As her new teammates begin their warm-up ahead of training at the ICC Academy, Maryam Omar shows scant concern for the fact her interview is running a little overtime.
The 29-year-old all-rounder is playing for South Coast Sapphires, one of the six teams in a new, T20 franchise cricket tournament being played in Dubai.
It has meant being lobbed together with 15 cricketers from various points around the globe, some of whom might be eminently recognisable off the television, others far less so.
In a pre-training chat, she speaks with unbridled zest – as well as a distinct Australian twang – about a wide range of topics.
From her introduction to the sport from way beyond its mainstream. About a family who remain not-entirely convinced by this weird sport. About leaving home and travelling to the other side of the world to pursue her passion.
And even about the stay-cool, fast-wicking sports hijab that is visible under her Sapphires cap.
“For sport, I like it a little tighter so I can run and dive around, and do all that cool stuff,” Maryam said. “It is breathable, too, so it does not get too hot.
“With hijabs, it is religion based. Some girls take it by choice. I decided to wear it when I was 15, and my parents were very supportive of it.
“It meant I had to adapt to the environment. Kuwait is pretty hot, and we play outdoors. We don’t have any indoor facilities as yet. I am getting used to the temperatures, and managing my energy and fluid levels.
“One positive thing with the hijab is I don’t get sunburnt. The only thing is I get a crease around my face. When I take it off I have really white ears and a brown face.”
The FairBreak Invitational, which will reach its conclusion on May 15 at Dubai International Stadium, is a one-of-a-kind tournament in cricket. Its claim to being the most diverse competition in the sport is unarguable.
The roster of 90 players is drawn from more than 30 countries, with such cricketing backwaters as Botswana, Rwanda and Bhutan all represented.
Maryam is a global grand tour all on her own, a Palestinian who was born and brought up in Kuwait, which is now the country she represents as an international cricketer.
She first learnt cricket while at a Pakistani school in the country, and opted to complete her masters in engineering in Australia after falling in love with the sport.
Her first experience of the game came in 2010, when she was 17, after Kuwait’s national cricket board targeted a number of schools to try to attract girls to play.
“Luckily for me, my mum [Salwa] was in the same school,” she said.
“My sports teacher came and told me that Kuwait Cricket was looking for girls to play in the Under 19 Asia Cup, and I said, ‘What is cricket?’
“I used to play other sports like basketball, swimming and martial arts. My mum just said, ‘Just give it a go. Why not? You might end up playing for national side one day'.
“I rocked up and was the only Arab in the side. I thought it might be hard for me to learn the game, but the coaches were so supportive.
“They helped me grow as a person and as a cricketer. I have loved the game ever since and never looked back.”
Attending a Pakistani school, she did have a vague awareness of cricket, but she says even the rudiments of the game were difficult to grasp at first.
“I used to see boys rolling their arm around, and I might have heard of cricket, but I never knew it was a big thing,” she said.
“My sports teacher told me it was the national sport in Pakistan, and that everyone loves it in Pakistan.
“They approached mum and said, ‘She is a really good athlete, you can transfer those skills into different sports, so she could pick it up really easily'.
“I said I’d give it a go. I played for two years for the Kuwaiti side without understanding the rules much. I was really just an expert fielder, like, ‘See ball, catch ball.’
“And every time I caught a ball, I thought it was a wicket for myself. I was celebrating every little thing - which was nice, obviously.
“It was just the start for me in cricket. I was learning the rules as I went. Even now, I am still learning. I was just so fortunate I was able to make that move to Australia to help develop myself as a cricketer.”
She became aware Australia was arguably cricket’s No 1 destination by dint of the fact her coaches in Kuwait – all Pakistanis and Indians – raved about it.
Her first sight of women playing the sport was via TV in a cricket equipment shop in Kuwait, which was tuned into Australia’s domestic T20 competition, the WBBL.
“I was like, ‘There is actually franchise cricket around the world [for women]?’ That is when a dream started to form for me. I wanted to play in the Big Bash.
“At my level, obviously there are a lot of challenges and a lot of competition. But I am all up for competition. I like to take on a challenge. It helps push me further.”
She dovetailed cricket with studying for an engineering degree in Kuwait. When she was offered the chance to complete her studies at the Melbourne campus of the Central Queensland University, she jumped at it.
“My father [Osama] was never willing to compromise on education,” she said.
“He said, ‘Look, you can do your thing [cricket] so long as you keep a good record at university and get As.’ I took that as a challenge.
“I managed to do that, got straight As, and got a scholarship to continue my masters degree in Australia. I said, ‘God is talking to me right now. This is for my cricket.’
“I decided to take that opportunity to develop myself as a cricketer. I am really passionate and mad about cricket.
“I took it as a new challenge, having to leave my family back at home and start a new life in Australia. But I was so focused on the game. That is what kept me going.”
As a full-time engineer in Melbourne, she is thankful to supportive employers for being able to travel back to the Middle East to play for Kuwait – as she did in Oman last month – and for the FairBreak tournament in Dubai. Juggling work and play can be costly, though.
“Obviously there is no compromise on work, but I do my hours then go to training,” she said.
“Not being a paid professional, there are times when I struggle with leave and sponsoring myself.
“It is a challenge for any player at the associate level. It is only going to push the game further if players like us make those compromises. We want to make it easier for the players to come.”
She wants to blaze a trail, but not everyone has been keen to follow just yet. So far her sisters - Amal, Zuhoor and Budoor – have been reluctant about the merits of cricket.
“None of them play sports - they actually think it’s for boys,” Maryam said.
“It is against social norms. Where we come from, sports are not a thing. But things are changing. I am trying to push boundaries as much as I can and push barriers, and be the change, because we need things to change.
“My sisters call me the tomboy, because it is something we don’t really do back at home. They are into shopping, fashion, food. I’m slightly different. Or a lot different, really.”
As such, when she told her family she had been recruited to play with and against the leading players in the world in the FairBreak tournament, it was met with ambivalence.
“They are really mad about football, so I try to tell them it’s equal to Fifa in football, but [father Osama] still doesn’t relate to it,” she said.
“He’s like, ‘Yeah, whatever, just do your thing.’ But mum is very supportive as well. It is good to have a strict dad because I have learnt to manage my time and push my limits.
“My mum was always the one I had to talk to so she could talk to my dad to support me even further. Even though she doesn’t understand the rules she says, ‘If there’s a game, just send me the link and I’ll watch. I’ll support you whatever.’”
High profile Al Shabab attacks
- 2010: A restaurant attack in Kampala Uganda kills 74 people watching a Fifa World Cup final football match.
- 2013: The Westgate shopping mall attack, 62 civilians, five Kenyan soldiers and four gunmen are killed.
- 2014: A series of bombings and shootings across Kenya sees scores of civilians killed.
- 2015: Four gunmen attack Garissa University College in northeastern Kenya and take over 700 students hostage, killing those who identified as Christian; 148 die and 79 more are injured.
- 2016: An attack on a Kenyan military base in El Adde Somalia kills 180 soldiers.
- 2017: A suicide truck bombing outside the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu kills 587 people and destroys several city blocks, making it the deadliest attack by the group and the worst in Somalia’s history.
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German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Race card
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m
6.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,400m
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 1,200m
7.50pm: Longines Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,00 (D) 1,900m
8.25pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m
9pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 2,410m
9.35pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final (first-leg score):
Juventus (1) v Ajax (1), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Match will be shown on BeIN Sports
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
The End of Loneliness
Benedict Wells
Translated from the German by Charlotte Collins
Sceptre
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
