The public face of the Grand Prix

ABU DHABI // Theirs will be the very public and very Emirati faces of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this week, welcoming the thousands of people arriving in the city for the race at the Yas Marina Circuit. A team of 850 volunteers, 95 per cent of them UAE citizens, will ensure that the wheels of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix turn smoothly. The grass-roots effort, which includes housewives as well as students and is co-ordinated by Takatof, the volunteering programme of the Emirates Foundation for Philanthropy, represents something of a cultural breakthrough in the UAE: people coming forward in large numbers to work, without pay, at a multicultural event. Visitors will see Emiratis welcoming guests at airports and hotels, and at transportation hubs on Yas Island and in the grandstands. They will be crucial to the event's organisation. "This is a historic opportunity for the UAE to communicate its cultural heritage to all nations," said Dr Abdulrahman Mohammed, a guest speaker at an orientation session for volunteers. He added that "voluntary work is first-class national duty" and said that when an Emirati volunteered his or her time and effort for such an international event, without expecting anything in return, it was proof of their love of country. It is expected that the Grand Prix will attract thousands of first-time guests to the UAE, and Dr Mohammed urged the volunteers to treat the visitors as if they were welcoming them into their homes. "Don't dishonour your guest in your greater home as you would not dishonour him in your small home," he said. Fatima Hassan, 40, a mother of four, is a volunteer who answered the call to national duty. "We are doing this to serve our country," she said. Volunteering for the Grand Prix will be her first foray into the workplace, Mrs Hassan said, as well as her first experience in a mixed environment. The volunteer programme is the biggest in Takatof's history. It is hoped it will boost Emiratis' engagement in voluntary work. Forty per cent of the volunteers are women. "When we first entered the [training] hall, they were all men," said Salwa Ateya, 32, a mother of five who accompanied Mrs Hassan. "We were the only women. Usually the places we go to have a women-only section, so this is new to us. It will give us good experience." Mrs Hassan and Mrs Ateya will be working on Yas Island, leaving their children at home. "I believe we are supporting our country by doing this," Mrs Ateya said. "We will be welcoming visitors, helping them out." Volunteering isn't only about giving; valuable job and social experience can be gained, organisers say. Mohammed Fuwad, 19 and a student at the Adnoc Technical Institute, said he believed this "challenging" event would provide him with organisational skills that would help develop him as a person and as a citizen. "The purpose is to keep the name of the country high," he said. "We can do this through good manners, hard work and respecting our guests. Working hard and for long times will definitely help [us] strengthen." Mr Fuwad said this would be his first time volunteering. He would continue volunteering only if he found there was proper organisation on the part of those who run the programme and if they treat the volunteers well. Maytha al Habsi, the head of Takatof, said Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management had assured her that volunteers were "not there to fill a gap or to be a completion of a number". "We are working hard as a programme to make every opportunity an attractive one and every opportunity a fulfilling one for each volunteer," said Ms al Habsi. "It is not easy, by the way. How do you make it meaningful, attractive and something that a volunteer will be interested in taking?" Training of volunteers was overseen by the Crown Prince's office and covered topics such as hospitality, customer service, protocols, safety and skills needed for a volunteer to give the visitor the "best experience". Volunteering will provide intangible benefits to the workers, according to Ms al Habsi. There is value, she said, in interacting with people in a multicultural environment, and suggested that volunteers would learn about event and team management, acquire communication and leadership skills and learn the basics of dealing with emergencies. Haitham Sheheimi, 20, an aviation engineering student at the Higher Colleges of Technology, said the moment he saw the announcement for the volunteering opportunity at his college, he "did not hesitate". "This is a golden opportunity and every Emirati should grab it," he said. "This is an opportunity that came to our doorsteps and everyone should volunteer their time, effort and should not ask for anything in return. Many people don't realise the significance of such opportunities. The country has given us a lot." hhassan@thenational.ae hdajani@thenational.ae For an Inside the National interview with the F1 volunteers, visit www.thenational.ae/multimedia