On Wednesday, Al Fursan jets will soar, tumble, loop and twirl in the air, leaving smoke trails in the colours of the UAE flag to celebrate the country’s birthday.
The national aerobatic team is celebrating a milestone of its own this year - a decade of public performances.
Its planes first soared above the skies over Al Ain in 2010.
The jets will take off from a base in the capital and perform over the Abu Dhabi Corniche between 4pm and 5pm.
This year’s performance promises to be extra special, as the team will be accompanied by the UAE’s latest Mirage 2000 and F-16 jets.
So what can spectators expect on the day?
The National explains.
What is Al Fursan?
The UAE national aerobatic team, which takes to the skies to mark special occasions, has many counterparts overseas, including the Red Arrows in the UK, the Blue Angels in the US, and Frecce Tricolori in Italy.
The team’s name is Arabic for The Knights.
Members are all Air Force pilots.
When was the team formed?
Al Fursan was formed in 2009, when six pilots began training together.
The process was rigorous. To be eligible, members had to have at least 1,000 flying hours and a squadron leader was required to have least 1,500 hours’ experience.
The team made its first public appearance a year later. They trailed plumes of red smoke over Al Ain in January 2010.
At the time, Lt Col Abdulla Al Amimi, who led the formation, said the objective was to demonstrate the skills of the Air Force pilots.
Months later, the team was trained by members of Frecce Tricolori, which flies the same aircraft, in Italy. They were coached further once they returned to the UAE.
It made its international aerobatic debut at the Dubai Airshow in 2011 and its first overseas performance the following year at the Yeovilton Air Day and the Royal International Air Tattoo in the UK.
The team has performed overseas several times since, including at the Swiss Air Force’s 100th anniversary show in Payerne in 2014.
What plane does the team fly?
The Aermacchi MB-339, a military jet trainer and light attack aircraft produced in Italy is used in the airshows.
The planes are painted in black, gold, white, red and green.
It is said the gold represents the UAE’s desert, while the black represents the oil reserves.
Seven aircraft are used in performances, but the team has 10 jets, six of which were already part of the UAE Air Force and another four which were owned by the Italian Air Force.
The jets were upgraded in Italy before being delivered to the UAE for use by Al Fursan.
They are equipped with dye tanks and smoke generators.
What do members do during performances?
Displays start with all seven aircraft flying in formation, trailing coloured smoke, before they perform tricks, including a solo performance.
Al Fursan’s signature manoeuvre, which closes a performance, involves two jets barrel rolls. round the rest of the formation.
When does Al Fursan usually perform?
The team performs at special events such as National Day, Formula 1 and during high profile visits.
This summer members also put on a special show to thank those working on the frontline against coronavirus, flying over hospitals in all seven emirates.
Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
Brief scores:
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Frosinone 0
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
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3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
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5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
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9.25pm Dubai Trophy (TB) Conditions Dh183,650 (T) 1,200m
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
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Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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