The Sporting Life
There is a huge emphasis on living the sporting life in Dubai and as a spectator or participant, you can indulge any or all of your sporting passions, including adventurous exploration of mountain and desert. Whether its rising early in the morning to swing off at the tees, keeping abreast of the social calendar accompanying the year-round events, or just simply exercising your left arm in front of one of the huge screens showing the international match, sport in Dubai is a very popular, and passionate, pastime and always a great way to meet new people.
Bowling
Two venues host bowling in Dubai. Al Nasr Leisureland has an 8 lane bowling alley. Thunder Bowl has the distinction of being the first bowling alley of its kind in the Middle East, with 20 fully computerized Brunswick lanes. Friday afternoons are a unique bowling experience with the centre illuminated in UV special effects lighting.
Cricket
The Darjeeling Cricket Club runs matches every Friday, a six-a-side Gulf tournament in March and regular matches against visiting sides. The clubhouse is open from Tuesday to Sunday. The Club also hosts the Darjeeling Hockey Club.
Flying
The Dubai Flying Association was conceived in 1987 by a few flying enthusiasts who at the time were private pilots with the Aerogulf Flying School. Today, the DFA is a non-profit making recreational flying association of qualified pilots. With three aircraft, the DFA is a renowned flying facility and is well known in aviation circles throughout the Gulf Region.
Football
Whether its five-a-side with a team of friends on a makeshift pitch, a national team playing at home or an international championship match televised at one of the city’s many watering holes, football is a common language that unities most cultures and nationalities and is firmly ingrained in the heart of the community.
Football remains the most popular sport in the UAE, and promotion through football clubs at schools and colleges, as well as at local, regional and national levels, has paid dividends in terms of raising the standard of the game in the country. 26 football clubs, each with approximately 150 players, are currently affiliated with the UAE Football Association (UAE FA), which was established in 1971. The UAE FA joined FIFA in 1972, followed by both the Arab Football and Asian Soccer federations in 1974.
Ice Skating
Unexpected in the city of eternal sunshine, but Dubai has two ice rinks at the Al Nasr Leisureland and Hyatt Regency Galleria.
Dubai’s facilities for snow sports will be greatly enhanced with the opening of the snow dome at the Mall of the Emirates shopping and leisure complex in late 2005. The authentic snow mountain environment will allow skiing, snowboarding and a wealth of other snow related activities, for all ages to enjoy.
Rock Climbing
The Pharaohs Club at the Pyramids, Wafi City has the region’s only indoor climbing wall. If you are a competent climber and the excellent rock climbing routes in the UAE mountains beckons, the staff at Pharaohs may be able to assist you with information about informal groups who tackle the mountains on a regular basis.
Running Clubs & Events
The Hash House Harriers was founded in 1938, by a British expatriate named Albert Stephen Ignatius Gispert who was living in Malaysia. Gispert had a fondness for 'paper chases' and gathered together several expatriates to form a running group in Kuala Lumpur that would later become a worldwide legacy. The group received its name from the Selangor Club Chambers, which due to its lackluster food was commonly referred to as the ‘Hash House'. Today, there are currently 1500 ‘Hash House Harrier’ groups worldwide. Dubai is home to three of them.
Desert Hash (DH3) was established in 1979 and meets every Sunday, one hour before sunset and normally has 35-70 runners participating. DH3 is a family orientated Hash and runners of all abilities are welcome to join in.
Creek Hash House Harriers (CH3) is a male-only hash, with exceptions being made for special runs and family camping weekends. CH3 runs take place in various locations in Dubai, Sharjah and Jebel Ali. Visitors and guests are always welcome.
Dubai stages two charitable running events each year. The first is the grueling 42.195 km Dubai Marathon, held annually in January. Starting and finishing at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the course navigates the city in a clockwise direction and takes in many landmarks of architectural and historic significance. A 10 km Road Race and a 3 km Fun Run are also held on the day. The Dubai Marathon is open to local and international individual competitors, groups and companies and has various categories for entrants. Standard Chartered Bank sponsors the Dubai Marathon and all proceeds go towards their global community fundraising project ‘Seeing is Believing’, which was founded in 2003, and aims to restore sight to one million people by the end of 2006.
The Dubai Terry Fox Run is held in February and consists of an 8.5 km course, starting and finishing at the Wonderland Leisure complex in Bur Dubai. A non-competitive event, participants can complete the course by running, walking, bicycling or by using any mode of non-motorized transportation. The route goes through Creek Park and over Maktoum Bridge and back. The annual event has been patronized by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum since its inception and all proceeds raised are used to fund cancer research programs at approved institutions in the UAE.
Rugby
Rugby is played by men, women and junior ages groups in Dubai and is a fiercely competitive sport ! Rugby was formally introduced to the UAE with the inception of the Dubai Rugby 7s in 1969 (although there is evidence of the sport being played in the region as early as 1946) and the Dubai Exiles team are one of the four founder members of the Arabian Gulf Rugby Football Union (AGRFU), the body responsible for organizing rugby throughout the region.
Dubai has three rugby teams – the Dubai Dragons, Dubai Exiles and Dubai Hurricanes, which have a number of squads accommodating veterans, ladies and junior players. Dubai Exiles RFC - home of the Dubai Exiles and the annual Dubai Rugby 7s competition, has four excellent grassed pitches and grandstand seating.
Teams from the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain contest the Arabian Gulf League each season, which runs from September through to April. The Emirates League competition, involving teams in the United Arab Emirates, is also fiercely contested, as is the Arabian Gulf Cup.
The Arabian Gulf Representative team competes each year in the world-famous Dubai and South Africa rounds of the IRB World Sevens Series, while the 15-a-side team also competes in the Asian Championships held in Hong Kong. The Arabian Gulf Ladies team also competes at the Hong Kong 7s each season.
Sailing
The tranquil waters of the Arabian Sea and Dubai’s ideal climate add up to make perfect sailing conditions, so it’s no wonder that for many, sailing is a very popular pastime. With warm, calm rolling waves and a gentle offshore breeze, the Arabian Sea really comes alive at the weekends, with every type of vessel imaginable taking to the waves. Marinas at hotels, such as The Jumeirah Beach Hotel and the Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa, make very pleasant day sails from the sailing clubs on the Jumeirah coastline. Many of the hotels on the Jumeirah coastline will also hire catamarans and dinghies on an hourly basis.
Dubai Marina
One of the world’s largest master planned waterfront developments and Dubai’s latest addition to the yachting community, Dubai Marina is proving to be the latest chic location to be seen aboard ! The man made marina is 3.5 km long with 11 km marine frontage and the channel allows for entry and mooring for vessels up to 30 m long. As part of a community development, Dubai Marina has excellent dining and retail outlets and with its strategic location on the Arabian Gulf, is in close proximity to many leading five star hotels, beach cubs and prestigious landmarks.
Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club
Located on the Deira side of Dubai Creek, the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club is home to a number of powerboats and super yachts. Inaugurated in 1993, its stunningly designed clubhouses have become an iconic landmark on the banks of the creek and house many popular restaurants and bars. Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club can accommodate vessels up to 40 m long and has full chandlery, fabrication and repair facilities. Big game fishing trips can also be arranged on the club’s private Hatterras 32 sport fishing boat.
Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC)
Established in 1974, DOSC is situated in the Umm Suqeim harbor of the Jumeirah coastline and a popular club for serious, competitive sailors. Yachts or dinghy races are normally held each week and cater for all types of boat and sailing abilities. DOSC has a yacht marina, launching slipway and beach, dinghy park and boatyard, wash down area, workshop facilities and a family beach. Clubhouse facilities include changing rooms and a restaurant and lounge bar. The club is an approved RYA Training Centre and has regular training classes.
Jebel Ali Sailing Club (JASC)
Founded in 1977 by a small group of sailing enthusiasts, JASC is now one of the most active sailing clubs in the region. Located on the Jumeirah coastline at Mina Seyahi, JASC shares a harbor with neighboring DIMC and operates an active calendar of races and regattas for all classes of boats. JASC is an RYA Approved Training Centre and is affiliated with the International Topper Class Association and the International Topcat Association. Sailing facilities includes a boat / sail washing area, windsurfer drying posts, boat and windsurfer parks, sail locker, pontoons and moorings for yachts and a fleet of six rescue boats. Clubhouse facilities include changing rooms, a wet bar, a dry lounge and a restaurant. A swimming pool, beach volleyball court and a grass sunbathing area and BBQ facilities are also available.
Shooting & Archery
Jebel Ali Shooting Club offers pistol, skeet and trap shooting, as well as simulated laser shooting. The Dubai Archery Group is an informal association who meets regularly year-round.
Tennis
Tennis courts are widely available at many hotels, private clubs and leisure centers throughout Dubai. Many offer professional coaching and the majority are floodlit to facilitate playing in the cool of the evening.
