Quick Facts
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Jalal Jamal Majid Bin Thaneya Al Marri (جلال جمال بن ثنية المري) (born February 26, 1986) is an Emirati special needs activist from Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Years active: 2007–present
Alma meter: Bachelor of Arts, human resources and business studies, Middlesex university
Campaigns for special needs:
He started his first campaign at the age of 20 for special needs in 2007,while enrolled as a student at the middlesex university in Dubai. He embarked on a 500 km journey across the seven emirates on foot.
His second campaign in 2008 focused on stair climbing after witnessing a vertical marathon that took place at the emirates towers where he was a member at the gym.. (,
The third campaign in 2009 would see him returning to walking long distances. He initiated a 600 kilometer walk from Dubai city to the Empty Quarter desert near Liwa to raise awareness for the Senses Centre which caters to children with special needs. (,
Incident at Burj Khalifa
Prior to walking the empty quarter he had appealed to climb the stairway of Burj Khalifa(then named Burj Dubai) in 2008 for special needs. The plan was for him to run from the base of the tower to the top of the spire and place the UAE flag on top of it upon completion of the tower.
His 2,000 km walk to Makkah province, Saudi Arabia from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates was his most popular journey as it received praise and the attention from the Vice President and ruler of Dubai HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum(<ref">"Mohammad's message is music to Bin Thaneya". insideoutmagazine.ae.</ref> ) . He was stopped halfway through his journey on the outskirts of Riyadh city before being allowed to continue with the blessing from the court of the then governor of Riyadh Sattam bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. (,
London 2012 summer Olympics: He took part in the 2012 Summer Olympics via team Samsung as a torch bearer (,
His most recent journey took him around the Gulf on a bicycle. He cycled 5,000KMfrom one capital to another, starting in Muscat, Oman and finally ending in the port city of Jeddah Saudi Arabia after visiting Riyadh.( )