Dubai Unveils A 10-Year Plan To Expand Its Sports Industry

Over the next decade, the Dubai Sports Council intends to hold 1,000 international training camps and host 3,000 local, regional, and international sporting events.

The plan was endorsed by the Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and seeks to double the input of the sports industry to the emirate's GDP in line with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33).

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, has declared 2023 the "Year of Sustainability," and he emphasised the need of pursuing steps to promote sustainable growth of the sport industry.

“The announcement by HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to make 2023 the ‘Year of Sustainability’ reflects the UAE leadership’s commitment to implementing sustainability-focused initiatives that seek to ensure a better tomorrow for future generations,” Sheikh Mansoor stated as he presided the DSC conference.

“In line with the directives of the UAE President, we remain committed to promoting sustainability in the sports sector”, he added.

Several new programmes, according to Sheikh Mansoor, will be introduced in 2023 to boost the industry's productivity and its contribution to the GDP. These steps will further establish Dubai as a premier location for international competitions and training sessions in the sporting world. Sheikh Mansoor went on to say that 2023 would be an even bigger year for international competitions like the Dubai Super Cup and the World Tennis League, both of which debuted in 2022.

500 sporting events are to be staged in Dubai every year, with this number to be expanded to one thousand events on a yearly basis.

“The new 2023-2033 strategy announced by the Council will seek to enhance the role of the sports sector in realising the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33). The strategy will also contribute to raising Dubai’s profile as a global sporting destination and a hub for attracting talent,” he further commented.

Several initiatives and programmes are included in the plan to help the organisation stay up with the rapidly evolving industry worldwide.

The strategy's main goals are to increase the sports industry's yearly contribution to Dubai's GDP from 2% to 4%, to host 1,000 international training camps, and to organise 3,000 local, regional, and worldwide events. Another goal of the approach is to have 90% of athletic events staged in some kind of public-private collaboration.

Sheikh Mansoor also issued instructions for the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and the Dubai Health Authority to work together on creating incentives to promote sports (DHA), as well as an award to recognise institutions that promote student health and well-being via sports.

The five cornerstones of the new approach are as follows:

- Creating innovative strategies for the future of sports with an emphasis on e-sports, the metaverse, and AI.
- Improve Dubai's long-term competitiveness in the sports tourism industry and the economic impact of sports on the local economy.
- Include all members of society in sporting activities.
- Creating an atmosphere that is friendly to athletes.
- Creating a digital institutional framework that is both unified and linked to provide full control over the sports industry.

 

Source: tradearabia.com