Over 50 journalists from the UAE were welcomed to Dubai Sports City this week by its President, Khalid Al Zarooni, as part of a Dubailand tour.
Khalid Al Zarooni introduced the media to the project followed by a tour of the city’s sporting venues and facilities. “We are thrilled to see such strong support from the media for our vision of Dubai Sports City. With a lot of activities and developments moving forward this year, it is very important that the local media are fully aware and involved with the progression of each element within the project.”
The media delegation visited the first opened facility, The Els Club, an Ernie Els-design championship golf course, where they discussed plans and progressions of all facilities within Dubai Sports City.
The 25,000-seat Cricket stadium will be making its debut in October this year followed by the Hockey stadium towards the end of the year.
By the end of 2008, Dubai Sports City will be the centre point for world-renowned sporting academies including the first purpose-built Manchester United Soccer Schools facility anywhere in the world (which will be housed within the Dubai Sports City Football Academy), the International Cricket Council’s own ICC Global Cricket Academy, the first Butch Harmon School of Golf outside the United States, the first of its kind WorldHockey Academy, and a David Lloyd Tennis Academy.
About Dubai Sports City
Dubai Sports City (DSC), the cornerstone project of Dubailand, is a USD 4 billion, 50 million square feet mixed-use development which will be the world’s first integrated purpose-built sports city.
The development will be built around five major sports venues:
• a 60,000 capacity multi-purpose outdoor stadium for football, rugby, track and field and other sports and non-sports events
• a 10,000 seat multi-purpose indoor arena suitable for all hard court sports as well as concerts and other events and also including a removable ice rink
• a 25,000 capacity cricket stadium, expandable to 30,000, with state-of-the-art facilities for players, match officials, VIPs, spectators and the media
• a 5,000 seat field hockey stadium
• a 72-par, 18-hole championship golf course designed by South African star Ernie Els
In addition to the stadia, Dubai Sports City will feature a series of major sports academy facilities including:
• Dubai Sports City Football Academy, the home of Manchester United Soccer Schools, Dubai
• a David Lloyd Tennis Academy
• a Butch Harmon School of Golf, the first such facility outside the United States
• the International Cricket Council’s own ICC Global Cricket Academy
• the WorldHockey Academy, a first of its kind partnership with the International Hockey Federation
• top class multi-sport training facilities including gymnasium and a 50 metre swimming pool
• a world-renowned sports medicine and rehabilitation centre
Designed as a lifestyle development, Dubai Sports City will also feature comprehensive community facilities including:
▪ Next Generation Country Club and spa facility
▪ a large-scale shopping mall
▪ two retail hubs offering up-scale dining and boutique shopping
▪ a range of schools
▪ medical facilities
▪ community centres
▪ hotels
