

BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES

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Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013