Sheikh Hamdan helps push teenager with rare disorder in Dubai Run


Patrick Ryan
  • English
  • Arabic

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, the Crown Prince of Dubai, has helped a teenager with a rare disorder by pushing his running chair during the Dubai Run.

Rio Watson, 18, has a chromosome disorder known as 1q44 deletion denovo. This affects his motor skills but it has not stopped him from taking part in sporting events alongside his father, Nick.

His latest achievement was taking part in the 10-kilometre run on Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road on Friday.

Rio and his sister Tia, a keen triathlete, were at the head of the run – part of the Dubai Fitness Challenge – when Sheikh Hamdan spotted them and began to push Rio in his running chair.

“This was a special moment that Rio and Tia will always remember, be honoured and grateful for,” Mr Watson said on Instagram.

“It was a beautiful example of inclusive impactivity.”

Rio’s sporting exploits show no sign of slowing down and he, along with his father, is taking part in a 50km ultra marathon on Thursday, December 2, to mark the UAE’s 50th anniversary.

The event is being organised by Team AngelWolf, which was set up by Mr Watson to encourage people to be more inclusive of those with disabilities as well as embracing their own health.

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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2013 Blue is the Warmest Colour (La Vie d'Adèle: Chapitres 1 et 2), Abdellatif Kechiche, Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux

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Sudden change in behaviour or displays higher levels of stress or anxiety

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Changes in eating habits

Struggles to concentrate

Refuses to go to school

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What is a virtual bank?

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.

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No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year. 

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Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.

It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.

It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.

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The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.

Updated: November 27, 2021, 1:54 PM