20 million dirhams in annual support for private clubs in Dubai

The “Dubai Sports Plan 2033”, which was recently launched by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, paid great attention to developing public and private sports clubs, and making them more efficient and sustainable, among the main pillars of the next phase of work.

The Dubai Sports Council, headed by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, launched the “Dubai Sports Plan 2033”, which places sports clubs, both government and private, at the heart of the priorities of the next stage, through policies aimed at raising their operational efficiency and enhancing their financial sustainability.

The new plan, according to a statement issued by the Dubai Sports Council, aims to increase the clubs’ revenues from commercial activities to 50% by 2033, compared to 15% currently, in a step aimed at enhancing their ability to achieve self-sufficiency and rely on sustainable sources of financing.

The plan also includes allocating annual support to private clubs amounting to 20 million dirhams, in addition to a special budget directed to small clubs, to ensure the development of talent and enhance the clubs’ social impact.

The statement added: “The clubs are a main focus within four basic pillars of the plan, which also include society, talent and sporting events, with the aim of enhancing the competitiveness of the sports sector in Dubai and consolidating its position on the global stage.”

The plan emphasizes raising the efficiency of the club system by enhancing administrative, technical and commercial spending streams, and applying precise tools for monitoring and evaluation to ensure adherence to goals, in addition to enhancing the clubs’ ability to increase their revenues from commercial activities and sponsorship partnerships.

The “Dubai Sports Plan 2033” reflects the Dubai Sports Council’s commitment to building sustainable and effective clubs, and providing an ideal environment for developing sports talent, to serve the future of sports in Dubai and enhance its presence in the global sports scene.

For his part, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, Khalfan Juma Belhoul, affirmed the Council’s commitment to implementing a long-term vision that supports clubs and develops the sports infrastructure in the emirate.

He said in press statements: “We have a long-term vision in the Dubai Sports Council, which we will work to implement to support sports clubs, develop various sports, and enhance audience interaction, and we will continue to support athletes’ ambition towards internationalism, to take them from local stadiums to international podiums.”

He added: “We will implement a new financing system that rewards government clubs in recognition of their achievements, and enhances their ability to achieve financial sustainability. We will focus on their priorities, requirements, and infrastructure support. We will also provide support to private clubs, to ensure the development of sports talent, enhance societal impact, and the financial and commercial sustainability of the clubs.”

Belhoul concluded by saying: “The new plan also includes launching initiatives to build a professional sports management system, linking funding to specific performance indicators, with a focus on operational control and transparency to ensure the clubs’ long-term sustainability in line with strategic objectives.”