Ronaldo unveils 2024/25 Al Nassr home kit: Behind the scenes with photographer Aqib Anwar


William Mullally
  • English
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After signing a partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr Football Club in February, adidas has unveiled the club’s new home jersey for the 2024-25 season.

Embracing the club’s vivid yellow with blue trim and the team logo on the left breast, the home shirt is a conscious ode to the Riyadh club’s nearly 68-year history, refreshing the simple design and adding the German brand’s latest technical fabrics.

The strip also features the slogan “Nassr runs in my blood”, as well as a palm tree and crossed sword emblem, paying homage to Saudi Arabian culture and the club’s passionate fan base.

Star player Cristiano Ronaldo, 39, showcased the kit along with his teammates in a new campaign shot at the King Saud University Stadium, known better as Al Awwal Park, in Riyadh by Dubai-based photographer Aqib Anwar.

For Anwar, the experience was both a whirlwind and a dream come true, he tells The National.

“This is something that’s going to stay with me forever. My kids – my grandkids – everyone will need to know that I got the chance to do this,” Anwar says.

Dubai photographer Aqib Anwar shot Cristiano Ronaldo and the rest of the Al Nassr players for a new campaign wearing the latest strip. Photo: Aqib Anwar
Dubai photographer Aqib Anwar shot Cristiano Ronaldo and the rest of the Al Nassr players for a new campaign wearing the latest strip. Photo: Aqib Anwar

Anwar, who grew up in Chennai, India before pursuing a successful career as a photographer in the UAE, grew up as a fan of Ronaldo from his days playing for Manchester United.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been my idol for decades. When I got the call, I said to myself I had to do this – nothing else matters as much as this,” Anwar says.

It was a high-pressure shoot, with Anwar having only 30 minutes with Ronaldo to shoot the three jerseys, including two more that are yet to be unveiled, at various locations in the stadium.

To get it right, he had to forget that he was in front of one of the world’s most famous football players and make things as comfortable as possible for both of them. “Ronaldo is such a professional. I didn't have to do anything in that regard. But I did tell him to keep it natural – 'Alright Cristiano, now it’s time to warm up everybody else – act like you’re going into your first game'."

The adidas-designed home jersey features an ode to the clubs fans that reads, 'Nassr runs through my blood'. Photo: Adidas
The adidas-designed home jersey features an ode to the clubs fans that reads, 'Nassr runs through my blood'. Photo: Adidas

What is Ronaldo like in these kinds of scenarios? “He’s super chill. A really nice guy. He comes in very professionally, smiles, does what he has to do and doesn’t make a fuss. He has such a good aura around him – friendly with everyone.”

Anwar had to suppress his inner fan, however, and stop himself from chatting Ronaldo up to discuss the most memorable highlights of his storied career, which has taken him from Manchester United to Real Madrid and now to Al Nassr.

“When I told my nephews, they asked me, 'did you get a signed jersey?' I said, ‘I couldn’t even get a handshake’,” Anwar laughs. “But I did get a fist bump.”

Al Nassr will begin the new season of the Saudi Pro League on August 22 against Al Raed.

Ferrari
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The Bio

Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”

Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”

Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”

Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”

Results

5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m; Winner: Mcmanaman, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)

6.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Bawaasil, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson

6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Bochart, Fabrice Veron, Satish Seemar

7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Mutaraffa, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi

7.50pm: Longines Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,00 (D) 1,900m; Winner: Rare Ninja, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer

8.25pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Alfareeq, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi

9pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi

9.35pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Zorion, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi

 

The Specs:

The Specs:

Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Power: 444bhp

Torque: 600Nm

Price: AED 356,580 incl VAT

On sale: now.

Mia Man’s tips for fermentation

- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut

- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.

- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.

- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.

 

Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

How to donate

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
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What is a robo-adviser?

Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.

These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.

Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.

Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.

Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

Bangladesh tour of Pakistan

January 24 – First T20, Lahore

January 25 – Second T20, Lahore

January 27 – Third T20, Lahore

February 7-11 – First Test, Rawalpindi

April 3 – One-off ODI, Karachi

April 5-9 – Second Test, Karachi

Updated: August 09, 2024, 4:38 PM