Despite being in the middle of the desert, Dubai is an epicentre for some of the biggest sporting events in the world!
Many people head to the country to visit Dubai’s attractions, but there’s even more to it – some major sporting events take place here.
From muscle shows and cliff diving to beach soccer and horse racing, there really is an amazing variety of sports that people can come and see during a holiday to Dubai. Here we take you through some of the best sporting events.
The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series Final
This year, the first-ever Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series event in the UAE will take place and the cream of the crop in cliff diving will be heading to the Dubai Marina to compete.
The event in Dubai will be the final and will welcome an elite group of men and women famous for diving aesthetically from dizzying heights.
Pier 7 at the Dubai Marina may be more renowned for its fine dining scene, but on 28 October this seven-floor building will be used as a take-off –platform for the world’s best cliff divers.
The final will start at 8pm and will finish at around 11.45pm, meaning viewers can watch just under four hours of incredible diving action.
Dubai Muscle Show
The Dubai Muscle Show is the only international bodybuilding and fitness show in the city and this year is taking place on 21-22 October at the Dubai International Marine Club.
The event will include the IFBB Amateur Championship, which is the world’s most significant amateur competition.
The show will also feature the TK Amateur Championship, with leading mixed martial artists, boxers and Muay Thai fighters competing in a cage, the Kenguru Street Workout World Cup and the Dubai Muscle Show’s Strongest Man competition, which will see 12 strongmen compete to win the strongman crown.
In addition, the show will welcome over 100 of the world’s leading fitness and nutrition companies, who will give visitors free samples and special discounts.
One of the highlights of the show are the speaking sessions given by famous athletes, and this year’s show will see eight-time Mr Olympia Ronnie Coleman, four-time Mr Olympia Jay Cutler, WBFF World Champion Williams Falade and two-time world fitness champion Zsuzsanna Toldi all giving talks.
Desert Warrior Challenge
The Desert Warrior Challenge is a home-grown adventure obstacle race and is back for 2016.
Organisers are saying that the course of obstacles, spread over a series of challenging terrains, will test participants’ strength and determination and will be even more demanding than ever before.
Taking place on 21 October, the event kicks off UAE’s outdoor fitness season as other outdoor events such as the Spartan Race and Tough Mudder will be taking place later on in the year.
The event, which has been running since 2014, will be taking place at Al Rawia Training Field in Dubai and will be welcoming athletes as well as those beginning a fitness regime to run, jump, crawl, climb and carry their way to the finish line.
This year, the region’s first 20km racetrack will have 30 obstacles dotted throughout it and they will include rope climbing up a pipe, a cargo net and monkey business rings and bars, to name a few.
Managing Director for Desert Warrior Challenge, Troy Gillham, added, “We want our Warriors to band together and motivate each other to get fitter, live healthier and be part of what we like to call #thewarriormovement.”
Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup Dubai
Although the teams for the Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup Dubai have not yet been confirmed, the cup will take place from 1-5 November.
The Intercontinental Cup is one of the most important beach soccer events in the world, only behind the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, which takes place every other year.
The competition sees the strongest teams of each Confederation (Asia, Europe, Africa, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and Oceania) plus hosts UAE and the World Champions take part. The event will be held, once again, at the Dubai International Marine Club.
If you have never seen beach soccer, put simply it is a combination of football, a party, exciting action and amazing scenery.
The acrobatic goals mean crowds go into a frenzy and the atmosphere at these matches is incredible. The great action has caught the attention of the world, with beach soccer being watched in more than 250 million homes across the world.
The Dubai World Cup Carnival
Horse racing is big business in Dubai, and the Dubai World Cup Carnival runs from January to March every year and is a season of high-class international race days.
The event is spread across 11 race days and ends with the Dubai World Cup – the world’s richest race day, offering $30 million in prize money. The carnival brings together the most high-profile owners, horses, trainers and jockeys in the world, and takes place at Meydan Racecourse.
The iconic Dubai World Cup Carnival launches on Thursday 5 January 2017 and will run until the end of March.
Tennis
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships was set up around 24 years ago, and since then the championships have gone from strength to strength.
Now the who’s who of tennis play at the championships, and previous winners of the men’s and women’s events include Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Justine Henin, Amelie Mauresmo, Martina Hingis, Venus Williams and Goran Ivanisevic, to name a few.
The championships will take place at the unique Aviation Club Tennis Centre from 19 February-4 March 2017.
Rugby
The Dubai Rugby 7s event has grown to become one of the most celebrated festivals in the rugby world.
The three-day event attracts rugby fans from across the globe and boasts nail-biting action and a party atmosphere at an incredible, purpose-built stadium.
Dubai is the first round of the HSBC World Rugby 7s Series and the HSBC World Rugby Women's Sevens Series and it welcomes the best rugby 7s players in the world.
On top of the action on the pitch there is a Rugby Village that offers fans entertainment, concerts, official merchandise, competitions and lots of food and drink.
The DP World Tour Championship
The DP World Tour Championship golf tournament is on the European Tour and is the climax of the season.
Contested at the Jumeirah Golf Estates, it welcomes the top 60 players on the tour from the previous year.
The winner of the golf tournament picks up a cheque for millions of dollars, and in the past winners have included Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Henrik Stenson.
Lots of avid golfing fans come out in force to watch some of the world’s best players take on this challenging course.
Image Credit: Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, Dubai Muscle Show, Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup, Jaguar MENA, Marianne Bevis, Land Rover MENA, Ed Balaun (supergolfdude).
