Man City, headed to China, could debut Pep Guardiola against rivals Man United

Pep Guardiola's first game as Manchester City manager could be against neighbours Manchester United as both Manchester giants will travel to China in July 2016 as part of their pre-season schedule.

City were announced as the first of three teams in the International Champions Cup on Friday, with United expected to be confirmed imminently. The 20-times English champions plan to spend eight days in China as part of their pre-season. A major Italian team is also expected to be confirmed for the round robin tournament.

The venues have yet to be announced by organisers Relevent Sports, Catalyst Media Group, and LeSports, but while United have been regular visitors to China since 1999 – when they played to 80,000 fans in Shanghai – it would be the first time they have played City in Asia.

City recently agreed a deal with a consortium of Chinese investors, selling a 13 per cent stake in the City Football Group, the club’s holding company, for a reported £265 million (Dh1.4 billion). Chinese president Xi Jinping also visited City’s Etihad Stadium during his state visit to the United Kingdom in October 2015.

Both Manchester clubs are keen to raise their profile in the world’s second largest economy. They have both been frequent visitors to the United States, the world’s biggest economy.

United last toured China in 2009, though they played a single game there in 2012 – the year Chevrolet announced their record breaking United shirt sponsorship deal at the Shanghai motor show.

Football is becoming more popular in China, with Chinese clubs making up six of the top eight most expensive transfers in football during their current transfer window. United usually tour for two to three weeks pre-season, but they will undertake a truncated tour because they want to give those players involved in Euro 2016 three weeks’ rest.

United also need to be back in Manchester for Wayne Rooney’s testimonial on August 3 at Old Trafford. The side currently managed by Louis van Gaal could play further pre-season friendlies in Europe after Rooney’s testimonial.

The games in China will be part of the fourth edition of the International Champions Cup. United played in the first edition in the United States in 2013, while Real Madrid were winners of the first ICC China tournament in 2015 which was played in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Shanghai.

“The International Champions Cup China was an enormous success in 2015 and we are excited to announce our return in 2016,” said David Tyler, chief executive of Relevent Sports.

Patrick Murphy, chief executive of Catalyst Media Group said, “After an amazing response from fans in 2015, we are delighted to confirm ICC’s return to China and the participation of one of the ‘it’ (City) clubs in world football. The progress of football in China is impressive and we are honoured to be part of that.

“We’ll be working with all our clubs, strategic partner LeSports and sponsors to ensure ICC China raises the benchmark again for premium football tours in the market. Fans in China deserve an engaging, meaningful and annually consistent platform to consume premium football – ICC China is exactly that. ”

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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)

Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi

Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi

Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai

Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi

Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia

AT%20A%20GLANCE

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWindfall%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EAn%20%E2%80%9Cenergy%20profits%20levy%E2%80%9D%20to%20raise%20around%20%C2%A35bn%20in%20a%20year.%20The%20temporary%20one-off%20tax%20will%20hit%20oil%20and%20gas%20firms%20by%2025%20per%20cent%20on%20extraordinary%20profits.%20An%2080%20per%20cent%20investment%20allowance%20should%20calm%20Conservative%20nerves%20that%20the%20move%20will%20dent%20North%20Sea%20firms%E2%80%99%20investment%20to%20save%20them%2091p%20for%20every%20%C2%A31%20they%20spend.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EA%20universal%20grant%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EEnergy%20bills%20discount%2C%20which%20was%20effectively%20a%20%C2%A3200%20loan%2C%20has%20doubled%20to%20a%20%C2%A3400%20discount%20on%20bills%20for%20all%20households%20from%20October%20that%20will%20not%20need%20to%20be%20paid%20back.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETargeted%20measures%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMore%20than%20eight%20million%20of%20the%20lowest%20income%20households%20will%20receive%20a%20%C2%A3650%20one-off%20payment.%20It%20will%20apply%20to%20households%20on%20Universal%20Credit%2C%20Tax%20Credits%2C%20Pension%20Credit%20and%20legacy%20benefits.%0D%3Cbr%3ESeparate%20one-off%20payments%20of%20%C2%A3300%20will%20go%20to%20pensioners%20and%20%C2%A3150%20for%20those%20receiving%20disability%20benefits.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

UAE SQUAD

Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Ahmed Raza, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Chirag Suri , Zahoor Khan

Europe’s rearming plan

Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital

The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima

Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650

Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder

Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm

Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Notable salonnières of the Middle East through history

Al Khasan (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)

Tamadir bint Amr Al Harith, known simply as Al Khasan, was a poet from Najd famed for elegies, earning great renown for the eulogy of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr, both killed in tribal wars. Although not a salonnière, this prestigious 7th century poet fostered a culture of literary criticism and could be found standing in the souq of Okaz and reciting her poetry, publicly pronouncing her views and inviting others to join in the debate on scholarship. She later converted to Islam.

Maryana Marrash (Aleppo)

A poet and writer, Marrash helped revive the tradition of the salon and was an active part of the Nadha movement, or Arab Renaissance. Born to an established family in Aleppo in Ottoman Syria in 1848, Marrash was educated at missionary schools in Aleppo and Beirut at a time when many women did not receive an education. After touring Europe, she began to host salons where writers played chess and cards, competed in the art of poetry, and discussed literature and politics. An accomplished singer and canon player, music and dancing were a part of these evenings.

Princess Nazil Fadil (Cairo)

Princess Nazil Fadil gathered religious, literary and political elite together at her Cairo palace, although she stopped short of inviting women. The princess, a niece of Khedive Ismail, believed that Egypt’s situation could only be solved through education and she donated her own property to help fund the first modern Egyptian University in Cairo.

Mayy Ziyadah (Cairo)

Ziyadah was the first to entertain both men and women at her Cairo salon, founded in 1913. The writer, poet, public speaker and critic, her writing explored language, religious identity, language, nationalism and hierarchy. Born in Nazareth, Palestine, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, her salon was open to different social classes and earned comparisons with souq of where Al Khansa herself once recited.