Olympic Dreams: Dubai-based British sprinter James Ellington 'blessed to be alive' as he targets third Games


John McAuley
  • English
  • Arabic

As part of our build-up to the Tokyo Olympics we will be profiling Arab athletes and para-athletes, as well as those from the Mena region hoping to make it to this summer's Games

James Ellington is a twice an Olympian, twice winner of gold at the European Athletics Championships, and a Commonwealth Games silver medalist.

However, contesting a third Olympics will undoubtedly rank as the Dubai-based British sprinter’s most remarkable achievement to date.

Not because five years will have passed between Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021, a longer-than-usual, pandemic-enforced stretch between Summer Games that must feel a lifetime in an athlete's relatively short career.

Not because, either, that Ellington is now 35, supposedly some way past his peak, his best days as a top-end 100-metre or 200-metre sprinter far behind and retirement beckoning.

What makes Ellington's story so compelling is that months after Rio and his fastest year in the sport, the London-born sprinter was involved in a road accident that threatened not only his career but his life.

In Tenerife in January 2017 for a warm-weather training camp, Ellington was riding a motorbike with fellow sprinter Nigel Levine when a car driven on the wrong side of the road struck them head on.

"Truly blessed to be alive", Ellington's injuries were severe. A fractured eye socket. A displaced pelvis, fractured also. The broken left ankle and fractured right tibia and fibula. The multiple lacerations, to the head, arms, legs and feet. Six pints of blood lost. Three surgeries. Six weeks in a wheelchair (initial prognosis was 12) and another six on crutches.

Running again was deemed highly improbable. Well, not quite by everyone.

"I know it sounds crazy, but I've always had the belief from the crash that I'd be back somehow," Ellington tells The National at Dubai Sports City before another training session and what he hopes is another step closer to Tokyo.

“I've always said that from the beginning. It's strange – I haven't done anything much different that I would’ve done before the crash in terms of training load or training stuff. I think maybe it's just more my mindset. I'm still dealing with the pain, but there's a different drive in me now.

“That's all I can put it down to. My mindset's completely different. Before, when I was running, you get caught up in, not being comfortable or complacent in the sport, but your mind gears towards different things. Like, ‘I need to run because I need to get this contract,’ or, ‘I want to do this because of that’.

“Whereas, where I think the slate got kind of wiped clean, it's almost reset me and put me back into the mode I had when I was a child and I started athletics. I just want to win.

“So now, when I'm training, I just want to beat everyone. That's probably what's caused me to feel like I'm better than I was before. And I think I am.”

Even still, the road back has been predictably tough. Alongside the physical fallout – the residual aches and pains, the joints seizing up following a particularly punishing session, the longer warm-ups, the 24-36 hours needed sometimes to rest and recover – he has learned to cope with the mental anguish.

Understandably, there have been periods of self-doubt; the questioning whether it’s all worth it.

“I think it's down to yourself, how difficult it is,” Ellington says. “It's you, really. It depends how you look at it. If I went back to the beginning of the crash and said, ‘Right, it's going to be four years on and you still won't have made it back to competing ...’

“Four years. That's a big chunk of a career, which most would say it was actually the end of my career at 31, because I was getting on.

“But the way I looked it, I was like, ‘All right’. In my mind, I've always thought I hit my peak when I crashed. I was at my peak; I had five [personal best times] that year. I was coming into the shape of my life.

“And then also, with the time off, I viewed it as a positive in terms of I've had four years to rest my central nervous system. So that's four years of not putting my body through the wringer. That's good recovery.

“I know people go, ‘You're crazy,’ but these are the kinds of things that have helped me get through it and make it an easier ride than it otherwise wouldn't have been. Because it is a tough ride. A tough ride, man. I understand that, but it depends on how you look at it.”

Ellington counts “six or seven” key people in his comeback.

His wife is most prominent; his mother; his mother- and father-in-law; a couple of close friends. Mike Burt, his strength and conditioning coach in the UK, and Florian Fritsch, a businessman whose financial support has been invaluable, especially through the bleakest times.

Each has helped Ellington climb free from the intermittent lows.

“It's just hard in general, I think,” he says when contemplating the hardest period of his recovery. “Looking too far ahead is something that's not good for me. In terms of training, I'm just taking every day as it comes.

“The tough days are for me when, if I've had a hard session, I go back and I'm messed up for 36 hours. And then I start, not questioning, but little doubts creep into your mind: ‘Is this good? Is this pain going to subside again?’ And it does subside. You just carry on going.”

He has been able to carry on by adapting. His training has been tailored, his pre- and post-workout routine, his running style. Some leg movement has been restricted; his pelvis is pinned together by metal.

There is help on the track as well. Ellington trains at Sports City with Dannish Walker-Khan, an ex-international sprinter, but has also found peace in working on his own. He sets up cameras to monitor the speed training, the burst from the blocks, any technical work.

Typically, Ellington would begin his season next month or in May, mainly in Europe, and work towards a qualifying time of 10.05 seconds, but the pandemic has made planning difficult.

He is set to travel to Bulgaria and then compete in the UK midway through next month, although the focus remains the National Championships in England in June.

That’s when Ellington aims to peak.

The delayed Olympics has been “a blessing in disguise”, allowing him an extra year to get his body ready. It simply would not have been last summer.

“The biggest obstacle getting there is just going to be the logistics of racing,” he says. “With Covid, it's going to be hard to get many races. And there's some weird selection things, with certain people able to take last season’s times as their times now.

“But if I'm in the shape that I'm going to be in, and there's not a crazy headwind in the national champs, I'll do everything there. I'll run the time and I'll get a position.”

Defying expectations has become a common theme. Not only in terms of conquering the physical and mental impact of the accident, but the financial, too.

Ellington’s superb 2016 had attracted a number of potential sponsorship deals for the following season, but they collapsed on that fateful day in Tenerife.

By the end of the year, the former two-time champion of the British Athletics Championships had lost all the monetary support provided by the UK athletics’ governing body.

“I was just like, ‘Oh, God. I've got no funding, I've got no wages, I've got no income. I've got nothing,” Ellington says.

Fortunately, he had some savings to keep him ticking over, while he received contributions from Fritsch whenever needed. The odd public-speaking role also helped.

“Literally for four years, I've been just keeping my head above the water, man,” Ellington says. “I've never been a money-money person anyway – as long as I can eat and I've got a roof over my head. I'm a simple person. But it will come back. If it's meant to come back, it will.”

  • Dubai-based British sprinter James Ellington, Dubai-based British sprinter during a break from training at Dubai Sports City. All photos by Pawan Singh / The National
    Dubai-based British sprinter James Ellington, Dubai-based British sprinter during a break from training at Dubai Sports City. All photos by Pawan Singh / The National
  • James Ellington suffered life-threatening injuries during a road accident in Tenerife in 2017.
    James Ellington suffered life-threatening injuries during a road accident in Tenerife in 2017.
  • James Ellington receives no funding or sponsorship.
    James Ellington receives no funding or sponsorship.
  • He has his own training regime and is eyeing a third Olympic Games this summer in Tokyo in the 100 metres.
    He has his own training regime and is eyeing a third Olympic Games this summer in Tokyo in the 100 metres.
  • James Ellington has won medals at European and Commonwealth level.
    James Ellington has won medals at European and Commonwealth level.
  • James Ellington needs to record a time of 10.05 seconds to qualify for Tokyo.
    James Ellington needs to record a time of 10.05 seconds to qualify for Tokyo.
  • James Ellington says his wife and family have helped him overcome his injuries.
    James Ellington says his wife and family have helped him overcome his injuries.
  • James Ellington says: 'You will see me on the start line in Tokyo.'
    James Ellington says: 'You will see me on the start line in Tokyo.'

Most probably, British Athletics didn’t believe it was possible for Ellington to come back. Still, the departure hurt.

“I've always been quite an outspoken kind of person, which some people like and some people don't,” he says. “And I don’t think the people that were controlling British Athletics at the time were really big fans of mine. It sounds mad, it sounds crazy, but it was almost like, ‘Right, that's it. We don't have to deal with him anymore’.

“It's funny, because obviously the guy that I crashed with, they kept him on funding and all the rest of it. He was the rider. So I was like, ‘I ain't going to feel sorry for myself. I'm just going to have to get on with it. It is what it is.’

“And I've always understood from the early days, as much as they'll make out that they care when you're running well and the rest of it, it's a business. When you're not performing or they don't have any use for you, then you get cut.”

Most would argue, though, that right after the accident is when Ellington needed them the most.

“Of course,” he says. “That was the time where actually, if we were such a great team and we were there for each other, they'd have been, ‘Right, we're going to do everything we can possible, within reason, to get you back, or to help you for the next couple of years.’

“They didn't. It was like a slap in the face. I've made so many teams. I've contributed so much towards the team. I've won medals for the team, and they just kind of abandoned me.”

Thankfully, the relationship has since improved. In September, Christian Malcolm was appointed head coach of the British Athletics Olympic Programme, the former sprinter whom Ellington considers a good friend.

He describes the chief executive installed last March, Joanna Coates, as “lovely”, while he enjoyed catching up with the team last year, when they transported to Dubai for a warm-weather camp.

“Everyone there now is just amazing,” he says.

Even if fences have been mended, the repercussions from the accident, the long road back and the perceived ill treatment undeniably fuel the fire.

Ellington says his greatest achievements have always been when people have doubted him, when he felt wronged or forgotten.

  • British sprinter James Ellington during the 2016 British Championships in Birmingham. Getty
    British sprinter James Ellington during the 2016 British Championships in Birmingham. Getty
  • James Ellington of Great Britain celebrates winning the men's 200m final at the 2012 UK Olympic Trials and Championship. Getty
    James Ellington of Great Britain celebrates winning the men's 200m final at the 2012 UK Olympic Trials and Championship. Getty
  • James Ellington at the 2012 UK Olympic Trials and Championship. Getty
    James Ellington at the 2012 UK Olympic Trials and Championship. Getty
  • Dubai-based British sprinter James Ellington trains for the Tokyo Olympics at Dubai Sports City. Pawan Singh / The National
    Dubai-based British sprinter James Ellington trains for the Tokyo Olympics at Dubai Sports City. Pawan Singh / The National
  • James Ellington will be competing at his third Olympics. Pawan Singh / The National
    James Ellington will be competing at his third Olympics. Pawan Singh / The National
  • James Ellington trains at the Dubai Sports City. Pawan Singh / The National
    James Ellington trains at the Dubai Sports City. Pawan Singh / The National
  • James Ellington was involved in a serious road accident in 2017. Pawan Singh / The National
    James Ellington was involved in a serious road accident in 2017. Pawan Singh / The National
  • James Ellington trains at the Dubai Sports City. Pawan Singh / The National
    James Ellington trains at the Dubai Sports City. Pawan Singh / The National

There is more than a nod to that spirit on the tattoo inked on his lower left leg a few months’ back, the only one sketched since the accident (Ellington’s arms are heavily embroidered). It depicts a ronin, the outcast samurai, who has to go it alone to ultimately prevail.

“It's kind of like a little bit of a representation of myself,” Ellington says, smiling.

It represents his attempt to reach a third Olympics, in what would surely constitute the finest feat in a career that took in London 2012 and Rio four years later; one that includes forming part of the gold medal-winning 4x100m relay teams at the 2014 and 2016 European Championships.

Ellington has worked hard towards Tokyo and never truly given up hope, overcoming obstacles and concentrating solely on competing at sport's pinnacle once more. He has dreamt it, often visualised it.

“Many times,” Ellington says. “I've seen it, seen what's going to happen. Without trying to sound like Mystic Meg, I've seen all of this stuff: I saw myself training again, saw myself running fast. I've seen myself competing. I've seen myself at the Olympics again.

“Visualisation, it's important. Everything starts in your mind before you can put into reality. So, I'm prepared. I've been through it a thousand times already in my head. I've pretty much hit all my goals along the way that I've said from the beginning, from the accident.

“This is the last one, the last thing to tick. You'll see me at the start line in Tokyo.”

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Platform: Android 11

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Durability: IP52

Biometrics: Face unlock

Price: Dh849

Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?

The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.

A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.

Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.

The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.

When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.

HIJRA

Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy

Director: Shahad Ameen

Rating: 3/5

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.”

Company%20profile
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Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

What sanctions would be reimposed?

Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

  • An arms embargo
  • A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
  • A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
  • A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
  • Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Trump v Khan

2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US

2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks

2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit

2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”

2022:  Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency

July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”

Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.

Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”

Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

Places to go for free coffee
  • Cherish Cafe Dubai, Dubai Investment Park, are giving away free coffees all day. 
  • La Terrace, Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai, are serving their first 50 guests one coffee and four bite-sized cakes
  • Wild & The Moon will be giving away a free espresso with every purchase on International Coffee Day
  • Orange Wheels welcome parents are to sit, relax and enjoy goodies at ‘Café O’ along with a free coffee
Greatest Royal Rumble results

John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match

Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto

Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus

Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal

Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos

Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe

AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out

The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match

Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match

Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last

If you go...

Flying
There is no simple way to get to Punta Arenas from the UAE, with flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi requiring at least two connections to reach this part of Patagonia. Flights start from about Dh6,250.

Touring
Chile Nativo offers the amended Los Dientes trek with expert guides and porters who are met in Puerto Williams on Isla Navarino. The trip starts and ends in Punta Arenas and lasts for six days in total. Prices start from Dh8,795.

WWE Super ShowDown results

Seth Rollins beat Baron Corbin to retain his WWE Universal title

Finn Balor defeated Andrade to stay WWE Intercontinental Championship

Shane McMahon defeated Roman Reigns

Lars Sullivan won by disqualification against Lucha House Party

Randy Orton beats Triple H

Braun Strowman beats Bobby Lashley

Kofi Kingston wins against Dolph Zigggler to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Mansoor Al Shehail won the 50-man Battle Royal

The Undertaker beat Goldberg

 

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

The Bio

Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village

What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft

Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans

Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface

The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000

Engine 3.6L V6

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm

Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km

SQUADS

UAE
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice-captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan

Nepal
Paras Khadka (captain), Gyanendra Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Pradeep Airee, Binod Bhandari, Avinash Bohara, Sundeep Jora, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Rohit Paudel, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi, Basant Regmi, Pawan Sarraf, Bhim Sharki, Aarif Sheikh

Company profile

Name: Dukkantek 

Started: January 2021 

Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani 

Based: UAE 

Number of employees: 140 

Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service) 

Investment: $5.2 million 

Funding stage: Seed round 

Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office  

If you go

The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.

The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.

RESULTS
%3Cp%3E3.30pm%3A%20Al%20Maktoum%20Challenge%20Round%203%20%E2%80%93%20Group%201%20(PA)%20%2475%2C000%20(Dirt)%202%2C000m%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Jugurtha%20De%20Monlau%2C%20Pat%20Dobbs%20(jockey)%2C%20Jean-Claude%20Pecout%20(trainer)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E4.05pm%3A%20Dubai%20City%20Of%20Gold%20%E2%80%93%20Group%202%20(TB)%20%24250%2C000%20(Turf)%202%2C410m%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Global%20Storm%2C%20William%20Buick%2C%20Charlie%20Appleby%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E4.40pm%3A%20Burj%20Nahaar%20%E2%80%93%20Group%203%20(TB)%20%24250%2C000%20(D)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Discovery%20Island%2C%20James%20Doyle%2C%20Bhupat%20Seemar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E5.15pm%3A%20Nad%20Al%20Sheba%20Turf%20Sprint%20%E2%80%93%20Group%203%20(TB)%20%24250%2C000%20(T)%201%2C200m%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Al%20Dasim%2C%20Mickael%20Barzalona%2C%20George%20Boughey%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E5.50pm%3A%20Al%20Bastakiya%20%E2%80%93%20Listed%20(TB)%20%24170%2C000%20(D)%201%2C900m%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Go%20Soldier%20Go%2C%20Adrie%20de%20Vries%2C%20Fawzi%20Nass%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E6.25pm%3A%20Al%20Maktoum%20Challenge%20Round%203%20%E2%80%93%20Group%201%20(TB)%20%24450%2C000%20(D)%202%2C000m%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Salute%20The%20Soldier%2C%20Adrie%20de%20Vries%2C%20Fawzi%20Nass%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E7.10pm%3A%20Ras%20Al%20Khor%20%E2%80%93%20Conditions%20(TB)%20%24300%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Al%20Suhail%2C%20William%20Buick%2C%20Charlie%20Appleby%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E7.45pm%3A%20Jebel%20Hatta%20%E2%80%93%20Group%201%20(TB)%20%24350%2C000%20(T)%201%2C800m%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Alfareeq%2C%20Dane%20O%E2%80%99Neill%2C%20Charlie%20Appleby%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E8.20pm%3A%20Mahab%20Al%20Shimaal%20%E2%80%93%20Group%203%20(TB)%20%24250%2C000%20(D)%201%2C200m%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Sound%20Money%2C%20Mickael%20Barzalona%2C%20Bhupat%20Seemar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

Southampton 0
Manchester City 1
(Sterling 16')

Man of the match: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)

List of alleged parties

 May 15 2020: PM and Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at
least 17 staff members

May 20 2020: PM and Carrie attend 'bring your own booze'
party

Nov 27 2020: PM gives speech at leaving do for his staff

Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary
Gavin Williamson

Dec 13 2020: PM and Carrie throw a flat party

Dec 14 2020: London mayor candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff party at Conservative
Party headquarters

Dec 15 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz

Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party

The 12 breakaway clubs

England

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur

Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus

Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid

The biog

Birthday: February 22, 1956

Born: Madahha near Chittagong, Bangladesh

Arrived in UAE: 1978

Exercise: At least one hour a day on the Corniche, from 5.30-6am and 7pm to 8pm.

Favourite place in Abu Dhabi? “Everywhere. Wherever you go, you can relax.”

Other must-tries

Tomato and walnut salad

A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.

Badrijani nigvzit

A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.

Pkhali

This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014%20PRO%20MAX
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7%22%20Super%20Retina%20XDR%20OLED%2C%202796%20x%201290%2C%20460ppi%2C%20120Hz%2C%202000%20nits%20max%2C%20HDR%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20P3%2C%20always-on%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20A16%20Bionic%2C%206-core%20CPU%2C%205-core%20GPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECapacity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20128%2F256%2F512GB%20%2F%201TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPlatform%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20iOS%2016%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Triple%2048MP%20main%20(f%2F1.78)%20%2B%2012MP%20ultra-wide%20(f%2F2.2)%20%2B%2012MP%20telephoto%20(f%2F2.8)%2C%206x%20optical%2C%2015x%20digital%2C%20Photonic%20Engine%2C%20Deep%20Fusion%2C%20Smart%20HDR%204%2C%20Portrait%20Lighting%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%20video%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204K%20%40%2024%2F25%2F30%2F60fps%2C%20full-HD%20%40%2025%2F30%2F60fps%2C%20HD%20%40%2030fps%2C%20slo-mo%20%40%20120%2F240fps%2C%20ProRes%20(4K)%20%40%2030fps%3B%20night%2C%20time%20lapse%2C%20cinematic%2C%20action%20modes%3B%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%204K%20HDR%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFront%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012MP%20TrueDepth%20(f%2F1.9)%2C%20Photonic%20Engine%2C%20Deep%20Fusion%2C%20Smart%20HDR%204%2C%20Portrait%20Lighting%3B%20Animoji%2C%20Memoji%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFront%20camera%20video%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A04K%20%40%2024%2F25%2F30%2F60fps%2C%20full-HD%20%40%2025%2F30%2F60fps%2C%20slo-mo%20%40%20120%2F240fps%2C%20ProRes%20(4K)%20%40%2030fps%3B%20night%2C%20time%20lapse%2C%20cinematic%2C%20action%20modes%3B%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%204K%20HDR%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204323mAh%2C%20up%20to%2029h%20video%2C%2025h%20streaming%20video%2C%2095h%20audio%3B%20fast%20charge%20to%2050%25%20in%2030min%3B%20MagSafe%2C%20Qi%20wireless%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%2C%20NFC%20(Apple%20Pay)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBiometrics%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Face%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Lightning%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDurability%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20IP68%2C%20dust%2Fsplash%2Fwater%20resistant%20up%20to%206m%20up%20to%2030min%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECards%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20eSIM%20%2F%20eSIM%20%2B%20eSIM%20(US%20models%20use%20eSIMs%20only)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Deep%20purple%2C%20gold%2C%20silver%2C%20space%20black%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20iPhone%2014%20Pro%20Max%2C%20USB-C-to-Lightning%20cable%2C%20one%20Apple%20sticker%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dh4%2C699%20%2F%20Dh5%2C099%20%2F%20Dh5%2C949%20%2F%20Dh6%2C799%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m, Winner: Zalman, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Hisham Al Khalediah II, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash.

6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Qader, Adrie de Vries, Jean de Roualle

6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh180,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Mujeeb, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel

7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly

8pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 1,400m, Winner: Nayslayer, Bernardo Pinheiro, Jaber Ramadhan

Profile of Udrive

Date started: March 2016

Founder: Hasib Khan

Based: Dubai

Employees: 40

Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.

Famous left-handers

- Marie Curie

- Jimi Hendrix

- Leonardo Di Vinci

- David Bowie

- Paul McCartney

- Albert Einstein

- Jack the Ripper

- Barack Obama

- Helen Keller

- Joan of Arc

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 

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands

50-man Royal Rumble

Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match

Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe

SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos

Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho

John Cena v Triple H

Matches to be announced

WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Raw Tag Team Championship, United States Championship and the Cruiserweight Championship are all due to be defended