Dubai to give sports a big push
10-YEAR PLAN FOR 3,000 EVENTS, 1,000 TRAINING CAMPS APPROVED
Dubai aims to organise 3,000 local, regional and international events and host 1,000 international training camps annually as part of the 10-year strategy for developing the emirate’s sports sector.
Shaikh Mansoor Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Sports Council (DSC), approved the 20232033 strategy during the first meeting of the year. The DSC Chairman highlighted the importance of implementing initiatives to achieve sustainability in the sports sector, in line with the vision of the UAE leadership and the directives of President His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who announced 2023 as the ‘Year of Sustainability’. “The announcement by Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to make 2023 the ‘Year of Sustainability’ reflects the UAE leadership’s commitment to implementing sustainabilityfocused initiatives that seek to ensure a better tomorrow for future generations,” Shaikh Mansoor said.
Shaikh Mansoor added that 2023 will see the launch of several initiatives that will enhance the performance of the sector and its contribution to the city’s GDP. These initiatives will also reinforce Dubai’s status as a key destination for global sporting events, tournaments and training camps. The year 2023 will build on the success of 2022, which saw the launch of several global tournaments including the Dubai Super Cup and the World Tennis League,” he said.
Increase in sporting events
During the meeting, the DSC Chairman also issued directives to increase the number of sports events held annually in Dubai to 500. Progressively, this will be increased to 1,000 events annually, as per the guidance of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, VicePresident and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
“The new 2023-2033 strategy announced by the Council will seek to enhance the role of the sports sector in realising the vision of Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33). The strategy will also contribute to raising Dubai’s profile as a global sporting destination and a hub for attracting talent,” Shaikh Mansoor said.
“The key objectives of the strategy include raising the contribution of the sports sector to Dubai’s GDP from 2 per cent to 4 per cent annually, organising 3,000 local, regional and international events and hosting 1,000 international training camps. The strategy also aims to increase the percentage of sporting events hosted in partnership with the private sector to 90 per cent,” he added.
Shaikh Mansoor also issued directives to develop incentives for promoting sports in collaboration with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). He also issued directives to launch an award for recognising schools that have implemented measures to enhance the health and well-being of students through sports. The meeting, held at the Council’s headquarters, was attended by Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice-Chairman, DSC, Lieutenant General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-inChief of Dubai Police and Member of the DSC’s Board of Directors, and Board Members: Hala Badri, Sami Al Qamzi, Moaza Al Marri, Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of the DSC, and Nasser Aman Al Rahma, Assistant Secretary General of DSC.