The common fallacy that Dubai’s streets are littered with gold proved true for a large section of the gulf state recently.

As part of the “Your child in Gold” programme running from July till mid-September Dubai residents were offered an opportunity and a ‘golden’ lure to lose weight.

For every kg shed, a reward of an ounce of gold was given to ‘weight losing’ folk.

Its proved quiet a success as hundreds throughout the metropolis have registered all members from their families and weighed in.

I came across one very happy participating family who together shed 40kgs. Omani family the Al Ghafri’s decided to totally shut down their kitchen cooking facilities for the three month period.

Thani Mohammed Al Ghafry lost 30kg’s, wife Amina Salem 6kg and daughter Metha Thani Mohammed 4kg’s earning them 40ounces of gold.

“It’s a very nice project. It includes children and here in the Emirates we have a growing obesity problem with our youth so this motivates everybody to lose weight. It brings families together and encourages children to lose weight. We are very happy” he said.

When asked how they lost so much, he added “We ate much much less and chose only good foods – fruits and vegetables. We started exercising also and it really does work. I feel much better for doing this. I recommend it to anybody.”

It is hoped to run the programme next July alongside Ramadhan thereby aiding the whole process of detox helping participants to earn gold.

Whether most stay on track in maintaining the new fitness boom which generates the city as parks and gyms reach peak membership levels though remains to be seen.

But for these folk who said the streets of Dubai are not littered with gold.

Oil say so for sure.