Dubai Sports Council budget rises to Dh442 million

DUBAI // Dubai Sports Council’s budget has been increased by 8 per cent to Dh442.1 million for this year, its board announced on Thursday.

This increase followed a meeting chaired by Mattar Al Tayer, deputy chairman of the DSC and chairman of its executive office, this week at its headquarters in Al Jaddaf.

Last year’s budget was Dh411.49m and the DSC board thanked Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai and chairman of the DSC, for their sponsorship, support and donations to Dubai’s sports sector.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Hamdan have increased DSC’s budget to boost the sector’s growth, Mr Al Tayer said.

Dubai’s sporting profile was lifted considerably after the emirate was named the second-best international sporting destination behind London at the end of last year, he said.

“Today, Dubai is known the world over as the sporting destination of choice for most of the top people in the industry,” said Mr Al Tayer. “So it is important that we build on this success and try to do better.”

At the meeting, the board reviewed the report on DSC’s updated Strategic Plan 2011 to 2015, last year’s activities and plans for the new year.

It was decided to reconstitute three committees: strategic, sports development and investment and projects.

New categories have been added to the annual awards for clubs, including best junior sportsman, best common project, best club or best football company in the social responsibility field, best initiative, best football company in marketing and investment, best beach football team and best women’s sport club.

Other topics of discussion included standards for arranging and hosting sports events in Dubai, and the Ghars programme launched by the DSC to enhance the behavioural values of Dubai clubs’ staff, including athletes, coaches, administrators and drivers.

“The aim is to ensure clubs in Dubai acquire a distinctive educational, sports and cultural status,” Mr Al Tayer said.

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