Dubai Crown Prince and Dubai Executive Council chairman Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum attended the opening ceremony of the 2019 Asian Cup at Zayed Sport City in Abu Dhabi on 5 January, watching the operetta Zanaha Zayed performed by some 600 actors. The tournament, held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan, opened with a game between the UAE and Bahrain which ended in a 1-1 draw. The UAE authorities have been keen to state that the football tournament forms part of the Year of Tolerance being marked in the country.