Sharjah will soon have air-conditioned walkways, a first-of-its kind in the country, to beat the five months of intense summer heat that prevents people from being active and causing obesity in the northern emirate, said a report.

These walkways had already been designed and would soon be in the implementation stage, reported Khaleej Times citing HH Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.

He was addressing the opening session of the two-day global Non-communicable Diseases (NCD) Alliance Forum 2017 along with wife Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, also forum patron.

"We will have the first, best air-conditioned walkways because during five months of the year, the temperatures are so high that people are unable to exercise," he stated.

The emirate already has laid out rubber-paved paths to make it walker-friendly for the residents, he added.