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A Paradigm
Shift

How Qataris became cyclings newest fans

More than 80 cyclists, which included

many Qataris, participated in a ride
organised by Qatar Cycling Federation
and Qatar Sports Club

Content and photography

By Margaret Kadifa
50 > QATAR TODAY > FEBRUARY 2015

n a January morning, 80 cyclists,

ranging from competitive racers to children wheeling next
to their parents, sped down the
Corniche in a ride organised by
the Qatar Cycling Federation
and the Qatar Sports Club. Dohas skyline
in the background, the riders made a statement: cyclists, not just Land Cruisers and
buses, are part of Qatars roads.
Cycling has embedded itself not just in
streets but in the lifestyle of Dohas residents. Expats, especially those from Europe, North America and the Philippines,
have been active cyclists for years. They
have formed dozens of groups including
Qatar Chain Reaction, Pinoy Roadies Qatar
and the Qatar Cycling Community. Recently the sports popularity has grown so much
that cycling routes are packed, groups
memberships have increased and Qatars
first specialty bike stores opened within a
month of each other at the end of 2014.

But scattered among the European,

North American and Filipino expats on the
Corniche that Friday morning was a new
group of cycling fans: Qataris.
Its booming, its not just growing, says
Dr Mohammed Al Kuwari, a consultant
bariatric surgeon at Hamad Medical Corporation. Al Kuwari founded the Qatari cycling group, Qatar Cyclists, in 2012. At the
time there were only three members. The
group has since grown to 60.
While there are no formal statistics to
show how many Qataris cycle, Andrej Filip, technical secretary at the Qatar Cycling
Federation, cites increased attendance at
time trials, races and rides, and the rapidly
growing membership of Qatar Cyclists as
evidence that Qataris are increasingly opting for the cycling lifestyle.
Its an active lifestyle with the potential
to address Qatars high obesity rates and
related health problems such as diabetes.
A 2013 study in the medical journal The

Dan Crowley (second

from left) and Saad
Ferzam (second from
right) pose for a picture
along with friends at the
Qatar Sports Club after
completing their ride
down the Corniche.

Lancet found that the majority of Qatars

adult men and women are overweight or
obese, and Qatars 2014 diabetes rate of
16.3% was well above the world average.
The Supreme Council of Health advocates
exercise on its web site as a way to decrease
the 70% of Qatari deaths in 2013 that it says
were due to preventable causes. Serious cyclists have made it how they exercise yeararound, riding as early as 4:30 a.m. in the
summer to avoid scorching temperatures.
For Qatari cyclist Haya Al Ghanim, bicycle rides have slowly replaced coffee chats
as a way to keep up with friends. Its a social sport, concludes Dan Crowley, an Irish
expat and an avid cyclist with the group
Qatar Chain Reaction. Participation often
includes weekly rides ranging from about
40 kilometres to over 100 kilometres with
other cyclists, the decision to spend time
outdoors instead of in a car or at the gym
and the ability to push yourself to go faster
and farther.
The beauty of cycling is that you can
challenge yourself and achieve huge distances, Al Kuwari says. If you told me two
years ago that I would be able to ride 150
kilometres, I would say thats impossible.
The sport also involves splurging on a
few too many bicycles. It started as a hobby and it became a passion, says Dr Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, an orthopaedic spine
surgeon and Mohammed Al Kuwaris twin
brother who currently runs Qatar Cyclists.
He has been cycling for three years and has

invested in five bikes.

Qatari cyclist Marouf Mahmoud says
he wants to inspire and attract people to
cycling, especially other Qataris. He is the
captain and a co-founder of the charity
cycling group Qatar Sandstormers, which
started in 2012, and, with partners Wajeeha Al Husseini and Eamonn Condon, he
opened the Doha bike shop Carbon Wheels
in December 2014.
Were really bringing out the glamour
in the sport, Mahmoud says, sitting in an
armchair near the front window of Carbon
Wheels just after sunset on a Wednesday.
The normally busy store had mostly emptied, but a few customers stopped in for
a quick purchase or chat. Carbon Wheels
offers custom bike fittings and it and the
other new bike shop, Flash Bike Shop, located in Mesaeed, are stocking brands and
providing maintenance services that were
previously unavailable in Qatar. They offer
the guidance and variety that helps get new
cyclists started, says Crowley.
To encourage conservative cyclists, including conservative Qataris, to start cycling Al Husseini says Carbon Wheels is
looking to stock more modest clothing
lines. This could encourage more Qatari women to get involved with cycling,
Al Ghanim says.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports made
Qatar Cyclists the first amateur cycling
club to be sponsored by Qatar and appointed Abdulaziz Al Kuwari manager of a new

"A 2013 study in

the medical journal
The Lancet found
that the majority
of Qatars adult
men and women
are overweight or
obese, and Qatars
2014 diabetes rate
of 16.3% was well
above the world
average."

QATAR TODAY > FEBRUARY 2015 > 51

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Members of the Pinoy Roadies Qatar

Abdulaziz Al Kuwari
participated in
this ride to show
everybody that there
are Qataris who are
cycling, he says.
And to show cars
that bicycles are part
of the street.
Marouf Mahmoud warms up before heading out
for a second ride.

cycling centre. The centre has already organised rides and will have its own team with
support vehicles and staff, says Abdulaziz
Al Kuwari.
But for cyclings popularity to continue
to grow, the government needs to provide
the necessary infrastructure, and fast, says
Filip. Right now, Qatars roads, dominated by Land Cruisers, are dangerous for
cyclists. There has been a 14% increase in
vehicle accidents between 1995 and 2013,
according to a study presented this year
by the Qatar Road Safety Studies Center at
Qatar University. Most cyclists ride early on
Friday mornings in groups to stay safe, says
Crowley, but this does not entirely avoid
accidents. On arguably the most popular
road among cyclists, Ceremonial Road, cars
swerve into the bike lane to cut ahead of
traffic, Filip says.
They ride their cars in the cycling lanes
at like 80 kilometres an hour, Filip says.
Im afraid something bad will happen
soon because you see more and more riders
going out and its just not safe.
The Qatari government is in the process
52 > QATAR TODAY > FEBRUARY 2015

of diversifying its roads, adding pedestrian

walkways, a train system and bike lanes,
says Dr Eyad Masad, an executive associate
dean and professor in the Mechanical Engineering Programme at Texas A&M at Qatar.
In most of the expressway and local road
projects, Ashghal builds bike lanes, says
Noura Zreik, an Ashghal spokeswoman.
Cyclists have taken advantage of some
of the new bike lanes, including ones near
the new airport, says Mon Muoz, a cyclist with the Filipino cycling group Pinoy
Roadies Qatar. However, most bike lanes
being built in Doha are conducive to commuting, the feasibility of which experts and
cyclists have mixed opinions [link to old
article], not for the long-distance training
required for the competitive road cycling
that is taking off among Qataris. Cycling as
a sport demands wide, interrupted roads,
says Mahmoud. Filip points to new highways being build outside of Doha as possible locations for cyclists to train, such as an
expressway currently under construction
that will link the Doha Golf Club to Al Khor
and Ras Laffan, as long as the bike lanes
are wide enough for groups or the vehicles
accommodate cyclists.
To fit the needs of todays cyclists, there
should be a velodrome, a good bike share
programme and more sports clubs that
supply bicycles to their members, says Saad
Ferzam, an avid cyclist and the husband of
the owner of Flash Bike Shop.
Filip hints that a velodrome is on its
way. In the meantime, the Qatar Cycling
Federation will continue to host local and
international events to raise awareness of
the sport, including the annual Mens and
Womens Tour of Qatar in February and
the Road World Championships in 2016.
Qatar Cyclists and Qatar Sandstormers are
also planning a 45-kilometer ride for Sports
Day, this February 11, says Mahmoud. Like
the previous Friday ride, this route will
include the Corniche.
Abdulaziz Al Kuwari will be participating
in this ride to show everybody that there
are Qataris who are cycling, he says. And
to show cars that bicycles are part of the
street, Mohammed Al Kuwari adds. We
believe in promoting this culture.
Mahmoud says he hopes to see increased
Qatari viewership of the upcoming races,
and that one day cycling in Qatar will be so
popular that, like in Europe, people will line
the streets to watch a cycling race.
People outside of their houses in
their own neighbourhoods watching and
cheering, Mahmoud says. I think that is
something that will happen.