Horse Racing
Horse racing is a more popular as compared to camel racing in the UAE. Horse racing can be enjoyed at most of the major clubs. The Dubai World Cup horse race is the world’s richest horse race and can be revered in Dubai. People can also enjoy horse riding at the various clubs and the essential equipments are provided on request. Also, there are lessons conducted for the interested. The Abu Dhabi Tourist Club, Abu Dhabi Hunting & Equestrian Club, Ajman Equestrian Club, Club Joumana, Jebel Ali Equestrian Club, Sharjah Equestrian & Racing Club and the Umm al-Qaiwain Marine Club and Riding Centre are a few of the horse racing clubs located in UAE. Have an exclusive look of the Meydan Race Course City which will be inaugurated during the 2010 World Cup and is touted to be the largest one in the current horse racing scenario.

Football
Football or soccer is one of the most popular and favourite sport after Camel racing and Horse racing. There are a lot of stadiums spread across UAE. Zayed Sports City is the largest sports complex in the country.

Cricket
As most of the population in UAE comes from the Indian sub-continent, cricket is easily become the popular sport in the country. The Sharjah Cricket Stadium hosts the annual matches for the cricket world cup.

Camel Racing
Generally takes place on weekend’s mornings in winter, Camel racing is a different sport and has become an essential part of the UAE tradition. The race takes place on special tracks and the atmosphere is completely enthusiastic during public holidays. Al Wathba Racetrack, Al Ain Racetrack and Nad al-Sheba camel track are a few of the racetracks located in UAE.

Golf
UAE has many golf courses and three of them are PGA championship golf courses. Almost all of the courses are managed by the UAE Golf Association and most of them are also found in the major hotels of the country. Dubai Desert Classic event takes place in Dubai and is marked by the world’s best golf players.

Tennis
The popularity of Tennis is taking its pitch high up and there are a lot of private clubs and hotels hosting their own tennis courts. The annual Dubai Tennis Championships is hosted in Dubai and is a WTA and ATP event wherein the top tennis players compete.

Car Rallying
Most of the cars rallying events in UAE are organized by the Emirates Motor Sports Federation. The Desert Challenge is always held in the first week of December.

Polo
Dubai Polo Club offers a chance to play polo for the polo lovers. They also provide all the equipments on rent. The polo season is hosted in the country in between Mid-October to April.

Rugby
Rugby fans can play and enjoy watching rugby matches held throughout the year across the country. Dubai hosts Six Nations Rugby Tournament in April and Dubai Rugby Sevens in November and December.

Rock Climbing
There are some interesting rock-climbing routes on the UAE Mountains. Also, you can try out indoor climbing at the Pharaohs Club, Qud al-Mehta and Pyramids in Dubai.

Sailing
There are a lot of beach clubs and hotels offering an option of sailing through the waters of the Gulf for the short-time visitors of the UAE. For a true experience you can endow the sailing dhows or wooden crafts swaying off across the Indian Ocean. Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club, Abu Dhabi Catamaran Association, Dubai Offshore Sailing Club, Dubai International Marine Club and the UAQ Tourist Club provide sailing equipments for the sailors.

Ice-Skating
You can enjoy ice-skating when the sun always shines in the country. The Abu Dhabi Tourist Club has got a big ice-skating rink with floodlights and TV screens. Dubai has got two ice rinks, Hyatt Regency Galleria and Al Nasr Leisureland and you need to check for the activities before going.

Other Sports
Besides the common sports you can enjoy bowling, polo, rock climbing, canoeing, athletics, chess, archery and much more. Popular water sports include boat racing, powerboat racing and jet skiing.

Traditional Sports in UAE

Sports in any country is an actively promoted activity not only for its health benefits but also for its supplementary roles as a entertainer and cultural tie ups between people for the love of game.
Being a dry land, sports in UAE are prominently related to the desert sand where camels and horses rule the roost. People flock together to watch various traditional sports amongst which the famous ones are camel racing and various forms of equestrianism. In spite of arrival of modern sport activities like golf and F1 which cater mostly to the tourists and rich people, the popularity of these traditional sports does not cease to exist in the hearts of common Arab.
Sport Clubs with state-of-the-art facilities have been constructed by the UAE government so that the residents can enjoy and play their favorite sports at leisure. Traditional sports have also been given equal weightage and are been aggressively promoted to keep their heritage alive for future generations. Various sports events and championships are arranged on a regular basis that attracts players from international arena giving the country a global viewer ship. Various sporting activities collaborate together to play an active role in promoting tourism in the country.

Camel Racing

Camel Racing: Camel Racing is a traditional Arab sport that is a part of native lives for hundreds of years. Mainly two types of camels are used Omani and Sudania for this sport where they differ only in color. They are fed on a typical diet of dates & milk and made to run certain distances to build their stamina. It was initially a long-established part of weddings and special events. But now the sport now has been given formal status with customized 15 race tracks across the UAE equipped with high tech facilities. Some of the famous ones are Nad Al Sheba Racecourse, 10 kilometers outside of Dubai and Al Wathba outside of Abu Dhabi. Customarily underage boys were used as human jockeys but due to wide condemnation from Human Rights Organization they have now been replaced by robots, which is a welcome move.

Horse Racing

Horse Racing: The Arabian horse is recognizable all around the world for its rich bloodline and is one of the oldest horse breeds; archeologically. So horse racing as a sport is an essential part of Arabian life with various tournaments arranged and lessons held for those eager to learn. Equipment for equestrian sports is easily available at all clubs where sports may assume a form of recreation. Dubai is known to host the richest horse racing tournament in the world; Dubai World Cup. In fact, Meydan racecourse city is touted to be the largest one till now and will host the 2010 Dubai World Cup.

Endurance Riding

Endurance Riding: Arabian horses which are able to sustain the rough terrain of the Gulf region are perfectly suitable for long distance, grueling endurance rides. As this sport is bounded by strict rules and the course is rough, UAE is becoming a popular place to organize such rides of international stature. UAE has had a chance to play host to FEI World Endurance Championship which is the international governing body of equestrian sports.

Traditional boat racing: Traditional sports are an intricate part of Arab life and one such sport is boat racing. In the past years, boats used to be much longer but even if today they are not so, it’s an amazing site to see a packed crew propelling their boats towards the finish line as the crowds cheer them. Boat racing is most held between October and April during the colder months when dhows with huge rigs are built and competition gets fierce about who wins the race. One such event in December is the Mubarraz Island marine sports festival held to promote marine sports heritage.

Falconry

Falconry: Falconry is one of the oldest traditional sports in UAE dating back to almost 2000 years. It was a sport originally enjoyed only by the rich Sheikh’s and also used as a means to source food such as hares and houbara for the tribe. They were also used in conjunction with Saluki hunting dogs to chase and hunt down gazelles. Falconry is not an easy sport and requires a great deal of patience to train the bird to show off its skills. The Emirates Bird Society is making efforts to save and raise public awareness about the endangered species. Stopping Illegal trade of falcons, pursuing falcons blueprint of migration are some of the methods used to preserve the species.

Dhow Sailing

Dhow Sailing: Dhow Sailing is in fact a traditional activity admist all the curious glances it gets from tourists to have a ride in a wooden constructed boat known popularly as ‘Dhow’. In past times, Dhows were used for fishing but as time demanded these Dhows have been restructured to accommodate all the modern amenities for offshore sailing along Abu Dhabi or Dubai coasts. In Dubai, to attract tourists they even have a Dhow cruise along the Dubai Creek which comes with all the luxury comforts as it disperses a beautiful view of the historic Creek. Traditional Dhow sailing competitions are held during winter months along the Sir Bu Nuair Island to revive the old days when fishermen and pearl traders used to travel the deep waters in their Dhows.