Organising committee approves all preparations for 11th Sharjah Tour

The organising committee of the 11th Sharjah International Tour 2026 has put the final touches in place for the major international event, which gets underway on Friday, January 23 and concludes on Tuesday, January 27.

The committee held its final preparatory meeting on Monday, at the headquarters of the Sharjah Sports Council, chaired by Abdullah Sultan Al Dah, Board Member and Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Tour, and attended by Dr Yasser Omar Al Doukhi, Tour Director, Bakheet Saeed Al Qerasi, Deputy Tour Director, along with heads of committees and members. All organisational and logistical arrangements for the new edition were approved.

Abdullah Al Dah expressed his satisfaction with the level of preparation and thanked all the working teams across the sub-committees for their efforts under the umbrella of the organising committee.

He voiced his optimism that this edition would build on previous successes and further strengthen Sharjah’s prestigious reputation for hosting international championships and events.

The new edition of the international tour will feature the participation of 162 cyclists representing 27 teams and national squads from 18 countries around the world. The race will cover a total distance of 503 kilometres spread across five stages. Two local races for athletes with disabilities and youth riders will also be held during the third stage, in addition to accompanying activities at the start and finish points of each stage.

Teams taking part in the event are UAE Team Emirates Gen-Z (UAE) ; TSG Terengganu Cycling Team (Malaysia) ; Roojai Insurance Winspace (Thailand); MBH Bank Ballan CSB (Hungary); Toscana Factory Devo Team (Italy) ; Istanbul Buyuksehir Belediye Spor Turkiye (Turkey); Universe Cycling Team (Netherlands); Kinan Racing Team (Japan); Factor Racing by Cycling Team Kranj (Slovenia) Li Ning Star (China); and Haute-Savoie (France) are in the fray.

UAE clubs in the fray are Sharjah, Khorfakkan, Dubai Police, Abu Dhabi Cycling, Shabab Al Ahli Dubai, Al Nasr, Jadeefa, and Airwerks Cycling Team. Qatar Pro Team and Obidos Cycling Club are also taking part.

The Sharjah Tour features dedicated national teams from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Bahrain, Tunisia, and Rwanda.

Overall, the 2026 event brings together riders and teams from across four continents, representing countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Slovenia, Portugal, Hungary, Turkey, China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Tunisia, and Rwanda.

The 2026 tour spans five exciting stages across Sharjah and the wider emirate, each highlighting unique landmarks and cultural themes.