Dubai flexing muscle in sports world by hosting gathering of over 1,500 top officials

Dubai hosts 1,500 at largest sports convention

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The Gulf’s growing prominence in the sports world will be on display this week as it hosts more than 1,500 executives and officials from the Olympic movement and international federations.

The SportAccord International Convention in Dubai will consider issues ranging from the funding of sports federations to the shifting geography of venues, which has resulted in the wealthy Gulf nations luring some of the world’s most prominent golf, tennis and Formula One races.

Governments in the region now are setting their sights even higher, with Qatar bidding for the 2022 soccer World Cup and Dubai exploring a bid for the 2020 Olympics. Doha’s bid for the 2016 Olympics was unsuccessful.

Dubai has spent billions building sports venues to cater to international events.

Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Sunday said Dubai’s sports infrastructure had made it a “top destination on the global sports calendar” and said the city has “a lot to offer” to the Olympic movement.

Mohammed said Dubai continues to evaluate the “cost and benefits of a bid,” insisting that the process alone will help authorities “identify the strengths and weaknesses of our transportation systems, our tourism facilities, our sports venues and other vital infrastructure.”

Dubai has run far ahead of its Gulf competitors on the sports front by linking investment with a decade-long effort to attract tourists and entertain the Asian and Western expatriates that make up most of the emirate’s 1.5 million inhabitants.

The UAE has hosted ATP and WTA tour tennis events, the Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament and the Dubai World Cup, which is the world’s richest horse race.

The ruling Al Maktoum family has scaled back some of its development plans amid the global financial crisis, but sports events have not appeared to suffer as Dubai struggles to pay off its massive debt.

Last month a $2 billion horse racing complex was inaugurated. Managers of Dubai Sports City said progress is on track on the cluster of mega-venues that will stage sports events and set up training facilities and specialized academies for golf, tennis, soccer, rugby, cricket and swimming.

Along with sports executives, the event will bring top Olympic officials and those from host cities of upcoming games, including London, Sochi, Russia and Rio de Janeiro. FIFA president Sepp Blatter is also expected to speak along with former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.