‘Dubai Holding Burj Al Arab Swim’ Returns with 600 confirmed participants

April 10, 2019

Female and Male category 1,600-metre and 800-metre races
All funds raised will go to Al Jalila Foundation’s obesity research
Since 2014 Dubai Holding has committed over AED 5 million to Al Jalila Foundation Obesity Research Fund

Dubai Holding is bringing back ‘Dubai Holding Burj Al Arab Swim’ to the pristine waters of the Arabian Gulf, in partnership with Al Jalila Foundation and with the support of Dubai Sports Council (“DSC’). The event, which is the 14^th edition, is organised by Wild Wadi Waterpark and is set to take place at Jumeirah Beach Hotel on April 12, 2019.

This year’s edition will see 600 swimmers participate in the Female and Male 1,600-metre and 800-metre race categories, followed by a full day of activations and family-friendly entertainment throughout the race village. Dubai Holding Burj Al Arab Swim is open to swimmers over the age of 16 and provides participants an exclusive chance to swim around one of Dubai’s most celebrated landmarks – Burj Al Arab Jumeirah.

On this occasion, Amit Kaushal, Group Chief Executive Officer at Dubai Holding said: “We are excited to bring this race back to all swimming enthusiasts, providing the opportunity to experience one of Dubai’s most distinct landmarks in a unique and special way. This year, we celebrate the 12th anniversary of our Corporate Wellness Programme, which has helped us to make a positive impact on the lives of our own staff and the wider Dubai community. At Dubai Holding we encourage fitness-focused activities that inspire and challenge people to push harder and achieve big goals – it represents the ethos of Dubai Holding and our track record of growth.”

Kaushal added: “We are proud of the strong partnership we have with Al Jalila Foundation since 2014, which allows us to contribute towards helping improve the health and wellbeing of people in Dubai and the UAE. Dubai Holding has contributed over AED 5 million to Al Jalila Foundation Obesity Research Fund so far, through a number of initiatives including Dubai Holding Burj Al Arab Swim, and Dubai Holding SkyRun.”

“At Dubai Sports Council, we are always delighted to partner with events that bring together people of different age and backgrounds, and spread the message of fitness and physical activity in our diverse community,” said Khalid Al Awar, Director of Sports Events Department, Dubai Sports Council.

Al Awar added: “This Dubai Holding Burj Al Arab Swim is, however, not just about swimming around one of the world’s most iconic landmarks, but it is supporting a noble cause. Dubai Holding have decided to donate all the proceeds from this event to Al Jalila’s Obesity Research Fund. We thank them for this generous gesture and I am confident that Dubai’s residents will come out in big numbers to support them in this cause.”

Dubai Holding’s longstanding partner and exclusive beneficiary of the Group’s wellness initiatives, Al Jalila Foundation will collect the proceeds for Al Al Jalila Foundation Obesity Research Fund. To date Al Jalila Foundation has invested AED 2.8 million in as many as 10 obesity research studies aimed at addressing the prevalence of obesity in the UAE and the region.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it is estimated that more than 4.8 million people in the UAE suffer from obesity, with 25% males and 42% females considered obese or overweight. Obesity among teenagers has also increased 13% over the last few years and is expected to have adverse effects on the health and productivity of the future generation. This unprecedented increase in obesity underscores the need for long-term funding for scientific research to develop life-saving discoveries.

Al Jalila Foundation’s obesity research projects from 2017 and 2018, which Dubai Holding continues to support, were focused on: Metabolically Healthy Obese (MHO) phenotype; lipid levels; weight, height, body mass index, skinfold thickness, and eating habits at ages 0–18 years; sleep impairment and sleep improvement intervention. The respective Researchers are Dr Kinda Khalaf, Associate Chair and Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Khalifa University for Science, Technology and Research, Abu Dhabi; Dr Suraiya Ansari, Assistant Professor Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain; Professor Yousef AlBastaki, Director of Medical Education, Dubai Health Authority; and Dr Teresa Arora, Director of Medical Education, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi.

The previous edition of Dubai Holding Burj Al Arab Swim, held in 2017, attracted 438 participants from 64 nationalities. The winners in the Male and Female categories of the 1600-metre race were Christopher Bryan and Kayleigh Dawson, respectively. The winners in the male and female categories of the 800-metre race were Muhammed Al Muhairi and Saskia Warren, respectively.

The race is conducted under the watchful eyes of Wild Wadi’s award-winning lifeguard team; there will be 26 professional lifeguards on duty with 12 kayaks, 3 speed boats and 2 pontoons. To ensure the safety of all participants, there will be 4 paramedics and 1 ambulance car on standby. All participants will receive complimentary access to Wild Wadi for the day.

Dubai Holding Burj Al Arab Swim is a key element of the Dubai Holding Corporate Wellness Programme, a multi-disciplinary programme that has won various local awards and accolades. Other initiative under the programme is Dubai Holding SkyRun. Dubai Holding also supports external wellness-focused initiatives such as Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon and XYoga Dubai which was held in March last year.