The Dubai Sports Council (DSC) has launched a five-year plan designed to drive the emirate’s sports clubs towards financial independence.

The plan is aiming to eventually end Dubai clubs’ dependence on government support and is insisting on the implementation of a strict zero-deficit budget plan as well as improved investment of resources.

DSC met with officials from Dubai’s clubs, with Mattar Al Tayer, the Deputy Chairman of DSC, chairing the meeting. Also present were Khalifa Saeed Sulaiman and Sami Al Qamzi of Shabab Al Ahli Dubai, Rashid Belhoul of Al Wasl, Ahmad Hashim Khoury and Humaid Al Tayer of Al Nasr, and Ali Obaid Al Badawi of Hatta, along with Esmail Al Banna (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai) and Mohammad Ali Amer (Al Wasl).

Saeed Hareb, the Secretary General of DSC, attended along with DSC Board members Mohammad Al Kamali, Ahmad Al Shafar and Maryam Al Hammadi, and Nasser Al Rahma, Assistant Secretary General of DSC.

“Our wise leadership has provided Dubai with the best investment opportunities in the world in terms of tourism, business and living through quality lifestyle and services, which contribute towards supporting the development of the sports sector,” Mattar Al Tayer said.

“We must be able to translate the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of DSC, and take advantage of the development in all these sectors.

“We must activate the investment side of sports through the establishment of accurate and effective financial budgets, and start supporting the work of the clubs through proper investments, at all the clubs without exception.”

BETTER INVESTMENT

Al Tayer added that the directives of Shaikh Hamdan and the strong relationship and cooperation between DSC and the clubs and companies are the foundations of success.

“The coming period requires even more cooperation between the Council and the clubs and football companies as we work to raise the level of the sports sector in Dubai to the level of our ambitions and implement the directives of our wise leadership regarding the development of the sports sector,” he said. “We need to work professionally to optimise the resources available, whether human or financial, or in terms of the available sports facilities.

“The management who do not invest the resources and the name of the club optimally, they lead the club into a vortex of failures, debts and financial problems.

“This has become unacceptable and we will not allow these things to happen again through due diligence, cooperation and the application of regulations, which have been developed after studying the situation, as well as the initiatives and recommendations of the Sports Innovation Laboratory, which are being implemented to upgrade the sports sector to a level commensurate with the development witnessed in the other sectors of Dubai, and turn our sports sector into a model for the rest of the world.”