I approach the public car park opposite the Novotel on Sheikh Zayed Road a good 20 minutes before the sun has even managed to rise. Bleary-eyed, I expect to see a few cars and some weary-looking runners limbering up.
But as I pull on to the service road, two or three runners are already coming towards me, glistening with sweat, and a crowd is gathering along one side of the car park.
The 100 or so members of the Dubai Creek Striders (DCS) all look frighteningly alert and ready for the task ahead: a 20km run around the city.
After almost four years of meaning to run with one of Dubai's most popular long-distance running groups, I have finally managed to join them, but now I'm wondering if I have bitten off more than I can chew.
I haven't run long-distance for a good nine months and even when I was training regularly I never got beyond 18km because of an injury that I shan't bore you with. While I regularly do shorter sprint runs, I'm not sure how my creeky knees, or easily wearied mind, will hold up against the relentless pavement pounding.
I give the Dh100 note in my back pocket a quick tap to check it is still there. The DCS's founder Malcolm Murphy recommends keeping taxi fare about your person so that people following a programme requiring a shorter run, or those like me who simply cannot complete such a distance, can just hail a cab when they have had enough.
Murphy founded the group in 1995, having taken up running with a colleague at work, and their regular Friday morning outings soon began to attract others.
Today they have at least 120 members and the Friday morning runs are now divided into three groups, according to ability, with Murphy leading the most sociable and relaxed of pace. This is, of course, the one I join.
Some runners have been up and out since 4.30am in order to get in an extra 13km in before the main groups head off. Some will be taking part in the New York Marathon.
After a word or two about road etiquette and forthcoming events from our 62-year-old leader, who has done marathons and ultra-marathons in the 15 years since he took up the sport, off we go, heading across Zabeel roundabout and over towards the park, passing the Etisalat building.
What little traffic there is on the road so early on a Friday actually stops for us, without our having to force the matter. I feel as though I am seeing, and experiencing, the city in a whole new light.
In such a large group - there are about 40 of us - it is easy to settle into a comfortable pace without feeling like you're slowing anyone down, and I suddenly feel more optimistic I'll at least make it halfway. The group is made up of mixed abilities, from those who have been running with DCS for years and have completed marathons, to others who have just begun a marathon or half-marathon training programme and need the support and motivation of running in a group to get them through their weekly long run.
Every three to four kilometres the group stops at a petrol station for a drink. The humidity this morning is wretched and the Dh10 everyone donates at the start of the run goes toward much-needed water and isotonics as well as supporting the events the DCS runs throughout the year, such as a forthcoming half-marathon.
The staff at the petrol stations seem unperturbed by the mass of runners descending on them. Apparently, they are used to it after so many years.
After a pause at the Al Karama petrol station we head along the streets to Oud Metha, stopping at another petrol station before making our way over to Al Maktoum Bridge.
This is the first time I have seen Dubai as a large city, having spent the best part of four years travelling everywhere by car. Now, I find myself a little disoriented.
Getting up and over the Maktoum Bridge, we head down towards the Dubai Creek, Deira-side, passing a group of yoga students who, at 7am, are already out stretching on a lawn near the Rolex towers. Unfortunately, my journey ends soon after that as my runner's knee kicks in and I decide not to risk the wrath of my physiotherapist by continuing any longer.
I hail a cab, almost immediately, and make the Dh15 journey back to the car park to collect my car.
The others soldier on, some alternately walking and running, others jogging at a steady pace.
While I'm irritated at having to cut my run short, and despite the humidity, I have really enjoyed being up and about so early on a Friday morning. I felt privy to a side of Dubai that relatively few have the fortune to see, and there is nothing quite like a bit of exercise in the morning to kick-start a good day, particularly when you're part of such a friendly group.
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Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
More coverage from the Future Forum
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Quick pearls of wisdom
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.”
Awar Qalb
Director: Jamal Salem
Starring: Abdulla Zaid, Joma Ali, Neven Madi and Khadija Sleiman
Two stars
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Match info:
Manchester City 2
Sterling (8'), Walker (52')
Newcastle United 1
Yedlin (30')
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
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Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
