Ethara CEO ‘excited’ as Abu Dhabi Grand Prix concludes Formula 1’s longest season

Saif Al-Noaimi, CEO of Ethara, organizers of the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. (Supplied)
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Updated 04 December 2024
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Ethara CEO ‘excited’ as Abu Dhabi Grand Prix concludes Formula 1’s longest season

  • Saif Al-Noaimi speaks to Arab News about the 2024 season, the race at Yas Marina Circuit and other sporting events in the UAE capital

ABU DHABI: Max Verstappen may have clinched his fourth consecutive drivers title a few weeks ago, but as Abu Dhabi prepares to host the finale of Formula 1’s longest season yet, two teams are still in with chance of winning the World Constructors’ Championship.

In the driver and team championships, the 2024 F1 season ended being far more gripping than the early races of the campaign had suggested as the Dutchman and Red Bull went about obliterating their rivals.

Saif Al-Noaimi, CEO of Ethara, organizers of the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, was at Yas Marina Circuit when Formula 1 witnessed arguably its greatest championship finale. Verstappen’s last lap overtake of Lewis Hamilton three years ago has become known among fans, simply, as ”Abu Dhabi 21.”

He believes a renewed sense of competitiveness after a few years of complete Red Bull dominance, is welcome.

“It has been a very exciting season,” Al-Noaimi said. “Max Verstappen dominated the first half, but then (McLaren’s) Lando Norris, and even Oscar Piastri, and the two Ferraris caught up quite a bit in the second half. Brazil was a surprise. Max really dominated in that race and delivered an amazing result.”

Three weeks later, Verstappen won his fourth consecutive World Drivers’ Championship after a fifth-place finish in the Las Vegas Grand Prix. 

“But it is also exciting to see the fight for the Constructors' Championship,” Al-Noaimi said. “McLaren leading, they haven’t won since 1998, Ferrari in second, they haven’t won it since 2008. So they’re going to be fighting really hard to finish on top.

“It’s been a long season. This is the longest in history, Abu Dhabi will be the 24th race.”

Al-Noaimi is impressed by the changes that teams have made throughout the season that have allowed for this thrilling end.

“It’s showing the evolution of the cars from the beginning of the season and how teams are quickly catching up towards the second half of the season. So it’s good to see that innovation, and how quickly some of the teams have been able to catch up in the second half of the season — 2025 is going to be an interesting one. And obviously 2026, with the new rules, is going to shuffle all the cards.

“You have some exciting developments with Adrian Newey’s move (to Aston Martin). We have Hamilton ending his Mercedes era in Abu Dhabi this year, next year going to Ferrari. So there’re a lot of moving parts, exciting things.”

Al-Noaimi also highlighted the fact four rookies will be introduced to the grid next season, a development that means there are no seats for more seasoned drivers such as Mick Schumacher and the popular Daniel Ricciardo.

“It’s a very competitive sport,” he said. “You have a chance to get it right and deliver and you have, in some cases, a few races to prove yourself, otherwise, you’re moved on. I mean, Daniel Ricciardo is an amazing driver, amazing personality. I think he did so much for the sport, he brought in completely new audiences. It’s unfortunate to see him being dropped in the middle of a season and not towards the end of the season. But he had to make way for someone else to be given an opportunity.”

For Al-Noaimi, preparations for the season-ending events started months ago, and it is not just the Formula 1 action that he has to oversee, but all events throughout Abu Dhabi GP race week.

“It’s actually a full week of activities this year. On the ground, some new products that we’re launching, some innovation in the overall experience for our customers. We have redeveloped the Paddock Club this year.”

The changes to the Paddock Club include a completely upgraded rooftop, allowing 360-degree views of the track; an increased capacity;  and a totally new premium customer journey.

These developments come on the back of host of additions last year, such as new viewing platforms Deck on 2, Horizon 360 and Trackside Terrace. This year there is the new Garden on Yas at the W Hotel.

Demand for tickets, Al-Noaimi said, continues, both among tourists and UAE residents.

“We actually sold out of many products as early as June, including circuit grandstands, and that’s six months before the event.

“Since then, we’ve tried to find new ways for people to come and enjoy the action. We didn’t want them to get disappointed, so we had one-day tickets come up in that period. But demand is unprecedented.”

“Last year, we had 170,000 attendees over the weekend, about 70 percent coming from outside the UAE,” he added. “That’s huge for supporting Abu Dhabi’s tourism strategy. And this year we expect similar or larger attendance numbers.”

Another aspect of the event that Al-Noaimi is proud of is the sustainability across the entire weekend.

“Sustainability is essential in our planning for the event. When we’re starting to plan for the event early on, we always view it from a sustainability lens.

“Last year was the biggest year we’ve had in terms of the footprint of the event and the scale of the event and the number of attendees. However, we had a reduction in our carbon footprint despite that significantly larger event. And that’s a result of all the different sustainability initiatives we’ve had over the last few years starting to show results.”

While the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix remains the crown jewel of Ethara’s calendar, and one of the biggest sporting weekends in the region, Abu Dhabi has become home to several other global events in recent years.

“Right now our flagship events are Formula 1, NBA Games and UFC,” Al-Noaimi said. “And then, expanding on the partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism, we were involved last year with delivering Abu Dhabi Art, which took place over a few months across multiple locations in Abu Dhabi. This year, we are also involved in the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial with the Department of Culture and Tourism.”

For those visiting from abroad, the F1 ticket comes with a lot of benefits, Al-Noaimi said.

“It’s truly a full week of activities for an Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ticket holder. On Wednesday, you can upgrade and get a ticket to the World Supercross at Etihad Arena. Throughout that period, you have access, with ‘Yas All In’ pass, to one of the amazing theme parks we have on Yas Island, access to the Louvre Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island, access to Qasr Al-Watan in Abu Dhabi, as well as a few other tourist destinations.”

But there is little doubt where all eyes will be this weekend, at Yas Marina Circuit.

“From Thursday, you have the pitlane walk, you have the first of the Yasalam after-race concerts happening in Etihad Park. And then you have the entire activities. Obviously the Formula 1 race, but also the support races, Formula 2, we have a Formula 4 Middle East Trophy Round, and Formula 1 Academy for the first time coming to Abu Dhabi as well.”

In two of these support races young local drivers will take to the track.

“We’re fortunate to have three Emiratis racing at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend in front of the same crowd that’s here to watch the Formula One,” said Al-Noaimi. “Amna and Hamda (Al-Qubaisi) are participating at the highest level of the F1 Academy. It’s the first time we bring that to Abu Dhabi. So it’s a proud moment for us to see them race in front of their home crowds.

“Rashid Al-Dhaheri returns for the F4 Trophy Round as well. He just stepped up to Formula Regional. He’s performing extremely well. Last season he took part in Formula 4 UAE. He also did Formula 4 Italy. And he’s participating in a few rounds in Europe and Southeast Asia. He's been doing amazingly well.”


Atletico held at Alaves in dry Liga draw

Updated 22 sec ago
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Atletico held at Alaves in dry Liga draw

Diego Simeone’s side have little to play for in the final weeks of the season
Alaves, however, moved provisionally 16th, three points clear of the relegation zone

VITORIA, Spain: Atletico Madrid were held to a dull 0-0 draw at relegation-battling Alaves on Saturday in La Liga.
Diego Simeone’s side have little to play for in the final weeks of the season, sitting third with Champions League qualification virtually assured and leaders Barcelona nine points ahead of them.
Alaves, however, moved provisionally 16th, three points clear of the relegation zone with an important point against their illustrious visitors.
Julian Alvarez was sent off in the only moment to get pulses racing in the first half when he connected high on Argentine compatriot Facundo Garces’ leg, but the referee downgraded his red card to yellow after a VAR review.
Simeone took off his son Giuliano and Antoine Griezmann as he looked for more energy, bringing on Samuel Lino and regular super-sub Alexander Sorloth.
Antonio Sivera saved a Lino long-range effort, Atletico’s first shot on target, with around 20 minutes remaining as what had been a soporific battle burst belatedly into life.
Jan Oblak made a superb low stop to thwart Kike Garcia from close range as Eduardo Caudet’s hosts almost found a way through.
Sivera clawed out a Clement Lenglet effort and Angel Correa could not convert at the end of a swift counter-attack as Atletico threatened but could not find a winner.
“Neither side could get the upper hand, either in possession or in attack, there were no shots in the first half — the game was played in the middle of the pitch without any danger,” admitted Simeone, who turned his attention to the Club World Cup this summer.
“We’ve earned (qualification) on our merit... the Club World Cup, a significant milestone for the last four years of work.”
Ayoze Perez struck twice for Villarreal as they beat Osasuna 4-2 to close in on Champions League qualification for next season.
The top five La Liga teams qualify and the Yellow Submarine are currently fifth, four points clear of Real Betis who visit Espanyol on Sunday.

Villa boost top five bid, Southampton beaten at Leicester

Updated 22 min 11 sec ago
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Villa boost top five bid, Southampton beaten at Leicester

  • Seventh-placed Villa extended their unbeaten run on home turf to 20 games in all competitions
  • Emery said: “Today, we got more or less to be close to Europe. Wow, fantastic, brilliant”

LONDON: Unai Emery vowed Aston Villa will fight until the end for a place in the Champions League after boosting their bid with a 1-0 win against Fulham on Saturday.
Emery’s side are back in the hunt to finish in the Premier League’s top five thanks to Youri Tielemans’ 12th-minute header at Villa Park.
Seventh-placed Villa extended their unbeaten run on home turf to 20 games in all competitions, lifting them level with sixth-placed Nottingham Forest and fifth-placed Chelsea on 60 points.
After bouncing back from their dismal FA Cup semifinal loss to Crystal Palace last weekend, Villa will hope their rivals falter over the weekend as the top five race heads for a dramatic climax.
“If we weren’t winning today, forget it completely,” Emery said.
“Today, we got more or less to be close to Europe. Wow, fantastic, brilliant. The best gift we can achieve after it is the Europa League or Champions League.
“Champions League, okay. We are not favorites to get it because there is Nottingham Forest in front of us, Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle.
“But we will fight for it, Europe, and hopefully we can fight for the Champions League.”
Southampton wasted a chance to avoid a share of the lowest points total in Premier League history as Jamie Vardy’s 199th Leicester goal inspired a 2-0 win at the King Power Stadium.
Simon Rusk’s bottom of the table team are trying to avoid finishing with just 11 points — which would match Derby’s low mark set in 2007-08.
But Southampton’s hopes of getting a 12th point quickly faded against fellow relegated side Leicester.
After announcing last week that he will leave the club at the end of the season, the 38-year-old Vardy bagged a farewell goal as he put second-bottom Leicester ahead in the 17th minute.
The game was delayed for 11 minutes when referee David Webb was forced off with a head injury after colliding with Leicester’s Jordan Ayew.


Vardy cheekily blew the referee’s whistle while he was being treated.
Leicester finally won for the first time since January as Ayew grabbed the second goal in the 44th minute.
Southampton have now lost 28 of their 35 league games and have three matches left to avoid sharing the low points record with Derby.
Relegated Ipswich fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 in Everton’s penultimate match at Goodison Park.
Kieran McKenna’s third-bottom side trailed to Beto’s 26th minute goal and Dwight McNeil’s effort nine minutes later.
But Julio Enciso ‘s 30-yard rocket reduced the deficit in the 41st minute and George Hirst equalized with 11 minutes left.
Everton’s emotional last match at Goodison before moving to their new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium next season comes against Southampton on May 18.
Second-placed Arsenal host Bournemouth in Saturday’s late game as the Gunners warm up for their Champions League semifinal showdown with Paris Saint-Germain.
Mikel Arteta’s side lost 1-0 in the first leg on Tuesday and head to France for the second leg on Wednesday as they look to reach the final for the first time since 2006.


Leipzig put Bayern and Kane’s title party on ice

Updated 47 min 47 sec ago
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Leipzig put Bayern and Kane’s title party on ice

  • Leroy Sane looked to have completed the comeback and clinch the title
  • The result keeps Bayer Leverkusen’s slim chances of defending their Bundesliga title alive

MUNICH: Bayern Munich and Harry Kane’s German Bundesliga title party was delayed by at least a day after RB Leipzig’s Yussuf Poulsen scored a stoppage-time equalizer in a 3-3 home draw on Saturday.
With Kane sitting in the stands due to a yellow card suspension, Bayern fell two down by half-time, Leipzig scoring twice in teaming rain in Saxony through Benjamin Sesko and Lucas Klostermann.
Bayern then scored twice in 46 seconds through Eric Dier and Michael Olize to level things up with just under 30 minutes remaining.
Leroy Sane looked to have completed the comeback and clinch the title, hitting an unstoppable shot from the right of goal on the 83rd-minute mark.
But Poulsen, subbed on with 30 minutes to go, chipped the ball over Urbig in the fifth minute of stoppage time to snatch a draw.
The result keeps Bayer Leverkusen’s slim chances of defending their Bundesliga title alive.
Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen play at Freiburg on Sunday and need to win their three remaining games, with Bayern, who have a significant goal difference advantage, needing just a point to lift the title.
Leipzig grabbed the lead 11 minutes in when Sesko pounced on a mistake from visiting ‘keeper Jonas Urbig, who was slipped while well outside of his penalty box, allowing the Slovenian to hit a long-range shot home.
Klostermann doubled Leipzig’s lead shortly before half-time, heading in from a David Raum header.
Leipzig, who needed a win to boost their hopes of Champions League football next season, were in control and looked on track for victory until Bayern shocked the hosts with two goals in 46 seconds.
Dier headed in from a corner, his third goal in his past four games, before Olize made the most of a Leipzig defensive mistake to level the scores.
Sane’s late goal sent Bayern’s bench wild.
As the clock wound down, a beaming Kane made his way down from the stands to the sidelines, ready to collect the title of his career.
Poulsen was however sent through on goal by Xavi Simons and cooly chipped the ‘keeper to delay Bayern’s party by at least a day.
Later on Sunday, Borussia Dortmund can keep their top-four hopes alive with a win at home against Wolfsburg.
Champions League finalists last season, Dortmund were as low as 11th this year but have won four of their past five.


Chile footballer Vidal cleared of suspicion in sexual assault case

Updated 58 min 11 sec ago
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Chile footballer Vidal cleared of suspicion in sexual assault case

  • The woman accused Vidal and other Colo Colo players of sexual assault
  • Other unnamed members of Vidal’s team remain under investigation

SANTIAGO: Chilean football star Arturo Vidal has been cleared of suspicion of sexual assault, prosecutors said Saturday, adding that the complaint made by a woman over a party at a Santiago night club had been dismissed.
The woman accused Vidal, 37, and other players from his first-division Colo Colo side of sexual assault at a club, where the footballers were celebrating a birthday on November 4.
“We were able to reconstitute the events of that day and, ultimately, there is no evidence to support charges,” prosecutor Felipe Cembrano said in a video sent to the media.
Other unnamed members of Vidal’s team remain under investigation, however.
Former Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Inter Milan midfielder Vidal returned last year to Colo Colo, where he started his career at 17.
He was part of the so-called “Golden Generation” that led Chile to victory in the 2015 Copa America.


Snooker great Ronnie O’Sullivan plans move to Middle East after World Championship exit

Updated 03 May 2025
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Snooker great Ronnie O’Sullivan plans move to Middle East after World Championship exit

  • The 49-year-old, widely regarded as the greatest snooker player in history, made the announcement after a heavy 17–7 defeat to Zhao Xintong in the semifinals of the World Championship

LONDON: Seven-time world snooker champion Ronnie O’Sullivan has revealed plans to leave the UK and start a new chapter of his life in the Middle East, BBC Sport reported on Saturday.

The 49-year-old, widely regarded as the greatest snooker player in history, made the announcement after a heavy 17–7 defeat to Zhao Xintong in the semifinals of the World Championship in Sheffield on Friday.

The loss marked the end of his first tournament appearance since snapping his cue in frustration at the Championship League in January.

“I think I am going to be moving out of the UK this year,” said O’Sullivan, who is based in Essex and also runs a snooker academy in Saudi Arabia.

“I’ll be moving away to the Middle East. We’ll see how it goes, I might be back in six months. A new life somewhere else. I don’t know how that is going to pan out,” he added.

“The Rocket,” as he is known, had raised hopes of an eighth Crucible crown, which would stand alone as a modern-era record, with earlier victories over Ali Carter, Pang Junxu and Si Jiahui. But he was comfortably outplayed by former UK champion Zhao, who sealed victory with a session to spare.

Despite his long list of achievements — including a record 41 ranking titles, five more than Stephen Hendry — O’Sullivan admitted he is struggling to visualize what lies ahead.

“I will still try to play snooker, but I don’t know what the future looks like for me, really,” he said. “It is a big part of my life, but I have to try and figure out what my future looks like, whether it’s playing or not.”

O’Sullivan has spoken openly in recent years about his struggles with motivation and mental health, and previously revealed he had taken medication to deal with anxiety.

His absence from the sport for several months earlier this season prompted speculation about whether he might be winding down his career ahead of his 50th birthday in December.

At this year’s tournament, he has also faced a battle with his equipment after breaking his trusted cue — a problem he said was still unresolved.

“I don’t even know if it was the cue, the ferrule or me. There were three things,” he said. “I didn’t know where the white ball was going. I was at a loss. I won’t throw the cue. The merchandise people want it, so it will be up for sale.

“I’ve been playing like that quite a lot in practice and it’s just hard to get my head around. I can’t even fix it, that’s the problem. I know I said I’d like to try and give it two years, but if you’re going to play like that it’s pretty pointless. It’s not good.”

O’Sullivan was full of praise for his young Chinese opponent following the crushing defeat.

“We’ve got a really nice relationship, I’m always trying to help him if I can. He wanted the crowd to give me clap, but it’s his moment. I tried to get off as quick as I could because it’s his moment,” he told Sportsboom.com

“It’d be amazing if he did it. He’d be a mega star, he’s still very big in China as it is. But if he becomes world champion, he’ll be unbelievable. It will just be amazing for snooker, and his life as well.

“He can definitely get over the line. But he’ll have more of a test against the other two guys in the semis. I think that’ll be a proper test for him.”