Dubai, located in the heart of the desert, wants to be a global hub for snow sports, attracting top professionals, spectators, and sports enthusiasts.
Set to host the region’s first snow volleyball tournament in late October, the emirate will also host three International Ski Federation events in November.
“Imagine going to a ski or snowboarding competition, as a competitor or fan, to an outdoor ski resort in any part of the world. What do you have beyond the competition? Now imagine a ski competition in Dubai,” Saeed Mohammed Hareb, director general of Dubai Sports Council (DSC), told Arabian Business.
“Step out of Ski Dubai, and you are in this amazing mall with people and brands from around the world. Step out of the Mall of the Emirates, and you have an incredible number of places to visit and activities to do.”
Tourism is an important contributor to Dubai’s economy, producing 20 percent of the emirate’s gross domestic product. But for DSC, Harab said economic contribution isn’t the primary focus.
“Our focus has never been economic,” he said. “As the saying goes, focus on creating value and the money will follow.”
Sports contributes AED4 billion to Dubai’s economy annually, and more than 400 sports events take place in the emirate every year – 130 of these are international. Around 1.5 million people engage in sports and physical activities in Dubai on a regular basis, and the emirate’s sports sector employs more than 20,000 people, according to figures provided by DSC.
Currently, Dubai hosts a number of high-profile sporting events, including the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens, Dubai World Cup horse race and the DP World Tour Championship.
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Saeed Mohammed Hareb, director general of Dubai Sports Council (DSC).
It also boasts one of three venues in the UAE that is currently seeing the conclusion of the lucrative Indian Premier League, moved to the Gulf country as a result of Covid concerns in India – the second time it has been played out in UAE stadia.
Harab said: “The Indian Premier League – one of the biggest sports league in the world – trusted us to keep their contingent, which included eight teams, their players and families, as well as the organising staff and Indian cricket officials safe last year… Now they are back in the UAE to continue with the 2021 edition, which started in India but got stalled at the midway stage due to Covid-19.”
The UAE will also host the International Cricket Council’s T20 World Cup throughout October and November.
“So with increased events and growing sports tourism, the economic footprint of sports in Dubai is bound to increase,” Harab added.
Dubai is home to more than 400 academies, over 100 public and private sports clubs, and five factories that manufacture sports clothing and equipment. There are more than 2,500 outlets selling training equipment and merchandise and more than 350 registered companies that organise various sports events and training camps, according to DSC data.
In the first six months of 2021, the emirate has hosted over 70 training camps and friendly matches for international athletes and teams in different sports, including swimming, synchronised swimming, modern pentathlon, cycling, tennis, football, badminton, cricket, rugby, golf and more.
“Our infrastructure and sports facilities have also seen Dubai emerge as a leading holiday destination for sports stars from around the globe, and, thanks to legislations like the Golden Visa, more than 200 of these sports stars – including tennis ace Roger Federer, Formula One’s two-time champion Fernando Alonso, former Italy national football team manager Roberto Mancini, and a number of other former football players like Nicolas Anelka, and Eric Abidal – now call the emirate their home,” Hareb said.
Expo 2020 Dubai is also set to attract more sporting events and stars to the emirate over the next six months when the global showcase opens at the start of next month.
The Dubai International Sports Conference, Dubai Globe Soccer Awards and the MBR Creative Sports Awards will all be held at Expo 2020 Dubai in the coming months.
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