Experts say Asian Cup football promises a windfall for the UAE

The Asian Cup will deliver a multimillion-dirham boost to the UAE’s economy – as well as preparing the country for even bigger sporting bids in the future, top football financing experts predicted.

The tournament is being hailed the jewel in the crown of the year’s sporting calendar by organisers, with the expanded format delivering more matches than ever before.

It will provide a short-term boost to the UAE’s economy, raise its profile as a host of large sporting events and invigorate local football culture, Timothy Bridge, director of Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, told The National. “The direct impact will be the most notable,” Mr Bridge said, pointing to the influx of supporters into the country in the coming weeks.

“They’re going to need hotels, they’re going to need food, but they’re also going to spend money in the Abu Dhabi region,” he said. “Hosting a tournament such as the Asian Cup provides a platform for the future economic but also wider social impact.”

While it is hard to put specific numbers on the expected boost to the UAE’s economy, the country’s tourist infrastructure will reap dividends.

The UAE is “so accessible, it’s so easy for fans to travel to”, Mr Bridges said. “The travel is relatively inexpensive and when you arrive, the quality of accommodation, the quality of options that people have are extremely good, and that becomes an attractive proposition.”

Hosting the Asian Cup will improve the UAE’s chances of hosting large sporting events, and serve as a useful case study when bidding for major events such as the World Cup or Olympics in the future, Mr Bridges said.

Mr Bridges pointed to the under-17 Fifa World Cup, which the UAE hosted in 2013, saying “this is the next step up. It shows that the region is capable of hosting major sporting events and that can only be