Striving through the UAE and Oman
Another incredible Strive Challenge for the books – this time in the UAE and Oman! We crossed sand dunes on foot, trekked through sun-drenched deserts, cycled through mountain reserves, swam and kayaked the stunning coastline of Oman framed by jagged mountains, hiked to oases, and stargazed at night.
As with every Strive Challenge, the evenings were spent huddled together brainstorming ways we can reimagine the education system. To date, the Strive Challenge has raised more than £10m for Big Change and its mission to reimagine the education system so that it is fit for purpose, future-proofed, and set up to help all young people to thrive.
Our group consisted of 50 brilliant Strivers – including my son Sam, my nephew Noah and my ever-delightful friend, Sara Blakely. The bonds we build with all Strivers on these trips is indescribable – helping each other through gruelling fitness challenges and inspiring each other with our personal experiences of life and education.
We spent a week exploring all seven emirates that make up the UAE, plus Musandam (the Omani enclave north of the UAE), and I was amazed by the diverse landscapes we ventured across. We witnessed the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets over lakes and mountains, slept and stargazed on the deck of a traditional dhow boat, and played chess atop sweeping sand dunes.
I also had the chance to meet the president of the UAE, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and spend time with several members of his family – sharing ideas on how to address the world’s greatest challenges. It was a great honour to join UAE National Day celebrations, seeing the different groups performing their traditional dances and learning more about the cultures of the region. Each Emirate has its own distinct cultures and traditions but remain united with their Emirati neighbours, a great example of unity at a time when there is so much division.
This conscientious fostering of unity made me think about an initiative I wrote about earlier this year called A Land for All. The initiative is a bold vision created by both Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Jews, with unity at its core. It is a vision based on a common understanding of the ground beneath their feet – their shared sense of a homeland, whether you call it Palestine or Israel. As May Pundak, Executive Director of A Land for All, said: “If we punch a hole in this boat, we all sink together.” While the circumstances here differ dramatically from the situation of the young UAE in 1971, unity is the only way forward, however difficult it may be.
Thank you to the brilliant team of Strivers who made this adventure so special, and to everyone in the UAE for being so welcoming. I’m looking forward to the next one already!