Articles by Ali Khaled

About Ali Khaled

Ali Khaled is the Sports Editor at Arab News and former Editor of FourFourTwo Arabia. He has previously worked for The National, 7Days, and GQ Middle East, and has contributed to Al Arabiya English, CNN and Esquire Middle East. He directed the 2016 documentary Anwar Roma (Lights of Rome), the story of the UAE’s incredible journey to the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy.

The reign of terror that ended Iraq’s World Cup dream before it started

March 31, 2026 Ali Khaled

The following is an excerpt from the forthcoming book “Yalla! The Turbulent History of Arab Nations at the World Cup”, written by Ali Khaled. Pre-order your copy today. It is 31 March 1980 and new […]

Right or wrong? Naturalisations spark debate in UAE

May 11, 2020 Ali Khaled

For long, the UAE resisted. Then, in January 2020, the UAE Football Association declared that two South American players had become eligible to play for the country’s national team. And not just any two South […]

Qatar 1976: The origins of one of Asia’s great rivalries

December 21, 2019 Ali Khaled

The greatest ever Gulf Cup? Veteran watchers of this most regional, beloved tournament will tell you it was in Qatar. No. Not the 2019 Gulf Cup, nevermind that it proved historic with Bahrain claiming their […]

‘Lights of Rome’: Remembering UAE’s golden generation

October 28, 2019 Ali Khaled

Thirty years to the day that Emirati football history was created, Ali Khaled looks back on that historic day in Singapore. It would be wrong to say the dream was dying. There had been no […]