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GBI Emirates 2022

Let's explore for the first time the United Arab Emirates with the GBI community. We will spend five days full of cycling and fun while we discover inspiring cities, world-famous monuments, and a gorgeous countryside. We will sleep in exciting locations, eat and drink typical Arabic food and will return with unforgettable memories. Don't miss this unique cycling tour! 

February 18 - 23, 2022

 

This is a cycling tour, organized and operated by our partner GBI Ventures!

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General information

Overview

 

FROM THE COAST OF THE ARABIAN GULF TO THE COAST OF THE INDIAN OCEAN

As the pandemic has made it very difficult to travel to Europe, GBI has developed a new global event in the Middle East – easy to join from everywhere and with unique sceneries in almost all the emirates of the UAE!

We will start in Dubai and we will experience the unique Al Qudra Cycling Path, a cycling-dedicated and well-maintained track crossing the dunes of Dubai’s desert, that provides several hundred kilometres of individual routes.

On the second day, we will be joining the Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycling Challenge, riding downtown with 1,500 other cyclists on roads closed to traffic and across the mesmerizing city with its tallest tower in the world, Burj Khalifa, then to the largest mall Dubai Mall, to Palm Jumeirah and many more landmarks in the city.

On the third day, we’ll leave Dubai and cycle east to Mleiha in the emirate of Sharjah, where we will stay at the Archaeological Centre, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where we will camp in tents in GBI-like fashion.

On the fourth day we will cross the emirate of Ras al Khaimah climbing the Shawka Mountain before heading to the scenic district of Hatta adminstered by the emirate of Dubai and on the border with Oman.

On the final day we will descend from Hatta to cycle alongside the Gulf of Oman (Indian Ocean), across the emirate of Fujairah and to Khor Fakkan in the emirate of Sharjah.

After five amazing cycling days, we will take the bus back to Dubai on the following day.

 

Global Biking Initiative (GBI) wants to show you the most interesting places in Europe and the Middle East in a sportive way. We are proud of our international participants that make it easy for everybody to make new friends from other countries. Our main goal is the continuous support of charity projects worldwide. We achieve this by engaging the participants to raise funds that support charity projects in their home countries.

 


 Please note that this is a cycling tour, that will be conducted by our partner GBI Ventures. 

Here you'll find an abstract of all information regarding this tour.

Tour summary (PDF)

More information needed?

There might some things missing on our event page or you have some specific questions?

Feel free to contact us.

Michael Leuenberger
Tour Director

Send a mail

Charity

As the GBI is a charity ride, you have to register for a GBI country (typically your home country) and raise funds in addition to the participation fee for the local supported charity in this country. The minimum donation for this event is 50 €. Each participant is kindly requested to raise more than the minimum donations to support our charity projects.

No clue how to raise funds?
Uncertain how and who to ask for donations?
Check out our tipps for your fund raising activities!

More information
Services & prices

 Please note that this GBI event will be organized and operated by GBI Ventures. 

 

Participation
from 1.950 AED
Participation at GBI Emirates 2022

This is the fee for all services of the tour, described under 'What is included'.

Early Bird registration (until Dec. 7, 2021):
- self organized accommodation: 1.950 AED
- double bedroom: 3.400 AED

 Regular registration (until Jan. 15, 2022):
- self organized accommodation: 2.350 AED
- double bedroom: 3.800AED

 Late registration (until Feb. 4, 2022):
- self organized accommodation: 2.350 AED
- double bedroom: 4.050 AED

single room
from 1.150 AED
single-room upgrade

Upgrade to single-room for three nights (except Mleiha and Hatta)

Early Bird registration (until Dec. 7, 2021)
- Single room upgrade: 1.150 AED (upon availability)

Regular registration (until Jan. 15, 2022)
- Single room upgrade: 1.500 AED (upon availability)

Late registration (until Feb. 4, 2022)
- Single room upgrade: 2.000 AED (upon availability)

pre-night
from 290 AED
Hotel accommodation for the night prior the event in Dubai

Early Bird registration (until Dec. 7, 2021):
- double bedroom: 290 AED
- singlebedroom: 450 AED

 Regular registration (until Jan. 15, 2022):
- double bedroom: 330 AED
- singlebedroom: 500 AED

 Late registration (until Feb. 4, 2022):
- double bedroom: 400 AED
- singlebedroom: 580 AED

What's included

 Twin-room accommodation in hand-picked hotels with breakfast
 Luggage transport from hotel to hotel
 Service car with bike repair toolset
 Fast and easy online registration
 Online Briefing prior to the event
 Several cycling teams with different speed levels
 Any kind of bicycle is welcome (Roadbike, MTB, ATB, Pedelec, etc.)
 Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycling challenge fee included (https://cyclechallenge.ae)
 Team leaders with GPS navigation
 GPX tracks for download
 Route information and daily news
 Personal support (English, Arabic, German) during the tour
 Nutrition point with energy bars, fruits and drinks every day
 GBI bike bottle
 GBI starter bag
 GBI tour jersey
 Online photo service
 Closing Ceremony with dinner
 International participants
 Support of charity projects worldwide
 A lot of fun, unforgettable moments, great international and cross-cultural companionship, challenging moments, and radiant eyes

Excluded Services

Everything not explicitely listed above incl. entrance fees, public transportation, ferries, transfer to individually booked hotels, rental bikes, lunch & dinner, accident and health insurance, etc.

Tour description

Itinerary

Day 0: Motor City
If you booked the pre-night package, you can check-in at the Park-Inn Motor City hotel already the day before the event and take advantage of the onsite registration during calm hours. You can watch live car races and -trainings at Dubai Autodrome Racetrack just from your hotel room, explore Dubai on your own or just have a chat with your GBI friends at the bar while overlooking the Dubai marina skyline.

Day 1: Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycling Challenge
After the onsite registration at the Park Inn Motor City, we will leave the hotel and head downtown  cycling mainly on cycling lanes  in order to reach  the start of the Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycling Challenge. We will enjoy this day by joining 1,500 other cyclists on  roads closed to traffic and for 92 km in one of the most prosperous cities in the world, passing a lot of impressive buildings such as Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building (829 m), one of the largest malls Dubai Mall (350,000 m2), the Dubai Fountains (83,000 liters of water at once), Emaar Boulevard, Dubai Opera and many more landmarks.

Day 2: Dubai Al Qudra
After having breakfast at the Park Inn Motor City, we will leave Dubai heading south-east, enjoying the Al Qudra cycling path for the entire day. We will cycle all day long only on cycling paths, surrounded by palm trees, maintenance stations and sometimes coffee and dessert places. The cycling lane system provides a network of countless tracks of various distances for the day.

Day 3: Dubai - Mleiha
We’ll leave Park Inn hotel and the Dubai Emirate and we will cross the desert. If you haven’t cycled in the desert before, this will be a unique and unforgettable experience. Our maintenance cars guarantee that you won’t be left behind and that you will always have access to nutrition and technical support. We will stay in an UNESCO world heritage site overnight, the Mleiha Archaeological Centre, where we shall enjoy millions of stars of the Milky Way galaxy above our heads.

Day 4: Mleiha – Hatta
It starts to become hilly. Leaving Mleiha in the morning, we will cycle towards the borders of Oman and climb the Shawka mountain. After three days on the saddle already, we should be ready by now to climb some moderate hills and enjoy great views over the United Arab Emirates.

Day 5: Hatta – Khor Fakkan
We deserved it! Hatta is an amazing spot to start our cycling on the last day, where we will initially have a few climbs in the Kalba mountains of Fujairah, then our descente will take us alongside the coast of the Indian Ocean (Gulf of Oman) where we will have time to take a bath in the appealing waters of Khor Fakkan.

Day 6: Khor Fakkan - Dubai
No more cycling – what a pity! After our breakfast in the hotel, we’ll load our bicycles on a bike carrier and take the bus back to Dubai. The rest of the day can be spent to explore the city or whatever your plans are for the last day of your first GBI Emirates. 

 

Stage overview

Day Date Start End Distance Climb
Friday Feb 18th 2022 Dubai Motor City Dubai Motor City ~ 100 km ~50 m
Saturday Feb 19th 2022 Dubai Motor City Dubai Motor City ~ 85 km ~ 80 m
Sunday Feb 20th 2022 Dubai Motor City Mlieha ~ 90km ~ 80 m
Monday Feb 21st 2022 Mlieha Hatta ~ 65 km ~ 1.000 m
Tuesday Feb 22nd 2022 Hatta Khor Fakkan ~ 108 km ~ 770 m
Wednesday Feb 23rd 2022 Khorfkkan Dubai - -
Total Feb 18th - 23rd 2022 Dubai Dubai ~ 348 km ~ 1.980 m

Track planning in draft only. Final tracks will be published second half of January 2022.

Route characteristics

We will mainly cycle on paved roads, which are mostly dedicated cycling lanes. During the Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycling Challenge, all the roads will be closed to traffic. On the second day, we will have some escorted road ride till we reach the Al Qudra cycling tracks which are only open for cyclists. On the other days, if possible, we cycle on minor roads. But some parts of the track see some heavy traffic and cycling lanes are sometimes missing. So sometimes it is inevitable to use major roads. The tracks are flat most of the time, except on the second last day when we’ll experience some climbs. The daily distances are moderate and typically less than 100 km.

Venues

Day 0 (Pre-Night) (Feb 17th 2022)

Park Inn Motor City Dubai
Park Inn by Radisson Dubai Motor City, Turin Boulevard Road First Avenue Mall & Hotel - Motor City - Dubai

All those who have booked the pre-night can check in at the Park Inn Motor City in Dubai from 3:00 p.m. and receive their starter bag here and prepare for the upcoming tour together with the other GBI members.

Park Inn Motor City Dubai
Park Inn Motor City Dubai
Park Inn Motor City Dubai

Day 1 (Feb 18th 2022)

Park Inn Motor City Dubai
Park Inn by Radisson Dubai Motor City, Turin Boulevard Road First Avenue Mall & Hotel - Motor City - Dubai

After an early breakfast (for pre-night bookers) we all gather and ride together to the start of the Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycling Challenge. After the event we will come back to the Park Inn Hotel. If you haven't booked the pre-night, you can check in now.

Park Inn Motor City Dubai
Park Inn Motor City Dubai
Park Inn Motor City Dubai

Day 2 (Feb 19th 2022)

Park Inn Motor City Dubai
Park Inn by Radisson Dubai Motor City, Turin Boulevard Road First Avenue Mall & Hotel - Motor City - Dubai

After breakfast we drive together to the Al Qudra Cycling Path and come back to the Park Inn Hotel in the evening.

Park Inn Motor City Dubai
Park Inn Motor City Dubai
Park Inn Motor City Dubai

Day 3 (Feb 20th 2022)

Mleiha
Archeological Centre - Mleiha - Sharjah

After breakfast we leave Dubai and on the evening of the third day we move into our quarters in the Archaeological Center of Mleiha. Millions of stars of our Milkyway galaxy will shine over our heads all night as we, in Bedouin style, gather strength in our tents for the next day.

Mleiha
Mleiha
Mleiha
Mleiha

Day 4 (Feb 21st 2022)

Hatta JA Fort Hotel
Hatta Oman Road Hatta Roundabout 9277 - Hatta (Dubai)

We spend our night before last in Dubai's only mountain resort in the middle of the majestic Hajar Mountains.

Hatta JA Fort Hotel
Hatta JA Fort Hotel
Hatta JA Fort Hotel

Day 5 (Feb 22nd 2022)

Oceanic Khorfakkan Resort & Spa
Khorfakkan,Corniche Road - Al Mudifi - Sharjah

We spend the last time on our tour in this comfortable hotel resort and also celebrate our final event here in the hotel

Oceanic Khorfakkan Resort & Spa
Oceanic Khorfakkan Resort & Spa
Oceanic Khorfakkan Resort & Spa
Oceanic Khorfakkan Resort & Spa
Teams

Each GBI participant cycles in a team, guided by an experienced teamleader. Teamsize is limited to ten riders maximum.

You can choose a team, which fits best to your experience, your objectives and your preferred track. It is always possible to change a team prior or during the ride.

Find your team

TEAM Camels
Track 1 (22 km/h)
Languages: English, Arabic

We will be cycling at slower pace with a couple of breaks where possible. We will start early to have enough time during the day to have some stops and enjoy the landscape.

OPEN TEAM
TEAM Eagles
Haitham Samman
Track 1 (30 km/h)
Languages: English, Arabic

We will be cycling at fast pace with only a few breaks where possible. We will start early to have enough time during the day to have some stops and enjoy the landscape.

OPEN TEAM
TEAM Falcons
Ahmed Al Sayed
Track 1 (34 km/h)
Languages: English, Arabic

We will be cycling at fast pace with only a few reaks where possible. We will start early to have enough time during the day to have some stops and enjoy the landscape.

OPEN TEAM
TEAM Gazelle
May Rahima
Track 1 (26 km/h)
Languages: English, Arabic

We will be cycling at slower pace with a couple of breaks where possible. We will start early to have enough time during the day to have some stops and enjoy the landscape.

OPEN TEAM
TEAM Horses
Mohamed Alqassem
Track 1 (28 km/h)
Languages: English, Arabic

We will be cycling at faster pace with only one or two breaks during the day where possible. We will start early to not have to cycle in the hotter afternoon.

OPEN TEAM
TEAM Leopards
Karim Ramadan
Track 1 (32 km/h)
Languages: English, Arabic

We will be cycling at a good pace with some breaks where possible. We will start early to have enough time during the day to have some stops and enjoy the landscape.

OPEN TEAM
TEAM Lizards
Track 1 (20 km/h)
Languages: English, Arabic

We will be cycling at a slower pace with several breaks where possible. We will start early to have enough time during the day to have some stops and enjoy the landscape.

OPEN TEAM
TEAM non-cyclists (only for non-cycling participants)
no track
Language: English, Arabic,

This team is for the non-cyclists, joining riders for this event.

OPEN TEAM
TEAM Oryx
Moataz Bahei-ElDin
Track 1 (24 km/h)
Languages: English, Arabic

We will be cycling at moderate pace with a couple of breaks where possible. We will start early to have enough time during the day to have some stops and enjoy the landscape.

OPEN TEAM
TEAM Spiders
Track 1 (22 km/h)
Languages: English, Arabic

We will be cycling at moderate pace with multiple breaks where possible. We will start early to have enough time during the day to have some stops and enjoy the landscape.

OPEN TEAM
TEAM The Gladiators
Reynolds Blagogee
Track 1 (22 km/h)
Languages: English

We will start after a good breakfast and cycle at moderate speed to enjoy the landscape and scenary.

OPEN TEAM
TEAM Wolves
Aiman Elsayed
Track 1 (28 km/h)
Languages: English, Arabic

We will be cycling at good pace with some breaks where possible. We will start early to have enough time during the day to have some stops and enjoy the landscape.

OPEN TEAM

There is no appropriate team for you?

Set up your own team and define the team specifics as you like.

Apply as a teamleader
Schedule

All dates and times are provisional! 

Date Location Time Activity
Feb 17th 2022 Park Inn Hotel 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm Check-in and onsite registration (pre-night package only)
Feb 18th 2022 Park Inn Hotel
Park Inn Hotel
6:00 am
7:00 am
Onsite registration (non pre-night package only), breakfast
Departure to Al Quadra Cycling track
Feb 19th 2022 Park Inn Hotel
Park Inn Hotel
Dubai Sports City
4:00 am
5:00 am
6:00 am
Breakfast
Departure to challenge start
Start Spinneys 92 Dubai Cycle Challenge
Feb 20th 2022 Park Inn Hotel
Park Inn Hotel
6:00 am
7:00 am
Breakfast
Departure
Feb 21th 2022 Archeological Centre
Archeological Centre
6:00 am
7:00 am
Breakfast
Departure
Feb 22st 2022 JA Hatta Fort Hotel
JA Hatta Fort Hotel
Oceanic Khor Fakkan Resort&Spa
6:00 am
7:00 am
7:00 pm
Breakfast
Departure
Dinner and Closing Ceremony
Feb 23nd 2022 Oceanic Khor Fakkan Resort&Spa
Oceanic Khor Fakkan Resort&Spa
Oceanic Khor Fakkan Resort&Spa
Dubai mostly Park Inn Hotel
6:00 am
7:00 am
12:00 pm
2:00 pm
Breakfast
Loading bikes
Departure by bus
Arrival and unload bicycles

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Aachener Str. 4b
DE-41564 Kaarst

info@gbi-event.org

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