Saudi Arabia’s sports minister promises ‘best World Cup experience’ in 2034
The minister discussed Saudi Arabia’s goal to transform its domestic football league into one of the world’s top five competitions
Al-Faisal also briefly discussed the probability of seeing Liverpool superstar forward Mohamed Salah playing in SPL
Updated 31 January 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal promised to deliver “the best World Cup experience” in 2034.
In an interview with Piers Morgan on Thursday, the minister discussed Saudi Arabia’s goal to transform its domestic football league into one of the world’s top five competitions.
In July, 2024, a Saudi delegation led by the minister officially submitted the Kingdom’s bid book to FIFA to host the FIFA World Cup 2034 at a ceremony hosted in Paris, France.
Al-Faisal said the Kingdom has been preparing for the FIFA bid for years now.
“We’ve been working tirelessly for six years, with monthly meetings with His Royal Highness [Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman] about details and what could work. Everything that we’re doing is part of the 2030 vision, whether we host the World Cup or not” he said.
During Thursday’s interview Al- Faisal also briefly discussed the probability of seeing Liverpool superstar forward Mohamed Salah playing in the Saudi Pro League.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al- Faisal tells Piers Morgan Uncensored: “It’d be a privilege to see Mo Salah here. He's the most high profile Muslim player in the world”.
“He's one of the best 2/3 players in the world. He hasn't signed a new contract yet. Up to the clubs now”. pic.twitter.com/J43fXWDoXa
“Definitely, because if he ticks all the right boxes, even for us, we’d love to have him,” the sports minister said. “We feel like we are one with the Egyptians, from our culture and our history and so on,” he added.
“It’d be a privilege to see Mo Salah here. He’s the most high-profile Muslim player in the world … He hasn’t signed a new contract yet. Up to the clubs now,” Prince Abdulaziz also told Morgan.
Meanwhile on Friday, AFP reported that Liverpool’s coach Arne Slot urged Salah to sign a new contract with Liverpool, advising the Egypt star against a potential lucrative move to Saudi Arabia.
Salah has been in sensational form this season but is out of contract in June, with speculation persisting that the Saudi Pro League could be a possible destination for the Egyptian superstar.
Liverpool manager Slot reiterated at his pre-match press conference on Friday that the club want to keep hold of their talismanic striker, who joined the club in 2017.
“We want him to extend, of course, as well,” he said. “That is clear, but I’m not surprised that Saudi wants him, I’m also not surprised if other countries want him as well.
The 27-year-old Iraqi fighter secured the bantamweight title last year and has a record of 12-1
Updated 55 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: From regional dominance to the global stage, Ali Taleb is ready to take his career to the next level.
After a commanding performance in PFL MENA 2024, where he won the bantamweight championship, the 27-year-old Iraqi powerhouse will step up to face the best in the world at the inaugural PFL World Tournament.
Taleb’s journey has been nothing short of spectacular. A rising star from UAE Warriors, he burst onto the scene with a flawless 6-0 record, catching the attention of the Professional Fighters League and making his SmartCage debut in 2022. His success earned him a spot in PFL Europe, where he tasted his first professional defeat — but he came back stronger than ever.
In 2024, Taleb proved his resilience and skill by dominating the PFL MENA circuit. With back-to-back victories, he earned his shot at the title and seized it firmly, knocking out Rachid Haz in just 85 seconds to claim the bantamweight title.
Now, with a 12-1 record and 10 finishes to his name (7 KOs, 3 submissions), Taleb faces a new challenge — the PFL World Championship Tournament, where he will compete against seven other elite bantamweights, each fighting for the prestigious title of PFL World Champion and a prize of $500,000.
The 2025 PFL World Tournament will be one of the biggest events in mixed martial arts history, featuring 64 of the world’s top fighters across eight weight divisions. The action kicks off in April at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, with the semifinals in June and the finals in August.
Leveling Up: Abu Dhabi’s video game scene powering the knowledge economy
The Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) – Abu Dhabi shares his views on how the gaming industry is proving to be a powerful catalyst for technological progress and innovation
Updated 12 February 2025
Mohamed Khalifa Al-Mubarak
ABU DHABI: In a dynamic landscape where innovation is paramount, Abu Dhabi is staking its claim. As the emirate navigates the shifting tides of the knowledge economy, the video game industry is emerging as a transformative force, proving to be a powerful catalyst for progress and innovation.
With the potential to redefine entertainment, education, and technology, gaming presents a unique opportunity for Abu Dhabi to thrive in an increasingly interconnected and digitized world.
To put it bluntly, gaming is the future and Abu Dhabi has a major role to play in making this future a reality. By staying ahead of the curve, we will attract global talent to the emirate whilst creating new career paths for aspiring local talent to realize their dreams.
Next phase of the knowledge economy
As the global gaming industry became mainstream, Abu Dhabi was right there beside it. This growth dates to Ubisoft’s arrival in the UAE capital in 2010. As data began to show the speed at which the Middle East’s gaming market was growing, more companies took advantage of this growth by settling in Abu Dhabi.
The industry is now thriving and growing at pace, with highly skilled jobs being created that encompass the latest trends in game development technology such as AI, machine learning and game analytics.
Each year, we push the boundaries of learning and development even further. We have started 2025 strong by hosting Global Game Jam, the world's largest game jam event, which takes place simultaneously around the globe. One of the locations this year was Berklee in Manarat Al Saadiyat hosted by Abu Dhabi Gaming, where game developers and enthusiast had 48 hours to develop and showcase their projects in a safe and welcoming environment.
Mohamed Khalifa Al-Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. (Supplied)
Every initiative matters, as Abu Dhabi leads the way in driving forward the growth of the knowledge-based economy.
With revenues forecast to rise from $455 billion in 2024 to $625 billion by 2028, the global gaming industry continues to grow at a healthy rate, with the UAE and its legions of tech-savvy gamers now accounting for 30 percent of revenue in the MENA region.
Recognizing the creative potential of the gaming industry at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), we’ve actively pursued strategies to leverage its power. This involved adopting a comprehensive approach with three key pillars: developing the local talent pipeline and creating a second home for the global talent pool; bringing a healthy mix of game developers to Abu Dhabi and supporting the local home-grown development studios; engaging with the esports and gaming community across the globe.
We can point to immense progress on all three of the strategy’s pillars.
Talent development
Establishing a robust talent development pipeline stands as one of our top priorities, and we are making significant strides in this regard. Our initial move involved forging more than a decade-long partnership with Unity Technologies to enhance the skill set of our workforce. With its Middle East and Africa headquarters based in Abu Dhabi, San Francisco’s Unity is a leader in the industry, powering 80 percent of mobile games globally. Undertaking Unity training enhances employability prospects significantly and helps keep early-career talent in Abu Dhabi.
Bringing game developers to Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi is now home to more than 80 video game companies, the largest such community in the region. These companies and organizations, such as MY.Games, Sperasoft and Ninjas In Pyjamas, are drawn to Abu Dhabi by its reputation for delivering results. Last year, leading esports company NIP Group entered into a five-year term gaming subsidy agreement with DCT Abu Dhabi, with an aim to elevate its presence in the region.
Facilitating this growth is Abu Dhabi Gaming, serving as a vital connector within our community. Through initiatives like internship events, Abu Dhabi Gaming matches students with companies, streamlining the process for founders who can conduct multiple interviews in a single evening.
In the words of the late Steve Jobs, “Real artists ship.”, as in, deliver their products. Innovation has the potential to yield incredible results, but action is essential to realize its full potential – and Abu Dhabi Gaming is our channel for action in gaming.
Esports
Esports events pack arenas and have huge global viewership – over 540 million people worldwide by the latest estimates. At the local level, these big-tent events activate the gaming community by creating occasions that draw gamers together – which then paves the way for the success of further community gatherings such as Gaming4Good and the Yas Gaming Festival.
Increasingly, Abu Dhabi-based esports teams are making their mark on the global stage. Take, for example, Nigma Galaxy, a mainly Arab Dota 2 team that clinched a world championship title ahead of setting up their HQ in Abu Dhabi. With a support team comprising of a psychologist, strategist and analysts, they exemplify the professionalism in esports. Additionally, local talent like Amjad Al Shalabi, also known as AngryBird, emerged victorious at the 2023 EVO (Street Fighter) world championship in Las Vegas. We are also seeing a surge in the number of esports academies across the emirate to bring rising local stars to the forefront of competitive gaming.
Recognizing the growth opportunities the emirate has to offer, more teams are establishing themselves in Abu Dhabi: the emirate is poised to become a leading regional hub for esports, fostering heightened competition levels as teams train local gamers, and a burgeoning fan base as tournaments highlight local venues.
The future is ours
DCT Abu Dhabi’s vision is for Abu Dhabi Gaming to be a key player on the global stage. We believe it is important to tell more stories about the region through gaming, akin to how Dynasty Warriors presents Chinese imperial history. This is starting to happen. For instance, Ubisoft's team collaborated with multiple museums and historians covering Islamic art, architecture and history to ensure the authenticity of Assassin’s Creed Mirage’s portrayal of medieval Baghdad, highlighting its historical significance as a center of science and mathematics during that period.
In years to come we will witness more local success stories in game development. These energies are bubbling up at companies like Kashkool Games. Founded by three Emirati brothers, they have been working on their game called Sheba: A New Dawn for years and are now under the umbrella of Abu Dhabi Gaming. The game was successfully published last year, and they are already working on their second title with an increased focus in showcasing Emirati culture and preserving heritage.
AI is also an essential consideration as we move forward. AI and machine learning can transform games so that every time you play, the game is different. The monster around the corner this time won’t be the same monster as last time. Speech can be crafted so that every interaction is unique for every player. Developing games using AI technology is a skillset that needs to be leveraged and one for which the demand is only going to grow.
The opportunity in front of us is endless. Here in Abu Dhabi we are harnessing the power of creation, welcoming the dreamers and creating a world class ecosystem for the gaming industry.
Kevin Durant becomes the 8th player in NBA history to score 30,000 points
The 36-year-old Phoenix Suns forward was also recently voted to his 15th All-Star team
Durant is a four-time NBA scoring champion and remains one of the league’s elite shot makers in his 17th NBA season
Updated 12 February 2025
AP
PHOENIX: Kevin Durant became the eighth player in NBA history to score 30,000 points, hitting the mark against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night with a free throw late in the third quarter.
The 36-year-old Phoenix Suns forward, who recently was voted to his 15th All-Star team, joins LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki and Wilt Chamberlain in the 30,000-point club. Julius Erving also hit the mark when combining his points scored in the NBA and ABA.
Durant is a four-time NBA scoring champion and remains one of the league’s elite shot makers in his 17th NBA season. He’s averaging about 27 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the field.
Durant scored 17,566 points over his first nine seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, who were the Seattle SuperSonics during his first season in 2007-08. He’s also played for the Golden State Warriors (5,374 points), Brooklyn Nets (3,744) and the Suns (3,324).
Durant finished with 34 points on 12-of-18 shooting in the Suns’ 119-112 loss.
Australia’s Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood out of Pakistan-hosted Champions Trophy
Chief selector says Australia has a range of options to shape the playing XI, depending on the opposition
While Cummins and Hazlewood suffer from injuries, Mitchell Starc has withdrawn for personal reasons
Updated 12 February 2025
AFP
SYDNEY: Australia’s bid to win the Champions Trophy was dealt a major setback Wednesday with their formidable pace attack of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood all ruled out.
Cummins (ankle) and Hazlewood (side and calf) were always unlikely to play, but Starc has also withdrawn for personal reasons.
Steve Smith will captain the team after standing in for Cummins during their two-Test thrashing of Sri Lanka this month.
The 15-man squad is also without all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, who retired from the 50-over game last week, and Mitchell Marsh who was previously omitted with a back issue.
“The squad has changed significantly over the past month on the back of some untimely injuries and the retirement of Marcus Stoinis,” said chief selector George Bailey.
“The upside of that is that we have been able to call on players who have had international exposure and success over the past 12 months.
“A strong core of some of our most experienced players will provide a strong foundation in our attempt to win this edition of the Champions Trophy,” he added.
“We have a range of options to shape the playing XI within the tournament depending on the opposition and conditions we face.”
Starc was the only member of the “Big Three” fast bowling attack to play all seven Tests against India and Sri Lanka across the current Australian summer.
Bailey said he respected Starc’s decision, with the reasons for his withdrawal to remain private.
“Mitch is deeply respected for his commitment to international cricket and the priority he places on performing for Australia,” he said.
“His loss is of course a blow for the Champions Trophy campaign but does provide an opportunity to someone else to make a mark on the tournament.”
Starc will also miss the two-match ODI series against Sri Lanka starting in Colombo later Wednesday.
The loss of Australia’s long-time pace attack has opened the door for the likes of Spencer Johnson, Nathan Ellis and Ben Dwarshuis.
Aaron Hardie takes over as the seaming all-rounder while emerging leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha was included to complement Adam Zampa.
The eight-nation Champions Trophy, between February 19 and March 9, will be played in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
Australia squad: Steve Smith (capt), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa
Gauff dumped out of Qatar Open by Kostyuk, Rybakina prospers
Chinese seventh seed Zheng Qinwen joined Gauff in crashing out, beaten 6-4, 6-2 by Ons Jabeur
Jasmine Paolini, last year’s French Open and Wimbledon runner-up, also made a winning start to her campaign with a 6-3, 6-4 victory against Caroline Garcia in the second round
Updated 12 February 2025
AFP
DOHA: Coco Gauff suffered a surprise early exit from the Qatar Open on Tuesday with a straight-sets defeat by Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, while Elena Rybakina eased into the last 16.
Former US Open champion Gauff blew a healthy advantage in the second set as Kostyuk sealed a 6-2, 7-5 victory and a third-round meeting with the winner of an all-Polish tie between Magda Linette and Magdalena Frech.
“Coco is an incredible fighter,” Kostyuk said. “We always have incredible matches. I tried to stick to what I had to do.”
Gauff, playing for the first time since a quarterfinal loss to Paula Badosa at the Australian Open on Jan. 21, served seven double-faults and made 39 unforced errors in an erratic display.
The American made a terrible start, slipping 4-1 behind after dropping her serve twice.
Gauff was broken again in the eighth game as Kostyuk secured the first set in just half an hour.
The world No. 3 hit back with a break en route to a 4-2 lead in the second set as she started to find her rhythm.
But Kostyuk battled back, taking advantage of an error-strewn Gauff performance which ended when she served two double-faults to be broken for the fifth time.
“The double-faults made it easier for me... I’m very happy that it ended in two sets,” Kostyuk told BeIN Sports.
Rybakina, who lost to eventual winner Belinda Bencic in the Abu Dhabi semifinals last week, saw off Payton Stearns in her opening match.
The fifth seed cruised to a 6-2, 6-4 win despite a late wobble to set up a third-round tie against Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova who beat Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Rybakina led 5-0 in the second set but missed three match points to take it 6-0 and then briefly fell apart as Stearns dragged the set back on serve.
The former Wimbledon champion belatedly got over the line on her fifth match point.
Chinese seventh seed Zheng Qinwen joined Gauff in crashing out, though, beaten 6-4, 6-2 by Ons Jabeur.
Three-time Grand Slam finalist Jabeur claimed her first win against a top-10 opponent since last year’s Madrid Open after struggling with injury.
The Tunisian will next face 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin.
Jasmine Paolini, last year’s French Open and Wimbledon runner-up, also made a winning start to her campaign with a 6-3, 6-4 victory against Caroline Garcia in the second round.
American sixth seed Jessica Pegula negotiated a tricky second-round match, battling past Elina Svitolina 6-3, 7-6 (7/3).
Czech youngster Linda Noskova earned a last-16 tie against three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva.
