Record-breaking zipline opens in Ras al Khaimah



A world record-breaking zipline suspended 1,680 metres in the sky and reaching speeds close to 150 kilometres per hour is the latest addition to Ras Al Khaimah’s claim as the ‘go-to’ destination for adrenaline junkies in the Middle East.

The Ruler's son, Sheikh Ahmad bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, was the first to trial the new 2.83km Jebel Jais Flight zipline ahead of a public opening, taking the plunge before an official certification by Guinness World Records as the longest zipline on the planet.

Carved into the side of the UAE’s highest peak, the falcon-shaped zipline centre is ready to welcome intrepid adventurers looking for a hefty dose of adrenaline.

The feat of engineering itself is an impressive sight: two cables hang from a launch platform dropping down to a suspended pad where riders land before being dropped off down the mountain.

Costa Rican Guillermo Quesada, general manager at ToroVerde UAE, helped establish the former world's longest zip line in Puerto Rico before arriving in Ras Al Khaimah to work on the UAE record attempt.

“The topography is way different to Puerto Rico, so that has created many challenges,” he said.

“To operate in green mountains, with rivers and forest is one thing. But to come here to the rocky mountains of the UAE is completely different.

“This is 600 metres longer than the one in Puerto Rico, but the speed here is also much greater.”

Delivery of the zipline, which features a steel cable weighing more than six tonnes, has been in the planning phase for over a year.

The process involved extensive feasibility studies, master-planning, comprehensive surveys, soil tests and construction simulations.

Maintaining sustainable environmental practices within all construction acts, strong anchor holes were drilled into the rugged Hajar Mountains. That alone took more than six months.

“Our booking system has been going crazy,” Mr Quesada said.

“The average speed is 120km per hour, but we have reached 148 km per hour on test runs – that is fast, but short of the record of around 165km per hour.

“The mountains are so impressive, and there is nothing else like them in the UAE. RAK is fast becoming a hub of adventure sports for the region and we want to be central to that.

“We are used to operating is specific countries, like in North America, so there have been new challenges for us here.”

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One of those challenges was placing a launch platform in the middle of an empty chasm, or on the edge of a cliff face.

The zipline aims to run all year round, although the schedule may change in the summer months.

The sturdy equipment used is particularly resilient to extreme climates, and the venue could be the perfect escape in mid-summer from the stifling city heat. Mountain weather is usually at least 5 to 10 degrees cooler.

RAK Tourism Development Authority is in the middle of a three-year plan to increase tourist numbers to one million by 2018, with visitor numbers already up from about 500,000 a year when the plan launched in January last year.

A longer term goal is to increase those numbers to 3 million tourists by 2025, placing the UAE’s northernmost emirate on par with the whole country of Oman.

The nearby Via Ferrata network of climbing routes and ziplines opened in late 2016, and has been a popular addition to local attractions for adventure tourists, with the TDA hoping for more visitors to follow.

“We are now receiving our largest-ever number of visitor arrivals and are confident that Jebel Jais Flight will propel the destination into the major leagues of global adventure tourism,” said Haitham Mattar, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority.

“It will become Ras Al Khaimah’s flagship tourism product and will cement Jebel Jais as the adventure tourism hub of the Middle East.

“We are expecting to see an increasing number of adventure tourists coming from across the globe to try this bucket list experience.”

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

BULKWHIZ PROFILE

Date started: February 2017

Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: E-commerce 

Size: 50 employees

Funding: approximately $6m

Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait

Key products and UAE prices

iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229

iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649

iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179

Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.

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RESULT

Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')

The specs

Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm

Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Kerb weight: 1580kg

Price: From Dh750k

On sale: via special order

THE SIXTH SENSE

Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Rating: 5/5

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The biog

Place of birth: Kalba

Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren

Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken

Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah

Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”

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THE LIGHT

Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

The biog

Name: Shamsa Hassan Safar

Nationality: Emirati

Education: Degree in emergency medical services at Higher Colleges of Technology

Favourite book: Between two hearts- Arabic novels

Favourite music: Mohammed Abdu and modern Arabic songs

Favourite way to spend time off: Family visits and spending time with friends

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Crazy Rich Asians

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan

Four stars

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UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions