Dubai: Two expatriates are attempting to walk around 170km, passing through all seven emirates, to mark Commemoration Day and National Day.
Indian nationals Umesh Goel, 44, and Devender Singh, 32, sets off at 12am on Thursday (Commemoration Day, November 30) from an Adnoc petrol station in Fujairah. They will walk along main roads through Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, Ajman, Sharjah, Dubai, finishing at the first Adnoc station in Abu Dhabi on Saturday (National Day, December 2).
In a joint statement, the duo said: “We are doing this walk to pay our tributes to the martyrs and heroes of the UAE and express our gratitude to the Rulers of Dubai and the UAE for developing this country as a diversified and inclusive melting pot of all nationalities where we enjoy our lives with family and friends. At the same time, we want to inspire the younger generation to believe that it’s possible to achieve our dreams whatever we set out for with the right mindset and focus. Thank you Dubai, thank you UAE, thank you #HHShkhMohammad, thank you #MohammadBinZayed.”
Goel, an “architect by education” and a real estate professional, said: “We welcome everybody to walk with us in parts or in full to be a part of this journey and we seek your guidance, support and encouragement.”
The pair has been training for two months — on Thursdays — to prepare for the 170km walk. Goel, a “regular runner”, said their feat is “extreme”. They plan to take a 10-minute rest and snack break every five or six hours of walking. Food and water will be dropped off by friends and family travelling by car to them. Goel said they might take a small detour to sleep at his Dubai residence or end up sleeping rough, depending on how far they have managed to reach.
Singh, who works for a leading property developer, said: “It’s a landmark day for the UAE and we wanted to celebrate this in our own unique manner. Hence, we decided to walk across the entire emirates to celebrate the unity and diversity, which is a major part of what makes the UAE so unique and great.”
