Abu Dhabi is “fully prepared” to welcome back spectators to live events when it is deemed safe to do so, although this weekend’s UFC 254 will go ahead behind closed doors.
Local organisers had assessed the possibility of allowing a limited number of fans to attend Saturday's much-anticipated conclusion to "Return to Fight Island", which is headlined by Khabib Nurmagomedov's lightweight unification bout against Justin Gaethje.
Etihad Arena was considered as a possible host venue, but the event will take place as originally planned at Flash Forum. Both Fight Island series - the UFC’s inaugural residency was staged in July - have been held at the facility, which sits inside a six square-kilometre “safe zone” on Yas Island. UFC 254 is the fifth event of the current run.
"We are aware how eager spectators are to return to UFC; the sport has a huge fan base in Abu Dhabi and across the region," Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, executive director, tourism and marketing at the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, told The National.
“However, health and safety is our No 1 priority, and to ensure that 'Return to Fight Island' continues to be a safe and secure environment for all parties, UFC 254, which promises to be a thrilling end to a series of five great events, will be held without spectators.
“We continue monitoring the local and global Covid-19 situation and are fully prepared to welcome spectators back to live events when it is safe to do so.”
On the plans to move UFC 254 to the Etihad Arena, which has yet to officially open, Al Shaiba said: “Our aim for 'Return to Fight Island' was to provide the best experience for UFC, fighters and personnel.
“Flash Forum has provided a fantastic home for the inaugural Fight Island in July and the current 'Return to Fight Island' series. It is fitting that we complete the series there with a memorable UFC 254.
“Etihad Arena will be the future home of UFC in Abu Dhabi. Any updates and announcements will be made in due course.”
Although the UFC has yet to confirm its return to Abu Dhabi, the promotion's president, Dana White, told The National last week that he was looking at February for the next Fight Island series.
White said also that he expected the capital to be first to welcome back spectators to live events. In response to the global pandemic, the UFC has not held an event with fans since UFC 248 in Las Vegas on March 7.
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The biog
Fast facts on Neil Armstrong’s personal life:
- Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930, in Wapakoneta, Ohio
- He earned his private pilot’s license when he was 16 – he could fly before he could drive
- There was tragedy in his married life: Neil and Janet Armstrong’s daughter Karen died at the age of two in 1962 after suffering a brain tumour. She was the couple’s only daughter. Their two sons, Rick and Mark, consulted on the film
- After Armstrong departed Nasa, he bought a farm in the town of Lebanon, Ohio, in 1971 – its airstrip allowed him to tap back into his love of flying
- In 1994, Janet divorced Neil after 38 years of marriage. Two years earlier, Neil met Carol Knight, who became his second wife in 1994
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
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
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
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
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