Total UAE staff participate in #Cycletoworkuae

Total offices in Abu Dhabi Mall participated in the #CycletoWorkUAE event organized by the Department of Transport, UAE. The response to the call for participation was overwhelming. 19 staff gathered at Hiltonia and cycled a route of 9 kms to Abu Dhabi Mall offices on Tuesday, January 12, 2016.

Mr. Hatem Nuseibeh, President Total EP UAE and Group Representative in the UAE addressing the participating staff at the start of the event said “Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) is a value more than a priority for Total and it is important to do things more than talk about it. Clean energy is part of our culture and that is why we say Total is Committed To Better Energy. Therefore, we live and do what we say. With a proper cycling track, Abu Dhabi can become a perfect place for cycling during the good weather period.”

“It was fantastic,” said Sultan Al Hajji, Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Total EP UAE. “It was a real pleasure to come to the office with a fresh breeze.

Emmanuel Pradie, Senior Vice President Operations Total ABK said joint efforts by authorities to improve infrastructure, along with those of employers in the private sector who could provide facilities such as showers and change rooms, would contribute to creating a more cycling-friendly city. “If you make it happen you can change the image of the city.”

“I could make it a habit, the road was nice, and the people and pedestrians were understanding.” Pradie, already an active cyclist who makes use of the facilities at Yas Island and bike-friendly streets such as Al Bateen Road, said the UAE climate provided six months of ideal cycling weather.

“There’s a lot to do. We should be promoting the use of bicycles more,” he said. “Riding a bike to work could become more of a habit.”

The event was organized by the Department of Transport, Abu Dhabi and conceived by The National newspaper.