Stage set for Dubai Physical Activity Forum

Dubai: The 3rd Dubai International Physical Activity Forum begins at the Intercontinental Hotel Festival City on March 12.

The two-day forum, being held under the slogan ‘Physical Activity…Lasting Health’, has drawn a huge number of registrations from government and private organisations from within the UAE and abroad.

The forum is meant to focus public attention on issues associated with health and fitness as part of a continuing campaign to transform Dubai into a place that is held up a global model for active lifestyles.

Dubai Sports Council (DSC), which organises the forum, has been constantly striving to increase social awareness on physical activity projecting sport as a smart lifestyle choice for residents.

Dr Ahmad Sa’ad Al Sharif, Secretary General, DSC, will open the forum with a keynote address on ‘The future vision of the physical activities practice in Dubai’. Others addressing the opening session will be Ahmad Abdul Kareem from Dubai Municipality, Nasser Abu Shehab from the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and educationist Ahmad Abdul Rahman.

A special panel of doctors from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dubai Health Authority and UAE Health Ministry will debate on ‘Physical activity in the medical and health system’, highlighting active lifestyles as the means to prevent and cure various diseases.

The second day will begin with a session on ‘Physical activity for all components of our community’ with Eisa Mohammad Abdul Rahim of the Federation Internationale Sport Pour Tous and Dr Dalia Haroon of Unicef sharing the stage with Dr Omar Hindawi of DSC and Brian Martin of Agita Mundo. It may be recalled that Agita Mundo Organisation and the International Association for Physical Activity have feted Dubai for its efforts to enhance the health consciousness of its residents.

The forum will come up with recommendations to promote physical activity.

The first and second editions of the forum were organised in 2009 and 2011 and, among the many recommendations, was the launch of the now popular ‘Dubai Pulse Programme’ targeting all social classes and nationalities in Dubai.

Over the past four years, the ‘Dubai Pulse Programme’ has initiated five campaigns including ‘Dubai Swims’, ‘Dubai Walks’, ‘Dubai Runs’, ‘Dubai Bikes’, besides a separate programme for the Hatta region.

The 3rd Dubai International Physical Activity Forum is being held under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman, DSC.