Open to both amateur and professional aerosports seekers from Monday, Sky Adventures by The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) marks Sharjah's first officially licensed paragliding centre.
Gliders can revel in panoramic desert vistas as they take off from the emirate's Al Faya Mountain.
Sky Adventures offers three packages and membership options — tandem paragliding with experienced professionals; a comprehensive, expert-led course to learn how to paraglide on your own and get an international paragliding licence; and guided flights for licensed paragliders who want to practise their skill and accumulate flight time.
Adrenalin seekers and those who want to experience the thrill of flying will be taken via buggy to the foothills of Al Faya mountain for a launch and safety briefing, followed by a tandem paragliding experience, for which participants will be strapped on with an instructor. Each session is between 10 and 15 minutes.
The solo paragliding package is a four-day course divided into three-hour sessions. After lessons from a professional paraglider, participants can embark on five solo flights and apply for a paragliding licence, which is recognised internationally.
The pilot paraglider’s package will offer licensed paragliders the chance to soar 5,000 feet in the air over Sharjah’s Central Region area with full ground support, weather observation and equipment. The membership programme has packages spanning between one and 12 months.
“We look forward to increasing the number of paragliders and fostering a sport culture in Sharjah through this centre,” said Eisa Hilal Al Hazami, the chairman of the Sharjah Sports Council. He was present at last week's launch of Sky Adventures alongside Sheikh Khalid Bin Isam Al Qassimi, chairman of the Department of Civil Aviation in Sharjah; Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer, acting chief executive of Shurooq; Mohammed Yousuf Abdul Rahman, general secretary of EAF; Nasser Hamouda Al Neyadi, president of EAF; Yousef Hassan Al Hammadi, vice-president of EAF; and Khalid Al Midfa, chairman of Sharjah Tourism and Commerce Development Authority.
