His Highness Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, has stressed that achieving success in sports and winning titles depends not just on quality of players, coaches or budgets, but also on proper planning and good preparation through rigorous training camps and friendly matches, and His Highness has urged clubs to use the coming period judiciously as they prepare for next season to lay the foundations of their success.

His Highness Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum also directed the Board of Directors of Dubai Sports Council to develop an executive plan for the development of the sports sector in Dubai for the next 10 years, which is commensurate with the pace of development in other sectors of Dubai as well as in sync with the plans of Government of Dubai to increase the practise of sports and physical activity in every segment of the community, and to increase the contribution of the sports sector to the national GDP through jobs, investments and sports tourism.

This came during the fourth meeting of Dubai Sports Council’s Board of Directors for the year 2021, which was held virtually on Tuesday, July 13. The meeting was chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Council, participated in the meeting along with the members of the Board of Directors – HE Dr Abdulla Al Karam, HE Maryam Al Hammadi, Mohammed Al Kamali, Ahmad Al Shafar, Moaza Saeed Al Marri, and HE Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of the Council – as well as Nasser Aman Al Rahma, Assistant Secretary General of the Council.

Sports Sector Plan

The Dubai Sports Sector Plan, developed by Dubai Sports Council under the directives of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, will be implemented at many different levels, focusing, in particular, on the ability of Dubai’s sports clubs and institutions to attract leading talents in different sports and to win championships and titles.

The Plan will also focus on further strengthening Dubai’s reputation as one of the world’s leading destinations for hosting major international events, as well as the home of world’s biggest sports stars, and also the headquarters of international and regional sports federations, and their top decision-makers.

The Plan also seeks to promote Dubai’s sports sector as an attractive market for investors and entrepreneurs, a hub for innovation and innovators, and an incubator for ideas and technology that will define the future of sports and eSports, as well as a pioneer in the use of Artificial Intelligence in sports.

The Dubai Sports Sectors Plan also envisions bringing the headquarters of many International Olympic Committee-recognised international sports federations to the Emirate, and increasing the number of Arab and international teams and athletes using Dubai’s sports facilities and infrastructure to prepare for international competitions. The Plan also seeks to increase the number of sports academies and fitness centres in Dubai, and increase the number of sports events as well.

2022 Budget

The meeting also viewed and discussed a detailed report on Dubai’s sports budget for next year, as well as a report on the progress made by Dubai’s sports clubs and companies towards self-sufficiency, and the projects being undertaken by the sports clubs and football companies to optimise their resources.

The Dubai Sports Council has stressed that all clubs must continue their efforts to encourage every Emirati citizen to play sports, and provide them with the opportunity to play sports in a safe atmosphere.

During the meeting, the Board of Directors also reviewed preparations for major sports events that are going to be held in Dubai in the coming period, including major international championships that are going to be organized in the country for the first time, in cooperation with EXPO 2020 Dubai and in coordination with different international sports federations.

The Board also discussed many other topics on the agenda and made appropriate decisions.