The Team Sky member, who is a five-time Grand Tour winner, says he still needs to recover fully from last week's event in Colombia.
The seven-stage tour gets underway on Monday.
The race starts in Abu Dhabi before ending in Dubai on March 2.
It is the only UCI World Tour race in the Middle East.
This year's inaugural edition will feature 20 teams from around the world.
India thump Namibia ahead of Pakistan clash
Defending champions India continued their march towards the Super Eight stage of the Twenty20 World Cup with a 93-run win over Namibia in a group A contest at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday.
Italy crush Nepal in maiden T20 World Cup victory
Brothers Justin and Anthony Mosca guided Twenty20 World Cup debutants Italy to their first win in the tournament, as their unbeaten half-centuries secured a dominant 10-wicket victory over Nepal in a Group C clash on Thursday.
Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships reveals major expansion plan
The 2026 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships will usher in the start of a new era for one of the Middle East’s most iconic sporting events with plans revealed for an extensive two-phase redevelopment that will transform the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium and surrounding Aviation Club Tennis Complex.
Sri Lanka crush Oman for second victory in T20 World Cup
Sri Lanka batsmen Kusal Mendis, Pavan Rathnayake and Dasun Shanaka cracked half-centuries as the 2014 champions continued to build momentum in the Twenty20 World Cup with a 105-run win over Oman in Pallekele on Thursday.
Philippine's rising star Alexandra Eala to debut at Dubai Tennis Open
Alexandra Eala, one of the fastest-rising talents on the WTA Tour, will debut at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships next week, organisers have confirmed.
The UAE’s Ministry of Education has announced that public school students will switch to remote learning on Fridays during the holy month of Ramadan, marking the second consecutive year of the initiative.
The UAE has dispatched a new aid ship to the Gaza Strip as part of its ongoing humanitarian efforts to support the Palestinian people, coinciding with the start of the holy month of Ramadan.
The UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has confirmed that private sector employees will have their working days reduced by two hours during the holy month of Ramadan.
