The Arabian Gulf team, in black, were last seen playing as a unit in the HSBC Asian Five Nations in Tokyo in May.
The Arabian Gulf team, in black, were last seen playing as a unit in the HSBC Asian Five Nations in Tokyo in May.

UAE to have own team in 2011



DUBAI // The UAE will field an international rugby team for the first time next year and will immediately be pitched against the best sides in Asia, under the terms of a landmark deal agreed yesterday. The Arabian Gulf, the entity which has represented the eight GCC countries in international competition until now, will disband at the end of this year, as part of an IRB-led revamp of the sport in the region.

At the end of last season, the Gulf secured their place in the top level of competition in the continent, the HSBC Asian Five Nations, by way of victories over Hong Kong and Korea. The Gulf will have been delisted as a member of the IRB by the time the tournament is played next year, which had led to some confusion as to who would fill the vacancy at Asian rugby's top table. But the UAE Rugby Association (UAE RA), the new national governing body, has accepted a conditional offer to enter a soon-to-be-established UAE side in the competition.

Their entry is based on them meeting a set of criteria as laid out by the Asian Rugby Football Union and the IRB. "The UAE RA has confirmed they will meet those criteria, and I am working very closely with them to bring that to fruition," Matt Oakley, the IRB's West Asia project manager, said. The association has committed to engaging with the management team and those players formerly attached to the Gulf who are eligible to play for the UAE.

Furthermore, they have committed to host two international Tests, one of which will be televised, and travelling to two away games in the Asian Five Nations. Perhaps of greater concern for the majority of rugby enthusiasts here will be how the landscape of club rugby is about to change. In order to smooth the transition, the UAE RA has invited Gulf Rugby LLC, the new name for the Arabian Gulf Rugby Football Union, to continue to organise domestic rugby on their behalf, by way of an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the two bodies yesterday.

Oakley, who has been overseeing the movement towards change in his role with the IRB, believes the MoU will assist the UAE RA's bid to attract Emiratis to the game, as well as keeping long-serving expatriate players happy. "Our meat-and-drink rugby is going to carry on as always, but now will be overseen by a national association," Oakley said. "[The UAE RA's] rightful agenda is to promote rugby amongst Emirati youths, and sevens is the medium for that, especially looking towards [the 2016 Olympic Games, when sevens will be played for the first time]."

Qais Abdullah Aldhalai, the deputy general secretary of UAE RA, said: "We know in four or five years time we need Emiratis to represent our team. To play in the Olympic Games, you need to be a passport-holder." @Email:pradley@thenational.ae

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Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Rating: 2/5
 
THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Green ambitions
  • Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
  • Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
  • Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
  • Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water 
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
The specs

  Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now

Disclaimer

Director: Alfonso Cuaron 

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville 

Rating: 4/5

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Previous men's records
  • 2:01:39: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) on 16/9/19 in Berlin
  • 2:02:57: Dennis Kimetto (KEN) on 28/09/2014 in Berlin
  • 2:03:23: Wilson Kipsang (KEN) on 29/09/2013 in Berlin
  • 2:03:38: Patrick Makau (KEN) on 25/09/2011 in Berlin
  • 2:03:59: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 28/09/2008 in Berlin
  • 2:04:26: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 30/09/2007 in Berlin
  • 2:04:55: Paul Tergat (KEN) on 28/09/2003 in Berlin
  • 2:05:38: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 14/04/2002 in London
  • 2:05:42: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 24/10/1999 in Chicago
  • 2:06:05: Ronaldo da Costa (BRA) 20/09/1998 in Berlin
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

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.


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