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Residents welcome new walking stretch in Jumeirah

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Residents welcome new walking stretch in Jumeirah

With the 2km walking stretch along the Jumeirah Beach newly opened, Khaleej Times captures the reactions of a few beach enthusiasts.

Published: Thu 17 Jul 2014, 12:12 AM

Updated: Sat 4 Apr 2015, 6:56 AM

Enjoying an evening walk with his children along the new Jumeirah Corniche on Monday, not even the stuffy, soaring heat of the Dubai summer could keep Abdulla Mohammed from revelling in the new, state-of-the-art beach facilities, which opened to the public on Sunday.

Workers giving the final touches to the jogging track at the revamped Jumeirah Corniche in Dubai. — KT photo by Rahul Gajjar

The 2km stretch of walking and jogging path along the Jumeirah Beach is the first phase of the Roads and Transport Authority’s Jumeirah Corniche project to be completed, with the remaining 12km pathway set to open in October this year.

At 3pm on Monday when Khaleej Times visited what is to become Dubai’s social and sports hub, there was not a soul in sight.

But during a return trip later that evening, after many in the city had opened their fast, several people swarmed the area near, including Dubai-born Mohammed.

“I think this has greatly improved the beach and it’ll be great for the tourism business here too,” he told Khaleej Times.

Although he tends to visit the beach only once or twice a month, Mohammed said the new Corniche will encourage him and his family to come down and enjoy the facilities more regularly now.

“I hear they are opening restaurants and shops along here too, so when the summer subsides and the winter sets in, we’ll definitely make more use of the area. The tourists are going to love it.”

Comparing the up and coming beach hub to the bustling Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence areas, Mohammed said the development of the Corniche is yet another sign of how Dubai is expanding to cater to the needs of residents as well as tourists. A positive step for the city, he said.

The newly opened first stretch runs from the Dubai Sailing Club up to an area adjacent to the Dubai Municipality’s centre at Umm Suqeim. Once fully operational, the 14km Corniche will comprise a walkway measuring five metres in width, a jogging track four metres in width, as well as rest-houses fitted with commercial kiosks, benches and on-beach showers.

Initiated to invite families and fitness enthusiasts to enjoy the free, public facilities, Khaleej Times caught up with British expatriates Phil Jones and Joe Agnew during their regular training session down on the beach.

“It’s a good upgrade from what it used to be. I think it’s aesthetically pleasing and I’ve seen many families and people here, using the walking track, training and generally just enjoying what’s on offer,” Agnew said.

But will the new addition attract a swarm of people, leading to packed, busy, uninviting beaches? No, according to Jones.

“The thing is, the beach was open before so I don’t think it’s going to attract more people as such. Tourists don’t tend to use the open beaches so I think you’ll primarily see residents making use of the new area. So in terms of over-crowding, I don’t think it’ll be an issue.”

Zoila Quintos and Dexter Laguit, both 29 and from the Philippines, live close to the beach and come down nearly every day for a swim. A keen runner, Laguit said he is impressed with the rubber running track and the on-beach showers.

“Usually I’d go for a run along the concrete path but now I’ll be making use of this new tack.”

And although the area is bound to get busier, the duo said the extra footfall won’t put them off.

“Before it was just sand and water and people still came here. Now all these great facilities are on hand, of course more people will come but the area is huge so I don’t think it will get too crowded. Either way, we love the beach so we’ll keep coming down.”

kelly@khaleejtimes.com



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