Busiest year yet for sport in the UAE

Sharapova and Shevchenko. Jimenez and Djokovic. Alonso and Afridi. Whether you are a time-served tennis aficionado, a firm and fervent football fan, a greens-loving golfer or a pledged and passionate petrol-head, the UAE is the place to be in 2009 when it comes to live sporting events.

For several years now, Abu Dhabi and Dubai have made concerted efforts to promote tourism in a bid to reduce their reliance on petrodollars. While figures released for 2008 found tourism to account for 30 per cent of Dubai's gross domestic product, oil continues to represent 74 per cent of the country's GDP.

Next year, however, the authorities must surely expect the tourism figures to soar as a host of international luminaries disembark in the desert for a slew of top-notch events. Where else in the world can you spend the first three days of the New Year watching six of the best athletes in the world go head-to-head solely for your pleasure?

That is Abu Dhabi's first offering of 2009: the Capitala World Tennis Championships.

Barely will the New Year's Eve fireworks have dissipated and six of the Top 10-ranked men's players will take to the hard court in a singles-only exhibition tournament in a bid to win $250,000 (Dh917,500).

World No1 Rafael Nadal and 13-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer will both compete at the capital's Zayed International Tennis Complex from January 1-3.

Three days later and the new sporting year kicks off up the road with the World Series Dubai Football Challenge.

AC Milan will take on Martin Jol's Hamburg side and while undoubtedly the focus will be on debutant David Beckham, fans will also get a chance to watch some of Brazil's best in Ronaldinho, Kaka and Alexandre Pato.

Last year, when Milan travelled to the Emirates for their winter training camp, they played the UAE national side. A rematch was ruled out for 2009 however, as Ismail Mattar and Co will be in Muscat trying to retain their Gulf Cup crown. The 19th edition of the Gulf Cup of Nations runs from January 4-17.

The same week as the final in Oman – and coincedentally the same week Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie will attempt to win the world's richest marathon in Dubai – sees the European Tour roll into town for the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.

In its third year, the tournament marks the start of the annual Desert Swing, a trio of Tour events that also include the Qatar Masters and the Dubai Desert Classic.

European Tour Player of the Year Padraig Harrington and Race to Dubai leader Sergio Garcia will renew their rivalry in the capital. Boo Weekley will make his Middle East debut in Doha. And Dubai, never one to be outdone, will mark the 20th anniversary of the Middle East's oldest Tour event by inviting each of the Classic's 18 previous winners, including two-time winners Tiger Woods and Ernie Els, to compete from January 26 to February 1.

Woods is almost certainly incapable of competing, recovering as he is from the injury he sustained at last year's US Open. But the undisputed world No1 may make an appearance if he can coincide the event he won last year with a visit to check the progress of his first signature-designed golf course, The Tiger Woods Dubai", which is scheduled to open in the last quarter of 2009.

On February 16, the Aviation Club in Dubai will be the focus of sports fans' attention – and likely some non-sports fans' – as the WTA Dubai Tennis Championships gets under way.

Maria Sharapova, having pulled out injured last year, promised fans she would return in 2009, while Serbian duo Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic, the latter the current world No1, are both expected to return for the week-long $2m event.

As the women finish, the men start and Nadal and the rest of the best will make their second trip to the Emirates in as many months to try and wrestle the ATP trophy from last year's winner Andy Roddick.

As the end of 2009's first quarter approaches, more UAE developments are scheduled to open their doors, including Dubai Sports City's 25,000 seater cricket stadium.

The official line is international teams will visit by July and with Pakistan having already signed a three-year deal to play their One Day Internationals and Twenty20 matches here, we can expect to see Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar bowling at their best.

One venue that will definitely be hosting international teams will be The Sevens, as Dubai hosts the 2009 Rugby Sevens World Cup from March 5-7.

Having witnessed South Africa dominate the Dubai Sevens in November, the emirate is ready for more of the same as 24 men's teams and 16 women's teams prepare to compete for the code's top honours.

As always, March will also see the traditional Dubai World Cup take place. The world's richest horse race will take place on March 28 for the final time at Nad Al Sheba, before its relocation to Meydan in 2010.

The race night tends to mark the start of the summer slow-down in terms of local sporting events, but that's where next year differs.

Of course, with such unforgiving weather, it is impossible to host golf tournaments in the region during summer. But with the European Tour's Race to Dubai lasting all year those living in the Emirates can watch safe in the knowledge that when it comes down to the business end of things they will be there to witness history in the making.

The Race to Dubai culminates in the Dubai World Championship on November 19 at the Greg Norman-designed "Earth" course. The tournament will see the 60 top Tour players vie for their share of a $10m prize fund, with the top 15 post-tournament sharing another $10m between them.

But before that race takes place, the UAE capital is set to host a race of its own – and what a race it's going to be.

The inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be the season-ending race of the 2009 Formula One calendar and will take place at the custom-made Yas Marina Circuit on November 1.

With the past two seasons having gone to the final race in Brazil, Abu Dhabi has pulled off the coup of the year by landing the final grand prix.

Having unveiled the circuit plans earlier this year, fans can't ask for a better view of the World Champion being crowned – the track's focal point is a drive-through hotel.

And those checked-in may want to extend their stay as Abu Dhabi will again become the centre of the sporting world a month later when the city hosts the Fifa Club World Cup for the first time.

Manchester United were crowned Champions of the World last week in Yokohama, Japan, but next year the tournament comes to the UAE.

Whether the Red Devils will be there depends on them successfully defending their Champions League title. For you, however, like all the events in the UAE this year, there is no such requirement: you're invited.

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