Dubai, the “city of superlatives” and a shopper’s paradise, is fast emerging into a major tourist attraction thanks to the innumerable sports and recreational facilities available. Visit Dubai and you will find ways to satisfy that craving for adventure – be it bungee jumping, water skiing, desert skiing, fishing, dune bashing, hot air ballooning, scuba diving, go Karting, ice-skating etc. Visitors who travel to Dubai without allocating time for leisure and sports are sure to return home with regrets.
Adventure sports: A travel to Dubai is incomplete without going Wadi bashing which is to drive a four-wheeler on the undulating sand dunes. After the exciting crisscrossing of the desert, a tourist still has a long list of adrenalin-pumping sports to choose from on a visit to Dubai, like desert skiing, mountain climbing, bungee jumping, skydiving, paragliding, hot air ballooning, surfing, scuba diving etc. Desert skiing, paragliding and hot air ballooning are special favorites with people visiting Dubai for their enthralling experience over the shimmering golden sands.
Go Karting is another thrilling pastime for both locals and tourists who visit Dubai. There are several outdoor and indoor Go Kart tracks owned by hotels and other organizations. Golfing is another popular sport in Dubai and businesspersons traveling to Dubai never miss an opportunity to tee off.
Water sports: Clear waters of the Arabian Sea along Dubai coastline beckons tourists to indulge in various water sports like sailing, scuba diving, swimming, skiing and dhow cruising. Waterfront has always been an exciting part of Dubai from the days of pearl diving more than a century ago. While most of the seaside hotels own private beaches, there are beaches open for public, which offers various water sports facilities.
Recreation: Shopping, entertainment and recreation are what draw people to visit Dubai. Some of the select malls offer tourists a variety of sporting facilities like skating, bowling and other indoor sports activities. There are several amusement parks in Dubai like Wild Wadi Water Park, Children’s City, Magic Planet, Splashland and Wonderland, Encounter Zone, Ski Dubai etc that can quench the thirst for recreational sports activity while visiting Dubai.
Camel racing: Dubai also plays host to various types of racing, which attracts people to visit Dubai like horseracing, the famous camel racing, boat racing etc. A travel to Dubai, especially in winter, must include the famous camel races. During the entire winter, Dubai spruces up for the camel races in the weekends. There are numerous racetracks specially built and reserved for camel racing, some up to 10 kms long. The entry to these races is free; though taking videos or pictures is not permitted.
Sports events: For the non-adventurous tourists who enjoy watching sporting events rather than participating, a travel to Dubai is still worth it as the city hosts several major sports events throughout the year. Travel to Dubai can be planned around some of the major events like the well-known Dubai Desert Classic golf championship, Dubai Tennis championship etc. For the local population too sports and sporting events, which draw celebrity sportspersons, are a major recreational opportunity in this buzzing commercial centre.
Sports City: An exclusive sports enclave, called the Dubai Sports City, is under construction to encourage international sporting events. Once complete this magnificent mini-city will be a must-see on a visit Dubai holiday. The place will have apartment buildings besides several sports complexes. A futuristic 60,000-seat capacity multi-purpose outdoor stadium will be the main structure along with a cricket stadium, hockey stadium, an 18-course golf course and an indoor arena in the Dubai Sports City.