A long-distance endurance athlete who aims to run down every road in Dubai has discovered hidden gems and a side of the emirate rarely seen by tourists.
Yasmine Salaam, 51, a single mother, began her challenge in November 2018. Three years on, the finishing line remains elusive as Dubai continues to grow.
With thousands of kilometres already under her belt, Ms Salaam, who is Lebanese, hopes to complete her monumental task within the next two years. But as Dubai’s urban plans expand, the timeline could extend even further.
Being a woman running these streets alone at all times of day and night and being safe is not something you can do in many other places
Yasmine Salaam
What began as a novel way to train for marathons, inspired by American Rickey Gates who ran every road in San Francisco in a similar challenge, has become an odyssey as she discovers hidden corners of the city.
“Dubai is a huge metropolis and can compare with any other big city like Hong Kong, London, New York or Paris,” said Ms Salaam, who lives near the Dubai International Financial Centre.
“It is that big and has the huge variety of communities seen in those cities.
“Dubai is more than just the boulevards of Burj Khalifa. The diversity and security I’ve felt have been highlights so far.
“Being a woman running these streets alone at all times of day and night and being safe is not something you can do in many other places.”
Ms Salaam began her adventure during the 2018 Dubai Fitness Challenge.
She uses an app called CityStrides to track streets she has run, rather than the total kilometres covered.
When she turned 50 in 2021, she ran 50km from Mirdif to Khawaneej to celebrate the landmark.
More than halfway through challenge
The only rules of her challenge are to stay away from major highways where it is dangerous for pedestrians, and to run every route mapped out by the Roads and Transport Authority.
So far, Ms Salaam has run across almost 60 per cent of the city’s streets.
“It is difficult as communities are growing or new ones are being built so I have to keep going,” she said.
Her longest daily run is about 30km, and the shortest is around 8km.
Running continues through the summer, albeit in lower mileage.
In the next four months, she expects to cover about 10 per cent of the city’s streets.
The ultra-endurance runner chooses to run in the early hours of the morning or late at night, particularly during the hot summer months, as there are fewer cars.
“People are either going to work, or coming home from a night shift,” she said.
“The most interesting part is seeing how people go about their lives.
“They can be construction workers, truck drivers and security guards — or sometimes just white collar workers and women, like hotel workers.
“It is definitely an eye-opener to see how Dubai works.”
Ms Salaam said her travels so far are a world away from the glitzy veneer portrayed in recent documentaries on Dubai.
“My journey is almost like an urban study of a modern city.”
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
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Sunday
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About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
Monster Hunter: World
Capcom
PlayStation 4, Xbox One
MATCH INFO
Karnataka Tuskers 110-5 (10 ovs)
Tharanga 48, Shafiq 34, Rampaul 2-16
Delhi Bulls 91-8 (10 ovs)
Mathews 31, Rimmington 3-28
Karnataka Tuskers win by 19 runs
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Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Liverpool's all-time goalscorers
Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
Mohamed Salah 250
Gordon Hodgson 241
Billy Liddell 228
MORE ON INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE
Multitasking pays off for money goals
Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.
That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.
"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.
Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."
People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.
"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: SimpliFi
Started: August 2021
Founder: Ali Sattar
Based: UAE
Industry: Finance, technology
Investors: 4DX, Rally Cap, Raed, Global Founders, Sukna and individuals
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The biog
Name: Maitha Qambar
Age: 24
Emirate: Abu Dhabi
Education: Master’s Degree
Favourite hobby: Reading
She says: “Everyone has a purpose in life and everyone learns from their experiences”
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