Why not Dubai as Olympics host city?

9 out of 10 residents keen to host Games in UAE 1,000 is the number of residents participated in the poll

dubai — Could a UAE Olympic bid become a reality in the UAE? YouGov’s latest research which has been exclusively shared with Khaleej Times reveals that nine in 10 UAE residents are keen to host the Games here in the future.

Following the end of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, a staggering 82 per cent of the 1,000 people surveyed in the country said they would be interested in jointly hosting the Games with other GCC nations.

The positive results could mean a UAE Olympic bid might well become a reality one day. Meanwhile, a healthy 54 per cent also claimed it would increase sports participation and 51 per cent said it would generate community spirit and pride in the UAE.

However, not all were so keen — about 10 per cent. Many among this group (42 per cent) agreed that the summer climate here just wasn’t suitable for such an event. Additionally, two in five said participation at grass roots level for sports would need to be further improved first.

Seventy eight per cent residents followed the Rio Olympic Games, with 42 per cent following it closely.

Who viewed Rio Games

Male respondents followed the Games more closely than females (47 per cent v. 32 per cent), and nationality-wise, Emiratis were the largest viewer group at 49 per cent. Watching live TV coverage from home was more favoured by the older generations aged 40+ (34 per cent), as opposed to just two in 10 respondents aged 18-29 years.

Residents also favoured social media to keep track of the Olympic coverage, with 23 per cent watching video clips on YouTube and a fifth following coverage on Facebook.

When considering the impact of the Rio Olympics, three-quarters of UAE residents agreed the Games were a success, with women showing more patriotic pride than men (62 per cent v. 57 per cent).

Two-thirds of UAE residents claimed the Rio Olympics inspired them to become more physically active overall, with males more inspired than females (68 per cent v. 59 per cent respectively).

Commenting on the findings, YouGov’s MENA Managing Director Kailash Nagdev said they clearly demonstrate residents’ positive approach for the Games in UAE.

“A feasibility study conducted for the 2020 Olympics concluded that over 70 per cent of the infrastructure required for the Games is ready or planned in the country, irrespective of an Olympic bid, the UAE is well on track to have fantastic infrastructure to host an Olympics.”

kelly@khaleejtimes.com