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29 March 2024

Dubai Tour: Which schools impacted?

Published
By Shuchita Kapur and Sneha May Francis

The three-day-long Dubai Tour, which kickstarts today, will have minimal disruptions on normal school timings as it runs through residential areas tomorrow.

The tour is taking place from February 3 to 6, and will pass through certain communities during the school pick-up and drop-off timings, leading to the closure of certain streets for a short period of time.

This may cause traffic congestion, especially during the pickup timings for children studying in schools on or around those streets.

To avoid this, Dubai British School in The Springs will close early tomorrow (Thursday). Parents have been advised top pick up their primary children at 11.30am to and secondary children by 12 noon to avoid any major hassles.

Our primary students will finish at 11:30am and our secondary students will finish at 12 noon,” said a spokesperson.

However, most other schools said they operate normally. Timings for neighbouring school, Emirates International School in The Meadows, remains the same.

“We wish to inform you that on Thursday, the 4th of February 2016, the Tour of Dubai cycle race will be held and the proposed route will affect some of the connecting roads to First Street which adjoins the school, between 2pm and 3:15pm. Therefore, we wish to inform you that there may be some traffic congestion and or delays on your approach to the school,” the school notified the parents.

The school gets over at 2.50pm, and the road closures around that time may cause some delay for parents picking up their kids in the afternoon, it said.

“The school will [be] operating under its normal hours as we have not had any formal notification from the race organisers the RTA or Dubai Police, to whom we have made direct contact with today seeking further clarification, of any direct road closures,” the school added.

Dubai International Academy, Emirates Hills, will also operate normally. “There are no changes to the school timings,” the school receptionist told this website.

Jumeirah English Speaking School in The Arabian Ranches is also functioning normal work hours. There has been no intimation of changes to the school timings due to the race.

“We have attached the routes and road closure times with this email. Please take note of the roads that will be affected and plan accordingly,” reads the statement from a school in Al Twar.

“Our buses may run a little late due to traffic congestion, however, we hope there will not be significant delays. Our bus monitors will update parents if there are concerns,” it added.

KHDA has said the decision to close schools lies entirely on their management, in consultation with the education board.

“Schools located near roads affected by closures and diversions as a result of the Dubai Tour cycling race can decide on further action in consultation with KHDA,” Mohammed Darwish, Chief of Regulations & Permits Commission at KHDA, said in a statement sent to Emirates24|7.

Dubai Tour 2016: the route

Totalling at 671 kilometres, the 2016 Dubai Tour is on from February 3th to February 6th.

Stage 1 covers 179 kilometres. It starts from the Dubai International Marine Club to Fujairah. Roads in Dubai Silicon Oasis will be closed from 11am to 12.15pm. The motorway to Fujairah from Al Badee bridge through Mleiha up to the Sheikh Khalifa bridge will be closed between 11am and 2pm.

Predominantly on flat roads, the riders have to go through the foothills of the Al Hajar Mountains to get there.

Stage 2 offers 188 kilometres of racing. Roads around Jumeirah Islands, The Sprigs community and Palm Jumeirah will be affected. It will finish at Atlantis The Palm hotel.

Stage 3 will see riders covering 172. The finish is at the Hatta Dam after a 1 kilometre climb with a steepest section at 17 per cent metres before the finish line.

Stage 4 cyclists will ride from the DIMC to Business Bay covering 137 kilometer route around Dubai City. The finish is at Burj Khalifa.