UAE Soccer Club Signs First Israeli Player

Emily Jones
09-29-2020

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JERUSALEM, Israel – Less than two weeks after penning a historic normalization deal with Israel, the United Arab Emirates welcomed another first by signing an Israeli soccer player to Dubai’s Al-Nasr professional soccer club.

Midfielder Dia Saba became the first Israeli to join a Gulf club. He signed a two-year contract with Al-Nasrafter previously playing for the Chinese Super League club Guangzhou R&F.

“Al-Nasr has completed the procedures with Dia Saba ... in a contract that extends for two seasons after he successfully passed medical examinations this morning,” the UAE Pro League club said in a statement.

Al-Nasr tweeted a video of Saba on the field at Al Maktoum Stadium on Sunday.

 

 

Saba, who is of Palestinian origin, was born in Israel to a Muslim family.

He has played for several Israeli soccer clubs, including Maccabi Tel Aviv, Maccabi Petah Tikvah, Maccabi Netanya, and Hapoel Be’er Sheva.

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About The Author

Emily
Jones

Emily Jones is a multi-media journalist for CBN News in Jerusalem. Before she moved to the Middle East in 2019, she spent years regularly traveling to the region to study the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, meet with government officials, and raise awareness about Christian persecution. During her college years, Emily served as president of Regent University's Christians United for Israel chapter and spoke alongside world leaders at numerous conferences and events. She is an active member of the Philos Project, an organization that seeks to promote positive Christian engagement with the Middle
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