After almost five years of pounding the streets of Dubai, the end is in sight for a passionate marathon runner who aims to cover every metre of road in the city.
From the mansions of Emirates Hills to the industrial zones of Al Quoz, a voyage of discovery that began in 2018 is drawing to a close for Yasmine Salaam, 52.
On Sunday morning, an 8km run around Deira Islands was the latest area chalked off – and it followed a 16km run around Al Aweer on Friday.
People even ask me for real estate advice on where to move to as I know what these communities are like
Yasmine Salaam
It has taken her tally to 98.9 per cent of her goal, according to the map that tracks her progress and an app on which the streets she has completed turn purple.
“I am all over the map now, trying to finish off areas and improve my coverage – I’m a perfectionist,” said Ms Salaam, who goes by the name of Pink Taxi Runner on social media where she documents her progress.
“The most interesting thing has been the variety of environments, from residential, industrial, rural, in the mountains and by the sea.
“Dubai is almost like its own country, with so many different cultures and communities.
“My project is not just about informing people of the UAE but the world’s running community that is doing similar things in other countries.
“People are in tune with their communities, and hopefully I have inspired others to get out there and run.”
Ms Salaam’s personal best for a full 42.2km marathon is 4 hours 12 minutes recorded in Geneva, Switzerland.
She runs four days a week and during Ramadan ran every day during iftar time.
Initially, the challenge was due to take her into next year but she now expects to finish her running map well ahead of schedule by October, in time for the Dubai Fitness Challenge.
Favourite area
She has run about 1,000km every year and has pounded her way through a serious number of running shoes that are changed every six months.
A coach has been keeping tabs on Ms Salaam for the past 12 years, helping to keep her training varied and injury free.
While a running app tracks her progress, she also takes photos of street signs along her routes to make a daily diary of her efforts.
A favourite community is Jebel Ali Hills, with a set of streets with homes yet to be built, giving her a private running ground.
Other communities have been left deserted after housing projects were abandoned, leaving ghost towns behind.
“I have seen an array of cultural and socioeconomic experiences, running through depot centres and communities of truck drivers, taxi drivers, camel herders and even police compounds,” she said.
“Anyone can speak to me about Dubai and where they live or work and I can relate to them – I know it.
“People even ask me for real estate advice on where to move to as I know what these communities are like.
“No matter what time of day or night that I run, I feel safe – even in neighbourhoods that are exclusively men.
“I have not run on The Palm Jumeirah yet. I am keeping that for last.
“Some people run for a good cause or for a charity, I run because I am part of Dubai.
“I have lived here all my life and I feel part of this dynamic city.”
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (Turf) 1,400m. Winner: Al Ajeeb W’Rsan, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Jaci Wickham (trainer).
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (T) 1,400m racing. Winner: Mujeeb, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 90,000 (T) 2,200m. Winner: Onward, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown Prep Rated Conditions (PA) Dh 125,000 (T) 2,200m. Winner: Somoud, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle.
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (T) 1,600m. Winner: AF Arrab, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 90,000 (T) 1,400m. Winner: Irish Freedom, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
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
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
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Translated by Jamie Searle Romanelli
Pushkin Press
Mobile phone packages comparison
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THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
ABU%20DHABI%20CARD
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Company%20profile
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Poland Statement
All people fleeing from Ukraine before the armed conflict are allowed to enter Poland. Our country shelters every person whose life is in danger - regardless of their nationality.
The dominant group of refugees in Poland are citizens of Ukraine, but among the people checked by the Border Guard are also citizens of the USA, Nigeria, India, Georgia and other countries.
All persons admitted to Poland are verified by the Border Guard. In relation to those who are in doubt, e.g. do not have documents, Border Guard officers apply appropriate checking procedures.
No person who has received refuge in Poland will be sent back to a country torn by war.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Iran's dirty tricks to dodge sanctions
There’s increased scrutiny on the tricks being used to keep commodities flowing to and from blacklisted countries. Here’s a description of how some work.
1 Going Dark
A common method to transport Iranian oil with stealth is to turn off the Automatic Identification System, an electronic device that pinpoints a ship’s location. Known as going dark, a vessel flicks the switch before berthing and typically reappears days later, masking the location of its load or discharge port.
2. Ship-to-Ship Transfers
A first vessel will take its clandestine cargo away from the country in question before transferring it to a waiting ship, all of this happening out of sight. The vessels will then sail in different directions. For about a third of Iranian exports, more than one tanker typically handles a load before it’s delivered to its final destination, analysts say.
3. Fake Destinations
Signaling the wrong destination to load or unload is another technique. Ships that intend to take cargo from Iran may indicate their loading ports in sanction-free places like Iraq. Ships can keep changing their destinations and end up not berthing at any of them.
4. Rebranded Barrels
Iranian barrels can also be rebranded as oil from a nation free from sanctions such as Iraq. The countries share fields along their border and the crude has similar characteristics. Oil from these deposits can be trucked out to another port and documents forged to hide Iran as the origin.
* Bloomberg
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
England ODI squad
Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
