Dubai Sports City Dubai UAE

The year 2008 has already seen key elements gone live to delight sports enthusiasts and visitors alike, and - with stadiums, luxury residences, sports academies and retail options all set to open soon - the project is rapidly becoming one of the most talked-about sports developments in the world.

A cornerstone project of Dubailand and a US$4 billion, 50 million square feet mixed-use development, Dubai Sports City is set to be a major global destination for sport.

A Fitting Stage for the World's Champions

At the heart of the city will be five major venues for the world's most popular sports events: a 60,000 seat multi-purpose outdoor stadium; a 25,000 capacity cricket stadium; a 10,000 seat multi-purpose indoor arena; a field hockey venue for 5,000 spectators and the magnificent 18-hole championship golf course, The Els Club.

The scale and ambition behind all of these ventures has already been demonstrated by the official inauguration of The Els Club. From its star-studded tee-off, which attracted such major sporting figures as Martina Navratilova, Andrew Flintoff, and Peter Schmeichel, to the release of the first phase of memberships, which sold at a record rate, The Els Club has been warmly welcomed by the local and international golfing community. Professional players such as Henrik Stenson, Paul McGinely (co-captain of the 2008 Ryder Cup) and enthusiastic amateurs have praised the course.

With a range of thoughtfully-placed tee boxes, fairway pot bunkers and green complexes, coupled with carefully-developed undulation, The Els Club's 18-hole, championship golf course offers a unique addition to the Middle East's growing range of world-class golf facilities. The Els Club golf course has already begun to host golf tournaments at its facility.

A number of the other major attractions are also set to welcome their first visitors soon. The 25,000 seat dedicated Cricket Stadium is taking shape at a rapid pace and has reached the stage where it stands out as a landmark in the wider Dubailand development.

The 5,000 seat Hockey Stadium is also running to schedule and will also be completed around the end of 2008. The 60,000 seat multi-purpose outdoor stadium will fully comply with specifications for international football, rugby and athletics events, while the 10,000 seat indoor multi-purpose stadium will allow for a wide range of sporting events including ice hockey, basketball, tennis, and volleyball. In entertainment mode, the venue will be capable of hosting concerts and other major public gatherings.

A Place to Hone Athletic Talent and Potential

Dubai Sports City's range of world-class sporting academies is set to offer major benefits for residents, local teams and visiting professionals.

Both the physical and human resources are rapidly coming together at the Dubai Sports City Academies Campus, offering the potential to provide the highest possible standards of training for participants of all ages and abilities.

Manchester United Soccer Schools will get the ball rolling and be the first programme in the Dubai Sports City Football Academy in the coming months.

The ICC Global Cricket Academy, the WorldHockey Academy, the Butch Harmon School of Golf and the David Lloyd Tennis Academy are also all set to begin operations early in 2009. The Bradenton Preparatory Academy, an American college preparatory school that will offer a flexible curriculum to develop sporting talent, will open its doors to students in 2009.

Working in coordination, the academies will provide integrated infrastructure for training across a range of core disciplines, as well as providing facilities for people at all skill levels to improve and enjoy their sports.

A Home for Healthy Living

As well as the sports facilities, the homes that will form the heart of the DubaiSports City community are also developing. Work on the residential properties and commercial real estate is continuing apace, and the community as a whole is beginning to come to life.

Both Victory Heights and Canal Residence West continue to generate huge interest, and the concept of the balanced sporting lifestyle offered by Dubai Sports City is increasingly well-received around the world.

Canal Residence West, a range of beautiful buildings presented in Mediterranean, Classic European, Venetian, Arabic and Spanish Andalusian architectural styles set in the heart of Dubai Sports City, offer studio, one, and two bedroom apartments with quick access to the promenade that overlooks the canal, which will offer upscale cafes, restaurants and boutiques as well as sport and leisure activities on an unprecedented scale.

An Integrated City

As the master developer, Dubai Sports City is taking full advantage of the potential for retail activity, and will offer more than 3.8 million square feet of retail space available across all real estate and facilities when construction is completed.

With careful planning, retail centres are being positioned in prime locations, enabling residents to easily reach shopping and entertainment areas, helping to maximise footfall for retailers.

Arena Mall, the largest retail destination within Dubai Sports City, will be directly linked to the 10,000 seat multi-purpose indoor stadium and occupies a key retail location within the development. Comprising approximately 1.88 million square feet of gross lettable space, the mall will be anchored by a 140,000 square foot hypermarket and will include a family entertainment centre.

The Arena Mall's trade area will encompass a population of approximately 800,000 by 2010 and, with an exciting calendar of international exhibitions, sporting events and concerts at Dubai Sports City in the coming years, tenants are in a prime position to benefit from strong brand exposure.

North Point, Dubai Sports City's larger retail and commercial hub, will be the cultural centre of the development and offer visitors a relaxed environment to dine and shop. Situated at the northern end of Dubai Sports City's central waterway, at the heart of a vibrant downtown district, North Point is in close proximity to DSC's business district and sporting facilities.

South Point, Dubai Sports City's second retail and commercial hub, will offer a premium dining and shopping experience. Located in close proximity to the sought-after Victory Heights golf course villa community, and anchored by Dubai Sports City's boutique hotel, South Point will offer a range of premium brands, boutique shops, and firstclass restaurants.

Launched in May 2008, Gateway Towers - the icon of Dubai Sports City and the landmark of the mega-project's business district, is a visually spectacular development. Characterized by a stunning black and silver glass finish it will be the highest point within the mega-project, offering breathtaking views of the Cricket Stadium and The Els Club. Gateway Towers' inspirational design is representative of the excitement and adrenalin behind the entire development.

The Sports City "within a City"

Perhaps most excitingly, Dubai Sports City is set to attract "flagship events" in each of the six major sporting disciplines - football, rugby, cricket, hockey, golf and tennis - supported by a programme of local events and the daily activities at each of the sports academies, creating a yearround calendar. By helping to hone local talent and by attracting the world's most famous names in sport to Dubai, Dubai Sports City will play a major part in helping Dubai become one of the world's major venues for sports.