United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the most developed nations on the earth. Many sports are being played in this nation due to globalization impact but Camel and Horse racing are some of the sports that are traditional. Here we are listing the top 10 popular sports in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which are played and also have higher viewership. Football is the most popular sport in the UAE
1) Football
Football or Soccer is one of the most popular sports played in the UAE. Not only in the United Arab Emirates but this sport is popular in almost all the nations on the Earth. The United Arab Emirates Football Association was first established in 1971 and since then has dedicated its time and effort to promoting the game.
The UAE is currently ranked 71st in the world according to the FIFA World Rankings. The UAE national football team qualified for the FIFA World Cup in 1990 with Egypt. It was the third consecutive World Cup with two Arab nations qualifying after Kuwait and Algeria in 1982 and Iraq and Algeria again in 1986. Abu Dhabi United Group has recently purchased Manchester City Football Club. All these indicate the interest and love for football in UAE people. There are many football stadiums spread across the UAE. Zayed Sports City is the largest sports complex in the country.
2) Cricket
Cricket is the second most popular sport in the UAE, largely due to the expatriate population from Southern Asia. The United Arab Emirates invested a whopping amount in the construction of the stadium and cricket academy. There are many cricket stadiums in the country, most popularly the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, the Zayed Cricket Stadium, and the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Dubai is also home to the International Cricket Council, the principal governing body of the sport. The Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium in Sharjah has a record to host most one-day internationals.
The United Arab Emirates hosted many international sports, recently they hosted all the matches of the ICC T20 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2021. Along with this three-season of Indian Premier League and many seasons of Pakistan Super League are played on these stadiums. The UAE national cricket team qualified for the 1996 Cricket World Cup and the 2014 ICC World Twenty 20 to be played in Bangladesh.
3) Squash
Another very popular sport in the UAE is Squash. Squash is very much popular in the Middle East in Eqypt which brings the interest among the students in Dubai. Dubai also conducted a Dubai Open Squash tournament which offers a cash prize of $25,000 to the winner. The governing body of Squash, the World Squash Federation (WSF), is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), but the sport is not part of the Olympic Games, despite a number of applications. Very soon this sport will be part of the Olympic games.
4) Camel Racing
Camel Racing is another popular and traditional sport in UAE. Formalizing camel racing was one way of maintaining its central role in UAE life. The UAE now has no fewer than 15 race tracks across the seven emirates. Nad Al Sheba Racecourse, 10 kilometers outside of Dubai, Al Wathba, 30 kilometers south-east of Abu Dhabi, and Al Ain track, which is 20 kilometers west of Al Ain, are all large, well-equipped camel tracks with high-tech facilities. Two smaller tracks are located in Sharjah, one in Ra’s al-Khaimah and one in Umm al-Qaiwain. Others are spread throughout the desert areas.
In 2021, the UAE formed its first-ever all-female camel racing team. Robot jockeys are now used after strict government regulations were passed prohibiting underage jockeys from racing.
5) Horse Racing
Horse racing is another popular Sport in the UAE. Probably it is the most popular sport that is played by natives of UAE. It is more popular than camel racing because of the easy viability of necessary equipment. This is a crowd-drawing event with special performances over the years from the likes of Kylie Minogue, Janet Jackson, and Sia.
Dubai also hosts the richest horse race in the world, the Dubai World Cup horse race.
6) Tennis
Tennis is also popular sports in UAE and day by day its popularty increasing. In today date a lots of Private clubs and hostels are hosting their own tennis courts.
Dubai hosts the annual Dubai Tennis Championships, which is an ATP and WTA event, which attracts the top-seeded players how to compete at the Dubai Aviation Club in February.
7) Motor Sports
United Arab Emirates (UAE) is also famous for motorsports. The first motorsport race in the United Arab Emirates was the 1981 Dubai Grand Prix held at a purpose-built circuit in Deira Corniche, during the celebrations of the 10th anniversary of the Emirates. It featured a sports car, touring car and celebrity races, as well as Formula One demonstrations.
Abu Dhabi has hosted Formula One races there from the 2009 season onward. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is held at the 5.6 km Yas Marina Circuit, located on Yas Island and includes street and marina sections similar to Circuit de Monaco.
8) Golf
Golf is also one of the most popular sports in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). UAE has many golf courses and Golf Academy. Dubai Desert Classic event takes place in Dubai and is marked by the world’s best golf players. Golf is experiencing an up-flow in popularity in the UAE a large number of families are coming to watch the games.
Dubai also hosts the annual Dubai Desert Classic, which is a European Tour event held in March and features some of the world’s best golfers competing for over US$1 Million. Dubai’s Creek Golf & Yacht Club is home to the Middle East’s first golf academy.
9) Basketball
Basketball is also becoming popular now a days. The UAE has qualified for more major international basketball tournaments than any other nation on the Arabian Peninsula except for Kuwait.
The country hosted the 2014 Under-17 Basketball World Championship and is the first Asian country to ever do so. In terms of qualifications to major international events such as the Asian Championship, the UAE is a major force on the Arabian Peninsula.
10) Rugby
Rugby is also a popular sport in the UAE. Rugby fans can play and enjoy rugby matches held throughout the year across the country. Dubai hosts the Six Nations Rugby Tournament in April and Dubai Rugby Sevens in November and December.
Other Sports
You can find facilities for a lot of sports including shooting and archery, rock climbing, powerboat racing, polo, bowling, and canoeing.
