Natural Foundations of Sports Tourism in the United Arab Emirates

By: Dr. Hamada El-Antably

Sports tourism in tourism supply environments relies on providing a number of attraction factors, many of which represent geographical foundations for the movement and activity of sports tourism within these environments. These elements and tourism attraction factors vary in the United Arab Emirates, as the country possesses many geographical traits within its borders that distinguish it from neighboring nations. These traits simultaneously constitute the primary and foundational elements of its sports tourism, some of which are natural—such as location, climate, and landforms—while others are human.

We can summarize the natural foundations of sports tourism in the United Arab Emirates into the following elements:

First: Location and Spatial Relations

Geographical location plays a direct or indirect role in influencing sports tourism activity. It also serves as a shared denominator in influencing sports tourism movement in both its supply and demand environments simultaneously. Geographical proximity is furthermore considered an important element influencing sports tourism movement across these two environments.

The United Arab Emirates is situated centrally between the origins of tourists in Europe and one of their primary destination centers in East Asia. This means it forms a stopping point for tourists traveling from Europe to East Asia, provided that competitive and suitable tourism attraction means are available. Below is a brief overview of the importance of location with its various elements and its impact on sports tourism activity and movement in the UAE:

1. Astronomical Location

The astronomical location plays an indirect role in influencing human life and activities by determining the prevailing climate pattern. The UAE lies between latitudes 23° and 26.5° North—equivalent to a distance of about 427 km—and between longitudes 51° and 56.5° East for a distance of 536 km. Through this astronomical location, the UAE is situated close to the Tropic of Cancer within tropical latitudes characterized by hot summers, while overlooking the southern frontage of the Arabian Gulf and featuring another, albeit shorter, maritime frontage on the Gulf of Oman. The importance of the UAE’s astronomical location lies in its position within tropical latitudes, which has made its waters a tropical sea rich in coral reefs and diverse coral formations, as seen in the waters of the Gulf in Khor Fakkan and Fujairah.

2. Geographical Location

The geographical location of the United Arab Emirates in the eastern Arabian Peninsula—overlooking the coasts of the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, and characterized by the prevalence of oases and water-source discovery centers—has had a prominent impact on enhancing its importance since the dawn of history as a connecting link and communication bridge for neighboring or even distant peoples. Archaeologists have confirmed that the ancient kingdom of Magan, which occupied the eastern coastal plains overlooking the Gulf of Oman, had trade relations with the ancient kingdom of Dilmun in the islands of Bahrain.

The geographical location of the UAE’s lands also exerts an effective impact on shaping the country’s contemporary geographical character, crystallizing its geostrategic entity, and guiding its geographical orientation across sea, land, and air. This unique location influences sports tourism movement within its supply environment; as a sports tourism supply and reception region with a central position, the UAE possesses the capability to attract sports tourists wishing to exploit the diverse spatial tourism patterns provided by the country at a world-class level. Furthermore, its central location creates the opportunity to attract more sports tourists from surrounding Arab and non-Arab countries, as well as from neighboring Asian nations.

The UAE lies in the eastern zone of the Arabian Peninsula, with its lands overlooking two main coastlines: the Arabian Gulf to the west and northwest, and the Gulf of Oman to the east. Meanwhile, its northern lands lie within the range of the mountain peaks where they meet the Omani wilayat of Musandam north of the latitude line of Dibba and Sha’am. Its southern and southeastern lands represent the terminal boundaries of the Empty Quarter desert in the northeast, where its borders extend with Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman. Its eastern borders are shared with the Sultanate of Oman, as its northern parts run alongside the western foothills of the eastern mountains all the way to the city of Al Ain.

Climate and Its Impact on Sports Tourism in the Country

The unique location of the United Arab Emirates—distinguished by its contrasting terrain between land and water, the passage of the Tropic of Cancer through it, and the centering of the subtropical high-pressure system above it—has endowed its climate with many characteristics of the tropical desert arid regime.

A shallow trough of low pressure is centered almost permanently over the Arabian Gulf region and the UAE. However, the presence of a subtropical high-pressure cell in the middle and upper layers of the atmosphere above this trough forms a barrier that prevents cloud formation or hinders their growth, making the Arabian Peninsula an area where rainfall is rare or virtually nonexistent during most periods of the year. Despite the passage of the rainy tropical belt over the UAE region during the summer from June to September, the region receives very little rain, and in some years, no rainfall occurs for the aforementioned reason. The region is also occasionally exposed to dry, scorching southern/south-eastern winds (known locally as Al-Qaws winds) during daylight hours, sometimes lasting for a few hours into the night. These winds frequently arise during the transitional months of March and April, accompanied by dust storms and a noticeable deterioration in horizontal visibility.

Overall, the aforementioned characteristics—coupled with the presence of the subtropical high-pressure system over the region—make the area arid, deficient in rain, and its atmosphere humid and intensely hot. Temperatures and humidity reach unendurable levels during July and August due to the increasing descent of air from the upper atmospheric layers down toward the Earth’s surface.

During the winter season, easterly surface winds prevail over the UAE and the Arabian Gulf as a whole due to the influence of the intensifying high-pressure system centered over the ice of Siberia, extending from time to time over Pakistan and Iran. The extension of the Siberian high over Iran causes strong, cold, dry winds to blow from the northeast (known locally as Al-Nashi winds), causing a noticeable drop in temperatures in the northern regions and increasing sea wave heights in the western parts of the sea. Meanwhile, the mid-latitude high-pressure system occupying the middle and upper layers of the atmosphere moves southward, clearing the way for waves of low-pressure systems coming from the west to pass through the region.

Instability conditions—occasionally accompanied by rainfall over the UAE region—arise when low-pressure systems coming from the east near the earth’s surface meet and interact with low-pressure troughs coming from the west in the middle atmospheric layers. The mountain ranges located over the northern UAE enhance this interaction, thereby increasing precipitation volumes there, which can be categorized as orographic rainfall.

It is observed during this rainy period that the rain belt moves from west to east, while the area receiving rain shifts from north to south on a seasonal basis from December gradually until April. The passage of western low-pressure systems toward the region is followed by the blowing of dry, cold surface winds from the west or northwest (known as Al-Shamal winds), whose speeds sometimes reach storm-force, causing a marked increase in sea wave heights over the southern sector of the Arabian Gulf.

In a few other instances, rain falls in association with low-pressure systems moving toward the region from over the Mediterranean Sea or the Red Sea, drawing their energy from the water vapor they carry. It is worth noting that some hurricanes affecting the Arabian Sea near the coast of Oman may move westward, passing over land where they weaken and dissipate. The remaining remnants of their exhausted energy may affect the UAE in the form of cloud cover moving westward after the hurricane’s demise and the cessation of its associated circular movement. Overall, 99.3 mm of the annual rainfall total of 110.7 mm—representing 89.7%—falls during the winter and spring seasons from December until April, while the remainder of 11.4 mm (10.3%) occurs in summer and autumn from May until November, with most rainfall concentrated over the northern UAE and the coastal strip of the country.

Temperature

As the United Arab Emirates lies within the dry tropical zone, it is affected by high temperatures in summer and low temperatures in winter, bearing its characteristic climatic features. This affinity is reinforced by all meteorological readings of maximum and minimum temperature extremes in the country. Temperatures record the highest average maximums in the summer season from June to September and their lowest average minimums in the winter months from December to the beginning of March. January represents the coolest month, with temperatures registering 17.5°C in Sharjah, 17.4°C in Al Ain, 8.4°C in Ras Al Khaimah, 8.6°C in Dubai, while Fujairah is the highest at 19.8°C. The annual average maximum ranges between 34.1°C in Abu Dhabi, 33.3°C in Dubai, and 34.2°C in both Sharjah and Al Ain.

The main features of temperature across the different seasons can be summarized as being at their best during spring and autumn, as well as during the winter season, which is characterized by warm, sunny weather particularly during daytime. This makes this period of the year attractive for sports tourism, as this moderate weather in the UAE coincides with extremely harsh weather in Europe and the former Soviet republics. In contrast, during the hot summer season, the combination of high temperature and high humidity—particularly in coastal areas—makes the climate unattractive for sports tourism. This climate perhaps has its effect in driving many of the UAE’s residents during this season to depart on tourism trips to regions with more moderate climates.

Humidity

Humidity is considered an important climatic element affecting human life and economic activities; therefore, tourism creators in general—and sports tourism in particular—pay great attention to it. It holds indicators and implications influencing this economic activity, as high humidity percentages lead to human fatigue, especially when coupled with high temperatures. Relative humidity is also considered the second most important climatic element of tourism significance due to its active role in human comfort and activity by determining the effectiveness of heat, as it is difficult to separate the elements of heat and humidity from each other in the realm of their vital impact on humans, as well as its status as a climatic recuperation element for athletes.

The monthly average relative humidity in the UAE is generally moderate, not exceeding 70% in coastal regions and their adjacent areas. Meanwhile, this percentage reaches low levels in interior and mountainous regions—particularly the city of Al Ain—hitting a minimum in Al Ain during most months of the year between 15% and 20%, except for some winter months. As for the Emirate of Fujairah, its relative humidity records a minimum between 5% and 20%, except for some winter months when it reaches 35% due to its somewhat mountainous nature. In general, maximum averages peak during January, reaching 74% in Sharjah, 73% in Ras Al Khaimah, 72% in Al Ain, 69% in Dubai, and 65% in both Abu Dhabi and Fujairah.

The minimum relative humidity average is recorded during June, dropping to 38% in Al Ain, 48% in Fujairah, 50% in Ras Al Khaimah, 50% in Abu Dhabi, 52% in Dubai, and 75% in Sharjah. The sea’s effect is also apparent in humidity averages across coastal locations, where annual averages exceed 60%.

The differences between minimum and moderate relative humidity values are moderate across all meteorological stations, which is attributed to the moderation in the passage of low-pressure systems with humid northwesterly winds in winter, and the high temperature of air touching the surface of adjacent waters and land amidst calm air currents in these latitudes.

Winds, Low-Pressure Systems, and Rain

Wind is an important element in the UAE’s climate due to its direct impact on practicing certain sports tourism activities. We find it to be a significant factor in tourism attraction within the country, drawing enthusiasts of sports—foremost among them being sailing, speed boat racing, and water skiing—all of which rely entirely on wind speed.

Through the study and data of rainfall falling across the country during the months of the year, the rainy season at various meteorological stations in the UAE is determined to be two or three months (December, January, February). This winter rain rarely falls in summer, much like other dry tropical desert regions characterized by fluctuation and instability.

The highest values of rainfall amounts falling over the lands of the United Arab Emirates are recorded during the winter season. These winter rains are attributed to the effect of low-pressure systems accompanying counter-winds that flow with them in a general direction from west to east in temperate latitudes. Due to the centering of low-pressure belts over the Arabian Gulf basin in winter, some low-pressure systems may break away from their usual paths, and weather conditions may allow them to center over the Arabian Peninsula and the Arabian Gulf basin.

Second: Topographical Features

Earth’s topography is one of the natural inputs that plays a major role in attracting and developing sports tourism in a large number of countries around the world. Attention must be directed toward the features and attractive power of these natural landmarks—represented by beaches, valleys, springs, plains, mountains, sand dunes, offshore islands, and coral reefs—their impact on sports tourism, and the possibility of exploiting them due to the intense attraction these features hold for a large segment of tourists seeking them.

Shedding light on the UAE’s topography reveals that it encompasses within its borders five topographical regions, each distinguished by a character, trait, and attractive features for sports tourism that differ from one another. These regions are:

The Eastern Coastal Plain.

Piedmont Plains (Foothills).

The Western Coastal Plain.

Sand Dunes.

Mountainous Highlands.

By: Dr. Hamada El-Antably