A long-distance endurance athlete who aims to run down every road in Dubai has discovered hidden gems and a side of the emirate rarely seen by tourists.
Yasmine Salaam, 51, a single mother, began her challenge in November 2018. Three years on, the finishing line remains elusive as Dubai continues to grow.
With thousands of kilometres already under her belt, Ms Salaam, who is Lebanese, hopes to complete her monumental task within the next two years. But as Dubai’s urban plans expand, the timeline could extend even further.
Being a woman running these streets alone at all times of day and night and being safe is not something you can do in many other places
Yasmine Salaam
What began as a novel way to train for marathons, inspired by American Rickey Gates who ran every road in San Francisco in a similar challenge, has become an odyssey as she discovers hidden corners of the city.
“Dubai is a huge metropolis and can compare with any other big city like Hong Kong, London, New York or Paris,” said Ms Salaam, who lives near the Dubai International Financial Centre.
“It is that big and has the huge variety of communities seen in those cities.
“Dubai is more than just the boulevards of Burj Khalifa. The diversity and security I’ve felt have been highlights so far.
“Being a woman running these streets alone at all times of day and night and being safe is not something you can do in many other places.”
Ms Salaam began her adventure during the 2018 Dubai Fitness Challenge.
She uses an app called CityStrides to track streets she has run, rather than the total kilometres covered.
When she turned 50 in 2021, she ran 50km from Mirdif to Khawaneej to celebrate the landmark.
More than halfway through challenge
The only rules of her challenge are to stay away from major highways where it is dangerous for pedestrians, and to run every route mapped out by the Roads and Transport Authority.
So far, Ms Salaam has run across almost 60 per cent of the city’s streets.
“It is difficult as communities are growing or new ones are being built so I have to keep going,” she said.
Her longest daily run is about 30km, and the shortest is around 8km.
Running continues through the summer, albeit in lower mileage.
In the next four months, she expects to cover about 10 per cent of the city’s streets.
The ultra-endurance runner chooses to run in the early hours of the morning or late at night, particularly during the hot summer months, as there are fewer cars.
“People are either going to work, or coming home from a night shift,” she said.
“The most interesting part is seeing how people go about their lives.
“They can be construction workers, truck drivers and security guards — or sometimes just white collar workers and women, like hotel workers.
“It is definitely an eye-opener to see how Dubai works.”
Ms Salaam said her travels so far are a world away from the glitzy veneer portrayed in recent documentaries on Dubai.
“My journey is almost like an urban study of a modern city.”
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PRISCILLA
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LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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
UFC%20FIGHT%20NIGHT%3A%20SAUDI%20ARABIA%20RESULTS
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Scores in brief:
Boost Defenders 205-5 in 20 overs
(Colin Ingram 84 not out, Cameron Delport 36, William Somerville 2-28)
bt Auckland Aces 170 for 5 in 20 overs
(Rob O’Donnell 67 not out, Kyle Abbott 3-21).
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
INFO
Everton 0
Arsenal 0
Man of the Match: Djibril Sidibe (Everton)
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
More on animal trafficking
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Aya Iskandarani
SOUTH%20KOREA%20SQUAD
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Scoreline
Australia 2-1 Thailand
Australia: Juric 69', Leckie 86'
Thailand: Pokklaw 82'
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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THE%20SPECS
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How%20to%20avoid%20getting%20scammed
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How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
Company%20profile
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RACE SCHEDULE
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday, September 29
First practice: 7am - 8.30am
Second practice: 11am - 12.30pm
Saturday, September 30
Qualifying: 1pm - 2pm
Sunday, October 1
Race: 11am - 1pm
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
