United Arab Emirates
From an academic perspective the United Arab Emirates (UAE) offers fantastic opportunities for University & College Sport Programs to visit and study this rapidly evolving model of sport. Our UAE program is centered in Dubai, with stops in Abu Dhabi & the beautiful beaches of the Arabian Gulf coast. The UAE is a very safe region and since the mid-90’s has become a hot spot for Westerners interested in experiencing the Arabian culture. The UAE is a federation of seven emirates (states/territories) situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia. The seven emirates are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah.
The c
apital and second largest city of the UAE is Abu Dhabi. It is also the country's center of political, industrial and cultural activities. Dubai is the UAE’s largest city and is quickly becoming a mecca for international tourism and sporting events. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, affectionately known as Sheikh Mo, became the ruler of Dubai in 2006. Sheikh Mo has placed great importance on building not only a comprehensive sports infrastructure for his own citizens, but also world class sporting facilities to attract large scale international events to his shores. Dubai is very quickly developing a healthy sporting culture for its indigenous sporting environment with the local community participating in a wide variety of sports at a club and recreational level. Also the 7 emirates regularly compete in national leagues & tournaments in a range of sports that are controlled by specialized UAE governing bodies.
apital and second largest city of the UAE is Abu Dhabi. It is also the country's center of political, industrial and cultural activities. Dubai is the UAE’s largest city and is quickly becoming a mecca for international tourism and sporting events. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, affectionately known as Sheikh Mo, became the ruler of Dubai in 2006. Sheikh Mo has placed great importance on building not only a comprehensive sports infrastructure for his own citizens, but also world class sporting facilities to attract large scale international events to his shores. Dubai is very quickly developing a healthy sporting culture for its indigenous sporting environment with the local community participating in a wide variety of sports at a club and recreational level. Also the 7 emirates regularly compete in national leagues & tournaments in a range of sports that are controlled by specialized UAE governing bodies. The UAE, rich in oil and natural gas, is per capita one of the richest countries in the world by gross domestic product (GDP), with a nominal per capita GDP of $54,607 per person (based on IMF 2007 results). The Al Maktoum family, ever aware that Dubai’s oil reserves will not last forever, adopted a clear vision some years ago of making their region a world player in many facets of life. In the drive for diversification the government first targeted tourism as a growth industry, which really started to pay off in the mid-90’s. It positioned Dubai as a luxury market first attracting Europeans, and nowadays the emirate is targeting the rapidly growing Indian and Chinese middle classes. Between 2001 and 2006 Dubai’s hotel and restaurant sector increased sales by over 100% and hotel room occupancy in the emirate rose 228%. From the mid-90’s to 2008 passenger traffic at Dubai’s international airport increased from (apprx) 5 million to 33+ million. The great wealth in the UAE has led to massive upscale development in construction and infrastructure couple with a “can-do” attitude in its people. Dubai is a world of superlatives – the world’s tallest tower, the world’s biggest airport, the world’s largest artificial harbor, the world’s largest man-made port, the world’s biggest man-made island, the world’s largest indoor snow park and more world firsts just around the corner.
Construction of the Dubai Sports City is underway and set to establish the emirate as
a hub for sports throughout the world. It is widely believed that Dubai is a likely future candidate to host the Olympic Games and the Dubai Sports City will no doubt play a significant role towards this goal. It's been conceptualized as a city within a city, where you can get everything that you dream of on your doorstep, from state-of-the-art sports venues and international sporting events to top of the line sports academies, providing a platform for youth development, recreational sporting facilities, residential and commercial developments. Combine this with all the related amenities expected in a purpose-built city, including international schools, medical facilities, hotels, community centers and entertainment venues; what more could you need! Click on the link and check out the amazing Dubai Sports City for yourself.
a hub for sports throughout the world. It is widely believed that Dubai is a likely future candidate to host the Olympic Games and the Dubai Sports City will no doubt play a significant role towards this goal. It's been conceptualized as a city within a city, where you can get everything that you dream of on your doorstep, from state-of-the-art sports venues and international sporting events to top of the line sports academies, providing a platform for youth development, recreational sporting facilities, residential and commercial developments. Combine this with all the related amenities expected in a purpose-built city, including international schools, medical facilities, hotels, community centers and entertainment venues; what more could you need! Click on the link and check out the amazing Dubai Sports City for yourself.The UAE enjoys a prime location for year around sporting events. The high quality sporting venues (both indoor and outdoor), in addition to the climate, ensure the continuation of activities throughout the winter season. Integral to the UAE culture is the traditional sport of Camel racing. The inhabitants of the Gulf States have enjoyed a long and productive relationship with the camel, which is held in great admiration and respect. Formalizing camel racing was one way of maintaining its central role in UAE life. The UAE now has 15 well-equipped camel tracks that rival the best horse racing tracks in the world and include high-tech hospitality and gambling facilities. Through camel racing, the UAE has been able to maintain the symbolic significance of the camel and, by giving it structure, has developed it into a professional sport with significant prize money. Camel racing is also a big tourist attraction for those who visit the UAE throughout the winter months. The race season runs from late October to early April with races taking place on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturday at 7:30 a.m., as well as on national holidays. Not to be forgotten is the horse, which has also long been an essential part of Arabian life. The UAE organizes several horse racing competitions including the prestigious Dubai World Cup, the richest and one of the biggest horse race events in the world, drawing participants and visitors from around the globe.
Football (soccer) is undoubtedly the most popular sport in the UAE with the formation of the UAE Football Association established in 1971. Since then it has devoted much time and effort into promoting the game, organizing youth programs and improving the abilities of not only its players, but of the officials and coaches involved with its regional teams. Since 2005 the Manchester United Soccer School (MUSS), now centered at Dubai Sports City, is making great strides in assisting the UAE FA with development and promotion of the game throughout the emirates. Also centered at the Dubai Sports City are the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Global Cricket Academy, the World Hockey Academy, the International Rugby Academy, the Butch Harmon School of Golf, the David Lloyd Tennis Academy & an international class Swimming Academy. All of these world class academies cater to the UAE junior & senior elite athletes, recreational athletes, as well as national level athletes from around the globe.
Sport sponsorship, considered to be very effective brand advertising, has been used to great effect by UAE companies. Led by Emirates Airline, it became FIFA’s official partner from 2007 to 2014 by signing the biggest-ever sponsorship deal in 2006 for an agreed investment of US$195 million (Dh716 million). The move came on top of an existing 30 million euro (Dh135 million) deal between Emirates and FIFA to act as a sponsor of the 20
06 FIFA World Cup. The new deal took Emirates’ principal sports sponsorship portfolio to almost Dh1.6 billion. The deal is not only the biggest in Emirates’ history, but also the largest in the history of FIFA. With it Emirates became the sixth and the final FIFA partner, joining Adidas, Hyundai, Coca-Cola, Sony and Visa. It is in the top tier of the world football governing body’s new sponsorship program, which awards six blue chip corporations the highest level of affiliation to FIFA over an eight-year period. Emirates’ passengers will also benefit as the airline has the exclusive right to broadcast matches of the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, either live or delayed, on its in-flight entertainment systems. Emirates’ other key sports sponsorships include the GB£100 million (Dh662.2 million) deal with Arsenal Football Club, which is also one of the biggest club sponsorship deals in English football history. Emirates also signed a multimillion-dollar sponsorship deal with Formula One motor racing team McLaren Mercedes. The metallic grey McLaren cars, sporting Emirates logos on orange backgrounds on the front wings and rear spoiler, have been prominent at Formula One Grand Prix events. Grand prix racing attracts millions of followers around the globe, providing Emirates with a great opportunity to further the airline’s brand awareness internationally.
06 FIFA World Cup. The new deal took Emirates’ principal sports sponsorship portfolio to almost Dh1.6 billion. The deal is not only the biggest in Emirates’ history, but also the largest in the history of FIFA. With it Emirates became the sixth and the final FIFA partner, joining Adidas, Hyundai, Coca-Cola, Sony and Visa. It is in the top tier of the world football governing body’s new sponsorship program, which awards six blue chip corporations the highest level of affiliation to FIFA over an eight-year period. Emirates’ passengers will also benefit as the airline has the exclusive right to broadcast matches of the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, either live or delayed, on its in-flight entertainment systems. Emirates’ other key sports sponsorships include the GB£100 million (Dh662.2 million) deal with Arsenal Football Club, which is also one of the biggest club sponsorship deals in English football history. Emirates also signed a multimillion-dollar sponsorship deal with Formula One motor racing team McLaren Mercedes. The metallic grey McLaren cars, sporting Emirates logos on orange backgrounds on the front wings and rear spoiler, have been prominent at Formula One Grand Prix events. Grand prix racing attracts millions of followers around the globe, providing Emirates with a great opportunity to further the airline’s brand awareness internationally.Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi have emerged as some of the most popular golf destinations in the world, hosting the prestigious Dubai Desert Classic and the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. Like golf, tennis is becoming increasingly popular in the UAE. Visitors will appreciate world-class tennis courts in hotels and private clubs throughout the region. Dubai also hosts the prestigious annual Dubai Tennis Championships, which is an ATP and WTA event; like most other sports tennis too is growing in popularity in the local communities. Water sports are very popular among locals as well as tourists in the UAE with popular sports including sailing, canoeing, water-skiing, water surfing, scuba diving and snorkeling.
In a relatively short period of time the UAE has established itself well and truly on the international sporting stage, holding many of the world’s major events in a wide range of sports, from horse racing to motor racing, golf, tennis, football, rugby, cricket, sailing, powerboat racing and almost every other competitive sport. These events not only attract large numbers of competitors and sports enthusiasts from around the globe, but they also provide opportunity for some of the emirates own top sportsmen and women to compete. Sport is playing an increasingly important role in the UAE’s efforts to develop tourism and world class facilities, but most importantly the youth of the UAE are growing up in a sport crazy culture with the opportunity to participate and indeed excel in a range of different pursuits. All citizens of the UAE, in particular Abu Dhabi and Dubai, are benefitting from increased opportunities for participation in sports and over time will continue to become great consumers of sport. In the last 10-15 years there may not be a better example of the power of sport influencing culture, business, entertainment, leisure and indeed society.
So why not join us in the United Arab Emirates where the world is your classroom!
