AJMAN // After a successful debut on the UAE sporting calendar last year, Ride Ajman will be back for its second season in April with an expanded 104-kilometre route, a dedicated 52km race for Emiratis and a later start for the 7km charity race.
Scheduled for April 7, Ride Ajman is expected to attract more than 800 cyclists, with the organisers’ primary focus on encouraging greater participation from nationals, both male and female, through the addition of the UAE National Development Race.
The organisers have pushed back the start time for this year’s charity race after several cyclists missed out last year due to the early morning flag-off. The proceeds of the charity ride this year will go the Al Jalila Foundation.
“After receiving feedback from all our partners, we have made a few changes for this second Ride Ajman,” said Faisal Al Nuaimi, general manager of Ajman Tourism Development Department (ATDD), at a news conference on Monday at the Fairmont Ajman hotel.
“There were two major feedbacks. The first one came from the nationals. They wanted to know what we can do for them to encourage them to participate. They said they cannot compete with the professionals, who have been cycling for 20 years so we have created a separate group approved by the UAE Cycling Federation to encourage the Emiratis.
“The second important feedback was about the charity races. So many people wanted to participate last year, but could not make it because of the morning start so now we have moved the charity race to an evening start to give everyone a chance to participate.
“We have also decided to increase the race distance from 92km to 104km, which gives an opportunity to the riders to see more of the scenery and attractions that Ajman has to offer.”
Two participants for this year’s Ride Ajman is the Team Angel Wolf father-son duo of Nick Watson and Rio, 13, who suffers from q44 Deletion De Novo Syndrome, which means he struggles to walk and has to communicate using sign language.
“I did my first triathlon with Rio two years ago,” said Nick, a former Royal Marine and fitness expert from Britain who has lived in the UAE for 20 years. He has been taking part in events to raise awareness about children with disabilities.
“I normally swim. Rio’s on a kayak and I pull him. For session one, he will be sitting in front and then I run and push him. Last year, we took part in about 35 events, so basically every weekend. This year, the target is about 40 events.
“Rio absolutely loves taking part in these events. Every kilometre we put in together, he is smiling.
“So he is a confident son.
“Hopefully, together we can inspire the community and help create more awareness and understanding about children with disabilities.”
arizvi@thenational.ae
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
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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
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Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
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The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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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
ODI FIXTURE SCHEDULE
First ODI, October 22
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Second ODI, October 25
Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune
Third ODI, October 29
Venue TBC
