Dubai serious over 2020 Olympics bid

The media has frequently reported on Dubai’s wish to win the 2020 Olympic Games. But this Sunday Dubai’s ruler stressed the bid was ultra-serious.

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum said on Sunday that if Dubai submits a formal bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games, it will be “in it to win it”. Sheikh Mohammed is also Prime Minster of the United Arab Emirates. He said there was no bid on the table just yet but detailed feasibility studies were underway. Today (April 26) the city is hosting the SportAccord convention and sport talk-fest.

“No matter what we decide in terms of a possible bid, this process will be good for Dubai. It will help us identify the strengths and weaknesses of our transportation systems, our tourism facilities, our sports venues and other vital infrastructure. This learning process will benefit Dubai even if we never bid for the Olympic Games,” said Sheikh Mohammed.

He added: “We have a lot to offer. Dubai already has a well-developed infrastructure and a good track record of staging international sporting events, although admittedly not on the scale of the Olympic Games. But we also have to be realistic. The summer heat can be a serious problem for athletes. We will have to take an honest look at our weaknesses as well as our strengths. I can assure you of this, though: If we decide to make a bid for the Olympics, we will be in it to win. We would not take such a step unless we were quite serious about it.”

The Olympic Games, if awarded to Dubai, would be the first time an Olympics has been held in a Middle East city, and the first time in an Islamic city. Dubai would also have to overcome the summer heat that plagues the town during July and August. However, its ‘Sports City’ development of 50 million square feet, due for completion next year, and claimed to be the world’s first-ever integrated sporting city, could mostly handle just about any event the Olympic Games needs.