Qatar is becoming cycling-friendly with more and more cycling paths being laid out. Getting on your bike and cycling around Qatar has never been easier!
One of the objectives of the Ministry of Sports and Youth is to create an active sport movement in the country.
To obtain this objective, the ministry’s strategy focuses on creating an environment whereby all members of society are able to practise sports and physical activity, making available to the public the necessary facilities and working towards making exercising more attractive.
The ministry oversees the hosting of numerous regional and international sports events, and wants the public to enjoy both competitive and recreational sports all year round.
The authorities in Qatar have been busy beautifying public spaces for everyone’s enjoyment, including the ongoing construction of walking and cycle paths, in conjunction with the Public Works Authority (Ashghal). There are several paths dotted around the country, for example along Lusail Street and between Doha Corniche and Hamad International Airport. Further afield, and for longer rides, try the route close to Al Sheehaniya camel race track and the Al Dosari Zoo and Game Reserve, approximately 30 km of cycling.
Ashghal recently developed a 40 km long cycling path on the Southern part of Doha Expressway. The cycling path has one bike bridge, 2,390 street lamps, 17 bike parks, 1,930 trees, 24 tunnels, and 17 seats with shades.
Not all of the paths are fully connected as yet, however they are landscaped and have street lamps for use after dark. New cycle paths continue to appear all over Qatar!
There is now a ‘superpath’ available for cyclists to enjoy even longer rides in safety. In fact, Qatar is now the proud owner of more Guinness World Records, being home to the world’s longest continuous cycle path, and the longest piece of asphalt concrete laid continuously. Both of these records were achieved within the Al Khor Road project and the Olympic Cycling Track.
Danny Hickson, the Official Adjudicator at the Guinness World Records, confirmed the final figure for the longest piece of asphalt concrete laid continuously to be 25.275 km and the longest continuous cycle path to be 32.869 km, setting new world records for Qatar.
The 33 km Olympic Cycling Track connects Doha to Al Bayt stadium and is 7 m wide, with 29 underpasses and five bridges to enable non-stop riding, and is situated well away from the main road. It has been designed to allow speeds of up to 50 km an hour, making it a perfect destination for upcoming international competitions, and opened on 11 February 2020, National Sport Day. There are also 80 bicycle stands, 100 benches, and 20 rest areas along the route for use by cyclists.
Abdulrahman Musallam Al Dossari, adviser to HE the Minister of Sports and Youth and President of Qatar Sports Federation for All, has highlighted the importance of implementing an infrastructure that serves sports activities, praising the safety and security of the Olympic Cycling Track in being away from traffic. Qatar Sports Federation for All will be using the track to encourage walking and cycling by holding activities and competitions in the future.
Read also: Ashghal Completes Rest and Parking Lounge for Olympic Cycling Track
The Supervisory Committee for Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar (part of Ashghal) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Qatar Cyclists Centre at the Ministry of Culture and Sports to provide services for the Olympic Cycling Track. These services include electric bike parking spaces, first aid, and the use of motorcycles to provide emergency assistance, among others. The MoU’s scope also includes organising events in cooperation with Ashghal, safety campaigns, first aid training for emergencies, and awareness sessions to educate riders on safe riding methods along cycle tracks.
The Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar works in coordination with ministries and other entities, such as the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Communications and IT, Ministry of Sports and Youth, Ministry of Culture, Qatar Museums, Qatar Rail, and the Private Engineering Office. It is responsible for five major tasks: construction of central public parks; provision of dedicated tracks for pedestrians and bicycles; development of Doha Corniche; development of Central Doha; and increasing afforestation and green areas.
In May 2021, Ashghal opened the shared pedestrian and cycling tracks on the eastern side of Al Khor Road, integrating with the Olympic Cycling Track on the western side of the highway, giving more opportunities for hobbyists to practice cycling and jogging, ensuring complete safety.
The track is 38 km long and 6 m wide, passing through 18 underpasses, to provide a smooth and uninterrupted movement. In order to facilitate better use of the tracks along the road, 80 cycle-parking points, 100 benches, and 20 resting areas are provided.
There are five car parking areas along the path – near Qatar University, Lusail metro station, Losail International Circuit, Semaisma Interchange, and Al Bayt Stadium – and 1,450 streetlamps to encourage cycling at night.’
Ashghal is set to open a new bicycle and pedestrian path along Central Market Street as part of the ongoing beautification works. The 13 km bicycle path is part of Ashghal’s efforts to provide residents with space to engage in physical activities and encourage a healthy lifestyle. A total of 39 bicycle parking spaces will be provided, in addition to 33 seats for users to rest on, surrounded by a green area of more than 40,000 sq m, in addition to more than 330 trees.
Ashghal is creating infrastructure that contributes to enhancing a culture of sports among all segments of society through the provision of facilities, and the authority will construct a network of cycling and pedestrian paths across 2,650 km by 2022.
Want to join up with like-minded cyclists? See Sports Activities for listings of groups and clubs. Qatar Cycling Federation is the national governing body and has a lot of useful information about taking up the sport, as well as events and support for elite athletes. qatarcycling.org
Authors: Sarah Palmer and Ola Diab
This feature is from Marhaba’s WINTER 2021/22 Issue – M82.
Copyright © Marhaba Information Guide. Reproduction of material from Marhaba Information Guide’s book or website without written permission is strictly prohibited. Using Marhaba Information Guide’s material without authorisation constitutes as plagiarism as well as copyright infringement.
