Some of the world's best cyclists and teams will head to Saudi Arabia at the start of next year after organisers announced the dates for the rebranded AlUla Tour.
Formerly known as the Saudi Tour, the race returns for a fourth edition and takes place from January 30 to February 3. It will be organised by the Ministry of Sport and The Royal Commission for AlUla in cooperation with the Saudi Cycling Federation and the International Cycling Union (UCI).
The AlUla Tour will welcome more than 119 cyclists from 17 teams across the globe, including elite UCI World Tour teams, UCI Continental teams, and Saudi Arabia’s brightest cycling prospects. The race will be held as part of the AlUla Moments sporting season.
The five-stage tour is part of the UCI Asia Tour and is classed as a category 2.1 event.
Saudi Arabia has hosted seven professional cycling tours since its inaugural race in 1999. In 2020, the Saudi Tour joined the UCI Asia Tour.
The confirmed line-up of teams, riders and stages for the 2024 AlUla Tour will be announced at the end of this year.
“The AlUla Tour has emerged as a major local, regional and international event in recent years. We look forward to welcoming the sport’s best cyclists in one of the sport’s most unique locations; showcased to the world," said Abdullah bin Ali Al Wathlan, chairman of the Saudi Cycling Federation and vice chairman of the Arab Cycling Federation.
"The AlUla Tour, alongside our global cycling partners, are creating a legacy in this country with more and more people getting access to a sustainable sport that is inspiring people to move, be active and [stay] healthy.”
Alongside the Saudi Cycling Federation, the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) is creating opportunities through cycling across all levels. This includes two mass participation rides alongside the AlUla Tour for juniors and the wider public. RCU has also created environmentally friendly initiatives through local bike tracks, hubs, desert biking tours, mountain biking options and electric bikes at Hegra.
“The new AlUla Tour promises to take cycling to another level this year. Welcoming the sport’s elite talent and teams on the UCI Asian Tour across five challenging stages showcases the best of AlUla as a sporting destination," said Phillip Jones, RCU chief tourism officer.
"We are just about to open our brand new 45km bike track for road cyclists which is set to be one of most stunning dedicated cycling routes in the world. We really believe AlUla has the potential to become the cycling capital of Saudi Arabia as we create more opportunities for people to watch, be inspired and ride with one the country’s fastest growing sports.”
The AlUla Tour is one of the ‘Sports Events’ festivals on this season’s AlUla Moments calendar, which also includes the AlUla Trail Race (January 11-12), AlUla Desert Polo (January 17-20), and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Endurance Cup 2024 (February), with more to be announced.
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- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
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The specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 849Nm
Range: 456km
Price: from Dh437,900
On sale: now
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
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Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
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Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
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Company%20Profile
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
