DUBAI // A beach sports festival is proving that given the right encouragement and a bit of room to move, the city's people are all too willing to try a healthier lifestyle.
And in a good sign for the fight against the country's high rates of heart disease, obesity and diabetes, organisers say many of the Beach Games Festival's 1,500 participants so far are families and sports novices.
The festival, now in its fourth week, was organised by the Dubai Sports Council (DSC) and allows people to try new sports, such as surfing and scuba diving, and take part in team competitions.
But Ashraf Elramloi, the DSC's sports supervisor, said while the enrolments for team sports had been impressive, the real emphasis for the festival was getting families to join in.
"The football super cup has been very competitive with teams from across the emirates," Mr Elramloi said. "The final will be played [tomorrow] before the closing ceremony and the winners will receive a trophy. We have also had 25 teams, including ex-professional players, in a basketball league.
"But the festival is also about people trying new sports and activities in a less competitive atmosphere. We have even set up an American Gladiator-style ring, which has been fun.
"The focus has been on attracting families to take part in activities together."
Rashid al Kamali, the DSC's director of marketing and promotions, said the council had also wanted the beach to become a centre for sport and leisure in a city with scarce facilities.
"The beach festival has proved very popular and we have received positive feedback by those who have taken part," Mr al Kamali said.
"It is part of our commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle and encouraging young people to pursue sports and leisure activities.
"The beaches in Dubai are very popular areas of open space and it is great to see people using them for exercise in a fun way."
The festival has been running since Jan 15 with expert tuition also available in sports such as football, golf and cycling.
It has also embraced traditional local activities, such as Al Youla, the Bedouin dance performed with a "rifle".
"We have had workshops and tuition in 16 traditional sports, where local children have had the opportunity of learning games that are part of their heritage," said Mr Elramloi.
The festival has also sought to promote involvement in sport for children with special needs. Several specialist schools, including the Sharjah Centre for Special Needs, have arranged school trips.
Al Khaleej National School, of Al Garhoud, has had several sports days for its pupils on the beach.
Liakhath Shaik, 38, from India, has been a regular participant at the festival and said it had created a great atmosphere at Jumeriah Open Beach.
"The beach festival has certainly livened up the area," Ms Shaik said. "The weekends have been busy but also the workshops organised in the evenings.
"I have met lots of families taking part and people seem to have enjoyed playing sport. The mini-golf and volleyball have been especially popular.
"I hope it will promote fitness, which will also help reduce heart disease, that has become a big issue in the UAE in the last few years. I hope people still play even when the festival finishes."
The festival, which has run on the weekends and weekday evenings, continues until Sunday. People can register for activities, workshops or tuition at a DSC booth at the beach.
tbrooks@thenational.ae
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Director:Guillermo del Toro
Stars:Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara
Rating: 3/5
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Simran
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Three stars
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
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- not be younger than 25 years old
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- 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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Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
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- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
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Time; race; prize; distance
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Winner: General Line, Xavier Ziani (jockey), Omar Daraj (trainer)
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6.55pm: Handicap (D); Dh160,000; 1,600m
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7.30pm: Handicap (D); Dh150,000; 2,200m
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PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Film: Raid
Dir: Rajkumar Gupta
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
Verdict: Three stars
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
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- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
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CONCRETE COWBOY
Directed by: Ricky Staub
Starring: Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome
3.5/5 stars
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
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Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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Lampedusa: Gateway to Europe
Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta
Quercus
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GP3 race, 12:30pm
Formula 1 final practice, 2pm
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