FeelingWow! Magazine

Dubai is a member of the federation of the United Arab Emirates, formed in 1971. A visionary ruler, Sheik Saeed Al Maktoum realized shortly after the discovery of oil in 1966 that Dubai’s reserves were rather modest by Arab standards, and set about using to them to create long term prosperity for his people.

To that end, he began building the greatest sports, tourist, vacation home and emerging business centers in the world. He had everything he needed to succeed: Located at the cross-roads of Asia, Europe and Africa, Dubai is well positioned to attract tourists looking for somewhere new and different, a destination combining the traditions of the east with the comforts of the west. Sunshine, shopping, seaside, sports and safety – five of the key ingredients that have earned Dubai a growing reputation as one of the world’s most attractive and rapidly developing leisure destinations.

The Sheik has passed away, but his heirs have continued to build Dubai into a world class leisure, sport and even business destination. The skyline is filled with innovative architecture, shopping centers have alpine ski runs, five-star hotels line the streets, yet the souks are still there, as are the Bedouin villages and the camels. Dubai has managed to remain true to its traditions while creating a new world.

The city is a world class dining destination as well. And the night life is surprisingly lively. The dining choices tend to center around the hotels, because they can sell alcohol in this Muslim city.

Avid sportsmen love Dubai because the climate makes it possible to be outdoors virtually every day. The variety of activities is astounding: you can deep-sea fish, ice skate, golf on a championship course, or sand skiing in the desert.

And when you need a rest, Dubai plays host to the best ranked teams and players from around the world in a variety of sports.

Among the events in Dubai are the Desert Classic PGA Golf Tournament, the Dubai Tennis Open, the Dubai Sevens Rugby Tournament, and the Dubai World Cup- the world’s richest horse race. And there are many more. Dubai continues to increase its visibility and importance in the sports world.

Dubai also hosts polo, volleyball, ice-skating, hockey, bowling, darts, chess, show jumping, dressage, snooker and power boat racing. The diversity of cosmopolitan Dubai is reflected in the number and range of activities it embraces.

But the traditional sports of Dubai are not overlooked. Camel racing takes place during the winter and draws large crowds of enthusiastic fans. The annual sailing dhow race pits smaller versions of the traditional dhow against each other and crowds gather in the thousands to step back in time for a moment. And that may be the real heart of Dubai: A perfect blend of the old and the new.