Dubai will bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics as soon as an expected go-ahead from the government comes through, a top official of the UAE National Olympic Committee said.
“Our bidding has started already,” Abdulrahman Falaknaz, the NOC finance director, told The National newspaper.
“The UAE has the infrastructure, capability, manpower and know-how to host such events. There is pressure on cities when they host huge events like the Olympics, but Dubai and the UAE can take it.”
Falaknaz revealed that representatives from Dubai have been consulting senior figures from past Olympic host cities such as Sydney and London.
“Everybody has to learn all the time, and we are learning,” he said.
Falaknaz was a guest at the Host Cities Summit, a gathering in Dubai of some of the world’s leading sports administrators to discuss emerging nations hosting top sports events.
TravelMole was a media partner of the event.
Advice at the summit was given to countries or cities that hope to attract top events.
“The storyline has changed when it comes to staging sporting events,” said Dr Danny Jordaan, who was crucial in bringing the 2010 World Cup soccer to South Africa.
“Now and in the future it will be about emerging nations.
“The economic growth of a city should be linked to staging big events, otherwise it’s a questionable investment,” Jordaan said.
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