High-profile sporting events are now synonymous with the UAE, where sporting spectator’s paradise, however; participatory sports are also popular, with a special emphasis on football, golf, tennis, water sports and just about anything to do with cars and horses.

Football
Football is immensely popular, firmly entrenched in the collective. The pride engendered by the UAE hosting of the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup in December, bringing the glamorous stars of international football to home grounds, was an apt expression of that passion. Facilities at the amateur football clubs are being upgraded, and a 65,000-seat stadium with a moving roof in Abu Dhabi will be the new home of the national team as well as a venue for major events.

Motor Sports
The UAE can now boast one of the best venues in the Formula One circuit, with a racetrack that stretches 5.5 kilometres and includes twenty-one corner twists, snaking between grandstands that can accommodate over 50,000 spectators. The first Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was held there in late 2009. Other key motoring events organized by the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE are the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, Rally Abu Dhabi and the Dubai International Rally.

Tennis
The inaugural Capitala World Tennis Championship was staged in Abu Dhabi in January 2009. The tournament saw six of the world’s top-ranked players vying for the prize of Dh917,500 (US$250,000) in a winner-takes-all scenario before a crowd of 5000. The success of the event has established the capital city as host of one of 2010’s most anticipated events on the tennis calendar. The other major tennis event in the UAE is the Dubai Duty Free Tournament for men and women.

Golf
The impressive list of UAE golf courses is steadily growing. Recent additions include the Greg Norman-designed Earth Course in Dubai, which hosted the Dubai world Championship in 2009, and Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat course, designed by Gary Player. Established golfing venues include the Abu Dhabi Golf Club, host of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club; the Emirates Golf Club, location of the Dubai Desert Classic; and the Jebel Ali Golf Resort.

Water Sports
Emiratis are at home on the water, sailing and boating in general having sustained the country in one form or another for millennia. Powerboat racing is a particularly popular sport, and one in which the UAE has had considerable international success. The Abu Dhabi International Marine Club, Dubai Offshore Sailing Club, Dubai International Marine Club, Fujairah international Marine Club and similar clubs in Sharjah, Ajman and Umm al-Qaiwain provide superb watersports facilities, enabling enthusiasts to indulge in their favourite pastime throughout the year. Organisations such as Emirates Heritage to indulge in their favourite pastime throughout the year. Organisations such as Emirates Heritage Club in Abu Dhabi bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary watersports, imparting maritime skills and providing competitive experience for local youngsters.

Equestrian Sports
A love of horses – especially Arabian horses – runs in the blood of most Emiratis. This fascination is expressed in many forms, including horse-racing, endurance racing, showjumping, and polo. All equestrian and racing activities are supervised by the Emirates Equestrain Federation, which was established in 1996. The UAE has achieved considerable international success in endurance racing, and two horse-racing series that command attention are the Dubai International Racing Carnival, culminating in the lucrative Dubai World Cup, and the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan Global Flat Racing Festival for Purebred Arabians.

Cricket
Cricket administration in the country underwent restricting in 2009, with the aim of establishing cricket at a grass-roots level, promoting women’s cricket and unifying governance across all regional cricket councils. In 2009, Zayed Stadium and Dubai Sports City co-hosted Pakistan’s ‘home series’ with Australia and New Zealand. Pakistan also played a three-match ODI series with the West Indies in Abu Dhabi.

Rugby
Rugby is now played in a number of clubs throughout the Emirates. Major tournaments such as the Duabi Rugby Sevens, which has become a significant international event over the years, have also increased its popularity.

Other Sports
Space does not permit a comprehensive of all competitive sports that take place in the UAE, from ice hockey to jet-skiing, angling to parachuting. Suffice it to say, however, that if it can be done, then it is being done in the UAE.