DUBAI 7 February 2018: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, attended some of the competitions in the first stage of the 5th Dubai International Cycling Tour, organised by Dubai Sports Council until 10th February.
Sheikh Mohammed watched the race as cyclists passed through the Al Marmoum Natural Reserve, which contains the country’s longest desert cycling paths, totalling around 100 kilometres.
Sheikh Mohammed was briefed, in the presence of Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, and Khalifa Saeed Soliman, Director-General of the Protocols and Hospitality Department in Dubai, by Mohammed Hareb, Secretary-General of the Dubai Sports Council and Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Event.
Cyclists completed around 20 km during the event’s first stage at Al Marmoum Natural Reserve, which was witnessed by millions of people around the world, through international media coverage in 180 Arab and international countries.
He was also briefed about the key international teams and individuals participating in the event, as well as the arrangements and procedures that were followed to ensure its success. He described the event as an international challenge for the youth, as it requires a high level of fitness, persistence, and patience up till the last minute of the race.
Sheikh Mohammed expressed his happiness at organising the international gathering of youth sports in the country, which is hosted by Dubai while considering it an opportunity for Emirati and Arab youth to compete with their counterparts from around the world, as well as to get to know each other and exchange experiences and ideas.