Dubai Sports Council aims to increase the number of sports practitioners in the emirate to 2.6 million people

DUBAI, 19 November / WAM / The Dubai Sports Council announced its aspiration to triple the number of sports practitioners in Dubai to reach 2.6 million permanent sports practitioners by 2033, in accordance with the “Dubai Sports 2033” plan launched recently by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, to shape the future of the sports sector in Dubai according to an integrated future vision to make it one of the most important global destinations in the field of sports, describing Community sports are an essential pillar of the new plan.

The plan, supervised by the Dubai Sports Council, includes 4 main axes, including society, events, clubs, and talent, and includes 19 major programs and 75 different initiatives aimed at building an integrated sports system in Dubai.

On this occasion, His Excellency Khalfan Juma Belhoul, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, said: “This plan aims to enhance the health of society and the quality of life of its members. Our goal is for Dubai to be the most active and encouraging city for sports in the world, and we will work to triple the number of people practicing sports in Dubai to reach 2.6 million permanent sports practitioners by the year 2033.”

His Excellency added that the plan includes launching 3 major community programs aimed at diversifying community sports activities to include all segments of society. These activities extend to range from individual programs for senior citizens and public activities available in parks and facilities in various regions, all the way to an annual series of events and tournaments designated for people of determination to enhance their community and sports participation.

He pointed out that the plan will also focus on women’s tournaments, youth events, and school programs, in addition to organizing various sports tournaments for various segments of society with the aim of promoting physical activity and consolidating positive behavior. Thirteen pioneering community initiatives will be launched, led by (Dubai Neighborhood Games) and (Sheikha Hind Women’s Sports Initiative), to ensure that every member of society has the opportunity to practice sports in all areas of Dubai.

The “Dubai Neighborhood Games” initiative is one of the main community initiatives in the plan, and aims to promote healthy lifestyles and build local community relations. The initiative organizes tournaments in 4 sports: football, basketball (3×3), volleyball, and badminton, in which more than 3,800 male and female players over the age of 18 from various regions of Dubai participate, competing over a period of 16 days.

The Dubai Neighborhood Games will be held from December 4 to 19 in several locations distributed throughout Dubai, with the finals taking place on December 17 and 19, 2025 in a central location that will be announced later.

Each team represents the residential area to which its members belong, as the games are held in 8 regions: the Central Region (Jumeirah, Zabeel, Ras Al Khor), the Northern Region (Bur Dubai, Deira Corniche), the Western Deira Region (Deira 1), the Eastern Deira Region (Deira 2), the District 1 Region (Mohammed Bin Rashid City), the Mushrif Region, the Southern Region (Jebel Ali, Hasyan, Mina Jebel Ali, Al Maktoum City), and the Eastern Region. (Saih Al-Salam, Wadi Al-Safa, Hind City, Hatta, Al-Faqa’, Margham, Al-Awir).

The competitions are held in two stages. The first is games at the level of each region, in which the best three teams from each region are crowned. Then these teams qualify for city-level competitions to compete for the title of Dubai Champions. The matches are held in high-level facilities to ensure a professional experience for the players and the public.

Sheikha Hind’s Women’s Sports Initiative was also launched, which brings together women’s tournaments, events and health campaigns within a unified, comprehensive program that extends throughout the year. It includes women’s activities targeting the participation of more than 200,000 women within two years, and begins organizing the first world championship of its kind for women’s triathlon, in addition to other women’s championships with the participation of thousands of women of different nationalities and ages.

The plan aims to raise the number of participants in school activities to 70,000 annually, a 3.5-fold increase, by expanding the school games program to include 26 sports whose competitions will be held over 107 days, which will raise the number of participants to 25,000 in specific competitions within this framework.

The plan also includes establishing community youth centers that offer various sports programs throughout the year, launching a series of multiple annual activities for people of determination, and organizing competitions for worker communities in 10 locations that include 12 different sports.

The plan emphasizes enhancing innovation in sports urban planning by integrating sports facilities into new communities and modernizing old areas, to ensure comprehensive and equitable access to sports infrastructure. These efforts come in coordination with Dubai Municipality and the Roads and Transport Authority to ensure the integration of sports facilities into urban development projects.

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