Sport in the United Arab Emirates
Encyclopedia
Sport in the Republic of the United Arab Emirates
is widely practiced by the people of the UAE. The most popular sport in the UAE is association football. Among the notable UAE sports achievements is the 2002–03 AFC Champions League win by Al Ain FC
who also finished second in 2005 finals. The UAE qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals for the first and only time so far in 1990, the fourth Middle-Eastern country to have qualified for the World Cup after first Israel, (qualified for Mexico 1970), then, Kuwait (qualified for the World Cup 1982 in Spain), and Iraq (Mexico 1986 World Cup).
was first established in 1971 and since then has dedicated its time and effort to promoting the game, organizing youth programs and improving the abilities of not only its players, but of the officials and coaches involved with its regional teams. The U.A.E. football team
qualified for the World Cup
in 1990
- with Egypt it was the third consecutive World Cup with two Arab nations qualifying after Kuwait
and Algeria
in 1982
and Iraq
and Algeria
again in 1986
.
The UAE National Team won the 2005 Kirin Cup
, sharing the cup with Peru after a 1–0 victory over host country Japan
.
The UAE team played a four-team friendly in Switzerland in July 2005, in which they beat both Qatar
and Kuwait but lost 5–4 on penalties in the final against Egypt.
In 2003 the UAE was the host nation of the FIFA U-20 World Cup
between November and December 2003.
In April, Dubai Holding agreed to provide the national team with Dh20 million
(US$5.45 million) sponsorship money over the next four years. The fund will also go towards developing the sport.
The UAE also recently won the Gulf Cup soccer championship held in Abu Dhabi January 2007.
The UAE are currently ranked 110th in the world according to the FIFA
World Rankings
.
Abu Dhabi United Group have recently purchased Manchester City Football Club. A Dubai consortium known as DIC (Dubai International Capital) is also interested in buying the English Premier League club, Liverpool F.C.
The UAE under 16 football team qualified for the 2009 Youth world cup which was held in Nigeria. The UAE under 19 football team was also qualified for the World Youth Cup finals to be held in Egypt next year.
(part of the ATP World Tour 500 Series
at the Aviation Club, Dubai) was bigger than ever in 2000 with no less than six of the top-seeded women’s players taking centre court, a first time appearance by tennis’ golden boy, Andre Agassi
, and the return of the celebrated Roger Federer
, who was seeking his third title crown, resulting in some dramatic court action. In an unprecedented move, Dubai Duty Free, organisers of the championship, decided to switch the men’s tournament to the first week of the competition so that it ran from 21 to February 27 and the women’s was played from February 28
to March 5.
Cricket
is one of the most popular sports in the UAE, largely due to the expatriate population from the Indian subcontinent
. Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium
in Sharjah has hosted 4 international Test matches so far. Sheikh Zayed Stadium
and Al Jazira Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium
in Abu Dhabi
also host international cricket. Dubai
has two cricket stadiums (Dubai Cricket Ground No.1 and No.2) with a third, 'S3' currently under construction as part of Dubai Sports City
. Dubai is also home to the International Cricket Council
.
The United Arab Emirates national cricket team qualified for the 1996 Cricket World Cup
and narrowly missed out on qualification for the 2007 Cricket World Cup
.
racing was also practiced, but later disbanded in favor of camel racing due to lack of elephant grazing
lands. Formalizing camel racing was one way of maintaining its central role in UAE life. In the past, UAE had a reputation for exploiting South Asians as jockeys. However, robot jockey
s are now used after strict government regulations were passed prohibiting underage jockeys from racing.
The UAE now has no fewer than 15 race tracks across the seven emirates. Nad Al Sheba Racecourse
, 10 kilometers outside of Dubai, Al Wathba, 30 kilometers south-east of Abu Dhabi, and Al Ain track, which is 20 kilometers west of Al Ain, are all large, well-equipped camel tracks with high-tech facilities. Two smaller tracks are located in Sharjah, one in Ra’s al-Khaimah and one in Umm al-Qaiwain. Others are spread throughout the desert areas.
had signed a seven year deal with Abu Dhabi to host Formula One
races there from the 2009 season
onward. Races are held at the 5.6 km Yas Marina Circuit, that is located on Yas Island
and includes street and marina sections similar to Monaco's course
. The inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
was held on November 1, 2009.
round of the IRB Sevens World Series
. Previously this was held at Dubai Exiles Rugby Ground
, but from 2008 onwards it has been held at the new stadium The Sevens on the Dubai-Al Ain road.
The U.A.E. is well-known for its falconry
as it is also considered a traditional sport. Many of UAE's rulers were enthusiasts in falconry as the nation imports falcons from all across the globe.
On November 20, 2001 and again in 2002, the United Nations 'Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna' imposed comprehensive wildlife trade sanctions (i.e. 'recommendations against trade') on the United Arab Emirates. Sanctions were instigated by industrial-scale falcon smuggling, financed and directed by the ruling sheikhs. Smuggling continues into 2009, to such an extent that Saker falcons, Altai Gyrfalcons, and Gyrfalcons have become regionally extinct across much of Central Asia. Golden Eagles and Houbara Bustards (Lesser McQueen's Bustards) are also critically endangered in Central Asian regions where falconry is practiced.
and racing is a national sport in the UAE. It involves long distance races on horse back. UAE patriot Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum is a premiere endurance rider. The UAE claim to be the global leaders of the sport and are campaigning for it to be in the olympics. At the top level, horses cover 160 km in a day. The UAE hold the record for the fastest 160 km race at the presidents cup. Recently a UAE rider won the young rider world championships. This ever growing sport is fascinating and the technology and science involved is always developing. The dubai endurance city is leading the sport in the country with many world class endurance yards competing regularly.
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
is widely practiced by the people of the UAE. The most popular sport in the UAE is association football. Among the notable UAE sports achievements is the 2002–03 AFC Champions League win by Al Ain FC
Al Ain FC
Al-Ain Sports and Cultural Club is a professional association football and mult-sports club based in the city of Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. The football section of Al Ain won the 2003 AFC Champions League competition with a 2-1 aggregate victory over BEC Tero Sasana of Thailand.Al Ain...
who also finished second in 2005 finals. The UAE qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals for the first and only time so far in 1990, the fourth Middle-Eastern country to have qualified for the World Cup after first Israel, (qualified for Mexico 1970), then, Kuwait (qualified for the World Cup 1982 in Spain), and Iraq (Mexico 1986 World Cup).
Association Football
The UAE has a huge interest in football. The United Arab Emirates Football AssociationUnited Arab Emirates Football Association
The United Arab Emirates Football Association is the governing body of football in the United Arab Emirates.-Domestic Competitions:*UAE Premier League*UAE Football League Division 1*UAE Football League Division 2*UAE Super Cup*UAE Vice Presidents Cup...
was first established in 1971 and since then has dedicated its time and effort to promoting the game, organizing youth programs and improving the abilities of not only its players, but of the officials and coaches involved with its regional teams. The U.A.E. football team
United Arab Emirates national football team
The United Arab Emirates national football team represents United Arab Emirates in association football and is controlled by the United Arab Emirates Football Association, the governing body for football in United Arab Emirates...
qualified for the World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
in 1990
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
- with Egypt it was the third consecutive World Cup with two Arab nations qualifying after Kuwait
Kuwait national football team
The Kuwait National Football Team is the national team of Kuwait and is controlled by the Kuwait Football Association. They made one World Cup Finals appearance, in 1982, managing a draw with Czechoslovakia but losing to England and France. During the match against France, France scored a goal...
and Algeria
Algeria national football team
The Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified...
in 1982
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
and Iraq
Iraq national football team
The Iraqi national football team represents Iraq in international football and is controlled by the Iraq Football Association. They won the 2007 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup tournament.-The Golden Generation:...
and Algeria
Algeria national football team
The Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified...
again in 1986
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
.
The UAE National Team won the 2005 Kirin Cup
Kirin Cup
The Kirin Cup is an annual association football tournament sponsored in Japan by the Kirin Brewery Company. The host, Japan, is a participant in every edition. The tournament was founded in 1978 as an international club competition. From 1992 onwards the format was changed to a round robin national...
, sharing the cup with Peru after a 1–0 victory over host country Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
.
The UAE team played a four-team friendly in Switzerland in July 2005, in which they beat both Qatar
Qatar national football team
The Qatar national football team is the national team of Qatar and is controlled by the Qatar Football Association. They have never qualified for a FIFA World Cup but are hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The team has also appeared in seven AFC Asian Cup tournaments and hosted the 2011 AFC Asian...
and Kuwait but lost 5–4 on penalties in the final against Egypt.
In 2003 the UAE was the host nation of the FIFA U-20 World Cup
FIFA U-20 World Cup
The FIFA U-20 World Cup, until 2005 known as the FIFA World Youth Championship, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association...
between November and December 2003.
In April, Dubai Holding agreed to provide the national team with Dh20 million
(US$5.45 million) sponsorship money over the next four years. The fund will also go towards developing the sport.
The UAE also recently won the Gulf Cup soccer championship held in Abu Dhabi January 2007.
The UAE are currently ranked 110th in the world according to the FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
World Rankings
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
.
Abu Dhabi United Group have recently purchased Manchester City Football Club. A Dubai consortium known as DIC (Dubai International Capital) is also interested in buying the English Premier League club, Liverpool F.C.
The UAE under 16 football team qualified for the 2009 Youth world cup which was held in Nigeria. The UAE under 19 football team was also qualified for the World Youth Cup finals to be held in Egypt next year.
Tennis
The Barclays Dubai Tennis ChampionshipsDubai Tennis Championships
The Dubai Tennis Championships is a professional tennis tournament owned and organized by Dubai Duty Free and held annually in Dubai, United Arab...
(part of the ATP World Tour 500 Series
ATP World Tour 500 series
The ATP World Tour 500 series is the third highest tier of men's tennis tournament after the four Grand Slam tournaments, and the ATP World Tour Masters 1000.The series includes 11 tournaments, with a number of 500 rankings points to win for the events' singles...
at the Aviation Club, Dubai) was bigger than ever in 2000 with no less than six of the top-seeded women’s players taking centre court, a first time appearance by tennis’ golden boy, Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
, and the return of the celebrated Roger Federer
Roger Federer
Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles...
, who was seeking his third title crown, resulting in some dramatic court action. In an unprecedented move, Dubai Duty Free, organisers of the championship, decided to switch the men’s tournament to the first week of the competition so that it ran from 21 to February 27 and the women’s was played from February 28
to March 5.
Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
is one of the most popular sports in the UAE, largely due to the expatriate population from the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
. Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium
Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium
The Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium is in the emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. It was originally constructed in the early 1980s and has been much improved over the years...
in Sharjah has hosted 4 international Test matches so far. Sheikh Zayed Stadium
Sheikh Zayed Stadium
Sheikh Zayed Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is currently used mostly for football matches but can also stage athletics. It is named after the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder and first president of the UAE. The construction of the...
and Al Jazira Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium
Al Jazira Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium
Al Jazira Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is currently used mostly for football and cricket matches and is the home ground of Al Jazira Club....
in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
also host international cricket. Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
has two cricket stadiums (Dubai Cricket Ground No.1 and No.2) with a third, 'S3' currently under construction as part of Dubai Sports City
Dubai Sports City
The Dubai Sports City is a $4 billion, mixed-use sports city currently being constructed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The city will consist of apartment buildings as well as several sports facilities. The first structures opened in late 2007...
. Dubai is also home to the International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
.
The United Arab Emirates national cricket team qualified for the 1996 Cricket World Cup
1996 Cricket World Cup
The 1996 Cricket World Cup, also called the Wills World Cup after its official sponsors, was the sixth edition of the tournament organized by the International Cricket Council . It was the second World Cup to be hosted by Pakistan and India, and for the first time by Sri Lanka...
and narrowly missed out on qualification for the 2007 Cricket World Cup
2007 Cricket World Cup
The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...
.
Camel racing
The inhabitants of the Persian Gulf states have enjoyed camel racing for many years as it is considered a traditional sport. At one point, elephantElephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
racing was also practiced, but later disbanded in favor of camel racing due to lack of elephant grazing
Grazing
Grazing generally describes a type of feeding, in which a herbivore feeds on plants , and also on other multicellular autotrophs...
lands. Formalizing camel racing was one way of maintaining its central role in UAE life. In the past, UAE had a reputation for exploiting South Asians as jockeys. However, robot jockey
Robot jockey
A robot jockey is commonly used on camels in camel racing as a replacement for human jockeys. Developed since 2004, the robotic jockeys are slowly phasing out the use of human jockeys, which in the case of camel racing in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, often employs small...
s are now used after strict government regulations were passed prohibiting underage jockeys from racing.
The UAE now has no fewer than 15 race tracks across the seven emirates. Nad Al Sheba Racecourse
Nad Al Sheba Racecourse
Nad Al Sheba Racecourse is a former Thoroughbred horse racing facility in Dubai, United Arab Emirates opened in 1986. It has a 2,200 metre left-handed dirt race track and a left-handed turf course of the same distance...
, 10 kilometers outside of Dubai, Al Wathba, 30 kilometers south-east of Abu Dhabi, and Al Ain track, which is 20 kilometers west of Al Ain, are all large, well-equipped camel tracks with high-tech facilities. Two smaller tracks are located in Sharjah, one in Ra’s al-Khaimah and one in Umm al-Qaiwain. Others are spread throughout the desert areas.
Formula 1
In February 2007, it was announced that Bernie EcclestoneBernie Ecclestone
Bernard Charles "Bernie" Ecclestone is an English business magnate, as president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration and through his part-ownership of Alpha Prema, the parent company of the Formula One Group of companies. As such, he is generally considered the primary...
had signed a seven year deal with Abu Dhabi to host Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
races there from the 2009 season
2009 Formula One season
The 2009 Formula One season was the 60th FIA Formula One World Championship season. The season took place over 17 rounds, and started with the on 29 March 2009. It ended on 1 November 2009 with the inaugural ....
onward. Races are held at the 5.6 km Yas Marina Circuit, that is located on Yas Island
Yas Island
Yas Island is an island in Abu Dhabi.The island is the site of a US$36 billion development project by Aldar Properties. It occupies a total land area of 2,500 hectares, of which 1,700 hectares will be claimed for development. The island contains the Yas Marina Circuit, which hosts the Formula One...
and includes street and marina sections similar to Monaco's course
Circuit de Monaco
Circuit de Monaco is a street circuit laid out on the city streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine around the harbour of the principality of Monaco. It is commonly referred to as "Monte Carlo" because it is largely inside the Monte Carlo neighbourhood of Monaco.The circuit is used on one weekend in...
. The inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is a Formula One race. It was announced in early 2007 at the Abu Dhabi F1 Festival in the United Arab Emirates...
was held on November 1, 2009.
Rugby Union Sevens
U.A.E. hosts Dubai SevensDubai Sevens
The Dubai Sevens is an annual rugby union sevens tournament held in Dubai, UAE. Through the 2007 edition, it was held at the Dubai Exiles Rugby Ground, but in 2008 it moved to The Sevens, a new stadium built to host the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens. The 2009 competition took place between 3-5...
round of the IRB Sevens World Series
IRB Sevens World Series
The IRB Sevens World Series, known officially as the HSBC Sevens World Series as of the 2010-11 season, through sponsorship from banking group HSBC, and also sometimes called the World Sevens Series, is a series of international rugby union sevens tournaments organised for the first time in the...
. Previously this was held at Dubai Exiles Rugby Ground
Dubai Exiles Rugby Ground
Dubai Exiles Rugby Ground is a multi-use stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches, and was the home stadium of the Dubai Sevens, the first event in the annual IRB Sevens World Series, through the 2007 edition. The Dubai Sevens moved to a new...
, but from 2008 onwards it has been held at the new stadium The Sevens on the Dubai-Al Ain road.
Falconry
Falconry
Falconry is "the taking of wild quarry in its natural state and habitat by means of a trained raptor". There are two traditional terms used to describe a person involved in falconry: a falconer flies a falcon; an austringer flies a hawk or an eagle...
as it is also considered a traditional sport. Many of UAE's rulers were enthusiasts in falconry as the nation imports falcons from all across the globe.
On November 20, 2001 and again in 2002, the United Nations 'Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna' imposed comprehensive wildlife trade sanctions (i.e. 'recommendations against trade') on the United Arab Emirates. Sanctions were instigated by industrial-scale falcon smuggling, financed and directed by the ruling sheikhs. Smuggling continues into 2009, to such an extent that Saker falcons, Altai Gyrfalcons, and Gyrfalcons have become regionally extinct across much of Central Asia. Golden Eagles and Houbara Bustards (Lesser McQueen's Bustards) are also critically endangered in Central Asian regions where falconry is practiced.
Endurance riding
Endurance ridingEndurance riding
Endurance riding is an equestrian sport based on controlled long-distance races. It is one of the international competitions recognized by the FEI. There are endurance rides worldwide....
and racing is a national sport in the UAE. It involves long distance races on horse back. UAE patriot Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum is a premiere endurance rider. The UAE claim to be the global leaders of the sport and are campaigning for it to be in the olympics. At the top level, horses cover 160 km in a day. The UAE hold the record for the fastest 160 km race at the presidents cup. Recently a UAE rider won the young rider world championships. This ever growing sport is fascinating and the technology and science involved is always developing. The dubai endurance city is leading the sport in the country with many world class endurance yards competing regularly.