AFC DEC issues USD$150,000 fine on UAE FA

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Disciplinary and Ethics Committee has sanctioned the United Arab Emirates Football Association (UAE FA) with a fine of USD$150,000 following the incidents that occurred during their AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 semi-final match against Qatar on January 29 at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

The infringements committed by the UAE FA related to the following matters:
Liability for spectator conduct
(Article 65, AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Code)

Organisation of Matches
(Article 64, AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Code)

Distribution of beverages
(Article 31, AFC Safety and Security Regulations)

Public passageways
(Article 33, AFC Safety and Security Regulations)

In addition, the UAE FA has also been ordered to play one (1) match without spectators (ie. a full stadium closure), which will come into effect during their next match played on the territory of the United Arab Emirates during the AFC Asian Cup 2023 (Qualifiers).

The UAE FA is required to settle the fine within 30 days in accordance with Article 11.3 of the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Code and has been informed that any future violations may be met with more severe punishment.

All decisions made by the AFC DEC in respect of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019, which have been notified to the respective Member Associations, can be found here.

(Source: AFC)

UAE 'downgrades' Asian Cup 2019 closing ceremony after Qatar win

Plans to have superstar singers perform scrapped as medals awarded by low-level dignitaries.

Not a single senior UAE official was present to hand medals to the victorious Qatar football team in the closing ceremony of the Asian Cup 2019.

Elaborate plans to feature some of the region's biggest stars including Hussein al-Jesmi were also scrapped at the last minute, according to reports.

Had another team won, it is likely that UAE Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed would have personally awarded the top prize in the continent's premier prestige football event.

Though the ongoing Saudi-Emirati blockade made it nearly impossible for Qatar fans to be at the competition - even the team themselves were not allowed to fly direct to the UAE and had to travel via Kuwait - a small group of Omani fans had supported the Annabis throughout the tournament.

While there was no playing of the Qatar national anthem, the team ran from the prize-giving podium to celebrate with their fans from Oman, and several players waved Omani flags alongside those of Qatar in thanks to the travelling supporters.

"I have no words," said coach Felix Sanchez Bas immediately after the game. "We had an outstanding team and worked a lot."

Qatar, the dark horses of the Asian Cup 2019, won the tournament after a remarkable record-breaking run that saw the team concede just one goal.

Qatar beat Japan, who had previously won the continental championship four times, by three goals to one in a tense game that saw some remarkable goals.

The United Arab Emirates has placed Qatar under a strict economic blockade for the past 18 months, closing regional airspace to Qatar flights, and threatening everything from dumping nuclear waste off Qatar's shores to full-blown military invasion.

We were banned from entering and supporting them in the games, so they brought it home to us.😍♥️🇶🇦 #كاس_اسيا2019 #AsianCup #Qatar #قطر

— Haya Al-Thani (@hayabntalwaleed) 1 February 2019

The trophy was handed to Qatar's winning team by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, while AFC officials were also well represented among the awarding party.

UAE dignitaries were notable by their absence from the podium, with the country having undertaken a number of attempts to end Qatar's run in the tournament - from block-buying 18,000 tickets to the semi-final, ensuring few if any Qatar fans could get a seat, to complaining bitterly about the eligibility of Qatari players.

Ali Almoez's 12th minute goal from an outstanding overhead kick - his back to the keeper - set the stage for Qatar's first half dominance. A second, a curling shot from Abdulaziz Hatem, in the 27th minute, gave the Japanese Blue Samurais a near-impossible target to chase.

But the second half saw Japan play with renewed determination, ending Qatar's clean sheet in the tournament in the 69th minute with a goal from Takumi Minamino.

But a penalty taken by Akram Afif for Qatar ended Japanese dreams of a fifth title in the 83rd minute.

Goalkeeper Saad el-Sheeb picked up $10,000 for the tournament's best goalkeeper award, while Almoez Ali was given the top goalscorer award - also worth $10,000 - for his record-breaking nine goals in the tournament, and picked up a cheque for $30,000 for the most valuable player award.

(Source: The New Arab) 

Qatar managed emotions well against UAE

There was never any doubt that man-to-man and on form Qatar were the overwhelming favourites going into the Asian Cup semi-final against the United Arab Emirates. But playing in front of raucous and unruly home fans can put even the most experienced players off the boil.

But the current Qatari team – comprising mainly of players in their early 20s – were unperturbed and determined on the job at hand yesterday as they thrashed the hosts UAE 4-0. It has also helped the players that their coach Felix Sanchez played down all political talk, instead focusing on strategies and keeping his players sharp, physically and mentally.

“It wasn’t an easy situation,” admitted Sanchez after the semi-final win. “The players were aware there was going to be a lot of pressure but they managed their emotions quite well — I’m very proud of them.”

The 43-year-old Sanchez, who took over as Qatar’s head coach 18 months ago, has been involved with the current crop of players since 2006. And much to the Spaniard’s credit he has marshalled his boys splendidly as they have become the first Qatar team to enter the Asian Cup final. Previously, The Al Annabi only managed to reach the quarter-final stages, in 2000 and 2011.

Qatar’s Boualem Khoukhi (C) celebrates his goal with teammates during the AFC Asian Cup
semi-final against the UAE in Abu Dhabi yesterday. (AFP)

But this team under Sanchez is out to make history and their performance so far suggests that they will be upbeat about their chances against Japan in the final on Friday. Sanchez has repeatedly said his team are keen to prove they are worthy of a World Cup 2022 debut and they have shown it on the field as they beat two of Asia’s best teams South Korea and Saudi Arabia en route to the final.

Yesterday, Sanchez stuck to his 4-2-3-1 combination to UAE’s 4-3-3. Tournament top-scorer Almoez Ali operated as lone forward and the Qatari forward troubled the lacklustre UAE defence until he was replaced with eight minutes to full time and the match clearly out of the hosts’ grasp.

While the UAE players watched by the 38,646 home fans at the Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium were under pressure, even struggling to make the simpler of first touches, the Qatar players were put in a calm and composed show.

Like all good modern football teams, Qatar were lightning quick on the counterattack, which brought them their first goal of the night. In the 22nd minute, Boualem Khoukhi raced down the right as he struck a not-so-powerful shot only to see the UAE goalkeeper Khalid Eisa fluff a straightforward save as the ball slipped into net after his tame effort.

And after Almoez Ali scored a record-equalling eighth goal of the tournament for a 2-0 half-time lead, the victory was never in doubt. While UAE coach Alberto Zaccheroni put all his men forward in search of two goals in the second half, it only played into the hands of impressive Qatar.

Captain Hassan al-Haydos and substitute Hamid Ismail put themselves on the score sheet in what once again highlighted their title credentials.

While Qatar have hammered 16 goals in six matches, they are still to concede one so far. Last night’s clean sheet against UAE ensured they became the first team in the history at the Asian Cup to not concede a goal in opening six games.

Barring one chance in the second half, UAE rarely troubled Qatar’s goalkeeper Saad al-Sheeb as Qatar’s back four put in a solid show. This was despite Sanchez missing Bassam al-Rawi and midfielder Abdulaziz Hatim, who were suspended after picking up two yellow cards.

But Assim Madibo and fullback Abdelkarim Hassan who were slotted into the side after serving their own one-match bans more than made up for it.

Before yesterday’s match, Qatar faced just seven shots on target across their five games and while UAE had three, they were far from any serious threat to the Qatar defence.

Qatar left-back Pedro Correia took great satisfaction from silencing the haters. “We like to play games like this,” he said. “Everybody knows about the problems but we don’t care — we just play football. Let the people talk, winning 4-0 is more important.”

(Source: Gulf Times)

Qatar takes bragging rights in 'blockade derby' at Asian Cup

For all the talk of a "blockade", it was perhaps ironic that Qatar should progress past United Arab Emirates so serenely to reach the final of the Asian Cup for the first time in its history.

While the occasion was ostensibly about football, the build up to the contest -- also dubbed the "blockade derby" -- was surrounded by analysis of the politics and diplomatic strife in the region.

The semifinal clash represented the first time the two had come face to face on the football field since the UAE joined Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt in breaking off relations with Qatar in June 2017.

Those relations are unlikely to be improved following Qatar's 4-0 victory in Abu Dhabi in a game where home supporters threw sandals and bottles onto the field of play to register their disgust.

While the UAE finished the game with 10 men following the sending off Ismail Ahmed, Qatar's players were left to celebrate ahead of Friday's final against four-time Asian Cup winner Japan.

This contest had already been ramped up as a grudge match owing to the geopolitical crisis before either side had taken to the field.

Objects are thrown onto the pitch after Qatar score their third goal during the semifinal.

The boycott of Qatar, the worst diplomatic crisis to hit the Gulf Arab states in decades, followed allegations that the state was supporting terrorism and destabilizing the region.

Qatar rejected the accusations, labeling them "unjustified" and "baseless."

Much of the criticism aimed at Qatar comes from its alleged support of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic group considered a terrorist organization by Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Qatari citizens were given 14 days to leave Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE, while all three countries banned their own citizens from entering Qatar.

Yemen, Mauritius, Mauritania, the Maldives and Libya's eastern-based government also joined the boycott.

The air and land blockade imposed on Qatar also meant that the national team had to take a longer route to reach the UAE, flying via Kuwait instead.

Fans throw bottles and flip-flops at the pitch during the semifinal.

According to UAE law, sympathizing politically with Qatar is a crime punishable by a jail term of three to 15 years in prison and a fine of no less than AED 500,000 (USD 136,000).

Keen to avoid any potential embarrassment, the hosts had pulled out all the stops to ensure its team had full backing ahead of the clash.

In order to bolster the crowd and further home advantage, the UAE Sports Council bought all unsold tickets, giving them away for free to UAE residents.

The UAE Ministry of Education encouraged students to attend and watch the game, cutting the school day by two hours, while the public sector was given time off to watch the contest and cheer the team on to victory.

But Qatar, the host nation of the 2022 World Cup, appeared undaunted.

Qatar's forward Almoez Ali (C) shoots to score during his side's win over UAE.

Its run to the final of the competition, which included victory over the much-fancied South Korea in the quarterfinal, has been remarkable.

Ranked 93 in the world, Qatar has won all six of its games without conceding a goal and boasts the tournament's top scorer in Almoez Ali.

It was Ali who scored his side's second goal, adding to Boualem Khoukhi's opener as Qatar took control of the contest.

Hasan Al Haydos netted a third with 10 minutes remaining before Qatar took advantage of Ahmed's sending off with Hamid Ismaeil scoring a fourth.

(Source: CNN)

Qatar erupts in joy after humbling arrogant UAE

Doha erupted in celebration on Tuesday as jubilant Qataris and expatriates flooded the streets after their team's victory over bitter sporting and political rivals the United Arab Emirates.

Qatar punished the unwelcoming hosts 4-0 in a politically charged clash marred by disgraceful behaviour from shoe-throwing Emirati fans to reach their first Asian Cup final where they will face Japan on Friday.

The Qataris, whose national anthem was booed by many uncivilized spectators before the game, scored through Boualem Khoukhi, Almoez Ali, Hasan al-Haydos and Hamid Ismail in Abu Dhabi.

As they celebrated a famous win and record sixth clean sheet at a single Asian Cup, plastic bottles rained down from angry local fans -- as they had for each Qatari goal, with midfielder Salem al-Hajri even hit on the head after their third.

Qatar's midfielder Boualem Khoukhi (C) celebrates during the 2019 AFC Asian Cup semi-final football match between Qatar and UAE

Traffic along Doha’s Corniche, was jammed bumper-to-bumper with exultant fans celebrating the thumping 4-0 Asian Cup semi-final victory, many honking horns or waving Qatari flags from car roofs, and others showing four fingers to emphasise the emphatic victory.

"I am so happy, of course, because now we will play in the final," Ahmed, 24, said as he watched the celebrations smoking from the side of the match.

"But for us this match is better than the final, it's revenge for everything bad they (the Emiratis) have said.”

His Syrian friend Hattim agreed.

"This is history. Qatar has God with it. Qatar always acts the right way," he said.

Meanwhile, Qatar coach Felix Sanchez said his team handled the pressure well.

"It wasn't an easy situation," admitted Sanchez. "The players were aware there was going to be a lot of pressure but they managed their emotions quite well -- I'm very proud of them."

A match bristling with regional tension over the long-standing Gulf blockade of Qatar quickly burst into life as a meaty tackle from Bandar al-Ahbabi on Akram Afif put the Qatari midfielder up in the air.

But Qatar drew first blood after 21 minutes when Khoukhi's shot squirted under UAE goalkeeper Khalid Eisa, much to the horror of a hostile crowd .

Afif was then targeted by bottle-throwing Emirati fans as he tried to take a corner, appealing desperately to the referee as he stepped away from the kick.

Bottles and footwear are pictured on the pitch during the 2019 AFC Asian Cup semi-final football match between Qatar and UAE at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Qatar exacted swift retribution eight minutes before the break, however, Ali smashing home a right-footed shot from the edge of the box to equal Ali Daei's 1996 record of eight goals in a single Asian Cup.

As Ali celebrated, more bottles and even shoes -- a deeply insulting provocation in Arab culture – were thrown at the players.

UAE almost pulled a goal back after the interval when Ali Mabkhout forced Saad al-Sheeb into a fingertip save before Ahmed Khalil also tested al-Sheeb's reflexes.

But Qatar never looked seriously troubled and captain al-Haydos coolly chipped in a third to spark further chaos as the atmosphere began to turn sinister, al-Hajri knocked to the ground as more missiles streamed onto the pitch.

UAE defender Ismail Ahmed was then shown a red card in stoppage time for an elbow on al-Hajri, before Ismail added a breakaway fourth to compound UAE's misery.

Qatar's Pedro Correia took great satisfaction from silencing the haters. "We like to play games like this," the defender told AFP.

"Everybody knows about the problems but we don't care -- we just play football. Let the people talk, winning 4-0 is more important."

UAE coach Alberto Zaccheroni confirmed after the game that he was stepping down.

“We simply failed in our objective," he said.

Ferrari World: Disneyland for car lovers

Ferrari World works well as a fun add-on to a Saturday at the mall, but not quite as a vacation destination, writes Benjamin Zhang in BI. Read on: 

I love Disney World. Since childhood, the park's rides, ambiance, and over presentation really make it the most magical place on earth. But as deep as my love for all things Disney may run, my love for cars run even deeper. And the most revered brand in the automotive universe is Ferrari.

So when the Italian supercar maker opened a theme park of its own in the United Arab Emirates, I had no choice but to make the pilgrimage over to experience Ferrari World Abu Dhabi.

Ferrari World is located on Yas Island, a few minutes drive away from Abu Dhabi International Airport and the Yas Marina Circuit, home of Formula One's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Construction on the park started in 2007 and opened for business in November 2010. Ferrari World is open seven days a week from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm. Tickets start at AED 295 or $80 with discounts up to 15% available for those who purchase more than 15 days in advance.

Here's a closer look at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi.

Welcome to Ferrari World!

Ferrari World is an indoor amusement covered by a 2.2 million square foot aluminum roof. From the air, it looks like a weird spaceship.

The theme park is actually located next to the Yas Mall and is connected to the mega shopping center via tunnel.

Underneath the big aluminum roof and skylight is nearly 1 million square feet of space.

Inside, the park is dominated by metal, glass, and palm trees.

At the front gate, park goers are greeted by a mock 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO. At $38 million, it's the most expensive Ferrari ever sold at auction.

My first stop is the park's signature ride, Formula Rossa.

The ride is designed to give park goers a taste of the performance capabilities of Ferrari's iconic Formula One race cars.

According to Ferrari World, it is the fastest roller coaster in the world capable of accelerating from 0-150 mph in just 4.9 seconds. It felt even faster!

Next stop is Fiorano GT Challenge.

This is arguably the park's second most famous ride. This roller coaster features Ferrari F430 derived ride cars running on parallel tracks in a simulated sports car race. This is a ride that needs some updating. The F430 is a couple of product cycles old.

The park's third coaster is Turbo Track, which puts the ride goer in the role of a Ferrari test driver. The ride features a vertical climb and a zero-gravity fall.

Ferrari World's final roller coaster is Flying Aces. It reaches speeds up to 75mph.

The ride's WWI fighter plane them is in honor of Count Francesco Baracca whose black prancing horse emblem became the basis for the famous Ferrari logo.

There's a section of the park with a decidedly Italian theme. Here's you'll find a cinema featuring a film on Enzo Ferrari as well as...

... A Disney Epcot-esque educational omni-mover ride about the design, development, and production of Ferrari road cars.

Driving with the Champion gives you a taste of what it's like to ride in a Ferrari driven by F1 champion Sebastian Vettel. Nearby is Viaggio in Italia. It's a multi-sensory simulator ride that puts you in a glider flying over Italy.

In addition to the traditional rides, Ferrari World also features interactive experiences like the pit lane challenge where park goers race one another to see who can change a tire in the shortest amount of time.

There also several driving simulators. This one I tried out gave us the chance to do a few laps around the Yas Marina Circuit. Having driven supercars around racetracks, it was far from realistic.

There's also an advanced simulator. But I didn't get a chance to try it out.

The Karting Academy gives you the chance to get behind the wheel of a go-cart.

Bell'Italia lets you take a leisurely drive through a scaled down model of the Italian landscape.

For young children, there's an obstacle course and...

... The Junior Grand Prix driving school.

Finally, there's the Galleria Ferrari.

Inside is a collection of rare Ferrari's including the multi-million dollar LaFerrari and ...

...FXX K.

The park even has a driving experience available for those who want to get behind the wheel of an actual Ferrari. Although it does cost extra.

My verdict.

I have mixed feelings about Ferrari World. On the plus side, the park's coaster more than delivers on its promises of thrills while its collection of Ferrari road and race cars is rather impressive.

On the other hand, some of the rides looked worn and outdated. And while the coasters deliver, some of the other rides fail to land like Driving with the Champion.

Sadly, Ferrari World doesn't quite have the magic and gravitas of a Disney or Universal Studios. Or even Six Flags. It's simply not enthralling enough to draw you into the belief that you're in a fantasy land populated by supercars and prancing horses.

Instead, it felt like I paid $80 for a couple of roller coasters and a Ferrari corporate sales presentation.  At the end of the day, Ferrari World works well as a fun add-on to a Saturday at the mall, but not quite as a vacation destination. 

HIA pushes UAE behind to win ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ award

Hamad International Airport (HIA) has been voted as the “Best Airport in the Middle East” at the Global Traveler’s GT Tested Reader Survey Awards in Los Angeles.

The award recognises outstanding performance and customer service displayed by airports across the world.

HIA took the lead among top international airports including Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport ranking second and third respectively in the newest category for the best airport in the Middle East.

The 14th Annual GT Tested Reader Survey awards ceremony took place at The Peninsula, Beverly Hills on the 12th of December recognising HIA’s efforts in delivering the highest standard of service to its passengers.

Winners were chosen through an open-ended reader survey voted by global travellers. The Annual GT Tested Global Survey awards are much sought-after, highly respected and an unbiased reflection of the best in travel, established to recognise companies for their outstanding performance on an annual basis.

HIA vice-president (Commercial & Marketing) Abdulaziz al-Mass with the award. Right: HIA has taken the lead among other international airports in establishing itself as an international transfer hub through its innovative facilities, retail offering and excellent customer service.

On the award Badr Mohamed al-Meer, HIA chief operating officer, said, “We are honoured to receive the ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ award, which recognises our state-of-the-art facilities and 5-star services. As we work hard towards our target to welcome 50mn passengers, HIA will continue to invest in cutting-edge innovative solutions and in creating the most memorable travel experience for our passengers.”

Francis X Gallagher, Publisher and CEO – Global Traveler, said, “A big congratulations to Hamad International Airport for its first-ever win in our GT Tested Reader Survey awards. The 2017 Best Airport in the Middle East is also one of the best in the world, and travellers can rest assured a trip through DOH will be easy, efficient, first-rate and bursting with options and amenities for even the most discerning travellers. We’re sure we’ll see the airport on this elite list of winners again.”

The bilateral relations between Qatar and the United States have strengthened over the years. In the aviation sector specifically, recent data shows that Qatar Airways has made a robust $91.8bn investment in the American economy through the purchase of its 332 American-made aircraft. The award-winning airline also directly supports 123,000 American jobs and flies 3.1mn visitors to the US annually, these visitors have helped pump an estimated $4bn into the US economy in 2016 alone.

HIA has taken the lead among other international airports in establishing itself as an international transfer hub through its innovative facilities, retail offering and excellent customer service. HIA has won the ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ title for three years in a row and ‘Best Staff Service in the Middle East’ for two years in a row in the Skytrax World Airport Awards. It also recently won the ‘Best Airport in West Asia’ award for the third time in a row at the Future Travel Experience (FTE) Asia Awards 2017 in Singapore.

HIA is currently a candidate for the “Best Airport in the World” award by Skytrax which also classified it as a five-star airport in 2017, making it one among only five other airports in the world to achieve this prestigious status. Earlier this year, it was ranked Sixth Best Airport in the World by the 2017 Skytrax World Airport Awards, moving up four places from 2016.

Since 2004, Global Traveler is a well-known luxury publication in the United States, recognised globally with a high readership of frequent luxury business and leisure travellers informing passengers about five star airports, airlines and hotels. Global Traveler’s yearly surveys are well acknowledged in the industry and include the First- and Business-Class Survey and Leisure Lifestyle Awards amongst others.

(Source: Gulf Times)

Eman Ahmed, world’s ‘heaviest’ woman, passes away in Abu Dhabi

The Egyptian woman, who lost around 300 kg during a surgery in Mumbai earlier this year, died in an Abu Dhabi hospital in the morning.

Eman Ahmed, the world’s heaviest woman who underwent a weight-loss surgery in Mumbai earlier this year, passed away in Abu Dhabi on Monday morning, just a week after celebrating her 37th birthday.

Officials from the Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi confirmed the news, adding that numerous co-morbid conditions including heart diseases and kidney dysfunction resulted in her death.

“She had been under the supervision of a medical team of over 20 doctors from different specialities who were managing her medical condition from the time she arrived in the UAE. Our prayers and heartfelt condolences go out to her family,” said the hospital.

Ahmed, a resident of Alexandria, Egypt, was brought to Mumbai’s Saifee Hospital for weight-loss treatment and transferred to Burjeel Hospital on May 4 after spending three months in Mumbai.

Eman Ahmed, 37, with Dr Shamsheer Vayalil during her birthday celebrations at Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi.(HT Photo)

The 37-year-old weighed 504kg when she arrived in Mumbai on February 11 and considered the world’s heaviest woman. Doctors at Saifee said the bariatric surgery and diet regime they gave Ahmed helped her lose 300kg.

Previously, doctors had shared videos of her recovery, claiming that she was healing three times faster than they had planned.

Dr. Yassin El Shahat, chief medical officer of Abu Dhabi based Burjeel Hospital had said by the end of stage two of her treatment, Eman will feed herself by mouth and use an electric wheel chair after achieving a reasonable weight loss by strict diet regimen.

(Source: HT)

World's most expensive penthouse unveiled at Qatar show

The world’s most expensive penthouse, valued at over $300 million, and the costliest soap have been showcased at a luxury expo in Qatar.

Rising above the waters of the Mediterranean and the captivating Principality of Monaco, the penthouse is the world’s most expensive property per square metre.

“Tour Odeon takes luxury to another level. The sophisticated interiors enhance one’s enjoyment of the stunning 360 degree views and the shimmering waters of the Mediterranean,” Karine Lackner from La Conciergerie Du Qatar, the exclusive property agent in Qatar for the property, said.

The World Luxury Expo is also showcasing the “most expensive soap in the world,” which is made of pure gold dust, olive oil and virgin honey and is embedded with diamonds. With a price tag of $3,800, the soap is dubbed the “Qatar Royal Soap.”

A selection of rare lithographs and etchings of the biggest names in 20th century art is also on display at the Expo.

The Expo, following the Doha edition, will return to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi in 2014, creating an annual signature series of events in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

(Source: PTI)