UAE Government and Sports
Internationally, most countries,
through their governments, are trying to take care of any type of sports either
if it is a traditional sport or international sport. UAE government’s trying their
best to keep our traditional sports a life such as falconry, boat-racing and
camel racing. As His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan said, “A
country with no past has no future”. Some of the international sports we are
participating in inside the country are F1, car rallying, skydive, horse racing
and Abu Dhabi ocean race/Volvo ocean race. With the huge development in our life style that
affects in our identity in a way that some people forget it. Therefore, clever
countries try to focus and teach their new generation about their ancestor’s
history. In the context of the United Arab Emirates, and in terms of sport and
leisure time, the government tries to educate their generation how to support all
kind of sports in the country, specially the traditional ones.
Falconry, boat-racing and camel
racing are three of the main unique traditional sports in the UAE and nearby
countries such as Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain.
Falconry is considered as one of our
oldest traditional sports. Long time ago, our grandfathers started to use
falcons to hunt haubara, a kind of bird and it was one of the most important
sources for food. The falcon has become a symbol of power and greatness,
patience and courage, and the rigorousness of the Gulf peoples. People in the Gulf countries, especially in
the UAE, love falcons and they classified the falcon according to the type and
size, intelligence, speed and strength. It gained upscale social status. The falcon
became an inspiration for many poets who have excelled in their description the
love and appreciation of its ability.
The falconry style in the Middle
East is quite different from anywhere else around the world. This is because in
summer the heat temperature is very harsh and therefore falcons cannot help
them to survive. As a result of the weather, falcons migrate to other Arab countries
during the summer from September to November with hundreds of thousands of migratory
birds in huge herds across the Arabian Peninsula and followed by the falcon that
feed on them. Falcon remains through the summer in Eastern Europe and Central
Asia, and then move south in winter to the warmer climate in East and North
Africa.
The UAE government’s emphasizing
the importance of falcons by putting a lot of money especially for this kind of
bird and its events. The President’s Falconry Cup competition is one of
falconry sports in the country and the government puts in total nearly 15
Million dirhams for the winners. The UAE will open The Zayed National Museum.
It will cover 66,042 square meters featuring five feathered atriums that pay
tribute to Shaikh Zayed’s love for falconry.
Another type of traditional sport
in the region is boat-racing and also it is called long-boat races.
It is a traditional race using the traditional boats, known as "de",
which was used in ancient pearl diving and transportation of goods and services.
These races are held during the winter, and use sailboats 40 up to 60 feet with
the participation of from 30 up to 100 sailors. Sailors put their physical
strength and skills that are inherited from their parents and grandfathers to
raise the mast and slide quickly between the waves. Before starting the races,
the sailors are studying the weather (wind and speed) to determine the
appropriate pathway they will choose for the race in order to make the best time
to finish the race and get the first place. Today, young crews from UAE
nationals are participant in Abu Al Abyad Traditional Dhow Sailing Race and Al
Marfah Traditional Dhow Sailing Race.
Camel racing is a popular sport is practiced in the Middle East, as well as in Africa and Australia. In this sport they have special race tracks. This sport is very similar to horse racing. Nowadays the difference between camel racing and horse racing is that in the horse racing the adventurer is riding the horse but in the camel racing they are using robot to ride. The weight of the robot is 2 or 3 kg only. Before, human instead of robots robot are riding the camel. However, according to human right laws, robots were used instead of human in order to save human lives. Camel racing is a sport Arab authentic, well-known among the Arabs, especially in the Arabian Peninsula.
Annually, in Abu Dhabi the final
annual festivals are held in Sweihan and Al Wathba and also in Dubai and Ras Al
Khaimah. Awards annually are hundreds of vehicles contributed by the
government, institutions, companies, banks and merchants. It is held from
mid-September and lasts until the end of April and March, almost every year.
Moving to another type of sport
used in UAE, F1 is commonly used among the young generation. From a global
point, F1 is known as the first sport and it is also called Formula One and
Formula 1. FIA Formula One World Championship is located in Paris France. The
F1 season consists of a series of races known as the Grand Prix. This sport has
a very popular reputation around the world. After 1999, a lot of tracks
appeared such as Bahrain, China, Malaysia, Turkey tracks. In 2009 Abu Dhabi
build one of the amazing F1 tracks around the world with a length of 5.55 km,
where the racing is anti-clockwise and challenges drivers with 21 different
turns (12 turns to the left and 9 turns to the right). UAE hosted the final of
the formula one round three times until now. The main place that holds formula
1 is Yas Island in Abu Dhabi emirate.
Dubai International Rally race is
one of the international famous rally races globally. It was held since the
mid-1980s and in 1997 Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE took that
opportunity to organizing the rally. Also it's the final round of the FIA
Middle East Rally Championship that decides the champion of the event. Over the years, its popularity has grown a
lot and spread around the reign. Many competitors from the region were shown.
For example, the world-famous UAE rally drivers Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi and
Dr. Mohammed bin Sulayem the President of the Automobile & Touring Club of the
UAE. As Mohammed bin Sulayem said" It is a pleasure to invite you to join
with all Emiratis as we mark this proud occasion and look forward to an
exciting and enjoyable event". The second event is Abu Dhabi Desert; it
was called UAE Desert Challenge in the past.
For those who love adventure they
should try skydiving. Skydiving is also considered as one of the common sports
in UAE. The beginner jumper will jump with the help of an instructor from
10,000 ft above the sea level. Skydive Dubai is one of the tourism targets when
they visit the UAE. They can see The Palm, one of the luxurious manmade island
and enjoy the beautiful views from the sky. H.E Nasser Al Neyadi from UAE started
his journey by obtaining helicopter and training himself. In 2010, with the
blessings of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the
Crown Prince of Dubai, the first international paragliding jump in Palm Drop
Zone Championship was held in Dubai. Shortly HE Nasser Niyadi launched the name
of Skydive Dubai.
Furthermore, the Dubai World Cup is
a thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1996. People are coming from
outside the UAE to congregate and compete. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan
is the chairman of Emirates Racing Authority (ERA). One Purebred Arabian
contest and eight Thoroughbred contests. Also Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai who
owns Godolphin Racing & Darley Stud. They are one of the most prominent
thoroughbred breeding and racing operations in the world. The Emirates
Equestrian Federation (EEF) was established in 1992, under the
Chairmanship of His Excellency Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al
Nahyan. The main goals of the board are to improve equestrian and racing sport
at both local level and international levels. The EEF oversees the organization
of the race and equestrian activities in the region and helps the current and
new generation of riders to keep abreast of developments for the sport in the
modern era.
Ocean racing is a common racing in UAE too.
People are participating in the Abu Dhabi ocean Race / Volvo ocean race. It was
called Whitbread Round the World Race and happens every three years. Each of
the entries that participate in this race has a sailing team of nine
professional crew. In 1972 the British Royal Naval Sailing Association and England's Whitbread company agreed to sponsor that event. Netherlands holds the record
of three wins then New Zealand and Sweden with two wins. On 12 of December,
2014 until the 3rd of January, 2015, Abu Dhabi will host the third 2014-15
Volvo Ocean Race stopover at Corniche Breakwater in Destination Village. The race
started on October 4 2014 in Alicante, and finishes on June 27, 2015 in
Gothenburg.
Last but not least,
sport is considered as the best thing that is used in our free time. It builds
our body and makes it stronger. Falconry, boat racing, camel racing, formula
one, rally, skydive, Dubai World Cup (horse racing) and ocean racing are
examples of the sports available in the UAE. The UAE and its government plays a
great role in developing sport in the region by enhancing the old sports and
endorsing new types of sport in order to be a destination for all people. UAE nationals are getting involved in these
sports and becoming expert in the field. In my opinion, many sports will emerge
to the current sports in order to enhance the lifestyle in the region.
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