An Australian woman has set up the first husky sledding business on the island of Cyprus – and it’s proving to be a howling success.
After rescuing two huskies, one from a roadside kiosk and the other from a shelter, Ali Rhind discovered their true calling on a day trip to the island’s Troodos Mountains.
“There was a lot of snow that year and Dolce and Lulu were having a great time,” says Rhind. “A friend then hired a small sled and introduced it to the dogs, who just knew what to do and loved it.
“After that, I decided this was more than just fun; it was a great thing for the dogs to do because it was what they were bred for and they could truly be themselves.
"So, I had a sled made, bought the proper harnesses and set up shop – and found myself blown away by the response. Everyone adores the dogs; so much so that we are close to booked up before the season even begins.”
Although not famed for its winter sports – Cyprus boasts an average of 320 sunny days a year – the Mediterranean island has two mountain ranges and enjoys snow for at least two months each year. But while most entrepreneurs look to the beach to make their money, Rhind has always taken the more interesting road in life.
From Afghanistan to the Mediterranean
Following a successful career in banking, Rhind, 58, walked away from Sydney’s corporate world to work for a charity in Sri Lanka, testing elephants for tuberculosis. From there she went to Afghanistan, working for Oxfam and Afghan Aid, before taking a role with the country’s fledgling government, headed by Hamid Karzai.
During her eight years in Afghanistan, she was kidnapped, shot at and nearly caught in an explosion.
While on a mission with Afghan Aid, she says: "The Taliban held me captive for a day in a province called Ghor. I had gone to the area to talk about the National Solidarity Programme – a government initiative to rehabilitate and develop Afghan villages – but they wanted none of it. There were a lot of men with guns and they closed the room I was in.
“I was held for about six hours. Thankfully, international soldiers from the Provincial Reconstruction Team came to get me. However, when my boss said she wanted me to stay in the area another week, I said: ‘Are you insane? I’ve just been held at gunpoint’. That’s when I took the government job.
“I loved the work, but in a country like Afghanistan you have to know when your number is up and after eight years there, I found myself stuck in a traffic jam and knew that time had come. From nowhere, dog handlers appeared and the dogs were going berserk at a vehicle two lanes away from me. The security guys then started screaming at everyone to get out of their cars and run. Clearly, I did as I was told.
"The vehicle had a huge bomb inside it. Luckily the detonator failed to go off and they managed to get it away to detonate it safely, but it was a close call, and my signal to leave.”
Knowing she needed some downtime, Rhind went to visit friends in Cyprus, wanting nothing more than to relax before deciding on her next move. However, she liked the island so much, she decided to buy property and stay.
After buying a village house in Polemi in 2012, Rhind knew she would need to find a way to sustain her quieter life on the Greek-speaking island. So she decided to go back to her first love, sport, and retrained as a fitness instructor.
In Cyprus, in the winter you can play in the snow in the morning and be on the beach by the afternoon
“I was actually born in Aberdeen in Scotland and moved to Brisbane in 1971 when I was 9. Dad was a builder and Australia was desperate for builders at that time, so we came to build ourselves a better life.
“Within five hours of arriving, Dad got a job. At first, we lived in a migrant hostel, which wasn’t ideal for a family, but we moved into our own house a year later in Graceville, a suburb of Brisbane. It was there that I saw a sign in a shop advertising Scottish Highland dancing. It was something I really wanted to do because I used to dance in Scotland, but my mum said no, that I should find something Australian to do. So, my brother and I played sport – like every other Australian kid – and we both went on to play junior tennis for Australia.”
Having been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at the age of 26, Rhind has successfully managed her illness through diet and exercise. For a woman who loves to cook, this could have been a nightmare, but she turned it to her advantage by setting up her second business in Cyprus, Spicy Ali’s Guilt Free Curry Company, offering homemade, gluten-free curries for the health-conscious.
“Cyprus is an island built on small and mid-size enterprises, and there is a very deep entrepreneurial vein running through its core,” she says. “For anyone with ideas and a willingness to work, it’s an ideal place to set up a business and the location is great.
“Because it is famous for its all-year-round sunshine, most people forget that the island enjoys four distinct seasons and they are amazed to find that in the winter you can play in the snow in the morning and be on the beach by the afternoon. Naturally, when I discovered snow in the mountains, I had to take the dogs to see it. And that’s how my third business came about.”
Sledding season
Now in its third season, Husky Sledding Cyprus has expanded its team with old pros Dolce and Lulu welcoming new boy, Dante, to the team. Rhind offers 90-minute sessions for up to six people for €195 ($238).
“For most of the year, the dogs are pretty much house dogs. We all get up before the sun to go for a 12-kilometre hike and then they chill for the rest of the day, so they are not only fit but raring to go by the time the snow arrives.
It's great that I can turn my love of exercising and my love for the dogs into a viable business
“As well as a custom-built sled, the dogs all wear proper dog-sledding harnesses and they only work when they want to. Of course, they don’t really see it as work because they have so much fun – and they love the attention.
“All three huskies start howling on the last 15km stretch of road going up to Mount Olympus, they are that excited and, of course, everyone gets excited hearing them arrive. Though I have done little in the way of advertising, word has quickly got round and during the school holidays we are pretty much booked. For me it really has turned out to be a dream job.
“It’s great that I can turn my love of exercising and my love for the dogs into a viable business. It really is a family business in that sense. And should the day come when the dogs have had enough, that will be the end of it. But right now, we are all having fun – and sharing that fun!”
Read more about the coronavirus
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The five pillars of Islam
The years Ramadan fell in May
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
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.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
More on animal trafficking
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'
Rating: 3/5
Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro
Writers: Walter Mosley
Stars: Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
More on Quran memorisation:
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
More coverage from the Future Forum
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on Quran memorisation:
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203S%20Money%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20London%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Zhiznevsky%2C%20Eugene%20Dugaev%20and%20Andrei%20Dikouchine%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%245.6%20million%20raised%20in%20total%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELeap%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ziad%20Toqan%20and%20Jamil%20Khammu%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The years Ramadan fell in May
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 611bhp
Torque: 620Nm
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Price: upon application
On sale: now
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Scream%20VI
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Matt%20Bettinelli-Olpin%20and%20Tyler%20Gillett%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Melissa%20Barrera%2C%20Jasmin%20Savoy%20Brown%2C%20Jack%20Champion%2C%20Dermot%20Mulroney%2C%20Jenna%20Ortega%2C%20Hayden%20Panettiere%20and%20Courteney%20Cox%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UK%20record%20temperature
%3Cp%3E38.7C%20(101.7F)%20set%20in%20Cambridge%20in%202019%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
