Arsenal will travel to this Arab country in March

Muscat: Arsenal Football Club will play the UAE’s Al Nasr when they travel to the Middle East for a warm-weather training camp later this month.

The Gunners will play Al Nasr at 6pm on Tuesday, 26 March, at the newly-built Al Maktoum Stadium in Dubai.

Unai Emery’s men’s next game is against French side State Rennais on Thursday night, as they attempt to overcome a 3-1 deficit to progress to the next round of the UEFA Europa League. However, their next game is only on the 1st of April, and the North Londoners have decided to use this time to enjoy some warm-weather training ahead of the final few weeks of the Premier League season.

Tickets for the game are priced at AED 100 (about OMR10) and AED 150 (about OMR 15), and can be purchased through www.platinumlist.net. They will go on sale on Saturday, 16 March. In addition, they can also be bought onsite at Al Nasr’s home stadium.

Ahmed Hashim Khoury, Vice Chairman of Al Nasr Cultural and Sports Club, said, “the match between Al Nasr and Arsenal will be an historic event that will be one of the most important points on the historical map of our club, that was founded 73 years ago. Al Nasr hosted some of the most famous international clubs including Arsenal, in November 1976.

“The upcoming match will be an excellent chance for our stars to develop their skills against one of the most famous international teams and at the same time, promote Al Maktoum Stadium in its new form, to football lovers all over the world,” he added. “We are happy to welcome the Arsenal stars in Dubai to participate in a friendly match as a way to celebrate the official opening of Al Maktoum Stadium.”

The Gunners are currently fourth in the table with 60 points to their name, two points ahead of Manchester United, who they beat in a 2-0 win last Sunday. They are just a point behind arch-rival Tottenham Hotspur.

“It will be great to get some warm weather training and break up the usual routine as we enter the final stage of the season,” said Unai Emery, Arsenal’s head coach, on Arsenal.com, the official club website. “The facilities in Dubai are fantastic and it will be an honour to be part of the formal opening ceremony for the new stadium.”

Arsenal have played Al Nasr once before: in November 1976, Malcolm McDonald, John Matthews and John Radford scored the goals in a 3-1 win.