9 billion dirhams, the contribution of sport

The year 2022 was distinguished as the year of sport in UAE and the entire world, as it witnessed strong return to the organization of all championships and full return of the public & fans to enjoy watching sports competitions at the stadiums & pitches.

In Dubai, 2022 was marked as the year of boosting the status of sport in society movement and the year of attracting more local & international events and championships, which have attained remarkable development in terms of names of participants, variety of sports and the huge numbers of fans. 

The photos of the participation of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al- Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai & Chairman of the Executive Council, in the Dubai Fitness Challenge at Sheikh Zayed Road in the heart of Dubai, accompanied by more than 193,000 participants, has presented an excellent model on the status of Dubai and its continuous development to attain several unprecedented records regarding the increase of the level of awareness with the importance of sport & the numbers of participants, based on the proper governmental policy to support the exercise of sport & to provide top-level facilities along with the availability of competent & well-experienced staff who are qualified enough to host & organize the biggest international championships & forums.

Sport supports Economy through Increase of Numbers of Events, Companies & Staff:

A report, prepared by Dubai Sports Council through an international house of expertise, has unveiled that the contribution of sport to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Emirate of Dubai has attained an annual increase of more than Dhs 9 billion with a contribution rate of 2.3% of Dubai's GDP. The sports sector provides 105 job opportunities, as a result of the great & continuous sports development in the fields of the organization of sports events / sports industry / increase of the numbers of participants & fans of multi-nationalities in events & championships / development of sports tourism.

The year 2022 has witnessed a significant increase in the numbers of various annual sports events, comprised more than 103 international events and championships, top of which are: the World Padel Championship, the biggest of its kind in the history of this world competition / Dubai World Golf Championship, the biggest of its kind in terms of tours, numbers of participants and valuable prizes / the World Tennis League, which has essentially been launched from Dubai and its first edition was held with participation of elite of world prominent male & female players in the presence of more than 42 thousand fans at Coca Cola Arena and it was watched by millions of followers via 125 world TV channels / two tours of the world beach volleyball championship / the 11th Emirates Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup / Dubai Super Cup, which took place at Al-Maktoum Stadium in Al-Nasr Club with participation of Liverpool & Arsenal from England, AC Milan of Italy and Lyon of France and in the presence of more than 50 thousand fans along with millions of followers via world TV channels. 

The year of 2022 witnessed increase in the numbers of registered companies which are specialized in the field of the organization of sports events & training camps, i.e. increase to 700 companies. The numbers of various sports academies have increased to 400 academies, while the numbers of gym centers & specialized physical fitness centers increased to 400 for each. Numbers of clubs in Dubai raised to 100 clubs 

Increase of International Training Camps:

The year 2022 witnessed a significant increase in the numbers of training camps, which were held in the Emirate of Dubai throughout the year by clubs, national teams and Olympic & sports champions. In this regard, the Emirate hosted more than 120 international training camps, held at "Hamdan Sports Complex", Nad Al Sheba Sports Complex and the stadiums & pitches of many of Dubai clubs & resorts, which are all well-equipped as per top international standards and they have therefore become as annual favorite destinations for several world clubs & national teams to organize training camps.

Sports Championships & Tourism:

The year of 2022 also witnessed increase in the numbers of athletes & fans of multi-nationalities who arrived in Dubai from the different continents of the world. In this respect, various championships & events were held with participation of the more than 31 thousand athletes and in the presence of 713 thousand spectators & fans of multi-nationalities, most of them arrived from overseas. 165 local events were held with participation of 1.77 million persons from 200 nationalities and in the presence of 220 thousand fans, which represents an important addition to the sports tourism sector.

The Emirate of Dubai witnessed the organization of 12 sports conferences & exhibitions, top of which are the 17th Dubai International Sports Conference and the Globe Soccer Award, which were held in prestigious presence of top world football stars. This event witnessed the historical reconciliation between Mohammed Salah & Sergio Ramos.

58 women events were organized, with a percentage of more than one event per week. Respective bodies organized 31 esports competitions, taking into account that the esport is witnessing remarkable development & distinguished participation of world athletes & corporates from overseas. 

Sports Events at Dubai’s Landmarks:

Dubai Sports Council was keen to organize 62 various sports events and rounds of international championships for professional & amateur athletes during 2022 at the eminent tourist landmarks of Dubai, among which are: Al Marmoom Reserve, Jumeirah and Hatta,

Continuous Development for the Work’s Rules & Regulations:

Dubai Sports Council continued its efforts during 2022 to develop rules and regulations to keep conforming to the latest developments in the country and the entire world. In this regard, the 2nd version of “Hamdan Bin Mohammed Order of Merit for Sports Education Schools” has been launched, while updating was made for the 9th version of the Sports Excellence Model 2020/2023 to honor clubs and football companies which attain excellence & achievements, based on financial competence, besides focusing on individual medals for juniors & talents.

Dubai Sports Council has also continued its qualifying programs for technical & administrative staff working in Dubai. The Annual Forum for Dubai Clubs’ Coaches was organized with participation of more than 100 coaches from the different football categories. DSC is keen to provide opportunities for local coaches of first teams & reserve teams in Dubai clubs to attend the trainings of Milan Club in Dubai in order to be acquainted with the training styles, adopted by this ancient club aiming to enrich their coaching experiences & knowledge.

In management field, DSC provided opportunities for CEOs and several employees of various administrative scopes in Dubai clubs to attend the eminent lecture on the inspirational management, creating of strong teams and successful competition system, which was presented at the Council’s premises by Mr. David Dean, one of the former prominent contributors in Arsenal Club and who is considered as the mastermind of the launch of the Premier League in 1992.