Dubai’s sporting industry is worth more than Dhs 6.24bn, a new report by Deloitte has found.
The report, published by Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, shows that more than half of the economic contribution from sport is generated by home-grown events.
The report comes ahead of the annual golfing tournament - DP World Tour Championship, which takes place this weekend, and the Emirates Dubai Rugby Sevens in December. Both the events were ranked among the top for economic impact on Dubai.
Events in horseracing, running, tennis and cycling were also said to account for more than 90 per cent of the sector’s direct impact on Dubai’s economy.
Currently, the sports industry accounts for 0.8 per cent of Dubai's gross domestic product and employs roughly 14,500 people, the report found.
Total gross expenditure related to sport in Dubai is estimated at $1.7bn, including direct and indirect spending from all sources, local and international.
Golf alone was found to generate Dhs 992m of gross expenditure, most of which came from tourism. More than 16,000 visitors are believed to use Dubai’s 11 courses every year.
Major international events including the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon, Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships were also said to attract a ‘significant' number of visitors from overseas.
It is estimated that over one million spectators watch sports events in Dubai each year, with the highest individual attendance being over 100,000 at the Emirates Dubai Rugby Sevens over three days. The Dubai World Cup is the best attended single day of sport, attracting around 80,000 spectators each year.
In terms of facilities, Dubai has developed a set of "high-quality" sport venues, the report said.
However, while a new 5,000 seat arena is being constructed at the Nad Al Sheba complex, sports stakeholders have said the emirate will "greatly benefit" from an additional indoor 10-15,000 capacity multi-purpose stadium.
They have also called for a permanent 30,000 plus capacity outdoor stadium especially following the announcement that the 2019 Asian Cup will be staged in the UAE.
Deloitte's head of Sports Business Group Dan Jones said: "Dubai’s excellent geographical location, transport connections, facilities and climate (particularly during the European winter) make it an attractive destination for sports participants, both at an elite and a recreational level, as well as event organisers."
Secretary general of the Dubai Sports Council Saeed Hareb added: “In Dubai we have long recognised that sport plays an important role in the growth and appeal of any global city and have worked strategically to invest in resources and capabilities across the sector. We have been building our sports industry for more than 40 years, with a continued focus on the future.
“Dubai remains committed to sport and the report points to future opportunities which will be used to inform our ongoing strategic thinking as we continue on our journey to become one of the world’s international sporting destinations.”
By Eleanor Dickinson
