Mansoor Bin Mohammed approves 10-year strategy to develop Dubai’s sports sector

Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), led the first meeting of the Council in 2023 and approved the 2023-2033 strategy for sports sector development.

Sheikh Mansoor highlighted the importance of implementing initiatives to achieve sustainability in the sports sector, in line with the vision of the UAE leadership and the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who announced 2023 as the ‘Year of Sustainability’.

“The announcement reflects the UAE leadership’s commitment to implementing sustainability-focused initiatives that seek to ensure a better tomorrow for future generations, Sheikh Mansoor said. “In line with the directives of the UAE President, we remain committed to promoting sustainability in the sports sector.”

The meeting, held at the Council’s headquarters, was attended by Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the DSC; Lieutenant General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police and Member of the DSC’s Board of Directors; and Board Members: Hala Badri, Sami Al Qamzi, Moaza Al Marri, Saeed Hareb, Secretary-General of the DSC, and Nasser Aman Al Rahma, Assistant Secretary-General of the DSC.

Sheikh Mansoor said that 2023 will see the launch of several initiatives that will enhance the performance of the sector and its contribution to the city’s GDP. These initiatives will also reinforce Dubai’s status as a key destination for global sporting events, tournaments, and training camps. The year 2023 will build on the success of 2022, which saw the launch of several global tournaments including the Dubai Super Cup and the World Tennis League, he added.

During the meeting, he also issued directives to increase the number of sports events held annually in Dubai to 500. Progressively, this will be increased to 1,000 events annually, as per the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. “The new 2023-2033 strategy announced by the Council will seek to enhance the role of the sports sector in realising the vision of Sheikh Mohammed 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,” Sheikh Mansoor said.

The strategy includes a number of initiatives and programmes that seek to keep pace with global developments in the sector.

“The key objectives of the strategy include raising the contribution of the sports sector to Dubai’s GDP from 2% to 4% annually, organising 3,000 local, regional and international events and hosting 1,000 international training camps. The strategy also aims to increase the percentage of sporting events hosted in partnership with the private sector to 90%,” he added.

Sheikh Mansoor also issued directives to develop incentives for promoting sports in collaboration with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), as well as directives to launch an award for recognising schools that have implemented measures to enhance the health and wellbeing of students through sports.

Moreover, the meeting discussed policies aimed at attracting athletes to Dubai clubs and reviewed the calendar of events and tournaments that Dubai will host in 2023.