DUBAI, 12 November 2004 — Two Saudi men have embarked on an epic cross-country walk to show their admiration for the late Sheikh Zayed ibn Sultan Al Nahyan. Their journey also reflects the Bedouin traditions that were so close to the late President’s heart. Ayed Al-Eneze and his cousin Mohammad Al-Eneze have already started walking from a remote part of Al Ahsa district in Saudi Arabia’s eastern deserts. Their journey of more than 350km along the Gulf coast will eventually bring them to the grave of Sheikh Zayed in Abu Dhabi, where they wish to pay homage to a man they describe as “a great man among Arabs,” whose death was “a loss to the world.” They started their journey from the last roundabout in the Al Ahsa district of Saudi Arabia and the total distance translates into more than 10km for every year that Sheikh Zayed led the UAE. They expect to reach Abu Dhabi on Monday, possibly on the second day of Eid Al Fitr. Despite the difficulties of walking long distances, the pair do not like to make life easy for themselves. In fact, they prefer walking on sand, rather than paved roads and have restricted themselves to a traditional diet of camel’s milk and dates, rather than high-tech, energy-filled foods. It is all designed to recreate the rigors of the Bedouin lifestyle that Sheikh Zayed regarded as a key part of his country’s heritage. Sheikh Zayed even took regular trips on camels into the deserts of the UAE and Saudi Arabia and was keen on such Bedouin pursuits as falconry.
