UAE cyclists take to the streets for #CycleToWorkUAE

Cyclists from across the UAE set out early Tuesday morning to take part in the second annual #cycletoworkuae day.

RAK Bank employees take part in The National's Cycle to Work day at Silicon Oasis in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National.

ABU DHABI // Cyclists from across the UAE set out early on Tuesday to take part in the second annual #cycletoworkuae day.

In Abu Dhabi, groups of diplomats, businessmen and women, parents, and children took to the roads to promote cycling as a means of transportation and living a more active lifestyle.

The Abu Dhabi office of oil company Total UAE put together a sizeable squad of riders who met at Hiltonia at 7.30am, making their way to Abu Dhabi Mall in roughly one hour.

“It was fantastic,” said Sultan Al Hajji, Total UAE’s VP and chief strategy officer. “It was a real pleasure to come to the office with a fresh breeze.”

Roughly 50 riders from the European Union with staff from 12 embassies also made their way along the Corniche later in the morning, finishing their ride at Etihad Towers.

A group of five from the Canadian embassy met at the Eastern Mangroves just after sunrise, where they made their way to the embassy at Abu Dhabi Trade Towers at Abu Dhabi Mall.

Arif Lalani, Canada’s ambassador to the UAE, was happy to promote cycling habits in his home country while commending local efforts to encourage others to hit the pavement.

“With the promotion of a cycle culture Abu Dhabi is joining other world class cities like Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver in fostering new approaches to city life,” he said.

“The Canadian Embassy is very proud to be part of this activity.”

In Dubai, 15 employees from RAKBank’s main office headed out on their bicycles at 7am.

The bank’s chief executive, Peter England, 54, who is a keen cyclist, led the 10-kilometre ride from Semmer Villas at Dubai Silicon Oasis to their main office.

Accompanying the bikers were two professional cyclists and two company cars to ensure everyone’s safety.

“I believe very strongly in the concept of a healthy body and healthy mind,” said Mr England, from Australia. “If you drive to work and sit in an office all day and don’t get any exercise, it’s not good for you.”

“It’s good for the community, and I just don’t see the negative in it.”

He also said that such initiatives are important to encourage people to think about a good work-life balance, adding that cycling is also good for the environment.

“The infrastructure [allowing people to cycle] is beginning in Dubai, and initiatives such as this one raise awareness and get people to start talking about it,” said Mr England. “You’ve got to get enough momentum from people who are interested, and the government is incredibly supportive.”

“Facilities at Al Qudra, for example, nowhere in the world in the world has government dedicated cycle tracks like that. It’s phenomenal.”

For Nabil Azar, 40, from Lebanon, The National’s initiative was not solely about staying healthy, but also carried an important environmental message.

“People should do this at least once a week, because there is a lot of focus on pollution now, and cars are a [contributing factor],” he said. “If I had lived close to work and there was an available cycle path, I would definitely not take the car everyday.”

He also said that integrating exercise in one’s daily life is important, adding that he encourages his daughters, aged two and five, to swim, ski and play tennis.

Masood Khan, 40, from India, said this was his second time taking part in The National’s #cycletoworkuae initiative, adding that he has been cycling regularly at Al Qudra track for more than a year.

“Roads such Emirates Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed are obviously not safe to cycle on, but with some time there will be roads connected to various parts of Dubai that will make cycling a lot easier,” he said. “To start the day cycling is very refreshing. Even though you have to wake up a little bit earlier, it’s fine because once you get to work, it’s a different day.”

Mr Khan, who has been living in the UAE for 14 years, said he regularly visits the gym and also encourages his three children to cycle.

You can follow the latest #cycletoworkuae developments on our live blog here.