World

Saudi Pro League: Neymar’s debut, Ronaldo’s strikes and good start by Gerrard

Football fans worldwide are focused on the Saudi Pro League like never before after its clubs welcomed a host of star-studded arrivals in the Kingdom over the past nine months. Each week, Al Arabiya English will do a round-up on the key storylines as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Neymar and Co slug it out for the 2023-24 silverware.
For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

On Matchday Six, while Neymar finally made his debut for table-topper Al Hilal, Al-Ahli players showed their resilience, even as Cristiano Ronaldo climbed to the summit of the scoring charts and Steven Gerrard’s impressive start at Al-Ettifaq continued.

Neymar era begins

There was one name on everyone’s lips in the Saudi capital on Friday night as Neymar finally made his debut for Al Hilal against newly-promoted Al-Riyadh.

Al Hilal’s Neymar in action during a match against Al Riyadh on September 15, 2023. (Reuters)

A long trip back to South America for World Cup qualifiers during the international break saw the Brazil superstar start on the substitutes’ bench initially, but with his side already 2-0 up, he came on to a raucous reception in the 64th minute.

Neymar proceeded with a high-quality cameo, offering a quartet of key contributions. It began with a beautifully scooped through-ball that led to Nasser Al-Dawsari scoring before a perfect lay-off allowed compatriot Malcom to slot home. Neymar’s quick feet then forced a handball and penalty, but while the crowd called enthusiastically for their No 10 to take the spot-kick, Salem Al-Dawsari instead went ahead and duly slotted home. The Saudi midfielder then put the icing on Neymar’s welcome cake with the team’s sixth goal in a 6-1 win after the ex-PSG man’s shot was initially saved.

Al Hilal’s Salem Al-Dawsari, Malcom and Neymar during training. (Reuters)

It was a riotous display that saw Al-Hilal return to the top of the league table after Karim Benzema’s lone goal had fired Al-Ittihad to that position 24 hours earlier.

Priorities now switch to the AFC Champions League this week for Jorge Jesus’ side.

Al-Ahli bounces back

After an embarrassing 5-1 defeat at the hands of Al-Fateh the last time out, Al-Ahli demonstrated its resilience against Al-Taawoun on Saturday, emerging 3-2 victors in the weekend’s most entertaining fixture.

Al-Taawoun had been a surprise inclusion among the early Saudi Pro League pacesetters – thanks to four wins in their previous four games – and they certainly proved troublesome for Al-Ahli, too, as the former came up with a brave display away from home in Jeddah. The hosts raced to a 2-0 lead after Riyad Mahrez’s free-kick was headed home by Abdulbasit Hindi, and Waleed Al-Ahmed put through his own net.

Yet, Al-Taawoun battled back to make it 2-2.

Al-Ahli spent big this summer to pack its team with match-winners. Minutes after one of them, Roberto Firmino, narrowly headed wide, another one of the marquee signings made the difference. Allan Saint-Maximin was a fan favorite at Newcastle United for his unpredictability, and he conjured up another magic moment at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium, rifling home a stunning strike from 25 yards to hand Al-Ahli the win and keep them just a point behind Al-Hilal.

Ronaldo reaches scoring summit

Al-Nassr’s free-scoring start to the season continued as goals from Sadio Mane, Anderson Talisca and Cristiano Ronaldo powered the team to a 3-1 win at Al-Raed.

Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo in action with Al Taawoun’s Mohammed Al-Ghamdi. (Reuters)

After losing its first two league matches, Al-Nassr responded impressively with 17 goals in the past four games to record four convincing wins in a row.

Ronaldo now leads the Saudi Pro League scoring charts with seven goals, while Mane has six to his credit. Mane’s strike helped Al-Nassr break the deadlock on Saturday as Al-Raed fell apart just before half-time. The Senegal forward’s fine finish put Al-Nassr 1-0 up, and a minute later, he was brought down by Bander Whaeshi, who was sent off for the challenge.

Talisca and Ronaldo made sure of the three points for Al-Nassr, who has a huge week ahead. First up is a compelling AFC Champions League opener against Persepolis in Iran on Tuesday before Al-Ahli rolls into Riyadh on Friday for a match that could indicate which of the two sides is in the best shape to challenge Saudi Pro League supremacy this season.

Watch: Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo and his Saudi team, Al-Nassr, arrive in Iran’s capital #Tehran for Asian Championship match against Persepolis FC.#Iran #Ronaldo #AlNassr #ACL pic.twitter.com/CfVZGPkUsT

— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) September 18, 2023

Gerrard’s confidence growing

Many wondered whether Al-Ettifaq coach Steven Gerrard would take a while before getting into grips with Saudi Pro League, given that his only experience of playing or coaching outside the UK was an 18-month stint at Los Angeles Galaxy at the end of his career.

Ettifaq's English coach Steven Gerrard celebrates his team's win in the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Ettifaq and Al-Nassr at the Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam on August 14, 2023. (AFP)

However, Gerrard has hit the ground running at Al-Ettifaq, with his side suffering only a solitary defeat so far in the season – to leaders Al-Hilal. Away to Al-Abha on Saturday, a strong second-half showing secured a 3-1 win.

The first goal came thanks to some quick thinking from England international Jordan Henderson, who chipped the ball through for Moussa Dembele to race on and slot under Romanian goalkeeper Ciprian Tătărușanu. A fantastic strike from Robin Quaison doubled the lead before Hamed Al-Ghamadi added a third to leave Al-Ettifaq fifth on the points table.

Gerrard appears to be quickly fitting into his new role.

Improved ties let Saudi clubs with CR7, Neymar go to Iran for Asian Champions League

Meet the Saudi clubs chasing AFC Champions League glory

World

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.

During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.

He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.

The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.

-wam

World

At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books

As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”

Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.

Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.

Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.

Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.

Automation

The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.

Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.

World

US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79

US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.

In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.

He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.

President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.

-WAM