There is no shortage of top sporting events in the Emirates and here’s our one-stop diary of everything that’s going on — welcome to our weekly feature, What’s Up UAE.
The festive season is approaching and while many have holiday plans in store, there’s still plenty of sport to enjoy in the Emirates.
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Here’s our run-down of some of this week’s sporting events:
GULF CUP
Monday, December 25 – Thursday, December 28
After Friday’s 1-0 win over Oman, Alberto Zaccheroni’s next task is against Saudi Arabia on Monday (18:30), who despite fielding a second-string team, overcame hosts Kuwait in their opening Gulf Cup fixture.
The head coach was pleased with the performance against the Reds but insists there’s still a lot of work to do if they want to go all the way in the competition.
Ahead of the game there are no injury doubts, with Zaccheroni expected to name the same side from the win over Oman.
Next up for the UAE after their clash against Saudi Arabia is a meeting with hosts Kuwait on Thursday (21:00).
DUBAI INTERNATIONAL SPORTS CONFERENCE
Wednesday, December 27 – Thursday, December 28
Roma legend Francesco Totti, Altetico Madrid manager Diego Simeone and Barcelona legend Carles Puyol are just some of the marquee names who will feature at this week’s 12th Dubai International Sports Conference.
The annual event has become a key date in the Middle East’s footballing calendar, attracting influential figures in the sport for more than a decade.
This tradition is set to continue at Madinat Jumeirah from December 27-28, with the first night also featuring the eighth edition of the Globe Soccer Awards.
WHERE: Madinat Jumeirah
MORE INFO: Global Soccer Awards
MUBADALA WORLD TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
Thursday, December 28 – Saturday, December 30
With the New Year approaching, it’s almost time for this year’s edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.
The world’s top tennis stars, including Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem, Pablo Carreno Busta, Roberto Bautista Agut, Kevin Anderson and Andrey Rublev, will compete in the capital.
This year’s tournament will also feature an exhibition match between 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams and an unconfirmed opponent on Saturday December 30
Activities start from midday each day, with the final scheduled for 7pm on Saturday.
Player practices are open to the public, free of charge, so it the Tennis Village.
WHERE: The International Tennis Stadium, Zayed Sports City
MORE INFO: Mubadala
