How are the 2026 World Cup contenders shaping up?
Only eight countries have won the World Cup in 22 editions up to the most recent tournament in Qatar, when...
Arts & Culture
McLaren duo in ominous show of force in Saudi final practice
Lando Norris pipped teammate Oscar Piastri in final practice in Jeddah with the McLaren duo streets clear of the chasing...
Economy
Geostrategy
Skipper Battat leads Palestine on and off pitch at Asian Cup
Doha, Qatar - Musab Al-Battat has led Palestine on the pitch with his all-action performances and off it as the voice...
- The 30-year-old captain will be the man his team look to once again for inspiration when Palestine face hosts and reigning champions Qatar in a daunting last-16 tie.
- The side ranked 99 in the world have progressed into the next round despite a deeply troubled build-up overshadowed by the Israel-Hamas war
Son faces Saudis, Palestine make history in Asian Cup last 16
The knockout phase begins on Sunday when Australia play Indonesia, followed the same day by the United Arab Emirates against...
- The tournament has been whittled down from 24 teams to 16 but trying to predict who lifts the trophy on February 10 looks more difficult than ever
- Japan came to Qatar as favourites and looking to win the title for a record-extending fifth time, but they reached the knockout phase as only runners-up in their group behind Iraq
Arts & Culture
Coach Mancini lays out Saudi’s plan at Asian Cup
Doha, Qatar - Roberto Mancini said on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia fear no team at the Asian Cup and will not...
- "Our calculation is always to win all the games we play," said Mancini, who won the European Championship with his native Italy in 2021.
- Mancini has repeatedly played down Saudi Arabia's chances of winning the Asian Cup saying Japan, South Korea, Iran and Australia are favorites.
Business
Tata Group retains IPL sponsorship rights for record $300m
New Delhi, India - Corporate behemoth Tata Group has again been awarded title sponsorship rights of the Indian Premier League for...
- Tata Group already holds the title sponsorship for the IPL and its sister competition, the Women's Premier League, which staged its first tournament last year
- The IPL attracts cricket's top international stars with bumper salaries, and features 10 sides competing in the sport's hugely popular Twenty20 format
Arts & Culture
Coach Mancini warns Saudi against taking Kyrgyzstan lightly
Doha, Qatar - Roberto Mancini warned Saudi Arabia against falling victim to the kind of Asian Cup shock suffered by favorites...
- Coach Mancini's team are ranked 56th in the world and are one of the contenders for the title while Kyrgyzstan are 98th
- The 59-year-old Mancini, who led Italy to European glory in 2021, took over ambitious Saudi Arabia in August last year
Saudi Dakar rally 2024 concludes with participation of 778 drivers, co-drivers
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The city of Yanbu witnessed on Friday evening the closing ceremony of the 5th edition of...
- 778 drivers and co-drivers participated navigating a fleet of 434 vehicles in 6 categories: cars, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or quads and others
- Spanish driver Carlos Sainz, from team "Audi," clinched the title for the fourth time in the car category, marking his second win in the Kingdom
Geostrategy
Iraq upsets Japan to sail into knockouts of Asian Cup
Doha, Qatar - Aymen Hussein scored two first-half headers as Iraq stunned Asian Cup favorites Japan 2-1 on Friday to reach...
- Iraq -- ranked 63 in the world to Japan's 17 -- endured a nervous finish after Liverpool's Wataru Endo pulled one back in the third of eight minutes of injury time
- It was Japan's first Asian Cup group-stage defeat in 26 matches and set them on a potential collision course with South Korea in the last 16 in Qatar
Geostrategy
Turkish club send Israeli player to Maccabi Tel Aviv after Gaza controversy
ISTANBUL, TURKEY - Turkish first division club Basaksekir on Thursday sent Israeli midfielder Eden Karzev on loan to Maccabi Tel Aviv following...
- The Istanbul side launched disciplinary proceedings against Eden Karzev after the defensive midfielder shared a message about the hostages..
- The probe came the same day Israeli footballer Sagiv Jehezkel was charged with incitement to hatred for displaying a message on the Gaza war.
Arts & Culture
Afif helps Qatar exorcise World Cup demons at Asian Cup
Doha, Qatar - Asian Cup hosts and holders Qatar have been on a mission to banish the painful memory of their...
- Qatar lost all three of their World Cup games on home soil on their way to a first-round exit just over a year ago, the worst record of any host in the competition's history
- But it's been a different story at the Asian Cup -- albeit after only two games against moderate opposition -- and Tintin Marquez's side are the first to reach the knockout rounds
Business
Saudi Arabia unveils 45,000-seat multi-use stadium in Qiddiya City
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - The Board of Directors of the Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) announced on Monday the launch of...
- Upon opening, the stadium is anticipated to host some of Saudi Arabia’s biggest sports, entertainment, and cultural events.
- It aims to draw visitors from across the globe and revolutionize the traditional stadium experience with its immersive design.
How are the 2026 World Cup contenders shaping up?
Only eight countries have won the World Cup in 22 editions up to the most recent tournament in Qatar, when...
Arts & Culture
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Bosnia and Egypt clinch crucial wins in Paralympic sitting volleyball
Since first qualifying for the Paralympics in 2000, Bosnia have never finished outside of the podium and they made a...
Imane Khelif – boxer in gender row and now Olympic champion
A strong athlete, she played football with the boys in her village of Biban Mesbah, but beating them in matches...
Saudi taekwondo star edged out in historic Olympic women’s medal pursuit
Abu Taleb had qualified for the Games by bagging gold at the 2020 Arab Taekwondo Championship and bronze medals at...
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First Palestinian Olympic boxer fights hurdles before history
Beitunia, Palestinian Territories - Every morning Palestinian boxer Waseem Abu Sal checks texts from his Cairo-based coach -- a Gazan who...
- The 20-year-old Waseem Abu Sal will be the first Palestinian boxer to participate in the Olympics after he bagged a wildcard spot
- Abu Sal will take on his first Olympic fight on July 28 after training routine with his remote coach Ahmad Harara who is held back by Israeli travel restrictions
Saudi pushes equal pay at launch of women’s tennis finals
The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) announced in April that Riyadh would host the next three editions of the tour finals...
- Saudi Arabia has been luring professional tennis players to tournaments since 2019, part of a broader campaign to turn the conservative and formerly closed-off kingdom into a sport
- It has also recruited top footballers including Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar into its professional league and hosted marquee heavyweight boxing bouts and Formula One races
From fighting boys to Saudi Olympic history for female taekwondo star
Abha, Saudi Arabia - Saudi taekwondo standout Donia Abu Taleb had an unusual introduction to the sport: for years she trained...
- Donia Abu Taleb has become the first Saudi woman to qualify for the Olympics and is dreaming of bringing home the Gulf kingdom's first gold medal when she competes in Paris
- Abu Taleb has taken advantage of the newfound state backing, bagging gold at the 2020 Arab Taekwondo Championship and bronze medals at the Asian and world championships in 2022