Paulo Bonamigo, the Sharjah coach, has challenged his players to build on last season's return to the UAE top flight as he seeks to establish the club among the country's elite.
The Brazilian, who previously managed UAE sides Al Shabab and Al Jazira, was installed last summer with the remit of guiding the five-time UAE champions, most recently in 1996, back towards the top of the Arabian Gulf League.
Sharjah threatened to do that for much of the 2013/14 campaign, competing for Asian Champions League qualification before a return of one victory from their final eight matches led to a seventh-placed finish. They also reached the semi-finals of the Arabian Gulf Cup, losing 1-0 to Al Ahli, the eventual winners.
Bonamigo has moved to strengthen the squad for 2014/15, with compatriots Luan Michel de Louza and Wanderley Santos Monteiro Junior, both forwards, completing the club's foreign contingent. Fellype Gabriel, the captain, and Mauricio Ramos, the defender who now qualifies as Asian, occupy the other two expatriate spots.
Sharjah left the UAE Wednesday for a pre-season camp in Germany, where they will spend almost a month – they return on August 25 – putting together final preparations for the season ahead. Bonamigo is confident he can deliver on initial targets.
“I’m happy to work with the club for the second successive season and we aspire to continue to ensure this team offers strong and positive results to go further than last season,” he said. “Since we were tasked with supervising the team, our primary goal has been, and still is, to restore Sharjah to its traditional place as a strong competitor in the various competitions.
“They were also to make sure the team has enough quality to be able to offer a level worthy of the name and the history of this club’s heritage.”
Sharjah conceded the fewest goals in the 2013/14 league season, only 25, three fewer than champions Ahli, but scored only 29 of their own. Only Dubai and Al Shaab, who were relegated, scored fewer.
Bonamigo is aware the upcoming season promises to be a hugely competitive one, as each of Sharjah’s obvious rivals for titles – Ahli, Al Ain and Jazira - have significantly improved their squads.
He understands, too, given Sharjah now have a full term’s experience in the Arabian Gulf League, that opposition teams know what to expect from his side. He concedes expectations within the club will undoubtedly be greater, as well.
“Preparing for next season is very different from what it was last season,” Bonamigo said. “The team was just coming up to the first division and needed to find its feet. We managed to achieve that and more, in competing with the top teams in the top positions, and also reached the semi-finals of the League Cup.
“But the goals are bigger and the objectives after last season are to increase our strength and expand our hopes for the title and the main positions. That requires a multiplying of our efforts and for all the elements in the team to collaborate more closely to reach the desired goals.”
Bonamigo added that the camp in Germany will be integral to those objectives, as well as helping integrate into the squad the signings made this summer.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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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
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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
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Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Why the Tourist Club?
Originally, The Club (which many people chose to call the “British Club”) was the only place where one could use the beach with changing rooms and a shower, and get refreshments.
In the early 1970s, the Government of Abu Dhabi wanted to give more people a place to get together on the beach, with some facilities for children. The place chosen was where the annual boat race was held, which Sheikh Zayed always attended and which brought crowds of locals and expatriates to the stretch of beach to the left of Le Méridien and the Marina.
It started with a round two-storey building, erected in about two weeks by Orient Contracting for Sheikh Zayed to use at one these races. Soon many facilities were planned and built, and members were invited to join.
Why it was called “Nadi Al Siyahi” is beyond me. But it is likely that one wanted to convey the idea that this was open to all comers. Because there was no danger of encountering alcohol on the premises, unlike at The Club, it was a place in particular for the many Arab expatriate civil servants to join. Initially the fees were very low and membership was offered free to many people, too.
Eventually there was a skating rink, bowling and many other amusements.
Frauke Heard-Bey is a historian and has lived in Abu Dhabi since 1968.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- 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
Try out the test yourself
Q1 Suppose you had $100 in a savings account and the interest rate was 2 per cent per year. After five years, how much do you think you would have in the account if you left the money to grow?
a) More than $102
b) Exactly $102
c) Less than $102
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q2 Imagine that the interest rate on your savings account was 1 per cent per year and inflation was 2 per cent per year. After one year, how much would you be able to buy with the money in this account?
a) More than today
b) Exactly the same as today
c) Less than today
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q4 Do you think that the following statement is true or false? “Buying a single company stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.”
a) True
b) False
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
The “Big Three” financial literacy questions were created by Professors Annamaria Lusardi of the George Washington School of Business and Olivia Mitchell, of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Answers: Q1 More than $102 (compound interest). Q2 Less than today (inflation). Q3 False (diversification).
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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Britain's travel restrictions
- A negative test 2 days before flying
- Complete passenger locator form
- Book a post-arrival PCR test
- Double-vaccinated must self-isolate
- 11 countries on red list quarantine
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Fuel economy, combined: 12.8L/100km
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- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
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- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
