The Abu Dhabi City Municipality announced a 45 per cent completion of a project to extend the scope of the capital's running and cycling tracks. WAM
The Abu Dhabi City Municipality announced a 45 per cent completion of a project to extend the scope of the capital's running and cycling tracks. WAM
The Abu Dhabi City Municipality announced a 45 per cent completion of a project to extend the scope of the capital's running and cycling tracks. WAM
The Abu Dhabi City Municipality announced a 45 per cent completion of a project to extend the scope of the capital's running and cycling tracks. WAM

Wellbeing

53 kilometres of new cycling and running tracks in Abu Dhabi are almost halfway finished

The Dh100 million project spans 28 locations

Panna Munyal
Panna Munyal

April 12, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

Abu Dhabi is well on track to becoming a fitness-friendly city, with Dh100 million worth of cycling and running trails now 45 per cent complete.

The cycling tracks will stretch over 14.12 kilometres, while the walking and jogging lanes will take up 39.31km across 28 locations on both Abu Dhabi island and the mainland.

On Saturday, April 11, the Abu Dhabi City Municipality (ADM) announced the trails are nearly half complete, with Wam reporting that ADM is also planning to landscape and shade the areas surrounding the tracks to enhance their appearance, plus provide dedicated crossing areas so users can enter and exit the tracks safely.

The project works include a bicycle path in Shakhbout Bin Sultan Street, a bicycle path and jogging track on Arabian Gulf Street, a path to connect bicycle lanes between Arab Gulf Street and Sheikh Zayed Street, and a bicycle and jogging track on Arabian Gulf Street, aka the Fintair Walkway (the project also includes rehabilitation of the running paths that are already in place there).

Bike tracks and jogging trails aside, the project will also mean 145 rest and multiple exercise areas fitted out with equipment, including high-quality rubber tracks. The aim is not only to get residents moving and hence more fit, but also to promote walking and cycling as modes of eco-friendly transportation.

The landscaped tracks will open in 28 sites on Abu Dhabi island and Abu Dhabi mainland. WAM
The landscaped tracks will open in 28 sites on Abu Dhabi island and Abu Dhabi mainland. WAM

Earlier this year, the capital launched the highly anticipated Jubail Mangrove Park, dominated by a 2km boardwalk to attract both nature lovers and fitness buffs. "Some people might want to take a brisk walk, some would want a leisurely stroll and there will be people coming in to take pictures as this is a photographer's paradise," a ranger told The National. 

Abu Dhabi Corniche, Yas Marina Circuit and Umm Al Emarat Park are some other areas where residents can enjoy a daily dose of exercise and fresh air: that is, once the coronavirus pandemic passes us by.

In that sense, the announcement by ADM gives self-isolating residents something to look forward to, although it's not entirely clear when the latest set of running and cycling tracks will open.

_______________________________

Read more:

Jubail Mangrove Park: everything you need to know from parking to location

How to create a home workout space without spending a fortune

Dubai residents urged to get on their exercise bikes in fitness challenge

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To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.

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THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.

Creators:

Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.

UAE and THAAD:

In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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