Petronio Yepes is expecting to be a little more popular during this World Cup.
Mr Yepes, 54, a Brazilian from Maceio living in Dubai and working with Schlumberger, an oil and gas company, has not watched two consecutive World Cups from the same country in 28 years, but says many strangers want to be his friend during the competition.
It is something he has grown used to over the years as the Brazilian national team, a fixture in the knock-out stages of the tournament, have become a "second team" for many.
"Oh, yes, this is always like that," says Mr Yepes, who has lived in the UAE for 18 months. "Brazil is a country which is very friendly and all around the world everyone loves Brazil, not only because of the football but because of how friendly the people are.
"Even if you are a good football country, let's say like Mexico, as soon as they are out of the tournament, they start going for Brazil."
Mr Yepes expects he'll be getting that kind of support again this year as the Brazilians, ranked No 1 in the world by Fifa, the sport's governing body, are among the favourites to lift the World Cup trophy in South Africa.
Brazil have appeared in every World Cup tournament and won the competition a record five times, most recently in 2002.
Alex Cale, 31, the manager of the Brazilian steakhouse Chamas at the Intercontinental Hotel in Abu Dhabi, is also hoping the Brazilians' success will translate into more customers at his restaurant and bar in the coming month.
Mr Cale, from Sao Paolo, is especially expecting members of the Brazilian community, such as Claudio Pereira, a pilot with Etihad Airways, to make Chamas their gathering point. "Normally, Brazilians, they make their own space when they arrive anywhere," he says. "Normally when we go for the game, we carry our shirts, our flags and everything and we make our own space.
Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
'Morbius'
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona
Rating: 2/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
