According to the Greek myth, the Olympic Games were instituted by Hercules – a demi-god hero – to honour his father, Zeus (the King of Gods) and, above all, to unite the Greeks of the various cities after long years of being in war with each other. From then onwards, during the Olympic Games, all participating nations/cities were ceasing any battle in process and were participating in peace, united under the umbrella of sportsmanship and fair competition. This is the reason that, after all, the Olympic Games were taking place in summer, as that was the period of wars and it was important for people to recall, even for a short period of time, that above all differences and hatred, there are values that are common to all and by which they should try to live. And, that is why, the first award was just a thin branch of an olive tree, to decorate the heads of the winners and symbolise the priceless value of honour and recognition.

Today, it seems that, more than ever, it takes the powers of a demi-god hero to unite the nations of the world, as the notion of the Olympic Games Truce often appears weak, despite the strong will of nations to keep up with the organisation of these games, within the best possible context.

It is exactly because of this permanent challenge that it is important for the UAE to bid for and host the Olympic Games.

Some of the positive results are quite obvious: the preparation of the Games will lead to a significant boost of the national and local economy. Although the bid for the Olympic Games is made by a city and not a country – and, in this case, Dubai is currently the most prepared city in the Middle East to bid, despite the recent challenges – the positive results will be evident for the whole UAE, as synergies will develop among all emirates, while the leading role of Abu Dhabi, as the head of the Federation, will be enhanced. Given the effects of the world economic recession over the past year and the slowdown of the growth in the UAE and the region, such a business opportunity would be welcomed by the entire business community – and, it is well known that, the UAE is, above all, an international business community.

But, is this really what the UAE is? Hosting the Olympic Games gives Dubai and the UAE the unique chance to act as the international ambassadors of the Middle East for values that are much more significant than economic growth and that, unfortunately, they are not often connected with this rich yet misunderstood region.

The UAE will be the leading country to connect its name and tradition with the safeguarding of the greatest of values: the Olympic values for peace – as expressed through the Olympic Truce – and sportsmanship. In a region that is often connected with heartless wars, fundamentalism and fanatic clashes, the UAE will present to the whole world the gentleness of its people who are among the most polite and hospitable, and the peacemaking attitude of the Arab race. The civilisation of a region that has been the centre of the global evolution will shine, prevailing over repetitive and superficial promotion of one-sided cultural developments from other parts of the world that often lack the warmth and depth of the Middle Eastern culture.

Additionally, the cultural background of the region will be further enhanced through the introduction of sports in youth's everyday life. The moderate – if not limited – representation of the Middle East in international athletic events is indicative of the fact that sports are not really an integral part of daily life in the region. Ancient Greeks used to say that "A healthy mind lives in a healthy body", thus they had included athletic activities in the educational curriculum of the youth, along with mathematics, philosophy and arts. This has been adopted by most developed countries nowadays, as sports offer the opportunity to young people to use their free time in a useful and enjoyable way, while also learning the values of discipline, fair competition, goal setting and team spirit.

In 2004, the Olympic Games were hosted again in their home-country, Greece, and were admittedly among the best Games ever organised. What made them so special and, besides the development of the infrastructure and the international promotion, what were the positive effects for the Greek society?

There were two main issues that made the 2004 Olympic Games a world-recognised success story and it is exactly these two issues that would make the biggest difference in the UAE: the involvement of youth and the development of volunteerism.

The large number of volunteers in Greece proved to be the heart of the Games. Maybe the visitors from around the world cannot recall all the details of the athletic contests, but everyone – even the people that did not go to the Olympic Games at all – remember the waves of the young people [more than 100,000! – a world record], in their majority Greeks, though supported from young people from numerous countries as well, that were flooding the city, the buses, the metro, the shops, smiling and helping the foreigners, in a most warm, truthful welcoming spirit.

The involvement of the local youth, as well as emiratisation in general, is among the top priorities of each emirate and of the UAE as a whole. In a country that the locals have ended up in a few years being the minority, often remaining the hidden treasure of the country for many expatriats, the organisation of the Olympic Games can be their own project, a project in which they will get personally involved and they will shine in the world arena through their welcoming smile and their hospitality. The Olympic Games do not need to involve in large the community of the "expats"; on the contrary, the young Emiratis will be the majority, possibly along with other young people from the neighbouring countries, getting trained and acquiring competencies that will assist any future emiratisation programme – while also giving the UAE the opportunity to lead the way to the unity and training of the young Arabs in the region.

Furthermore, the notion of volunteerism will be enhanced in the country and the Middle East.

Through the Olympic Games, the UAE can grab the chance to lead again the way in the Middle East through the development of a strong and valid group of volunteers that will further on assist the implementation of the national strategy, as expressed by the leadership of the emirate and the country.

All the above may counterbalance any challenge currently under consideration for the bidding for the Olympic Games. As Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, had said: "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well."

- The writer is Partner, Stanton Chase International – UAE and Ex-Special Advisor, Ministry of Education in Greece