Life Realities

LIFE STYLE AND LEISURE

If you enjoy observing the beauty of marine life, there are plenty of sites in and around the UAE where you can do so.

There are also plenty of places to observe nature in the UAE. Bird watchers in particular have the chance to observe some unique specimens at Ras al Khor wildlife sanctuary.

Ras al Khor wildlife sanctuary is famous for its flamingos.

Or you could always take a trip to the UAE Falcon and Heritage Centre which is located off the Al Khail Road, just a couple of kilometers from the World Trade Centre.

Here you can witness one of the most traditional of Emirati pastimes.

Dubai is famous for many things - and in the sporting fraternity - it has a fabulous reputation for world class golf courses. The most famous can be found at the Emirates Golf Club.

South African Ernie Els is a three time winner of the annual Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament.

Casual players can usually try their luck on one of the two courses. Elsewhere in Dubai, the Creek course offers the chance to play a challenging round with the backdrop of the city and Dubai creek.

The Montgomerie (designed by Colin Montgomerie) is situated a hefty drive or two away from Emirates Golf Club.

At Nad Al Sheba you can play 9 holes and there is some opportunity for floodlit games at night. There are also a couple of ice rinks, netball courts and athletics training facilities.

Multiple Dubai Desert Classic winner Ernie Els is also currently designing a course for the under construction Dubai Sport City.

Now even golf pales into comparison with the UAE’s national obsession - racing.

The UAE is a serious horse racing country and fittingly, Dubai is home to the richest race in the world.

Other major sporting events to take place in Dubai include the Dubai Duty Free tennis tournament, which recently has attracted the likes of World number one Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, both of the Williams’ sisters and Lyndsey Davenport.

Motor racing is rising in popularity in the emirate, and in the Dubai Autodrome the city boasts a Formula One standard race facility – which will play host to the A1 Grand Prix in January 2006.

Now most other sports pale into comparison with the UAE’s number one sport, horse racing.

The Dubai World Cup - with price money worth more than US$2m - is staged every March at the Nad al Shebah course.

The Dubai World Cup is one of the social and sporting highlights of the year.

It attracts the top horses, trainers and spectators from around the world and is one of the social events of the year.

There is also horse racing at the Jebel Ali racecourse, which is situated behind "The Greens" development, just off Interchange 5 of the Shaikh Zayhed Road.

If you like your racing a little slower, and a little more traditional, then you can always go to a camel race at Nad al Sheeba, a sport which has a large following among UAE nationals and which is phasing out the use of child jockeys.

Dubai ‘Victory’ powerboat racing team.

Being a city next to the sea, you’d expect top quality water sports. Well, Dubai is home to top UIM Powerboat team 'Victory'.

The team, based in Dubai Marina have won the F1 title on several occasions.

The glitz and glamour of high powered watersport also comes to Dubai every November, as the city hosts a round of the world title series.