United Arab Emirates ambassador in fundraising bike trip
AN overseas ambassador to the UK is putting his love of cycling to good use by undertaking a tour of the country to raise money for charity.
Mansoor Abulhoul, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the UK, set off from John O’Groats on Tuesday on the first leg of his trip to Land's End, which will take place in stages over the course of his ambassadorship.
The first part of his trip is to Inverness and he was aiming to cover the distance in two days.
Ambassador Abulhoul will be meeting local people along the way, discovering and learning as much as possible about the north and east of Scotland and exploring the region’s links to the UAE.
Scotland is a long-standing commercial partner of the UAE. As of 2017, the UAE was its sixth largest non-EU/EEA export market. It is also a major investor in Scotland. One recent example is the joint partnership between Equinor and Abu Dhabi-based Masdar surrounding Hywind Scotland, the world’s first floating wind farm, which opened in 2017 off the coast of Peterhead.
The ambassador is raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital. The UAE has close links to the hospital and financed the recently opened Zayed Centre for Research into Rare Disease in Children.
Ambassador Abulhoul said: “During my tenure I am determined to see as much of the United Kingdom as possible. And I believe that cycling is one of the best ways to do that.
"Having spent much of my youth in Scotland, I am absolutely delighted to be back and to see all the beautiful Highland landscapes that I have sorely missed over the years.
“To undertake this journey in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital is a true privilege. The hospital has long been a cause close to my heart as my sister used to be a doctor there. The stories I have heard from her remind me of the necessary and important nature of this type of work.
"I have always been an avid cyclist, but I'm certain that this will be my most important and fulfilling ride yet.”
