Hamdan fires fitness fervour as thousands join Dubai Ride
According to the MOE, all exams start at 9am and last for an hour for all subjects except for English, to which an hour and a half will be assigned
An exhilarating atmosphere of positivity and excitement surged through Dubai on Friday morning as a section of the city’s main artery, the Sheikh Zayed Road, transformed into a 14km cycling track for the very first time as part of Dubai Fitness Challenge 2020.
More than 20,000 cyclists participated in the inaugural “Dubai Ride 2020,” marking a new milestone in their fitness journey.
The Sheikh Zayed Road, the arterial road of the UAE, for the first time in history, was closed to motorists and opened to cyclists. Hundreds of riders, all in gears made history with a unique cycling experience along the magnificent road.
Participants of all age groups, including people of determination were spoted at their own pace.
Organisers made it clear at the beginning, “All cyclists must be able to competently cycle a minimum distance of 4km, bring their own bike and helmet, and wear a face mask.”
Spearheaded by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, the event saw cyclists hiting the roads as early as 5:00am, embarking on two breathtaking routes in the heart of the city — a 14km loop on Sheikh Zayed Road and a 4km family route around Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard.
The Crown Prince expressed his happiness at the exceptional response from the community to the event, saying the high participation reflects growing awareness about the importance of fitness and the benefits of integrating sporting activities into one’s lifestyle. Sheikh Hamdan encouraged the community to explore simple ways to incorporate fitness activities into their daily routines, so that we can enhance our health, wellbeing and happiness. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the organisers, the support extended by stakeholders and the enthusiasm shown by participants, which combined to make the event a success.
Cycling enthusiasts were excited to ride the 14km Sheikh Zayed Road route with both directions of the highway opened exclusively for cyclists. International athletes, as well as the city’s leading cycling clubs and communities, joined the riders for a once-in-a-lifetime experience of cycling around Dubai’s iconic landmarks including Emirates Towers, The Museum of the Future, and the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).
Families and children as young as five joined enjoyed the 4km bike ride around Souk Al Bahar, Dubai Opera, The Dubai Fountain and Burj Khalifa. The event also featured high participation from people of determination, who joined the cycling tour around Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard.
The local stakeholder network extended overwhelming support to the Dubai Ride event, with public and private sectors rallying to contribute to realising the city’s vision to embrace a healthier lifestyle. Government organisations, as well as schools and educational institutions joined participants in a socially distanced seting, testament to Dubai’s commitment to creating a safe environment for people to be physically active.
Dubai Ride was organised by Dubai Tourism and Dubai Sports Council; with presenting partner DP World; association partners Emirates NBD, Etisalat and Mai Dubai; official partners Arabian Radio Network (ARN), Daman, EMAAR, Shield ME and Talabat; and government partners Event Security Commitee, Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), Dubai Police, Ministry of Education and Roads & Transport Authority (RTA). Dubai Fitness Challenge 2020 will continue until Nov. 28.
In August, Sheikh Hamdan directed to transform Dubai into a bike-friendly city, by working to develop laws and the legislative system, and to apply international best practices in developing the infrastructure to suit the use of this sporty and environmentally safe method.
The announcement comes in line with the objectives of Dubai Vision 2021, which aims to strengthen Dubai’s position as a preferred place to live and work, the preferred destination for visitors, and the safest, and to fulfill the Dubai Traffic Strategy 2021 to reduce the death rate resulting from traffic accidents, and in line with the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 aimed at reducing carbon emissions by 16% by 2021 and transforming Dubai into the city with the lowest carbon footprint in the world.
Dubai Crown Prince joins more than 20,000 residents for the epic ride along Sheikh Zayed Road; for the first time in history, both sides of the road were open to cyclists.
On Sunday November 22, the first semester exams for the 2020-2021 academic year will kick off electronically for students of public and private schools which follow the Ministry’s curriculum. Exams are scheduled to end on November 26, according to the Ministry of Education (MOE).
12th grade students will sit for exams in schools, while students from grades 4 to 11 will do exams at home.
The ministry clarified that students of grades 1 to 3 are excluded from the end-of-term exams of the first semester.
The 12 grade students, “General and Advanced,” are scheduled to start the exams on November 22, with mathematics, followed by Arabic language exam then Health sciences in two periods on November 23, then physics exam on November 24, then the English language exam on November 25, then Advanced Chemistry, and Chemistry or General biology on November 26. Islamic education exam will be on December 7.
Students will end the exams with social studies exam on December 9, according to the ministry.
The Ministry said students of grades 4 to 11 would sit for exams on the “Swit Assess” platform, provided that students adhere to open the camera while doing the exams at home, besides wearing the school uniform.
According to the MOE, all exams start at 9am and last for an hour for all subjects except for English, to which one hour and a half will be assigned.
As for the Islamic Education and Social Studies exams, they will start at 10.30am and end at 11.30am, according to the specified days. Students will be fanned out over the classes so that the classroom does not exceed 50% of its capacity.
The ministry said that students of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi will be required to do a “COVID-19” test, while students of the other emirates are required to adhere to the approved preventive and precautionary measures.
The Ministry also stressed that the student must atend the school 15 minutes before the exam time.
Exams will be done according to strict procedures and controls, through the hybrid monitoring system, which is applied for the first time in the UAE, as the Ministry focuses on the human element in addition to the modern technology and artificial intelligence means.
The Ministry has decided to assign an observer inside each exam room, provided that the follow-up and monitoring teams work will be fully prepared to deal with any emergency situation such as a sudden illness or a technical failure and inform the nurse about any suspected case of infection with the coronavirus, so that the case will be isolated in the school isolation rooms.
“All are required to adhere to the precautionary and preventive measures, and the building must be sterilised continuously. Monitoring teams should take into account the physical spacing when students enter and leave the school,” the Ministry added.
The Ministry also emphasised the commitment of schools to close the canteens during exams.
Recently, the Ministry of Education launched the virtual plaform, entitled, “We Make Our Policies,” to highlight the real partnership between and key roles of students, parents and educational staff in creating future education policies.
Through the plaform, the ministry aims to involve members of the education community in the process of educational decision-making, in line with the country’s directives based on its agenda and centennial.
The plaform was implemented in response to the launch, by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, of a project to prepare for the next fity years in the UAE, which aims to encourage the country’s citizens and residents to present ideas and designs for the future of the nation.
Hussain Bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education, stated that the ministry is adopting an approach based on transparency and effective partnerships with all members of the education community, including parents, students and teachers from public and private schools, along with policy-makers in all areas, which will enrich the educational movement.