Women’s tennis continues to strengthen its foothold in the Mena region with the announcement of a new WTA 500-level tournament set to take place in Abu Dhabi next month.
The introduction of the event, to be held February 5-12, means there will be three consecutive weeks of WTA tennis taking place in the Gulf, with the Qatar Open and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships scheduled for February 13 to 18, and February 19 to 25 respectively.
The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open is owned by industry giants IMG, who help run the Mubadala World Tennis Championship under Flash’s ownership each December at Zayed Sports City.
Last autumn, a WTA 250 event debuted in Monastir, Tunisia, with its sanction also owned by IMG but leased out to the Tunisian Tennis Federation.
The new Abu Dhabi tournament means there are now five tournaments on the WTA calendar taking place in the Mena region, which has seen a surge in the popularity of women’s tennis thanks to the rousing success of Tunisian world No 2 Ons Jabeur and Egypt’s first-ever top-50 player Mayar Sherif.
Jabeur, who made her second Mubadala World Tennis Championship appearance last month, will return to the capital for the inaugural Abu Dhabi Open.
“It means a lot to me to see the WTA have a stronger presence in the Middle East and North Africa,” Jabeur, 28, told The National.
“Seeing how the Arab region is growing and evolving makes me really happy. Hopefully this could show the new generation how everything is possible and could introduce them more to tennis and give them more opportunities. It’s really inspiring for me to witness and to be part of.”
This isn’t the first time Abu Dhabi has hosted a WTA tournament. In 2021, the emirate stepped up to host a one-off event – behind closed doors – to kick off the season when the pandemic caused disruption to normal scheduling.
The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, though, is set to be an annual tournament staged at the International Tennis Complex at Zayed Sports City.
“The Mena region has played an integral role in WTA’s legacy of giving women across the globe the opportunity to compete at the highest level,” WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon told The National.
“Since 2001, its representation and growth throughout the Tour has not only paved a visible pathway for future generations of Arab athletes, but also diversified the sporting landscape along the way.”
Jabeur has been making history for Tunisia, North Africa and the Arab world ever since she won the Roland Garros junior tournament back in 2011. Last year, she became the first African woman and first Arab player in the Open era to reach a Grand Slam final when she placed runner-up at both Wimbledon and the US Open.
The highest-ranked African woman in history, Jabeur has broken records and barriers every step of the way and Sherif – Egypt’s first-ever WTA title winner – is looking to follow in her footsteps.
“As athletes from this region see continued success, so does the marketability of women’s tennis,” added Simon.
“In celebrating the 50th anniversary of the WTA this year, we’re reminded how fortunate we are to embrace new events and regions around the world as it allows us to nurture future generations of talent and fans.
“The Middle East has equipped the WTA with great support for decades and its presence continues to influence further growth throughout the Arab world.”
More players will be announced in due course but a strong field can be expected given the practicality of having a three-week Middle East swing that allows players to compete in similar conditions with minimal travel in between.
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Superpower%20
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Pakistan T20 series squad
Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Ahmed Shahzad, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammed Hafeez, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammed Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Amir Yamin, Mohammed Amir (subject to fitness clearance), Rumman Raees, Usman Shinwari, Umar Amin
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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.
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
US%20federal%20gun%20reform%20since%20Sandy%20Hook
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The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000
On sale: now
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