Nathan Ake recently signed a new contract with Chelsea and will spend the current season on loan at Watford. Stanley Chou / Getty
Nathan Ake recently signed a new contract with Chelsea and will spend the current season on loan at Watford. Stanley Chou / Getty

Nathan Ake ‘really impressed’ by Quique Flores after completing loan move to Watford from Chelsea



Nathan Ake, who moved to newly promoted Watford on loan from Premier League champions Chelsea, has said Quique Flores’ management of youth players convinced him to join the promoted club.

Ake, who signed a five-year deal with Chelsea before joining Watford, was on loan at Championship side Reading last season and said he was eager to get a taste of first-team Premier League football.

Flores, who is well known to UAE football fans for his stints at Al Ahli and Al Ain, took over Watford in the summer and has guided the club to successive draws in their two opening league games.

“He’s a big manager and he has managed big clubs,” the 20-year-old told the club’s website.

“He told me he had young players when he was at other clubs, like Koke at Atletico Madrid, and he said age doesn’t matter to him, he’ll play you if you’re ready.

“I was really impressed with him, we had a good chat and he made me feel welcome straight away.

“I’m really excited because I’ve been waiting for this, to get on-loan and play a lot of games, and Watford have given me this opportunity.”

Ake, who is primarily a central defender, said his versatility can benefit his new side.

“I can play in midfield, left-back or centre-back. I’m a player who works really hard, a left-footed player who tries to play football on the ground,” Ake said.

“But I can also do the other side of the game like defending, and I just try to help the team really.”

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Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

The biog

Date of birth: 27 May, 1995

Place of birth: Dubai, UAE

Status: Single

School: Al Ittihad private school in Al Mamzar

University: University of Sharjah

Degree: Renewable and Sustainable Energy

Hobby: I enjoy travelling a lot, not just for fun, but I like to cross things off my bucket list and the map and do something there like a 'green project'.

About Takalam

Date started: early 2020

Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: HealthTech and wellness

Number of staff: 4

Funding to date: Bootstrapped

Charlotte Gainsbourg

Rest

(Because Music)

Teachers' pay - what you need to know

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues

Points about the fast fashion industry Celine Hajjar wants everyone to know
  • Fast fashion is responsible for up to 10 per cent of global carbon emissions
  • Fast fashion is responsible for 24 per cent of the world's insecticides
  • Synthetic fibres that make up the average garment can take hundreds of years to biodegrade
  • Fast fashion labour workers make 80 per cent less than the required salary to live
  • 27 million fast fashion workers worldwide suffer from work-related illnesses and diseases
  • Hundreds of thousands of fast fashion labourers work without rights or protection and 80 per cent of them are women
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Roll of honour: Who won what in 2018/19?

West Asia Premiership: Winners – Bahrain; Runners-up – Dubai Exiles

UAE Premiership: Winners – Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners-up  Jebel Ali Dragons

Dubai Rugby Sevens: Winners – Dubai Hurricanes; Runners-up – Abu Dhabi Harlequins

UAE Conference: Winners  Dubai Tigers; Runners-up  Al Ain Amblers

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When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi

  

 

 

 

Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.

 

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