Dubai: An Emirati man plans to cycle about 5,000km across the six Gulf countries to raise awareness about people with special needs.
Jalal Bin Thaneya, 27, is known for undertaking extreme challenges for the cause.
He has walked 2,000km from Abu Dhabi to Makkah, covered all the seven emirates on foot, climbed the stairs of 100 Dubai skyscrapers, and walked the desolate Empty Quarter desert.
Bin Thaneya now aims to cycle from Muscat in Oman, through UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait to finish in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The gruelling trip will cover all six capitals of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Countries).
The endeavour, planned for mid-December, will involve cycling for around 10 hours a day, covering roughly 200km daily for about two weeks straight.
“This will be my biggest challenge, it has never been done before,” Bin Thaneya said.
“I just want to raise awareness – children with special needs must have more support. There’s a gap in the UAE when it comes to awareness and care for them. I want to help bridge that gap, I want UAE to be the best country for them.”
His strategy for the difficult journey is to start cycling after dawn when it’s cooler. A long afternoon break will be followed by another five or six hours of night-time biking.
“The most dangerous part will be the roads in Saudi Arabia. It’s a very big and empty country. I could get hit by a truck in the dark. There’s no one there.”
A car driven by a friend will be close behind for the whole trip, Bin Thaneya said.
“I’ll have little food, no showers, no friends or services; and camping on the side of the road. It’s not going to be a happy journey.
“Go too slow and I won’t make it in time. Go too fast and I’ll burn out.”
He will also have to overcome “mental hurdles” as “my body and mind have conflicts” during such feats. “For example, when I was really close to Makkah [after walking for almost 50 days from the UAE] my body just stopped. But I told myself ‘you have to finish. You can’t afford not to.’
“It’s hard what I do, but I’m not someone who likes to back down.”
Bin Thaneya said his journeys have made him more thoughtful about life. “I’m in the dark out there, nothing but nature and me. You start feeling detached from the world, it changes you. It doesn’t matter who you are, what your nationality is, how much money you have.
“I miss it.”
Bin Thaneya said his latest endeavour will serve as a “reminder about people with special needs. Just because you don’t see them everywhere doesn’t mean there are no people with special needs. We need to be reminded because we’re forgetful creatures.
“The UAE leadership is doing a lot for them, but we [residents] also have to do our part. I want to raise awareness that will hopefully also help raise funds for a centre for special needs.”
He did not wish to identify the centre as “things have not yet been officially confirmed”.
On his trip Bin Thaneya will be equipped with GPS technology and mobile devices to keep on track and stay in touch. He plans to update family, well-wishers and social media followers whenever possible.
Gulf News followed his progress closely on previous journeys and plans to cover the latest adventure from start to end.
He has also won praise from His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who tweeted about his efforts in January. The tweet said: “Proudly observing the young Emirati Jalal @binthaneya, who started a journey on foot to Mecca in support for people with special needs.”
Bin Thaneya works in a leading semi-government logistics company.
