UAE youth confident about Dubai playing host city

Dubai - The "Next Generation Events" report found that 54 per cent of young people in the UAE believe the country is currently ready to host a major event.

Young people in the UAE are confident in the readiness of their cities to host major events, and an overwhelming majority believe that a major event in the country would inspire youth, according to a newly released YouGov survey.
The "Next Generation Events" report, which surveyed over 2,000 young people in ten countries, found that 54 per cent of young people in the UAE believe the country is currently ready to host a major event. The next highest percentage was India, with 42 per cent.
Additionally, the report found that 78 per cent of the UAE's youngsters rank Dubai in the world's top three leading host cities, and that 78 per cent are keen to see more extreme sports events held here in the future.
Notably, one in four young people in Dubai - which in December will be host to the FAI World Air Games 2015 - want to see skydiving made an Olympic sport.
When asked to name a major event, majority of youths in the UAE named Expo 2020, and 57 per cent said they believe that hosting a major event can serve as a boost to tourism.
"Major events live long in memory and provide moments we never forget. They entertain, educate and inspire us - and they bring us together. What this study shows is that in the future, what sets them apart will be their ability to win over a more switched-on and demanding audience," said YouGov Research Manager Zafar Shah.
Globally, the report found that nine out of 10 young people believe the Olympics and FIFA World Cup made the biggest impression in the last four years. Most voted for the World Cup to return to South Africa, followed by the UAE and India.
Nine of every 10 young people said they believe major events inspire young people, a sentiment shared by 88 per cent of those queried in the UAE.
An overwhelming majority, including 92 per cent of respondents in the UAE also noted that they'd like to see more major events in new markets.
The survey was launched ahead of this week's Host Cities 2015 Summit in Dubai, designed to identify trends in strategies for bids, engagement, sponsorship for major events.
reporters@khaleejtmes.com

• UAE
• Dubai