Cricket lovers at the Tolerance Oval deserve more than folding chairs and tents in the sun

Over the years, the UAE has built quite a reputation for holding international events, whether in Abu Dhabi, Dubai or the other Emirates. There are occasional glitches but by and large the country’s event management expertise and local hosting bodies ensure that not only are foreign participants satisfied but that they return home with a good impression of the country and what it has to offer.

I shan’t delve into figures but our events industry has made an enormous contribution, not only to the country’s global image, but also to the economy – creating jobs, filling hotel beds, airline seats and bringing in revenue – and long may that continue.

For that to happen though it is important to draw attention to and correct failings whenever they occur. As the Vice President and Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid has frequently noted, a continual striving for excellence and improvement is essential if the country is to keep making progress.

In recent weeks, I have observed two international events, both in Abu Dhabi. One was a conference for the International Union for Conservation of Nature hosted by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, to which I referred recently. From my own experience, it seemed to go well and that impression was echoed by the foreign participants to whom I spoke. It certainly promoted knowledge about the UAE's commitment to conservation worldwide.

The second event offers a more mixed picture – the Abu Dhabi matches in the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup Qualifier which ended on October 27. Hosted by the UAE, the qualifier involved rounds in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, leading up to the play-offs, semi-finals and finals over the next few days to determine which teams will go to the World Cup in Australia next year.

For the most part, the event has gone pretty well so far. There have been some great matches, with plenty of surprises. And thanks to the broadcasting of some games, the Qualifier has attracted millions of television viewers from around the world and promoted further the UAE's reputation as a home for international sport.

Since the team from my other home of Jersey was playing in the Qualifier round in Abu Dhabi, I turned up to a few games and was rather surprised by how much I enjoyed them. Part of that enjoyment came from the action on the field – particularly, I should confess, from Jersey’s victory over the UAE. It was also nice to engage with the small and enthusiastic band of supporters who had travelled all the way to Abu Dhabi. I even got messages from friends in Jersey saying that to their surprise they had seen me on their television sets.

Some of Jersey’s games were at the Zayed Cricket Stadium and I was delighted to hear, both from players and from supporters, that they were pleased with the facilities on offer. The travelling supporters of all national teams were given open access to the Royal Box to be able to watch the games in comfort, well-protected from the sun. That was a nice touch. Since Jersey sadly failed to make it into the play-offs, I won’t be travelling to Dubai and will miss out on the opportunity to experience the facilities there although I hear that they are pretty impressive.

Sadly, the other Abu Dhabi facility, the ‘Tolerance Oval’, adjacent to the Zayed Cricket Stadium, wasn’t quite so supporter-friendly. Rather than a ground surrounded by banks of seating, it’s a simple expanse of well-kept grass with a boundary fence.

For the matches there, the organisers provided for the visiting supporters a small tent, with a few folding chairs, capable of accommodating around 15 people. To our surprise, we found that this was expected to be sufficient for supporters of both teams who felt the need for shelter from the sun. For the UAE-Jersey game, this just about worked, since it was only the visiting Jersey supporters and myself who sought to make use of it. Not so for the Jersey-Ireland game, since a few resident and visiting Irish turned up, including the country’s ambassador to the UAE.

A passing official informed us that all other tents were being used for normal weekend sporting activities nearby. We managed to squash into the single tent, spilling out of it a bit, but other spectators – like the Nigerian players observing the Irish team, who they were due to play the next day and random Abu Dhabi residents interested in watching the game – had to find bits of shade wherever they could.

I heard no overt complaints and one Jersey supporter told me that they had experienced worse facilities in some other countries the team has visited. I wonder though what impression of Abu Dhabi they have gained.

Surely, when the UAE seeks to promote itself as a sporting destination, we can do better than this in catering to foreign fans.