Sunil here to talk Dubai sports!

Since the early 1990s, sports in Dubai have evolved spectacularly and have expanded to encompass many new sporting events.

Prior to the 90’s, the main sporting events in the city of Dubai included football, horse racing, and camel racing.

You may find camel racing a little bizarre, but being a city in the desert, camels play a big part in the culture of Dubai, which includes sports.

However, Dubai sports have transformed and reached new heights.

Dubai, being a multicultural city because of the sudden increase in the number of foreigners, has adopted some of the sports that are popular in other parts of the world.

This expanded the preferences of the people in sports, locals and expats alike.

Personally speaking, I don’t know how anyone (at least men) anywhere in the world cannot enjoy American football.

I mean common, it’s the closest thing we have to the olden times when the Gladiators fought inside the Coliseum in Rome.

In response to the expanding preferences, the government on Dubai pushed the construction of the Dubai Sports City, another “city within a city” project, and the world’s first truly integrated sports city. City is the key word here. The world has plenty of pockets specializing in sports, but nothing comes close to this CITY which cost $4 billion dollars in construction.

This project aims to bring all major sports popular in different parts of the world in one central location. The first few structures opened in early 2007. It houses different sports facilities like stadiums, arenas, and golf courses with top of the line sporting equipment. There are also sports academies where people can take sports lessons. Got children interested in athletics? Check it out and enroll them!

Before the locals became involved with the wide variety of sports we have today in Dubai, horse racing was the main sporting event in Dubai. It is a big deal in the city and all the wealthy citizens participate in it, especially the Sheiks. Horse racing is still very popular in Dubai despite the expat concentration and the growing interest of even the locals in various other sports from around the world.

To show further initiative, the government is very generous in providing the locals different sports facilities so that they could broaden their sporting preferences. This is also a way to give the people living in Dubai a chance to enjoy other sports whether they are in the city or in other countries. You can easily find places to play basketball, golf, cricket, billiards, bowling, tennis, and even ice hockey in Dubai.

The most popular Dubai sports is football (Latino Futbol). It is played in Dubai schools and universities. In 1971, The UAE Football Association was established and is an active member of the FIFA. On the other hand, tennis is also a popular sport in Dubai for both locals and tourists. The city holds an annual tennis tournament called the Dubai Tennis Championship.

Dubai is also the home of some of the world’s best golf courses. Just ask Tiger Woods, who designs golf courses in Dubai when he gets some spare time away from cheating on his wife. An annual golf tournament called the Dubai Desert Classic is held in Dubai. This event attracts the biggest names in golf every year – yes Tiger and his mistresses as well.

Who ever said that only horses are used for racing? In Dubai, camel racing is still very popular despite the widened interests of people in sports. It is one of Dubai’s (and UAE) traditional sports, and is usually in action during the winter months. The Camel Racing Federation also promotes Camel racing and some countries such as Australia, have embraced the unique sport already. That said, the Dubai World Cup is the world’s richest horse race.

When you visit Dubai and you feel the urge to engage in sports or other recreational activities, you don’t have to worry because there are a lot of activities that you can do in Dubai such as: skiing, fishing, diving, snorkeling, archery, and polo, to name a few. If you are an extreme sports lover, you can bungee jump, dune bash, parasail, or sky dive when you tour Dubai.

Don’t be surprised if an international and big sporting event is held in Dubai. One thing is for sure, whether you are sports-minded or simply just want to get in shape through sports, you will likely find anything of your liking in Dubai.

Visiting Dubai goes beyond the tourist attractions and magnificent structures. Don’t forget your gym shoes and sports outfit when you visit Dubai. Who knows? You just might want to get in on the action!