Dubai Lifestyle News
Major indoor sports event to take place in Dubai
A major event aimed at encouraging people in the UAE to take part in sporting activity during the summer months will go ahead next month.The third Dubai Sports World programme will commence at the huge Dubai World Trade Centre on June 21st and will last for two months.It will feature summer camps for children, giving them an opportunity to play games like football, basketball, rugby, tennis and Australian rules football. They can also partake in energetic pastimes like skateboarding, running and fitness training.Dubai's sporting facilities are among the best in the world and a host of professional football and cricket teams have made use of the various sports centres across the city in recent months. It is hoped that Dubai Sports World will open up these complexes to more local youngsters.Senior vice president of venues at the Dubai World Trade Centre Ahmed Alkhaja said: “We are pleased to offer new and exciting sports and entertainment for a third consecutive year.”Year on year, we continue to invest in state-of-the-art sports facilities and partnerships to offer a world-class sports arena for people of all ages.”The UAE is certainly building itself a strong reputation for staging major sporting events.It attracts the world's finest tennis players and golfers each year and is also home to the fabulous Meydan Racecourse, which holds the Dubai World Cup – the richest horse race on the planet.Fifa named the UAE as the host country for the 2013 Under-17s World Cup and this is scheduled to start in October.Football's governing body recently sent a team of delegates to the Middle East to check the progress of the stadia and training facilities that will be used throughout the tournament and they were happy with what they saw.The official mascot for the event – a falcon-type creature named Shaqran – was unveiled in the country earlier this week (May 13th) by Fifa and the local organising committee. Continue reading
Dubai ‘is a year-round tourism destination’
Property investors who purchase luxury hotels, apartments and villas in Dubai should not worry too much about slack periods, as the city is a popular holiday hotspot all year round.The emirate benefits from a desert climate, but this is offset by a soothing sea breeze and even in the rainy season (November and December), temperatures are still warm.With so many wonderful amenities and excellent conditions throughout the year, it is no surprise that people flock to Dubai in their droves.Speaking at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) – an event held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre – Helal Saeed Al-Marri, general director of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai, explained how the organisation will promote the emirate in the coming months.”The focus of 2013 is on furthering the appeal of the emirates as a year-round tourism destination, promoting our exciting and diverse calendar of events and activities which cater to each of our market segments,” he was quoted by Arab News as saying.Hundreds of destinations, air travel companies, cruise providers, travel agencies, hotels and resorts were showcased at ATM, including major international firms like Emirates, The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company, Six Senses Resorts and Spas and Lufthansa.A number of events and campaigns have been launched in order to promote Dubai as one of the best tourism destinations on the planet, including the “Summer is Dubai” initiative.Running between June and September, the scheme will demonstrate the superb infrastructure and leisure facilities on offer in this part of the UAE. Indeed, Dubai has everything that holidaymakers could wish for, with indoor ski slopes, amazing restaurants, trendy nightclubs and the biggest shopping malls on earth.Mr Al-Marri recently said that visitor numbers have risen in the past few summers and there is every chance that records will be broken in 2013. It just goes to show that investors should be doing all they can to get involved in Dubai's tourism sector, as there is plenty of money to be made. Continue reading
Tony Hawk rolls into Dubai
Legendary US skateboarder Tony Hawk has spent some time testing out one of the world's most impressive ramps, which just happens to be in the UAE.The 44-year-old extreme sports icon headed to Tashkeel, a skatepark shaped like an Arabic script, and he seemed to be happy with what he found.According to the National, Hawk could barely wait to test his skills on the challenging ramp and he was soon pulling a series of amazing trademark moves, including a backside kickflip.Brad Kirr of Tashkeel told the news provider he had seen an Instagram photo of Hawk at Dubai International Airport and he immediately invited him down to the skating facility.”He said 'I've seen footage [of the Tashkeel bowl and ramp] and it looks insane.' He wanted to skate it,” Mr Kirr remarked.”The dude is non-stop. His schedule is packed full of everything, every day of his life. I can't understand how he can have as much energy as he does and just rips into everything he does. He is a superhero.”Tony Hawk has been a household name since the late 1980s/early 1990s and he is perhaps best known for the extremely popular videogames that are based on his exploits. He has also appeared in a number of TV shows, such as CSI Miami, as well as movies like xXx and Jackass.Hawk – who has been skateboarding since he was just nine years old – also visited the excellent Ski Dubai during his trip to the UAE, where he was filmed “shredding rails”.He took to Twitter and Instagram to keep his followers up to date on his Gulf adventure and he clearly enjoyed his stay.The fact that one of the world's most recognisable extreme sports stars was so keen to visit Dubai is testament to the emirate's amazing facilities. It truly is an incredible place and there are few cities around the world that can match the glamour and excitement that Dubai has become famous for. Continue reading
