Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, hosted the management, players and staff of Shabab Al Ahli in recognition of their stellar 2024/25 campaign.
The Dubai club enjoyed success on four fronts, capturing their ninth UAE Pro League title, the UAE President's Cup for the 11th time, the UAE Super Cup and the UAE-Qatar Super Cup.
Led by their Portuguese coach Paulo Sousa, the squad attended the ceremony at Zabeel Palace on Thursday and showed off their impressive haul of silverware.
Sheikh Mohammed congratulated the players, technical and administrative staff, as well as board members on a historic season.
Addressing the players, he commended their determination and team spirit, noting that while winning the league was a significant achievement, maintaining that position is the greater challenge.
Sheikh Mohammed joined members of the team for a commemorative photo, encouraging them to sustain their high performance and expressing confidence in their ability to represent the UAE in continental competitions next season. As domestic champions, Shabab Al Ahli qualified for the AFC Champions League Elite.
The reception was also attended by Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, and Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai.
Inspired by Sousa's arrival, Shabab Al Ahli coasted to the league title, finishing 13 points ahead of closest challengers Sharjah. They won 19 of their 26 games, drawing six and losing just once.
President's Cup glory came in May at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi as rivals Sharjah were edged out 2-1.
Yuri Cesar scored either side of half time after Marcos Meloni had put Sharjah in front with a 14th-minute strike.
“It really was momentous for the club, fans, players and also for me in my first season,” Sousa said after the game.
“Personally, I couldn’t have wished for a better first season here. Full credit to my staff and the players who gave everything on the pitch and for the fans who stood behind us at every game.”
The club narrowly missed out on making it five titles in one season when they were beaten 2-1 by Al Jazira in the final of the ADIB League Cup.
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
Results
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The biog
From: Upper Egypt
Age: 78
Family: a daughter in Egypt; a son in Dubai and his wife, Nabila
Favourite Abu Dhabi activity: walking near to Emirates Palace
Favourite building in Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace
Match info
Uefa Nations League A Group 4
England 2 (Lingard 78', Kane 85')
Croatia 1 (Kramaric 57')
Man of the match: Harry Kane (England)
Henrik Stenson's finishes at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship:
2006 - 2
2007 - 8
2008 - 2
2009 - MC
2010 - 21
2011 - 42
2012 - MC
2013 - 23
2014 - MC
2015 - MC
2016 - 3
2017 - 8
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
