Dubai - UAE
Dubai placed the Arab sports tourism file before a new phase of work and investment, during the activities of the Second Arab Sports Tourism Forum, “New Horizons for Investment and Integration,” which was organized by the Arab Sports Tourism Federation at the Emirates Journalists Association, with the participation of leaders, experts, investors, media figures, and specialists in tourism, sports, hospitality, and travel.

The forum presented a vision that goes beyond treating tournaments as temporary sporting events, towards transforming them into integrated tourism products that support hotels, aviation, transportation, entertainment, and retail, and increase the length of visitors’ stay and the volume of their spending in the host cities.

Arabic map of tournaments and destinations

The call to prepare an Arab map of sports and tourism events was the most prominent topic of the forum, so that the tournaments are linked to tourism programs and cultural, heritage and entertainment experiences in each destination.
The participants believe that this integration can transform the tournament from an event that attracts fans for limited hours or days into an integrated trip that includes accommodation, transportation, shopping, and visiting landmarks, thus expanding the economic impact and creating new opportunities for travel companies, hotels, and investors.

Abu Ali: We want an Arab platform for creating opportunities

In one of the most prominent messages of the forum, Kamel Abu Ali, President of the Arab Federation for Sports Tourism, confirmed that the Federation is working to build an Arab platform that brings together decision-makers, investors, experts and media professionals, with the aim of strengthening the position of sports tourism as a supportive sector for the economy and tourism in the Arab countries.

He pointed out that:

Choosing Dubai to host the forum reflects the UAE’s advanced experience in organizing major tournaments and events, in addition to a tourism and sports infrastructure capable of transforming the event into an integrated experience for the visitor.

Investments start from the hotel and do not end at the stadium

The forum discussed investment opportunities related to the sector, starting from sports facilities, hotels, and transportation, to event management, entertainment, digital technologies, and tourism marketing.
Participants also stressed the importance of expanding partnerships between the public and private sectors, developing training programs for Arab cadres, and using artificial intelligence and data analysis to understand travelers’ interests and design more accurate and targeted offers.

Al Yahyai: Integration is the key to the sector’s growth

For his part, Dr. Sultan Al Yahyai, Secretary General of the Arab Sports Tourism Federation, confirmed that:

Developing sports tourism in the Arab world requires creating real integration between sports institutions and federations, the private sector and the media, in a way that turns sports events into broader tourism and economic opportunities for host destinations.

He pointed out the importance of enhancing cooperation between the various parties concerned, and benefiting from the potential that Arab countries possess in tourism, sports, and hospitality, in a way that supports their ability to host events at various levels and achieve the greatest benefit from their tourism and economic impacts.

What does this mean for the Arab traveler and investor?

For the Arab traveler, this trend opens the way for packages that combine the tournament ticket, accommodation, transportation, and tourist tours in one product, instead of separating the sports experience from the trip.
As for the investor, opportunities expand to include hotels, travel companies, transportation, entertainment, tourism technologies, and event management, making sports tourism an interconnected market that benefits multiple sectors at the same time.

12 recommendations that turn into an action agenda

The forum concluded its work with a package of 12 recommendations, which included strengthening Arab coordination, encouraging investment, preparing a map of events, developing partnerships, supporting specialized media, benefiting from artificial intelligence, developing products directed at youth and families, and qualifying cadres working in the sector.

The Arab Sports Tourism Federation confirmed that the next stage will move towards transforming these recommendations into practical initiatives and programmes, in a way that supports the building of a more integrated Arab network between tourism, sports and investment, and raises the ability of Arab cities to benefit economically and touristically from major tournaments and events.