Healthy living: Emirati cycling groups on the rise

Cycling has always been a favourite form of exercise for expats, and now Emiratis are pushing the boundaries as well as pedals.

The Rabdan Cycling Team from Abu Dhabi has 10 Emirati men as its core members, but anyone can join them for rides. Courtesy Mohamed Al Kaabi

Not so long ago in the UAE, cycling was thought of as the sport that only expatriates did. But nowadays, more and more Emiratis are getting into the saddle, too – and discovering their inner passion for two wheels as well as four.

As more cycling tracks open, Emirati cycling groups are forming on Instagram to bring together both beginners and those with a serious passion for pedalling.

One local cycling pro is Abdulrahman Al Hosani, the first Emirati to qualify for one of the toughest triathlon races in the world – the Ironman 70.3 World Championship. “When I go cycling on Al Wathba track and Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, I see that a lot of other locals are now starting to cycle,” he says. “If you compare the cycling scene with three or four years ago, it’s totally different.”

Al Hosani, a 31-year-old aircraft engineer, first got into cycling when he was 25 as a way to keep fit after a bout of injuries forced him to give up playing football.

“As a child, I never would have imagined myself in a cycling race – I’ve really surprised myself,” he says. “Our bodies can do such amazing things; we just need to motivate ourselves.”

Another keen Emirati cyclist, Mohamed Al Kaabi, 38, started cycling last year as a way to put himself on the right track after giving up smoking. “I used to smoke a lot, then since I stopped I’ve spent most of my time cycling,” he says. “I consider it to be one of the safest and most joyful sports. I started twice a week as a hobby, but then I realised how much I love it, so now I cycle every day.”

Al Kaabi, who is a safety officer, formed the Instagram group Rabdan Cycling Team earlier this year, naming it after Sheikh Zayed’s old horse Rabdan. The 10 core members of his group, who meet at least four times a week, are all Emirati men in their 30s, several of whom work in the air force and the police.

“We’ve registered our group with the Abu Dhabi Council, so we’re the first official cycling group in Abu Dhabi,” says Al Kaabi proudly. “When we go riding together at weekends, we have 20 to 30 people joining us. Some are new to cycling, and we teach them how to control the bicycle. Other nationalities join us too, male and female. Most foreigners have more experience at cycling than us, so it’s good for us to learn from them. We have people joining us now from the United Kingdom, the United States and Belgium, and we ride together all over the Emirates.”

Al Kaabi says members of his group are starting to participate in races, as individuals and in teams.

“The last race I did I came 11th out of 99, and I was happy with that,” he says.

There’s a social aspect to being part of a cycling group, too. Recently, after cycling 100 kilometres in Liwa (with just a short break at a roadside coffee shop), the Rabdan team camped out for two nights in the desert.

Al Kaabi says he feels it’s safe for his group to cycle on the roads outside of the cities, because they start at 6am when few cars are about. They also have a car containing safety equipment and tools trailing them. “If anyone feels they can’t continue, they can go in the car,” he says. But in Abu Dhabi city, the group only cycles on designated cycling tracks. “There’s a new one, Reem Cycle on Reem Island, that’s opening soon,” Al Kaabi says. “In Al Ain, two new routes for cycling are opening [this month], and our group has been invited to try them out. One is a mountain-biking track in Wadi Adventure, and the other is a roadside track. With all the new tracks opening up, I think no matter where you live in the UAE, there are places you can cycle.”

Cycling is also taking off among Emirati women. The ladies’ night at Yas Marina Circuit on Wednesdays is becoming a popular spot for female Emirati cyclists, according to Sawsan Jumah, who runs ladies’ cycling group Emirates Evolutions. “The ladies feel more free to remove their hijabs there,” she explains. Having developed a taste for cycling on holiday in the UK, 30-year-old Jumah decided to take her hobby to the next level and formed the cycling group in Abu Dhabi four months ago.

She set up her own real estate investment company earlier this year called Emirates Evolutions, and decided to give her cycling group the same name.

“I chose this name because both my company and my hobby are about getting out of your comfort zone and evolving,” says Jumah. “Starting a new business isn’t easy, and cycling is my stress relief. After a long day at work, I feel free as a bird when I cycle.”

The first ladies-only Emirati cycling group, UAECyclingGirls, was formed last year by Roudha Al Awadhi and Asma Al Janahi, who say the weekly Saturday cycling trips are now busier than ever.

“Cycling is definitely gaining momentum,” says Al Awadhi, adding that most of their newer members are university students. “I think this is because the younger generation of Emirati girls are more free to pursue their own interests,” she says.

Al Awadhi feels that the more places there are to cycle, the more popular the sport will become. “Year on year we’re seeing more cycling tracks being created, like the one by the new Dubai canal, which is a great destination to explore on a bike.”

Jumah believes that one day Emiratis like herself will be cycling to work, too. “But not until we have the right tracks in place – and only in the winter,” she adds.

“Most of us locals live out of town. If we have tracks built that enable us to cycle into the cities, I’m sure many Emiratis would cycle to work.”