DUBAI // A group of Emirati and expatriate adventurers have taken to the desert for a week-long trek with just camels for transport and old-fashioned methods of navigation.
The 13-member group, which planned to trek up to 50 kilometres a day, left from the Nakhra area of Dubai and will finish their adventure at the emirate’s Global Village on Saturday.
“We are heading south-east and will be using old navigation methods,” said Khalifa bin Sabeen, leader of the trek.
“There are certain areas for resting and we have to camp before the sun sets so we can set up the tents.
“We will work as a team, with some people taking care of the camels and saddles, and others cooking the food.”
Support teams will follow in cars to provide assistance or first aid in case of an emergency.
The four women and nine men on the trek are from Oman, the US, Egypt, France, Britain and the UAE.
They were selected after expressing interest in following the footsteps of people who lived in the desert.
The event organisers at the Hamdan bin Mohammed Heritage Centre,then put the group under intensive training, including in guiding the camels and setting up their braces and saddle.
For Brit Rhian Adams, this was one adventure she just could not miss. The fitness trainer loves camels, and even owns one of her own.
Her enthusiasm for the trek was shared by her friend Hina Webb, also from Britain.
The pair climbed Kilimanjaro and to Everest base camp last year but this adventure had a different appeal.
“This is with a very beautiful animal, in a very different landscape with the Arab culture and hospitality,” Ms Webb said.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
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Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
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