DUBAI // Mohammed Al Shukairy had not cycled in 20 years but he did not hesitate to join a 240-kilometre cycling mission in Norway in solidarity with the people of Gaza.
The 38-year-old Palestinian lawyer from Dubai and his wife will be among 22 cyclists from the UAE participating in this year’s Cycling4Gaza – an annual initiative that has so far raised Dh4.85 million since it kicked off in 2009 through seven rides around Europe, the Middle East and North America.
Its aim is to support organisations providing aid and projects for people in Gaza.
This year, funds collected by 51 cyclists from all around the world will go to Paces, a non-profit UK-based organisation that provides sports programmes for Palestinian children.
So far, more than Dh776,300 of the Dh1.2m target has been raised.
The cyclists will pedal from Gaustablikk east to the Norwegian capital, Oslo, between August 4 and 8. The UAE-based cyclists gathered on Friday at Flywheel, in Downtown Dubai, for their last training session before the trip.
“We chose Norway this year because Paces every year takes four teams from their children to [the] Norway Youth World Cup,” said Dina Dajani, a C4G committee member.
“Paces is presenting four teams, two boys and two girls. Many of us are going ahead of the ride to attend the games in Oslo and support the kids.”
Mr Al Shukairy said Palestine was on many minds. “I’m a big fan of sports and the important role sports has for youth,” he said. “It is hugely important for the children to have as normal a childhood as they can. It’s a combination – it is a chance for me and my wife to do something together.”
The couple practised on their recent three-week break in Italy.
“We cycled in Tuscany and the Alps, it was good training,” he said.
With each cyclist having to raise a minimum of Dh9,100 to participate, Mr Al Shukairy and his wife have managed to reach Dh58,770 so far.
“It is a small contribution but hopefully a meaningful one,” he said. “I’m excited to get through the challenges as a group.”
Lina Abou Chaaban and her husband Khaled Lababidi, who met through C4G, raised Dh17,000 this year.
“Whether it is for Palestine or the children, people are more generous than you think they are,” said Ms Abou Chaaban, 29. “This is my fourth year in C4G and I will never forget my first ride in Turkey, I was in tears.”
Although tough, the experience was too enriching to give up. “We were joined by people from all nationalities,” she said.
“You learn to break stereotypes and appreciate different backgrounds.”
Another Palestinian who joined them was a cancer survivor who had to cross borders from Gaza to receive treatment.
“He could not stop talking about how much he missed the sea in Gaza,” Ms Abou Chaaban added. “They are very positive and put positivity into you, so you learn from them.”
hdajani@thenational.ae
The 12
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
----
Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
----
Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
The six points:
1. Ministers should be in the field, instead of always at conferences
2. Foreign diplomacy must be left to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation
3. Emiratisation is a top priority that will have a renewed push behind it
4. The UAE's economy must continue to thrive and grow
5. Complaints from the public must be addressed, not avoided
6. Have hope for the future, what is yet to come is bigger and better than before
What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women & the Food That Tells Their Stories
Laura Shapiro
Fourth Estate
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
