MATCH INFO
UAE Division 1
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 12-24 Abu Dhabi Saracens
In a week in which Saracens were plunged into a crisis of unprecedented proportions in English professional rugby, the Abu Dhabi club of the same name continued their own comeback in the UAE.
Abu Dhabi Saracens took their name from the trailblazing London club when they entered domestic rugby back in 2011.
Their association was unofficial at that point, but they became a part of Saracens’ Global Network of clubs, which also includes teams in Romania and Kenya, two years later. The two clubs remain closely linked.
The London side, who are the defending English and European champions, were handed a 35-point deduction, and fined more than £5 million (Dh23.5m) on Tuesday for breaching salary cap rules. Both sanctions are suspended pending appeal.
The UAE version have faced problems of their own in recent years, having risen to the very top of West Asian rugby in a remarkably short time after their formation.
They opted to drop down to the second tier last season, and were only deprived a shot at the title back then by a quirk of the format of what was then the UAE Conference.
Now, in the rejigged UAE Division One, they are making serene progress. On Friday, they beat the second-string side of their city neighbours Harlequins 24-12 at Zayed Sports City.
It was their fifth bonus-point win from five matches so far this season, leaving them five points clear of Dubai Hurricanes II at the top of Division One.
“All the things we have put in place over the past two or three years are paying off,” Peter Henderson, the Abu Dhabi Saracens coach, said.
“We have gone back to old-fashioned rugby values, and the boys are playing well.
"We were without eight of our regular players because of work-related issues or injuries, and the boys still did what they did. I’m very proud.”
If a template were needed as to how to plan an elevation to the top-rank of regional rugby, Dubai Tigers continue to provide it.
The division newcomers claimed a second successive win in the West Asia Premiership as they beat Dubai Knight Eagles 27-16 at Dubai Sports City on Friday.
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Dubai Tigers beat Dubai Knight Eagles - in pictures
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Tigers only accepted promotion to the top tier at the start of this season, after years spent consolidating at the top of the Conference.
Henderson says Saracens would be happy to emulate the Tigers, but cautioned against thinking it will happen immediately.
“Last year was our year zero, which was all about consolidating,” Henderson said.
“This season, we are aiming to win the title. We went close to that last year.
"Year three, next season, would be about trying to repeat that, and year four was about entering a second-grade team again – but we are a year ahead of that.
“To go back up to the Premiership, I think we are a good two, maybe three seasons away from that. We are building towards that, but we would want to do it at the right time.”
Dubai Exiles are the only undefeated side in the top division, after they beat Jebel Ali Dragons 34-13 at the Centre of Excellence on Thursday.
Dubai Hurricanes revived their own West Asia Premiership challenge as they beat Abu Dhabi Harlequins 40-22 at The Sevens.
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.
Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.
Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.
When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RESULT
Arsenal 2
Sokratis Papastathopoulos 45 4'
Eddie Ntkeiah 51'
Portsmouth 0
The specs: 2019 Audi A8
Price From Dh390,000
Engine 3.0L V6 turbo
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 345hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy, combined 7.5L / 100km
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%202-litre%20direct%20injection%20turbo%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%207-speed%20automatic%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20261hp%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20400Nm%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20From%20Dh134%2C999%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Results
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m | Winner: ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Ibrahim Aseel (trainer)
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m | Winner: Al Shamkhah, Royston Ffrench, Sandeep Jadhav
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 1,200m | Winner: Lavaspin, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
8.15pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,200m | Winner: Kawasir, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m | Winner: Cosmo Charlie, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
9.20pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m | Winner: Bochart, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 2,000m | Winner: Quartier Francais, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Results:
Men's wheelchair 800m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 1.44.79; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 1.45.88; 3. Isaac Towers (GBR) 1.46.46.
MATCH INFO
UAE Division 1
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 12-24 Abu Dhabi Saracens
