DUBAI // Al Ahli moved early in the transfer window to secure the services of Ricardo Quaresma, but Quique Sanchez Flores's team are unlikely to reap the benefits until after the market closes at the end of the month.
Quaresma, the 29 year old former Barcelona and Inter Milan winger, was announced as having moved to the Rashid Stadium last week from Turkish side Besiktas.
However, Sanchez-Flores, the Portuguese midfielder's new coach, says his latest acquisition is short on fitness and could take up to three weeks to be fit enough to feature for the Red Knights.
"He needs to train very hard," Sanchez Flores said. "He wants to train, he wants to be at his best level, but at the moment we will have to work with him and wait a little. I think maybe in the next three weeks he will reach the performance level we are looking for, but for now he has to train."
Ahli face Ajman on Wednesday night in the Etisalat Cup, but Quaresma will not feature as Sanchez Flores looks to experiment.
"He is not ready to play. He is doing training twice a day and this is what is best for him," the Spanish coach said.
"The weight is not bad; it is more or less his ideal weight. It is more his anaerobic endurance and his feeling physically on the pitch. Once that returns, that will be the moment to put him in the team."
Rumours in recent days have suggested the high profile signing of Quaresma might be complemented with the transfer of Pablo Aimar, the attacking midfielder from Benfica.
Sanchez Flores said the Argentine is a player he knows from his days as coach at the Portuguese club, but refused to comment on the speculation.
Ahli already have an excess of foreign players and will need to sell or loan out at least one before the end of the month to meet Pro League regulations. It appears Achille Emana will depart with Al Wasl keen to sign the Cameroon midfielder. Yet as of last night, Sanchez Flores revealed the 30 year old is still with the club.
"Emana trained this morning and is still part of the team," the coach said. "The club [want to] move him and we have brought in Quaresma, but these decisions are always the board's. This club is professional and works in such a way.
"There is good communication between the sporting director, the president, Fabio Cannavaro [the technical consultant] and coaches. Every time a player comes in, its because we have talked a lot about him and we think it is for the best for the club."
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Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
RACE CARD
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- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
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