Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, second from right, along with officials at the inauguration of Trail X in Hudayriyat Island. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, second from right, along with officials at the inauguration of Trail X in Hudayriyat Island. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, second from right, along with officials at the inauguration of Trail X in Hudayriyat Island. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, second from right, along with officials at the inauguration of Trail X in Hudayriyat Island. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office

Lifestyle

Wellbeing

Trail X: 15km mountain bike trail opens in Abu Dhabi's Hudayriyat Island

Developer Modon Properties says the addition will strengthen the UAE capital's position as a leading cycling hub

David Tusing

December 07, 2022

  • English
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Abu Dhabi's adventure playground Hudayriyat Island got an additional boost with the inauguration of Trail X, a 15km mountain bike trail. The Island, connected to a suspension bridge known among residents as the "bridge to nowhere", is already a hub for a number of leisure activities for children and adults as well as adventurers.

Last year, Abu Dhabi Sports Council hosted the first Hudayriyat Cycling Challenge, featuring two races, a shorter one at 30km and a longer 100km route for advanced riders.

Developer Modon Properties said Trail X "will further strengthen Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading cycling hub."

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, member of the Executive Council and chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, inaugurated the trail on Wednesday and also visited additional cycling infrastructure projects on Hudayriyat Island that have been developed under the Bike Abu Dhabi platform.

Projects confirmed so far include a 109km cycling track called the Abu Dhabi Loop and a 3,500-seat velodrome, to be built on Hudayriyat Island.

Abu Dhabi was also awarded the status of Bike City by the Union Cycliste Internationale last year, the first location in the Middle East or Asia to receive the accolade.

What is Hudayriyat Island?

Plans to develop Hudayrityat Island were first announced in 2009, but did not initially progress beyond the construction of the bridge.

The project was revived in 2017, with plans to turn the 3,000-hectare island into a mixed-use community with an emphasis on fitness and nature.

In May 2018, the public was able to cross the bridge for the first time to access an undisturbed 600-metre beach with running and cycling tracks, water sports, a bouncy castle and a children's playground.

Since then, the island has been popular among cyclists and runners and has been chosen as the venue for triathlons and obstacle courses.

Scroll through our gallery below to see more photos from Hudayriyat Island

  • A boy takes some photos of the many wildlife art works in the Marsana area of Hudayriyat Island. Victor Besa / The National
    A boy takes some photos of the many wildlife art works in the Marsana area of Hudayriyat Island. Victor Besa / The National
  • The new leisure and entertainment will be open to the public on November 10. Victor Besa / The National
    The new leisure and entertainment will be open to the public on November 10. Victor Besa / The National
  • The public beach area at Hudayriyat Island. Victor Besa / The National
    The public beach area at Hudayriyat Island. Victor Besa / The National
  • The Marsana area will includes different restaurants and cafe's for visitors. Victor Besa / The National
    The Marsana area will includes different restaurants and cafe's for visitors. Victor Besa / The National
  • The Circuit X Ropes area of Hudayriyat Island. Victor Besa / The National
    The Circuit X Ropes area of Hudayriyat Island. Victor Besa / The National
  • The Bab Al Nojoum area of Hudayriyat Island. Victor Besa / The National
    The Bab Al Nojoum area of Hudayriyat Island. Victor Besa / The National
  • Tents for rent at the Bab Al Nojoum area of Hudayriyat Island. Victor Besa / The National
    Tents for rent at the Bab Al Nojoum area of Hudayriyat Island. Victor Besa / The National
  • The Bike Park area of Hudayriyat Island. Victor Besa / The National
    The Bike Park area of Hudayriyat Island. Victor Besa / The National
  • The Hudayriyat Courts area. Victor Besa / The National
    The Hudayriyat Courts area. Victor Besa / The National
  • The Circuit X Ropes area includes sports activities for visitors. Victor Besa / The National
    The Circuit X Ropes area includes sports activities for visitors. Victor Besa / The National
  • The Circuit X Ropes area. Victor Besa / The National
    The Circuit X Ropes area. Victor Besa / The National
  • The Circuit X skate and BMX park at Hudayriyat Island. Victor Besa/The National
    The Circuit X skate and BMX park at Hudayriyat Island. Victor Besa/The National
  • The Circuit X BMX park at Hudayriyat Island. Victor Besa / The National
    The Circuit X BMX park at Hudayriyat Island. Victor Besa / The National
  • The 321 Sports area at Hudayriyat Island. Victor Besa / The National
    The 321 Sports area at Hudayriyat Island. Victor Besa / The National
  • The Circuit X Ropes area. Victor Besa / The National
    The Circuit X Ropes area. Victor Besa / The National
  • The Circuit X BMX park. Victor Besa / The National
    The Circuit X BMX park. Victor Besa / The National
  • The new Hudayriyat Leisure and Entertainment District opens to the public on November 10. Victor Besa / The National
    The new Hudayriyat Leisure and Entertainment District opens to the public on November 10. Victor Besa / The National
  • Many different activity areas and mini parks for all ages can be found around the Marsana area. Victor Besa / The National
    Many different activity areas and mini parks for all ages can be found around the Marsana area. Victor Besa / The National
  • The Marsana area includes a ping-pong table and a fitness park. Victor Besa / The National
    The Marsana area includes a ping-pong table and a fitness park. Victor Besa / The National
  • The new Hudayriyat Leisure and Entertainment District opens on November 10. Victor Besa / The National
    The new Hudayriyat Leisure and Entertainment District opens on November 10. Victor Besa / The National
  • The Circuit X skate and BMX park at Hudayriyat Island in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
    The Circuit X skate and BMX park at Hudayriyat Island in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

While you're here
Uefa Nations League: How it works

The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.

The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.

Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.

Dubai World Cup nominations

UAE: Thunder Snow/Saeed bin Suroor (trainer), North America/Satish Seemar, Drafted/Doug Watson, New Trails/Ahmad bin Harmash, Capezzano, Gronkowski, Axelrod, all trained by Salem bin Ghadayer

USA: Seeking The Soul/Dallas Stewart, Imperial Hunt/Luis Carvajal Jr, Audible/Todd Pletcher, Roy H/Peter Miller, Yoshida/William Mott, Promises Fulfilled/Dale Romans, Gunnevera/Antonio Sano, XY Jet/Jorge Navarro, Pavel/Doug O’Neill, Switzerland/Steve Asmussen.

Japan: Matera Sky/Hideyuki Mori, KT Brace/Haruki Sugiyama. Bahrain: Nine Below Zero/Fawzi Nass. Ireland: Tato Key/David Marnane. Hong Kong: Fight Hero/Me Tsui. South Korea: Dolkong/Simon Foster.

CREW
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Classification of skills

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation. 

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000. 

While you're here
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

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While you're here
Updated: December 07, 2022, 2:52 PM
Abu Dhabi