Saudi football players bring joy to patients at top hospital

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Saudi national team players and coach Roberto Mancini during their visit to King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre. (Supplied)
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Saudi national team players and coach Roberto Mancini during their visit to King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre. (Supplied)
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Saudi national team players and coach Roberto Mancini during their visit to King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre. (Supplied)
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Updated 05 September 2024
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Saudi football players bring joy to patients at top hospital

  • Players were taking part in a community outreach initiative ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Indonesia, China

RIYADH: Several top Saudi Arabia national football players visited patients at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre in Jeddah recently as they look ahead to big matches on Thursday and next Tuesday.

This initiative aligns with the team’s ongoing community outreach programs. They are in training for a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Indonesia on Thursday.

Roberto Mancini’s squad will then travel to China for their second qualifier of the international break, taking place next Tuesday.

Mancini, captain Salem Al-Dawsari and other players presented gifts and flowers to patients to boost their morale, during their visit on Tuesday night.

The 2,500-bed hospital is considered one of the top global centers for heart, liver and bone-marrow transplants.

According to Brand Finance, KFSHRC is ranked first in the Middle East and 20th on the list of the world’s best academic medical institutions. This year, Newsweek magazine ranked it among the top 250 hospitals in the world.


Dubai Basketball with statement win in Paris

Updated 23 January 2026
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Dubai Basketball with statement win in Paris

  • A dominant 99-79 win sealed a strong 3-match stint on the road

DUBAI: Dubai Basketball capped off a demanding three-game road stretch in emphatic fashion, delivering a dominant 99-79 victory over Paris Basketball in Round 24 of the EuroLeague last night. The win marked Dubai’s second victory from three away fixtures across EuroLeague and ABA League play, while also preserving the club’s unbeaten record in the ABA League.

Facing Paris at Adidas Arena, Dubai produced one of its most complete performances of the season. From the opening minutes, the visitors imposed their authority at both ends of the floor, controlling tempo, disrupting Paris offensively, and steadily extending their advantage as the game progressed. The victory improved Dubai Basketball’s EuroLeague record to 11–13.

The Paris result followed a narrow EuroLeague defeat just days earlier in Barcelona, where Dubai pushed one of Europe’s elite sides to the final seconds in a thrilling 91:89 loss at Palau Blaugrana. Despite trailing entering the fourth quarter, Dubai mounted a remarkable comeback to level the game late, showcasing resilience in a hostile environment. McKinley Wright IV delivered a career-high 29 points in that contest, while the game also marked the EuroLeague return of Dzanan Musa following injury.

Dubai’s road trip began on Jan. 17 with a commanding 110-93 win over U-BT Cluj-Napoca in Round 15 of the ABA League. In front of a packed arena, Dubai pulled away late to secure the victory and maintain a perfect league record. Kabengele and Wright led the scoring with 24 points apiece, while Musa made a timely impact in the fourth quarter during his return from a three-month absence.

Across three challenging away fixtures in six days, Dubai Basketball claimed two road victories, remained unbeaten in ABA League competition, and reinforced its ability to compete consistently across multiple fronts, closing the stretch with a statement performance in Paris that highlighted the team’s growing presence on the European stage.

On Jan. 26, the team will take on Serbian side FMP in front of home fans at Coca-Cola Arena as their “invincible” attempt continues with a 13-0 run.