Mubarak Salah, UAE's torch bearer for Rio Olympics during the torch relay.
Dubai - YouGov's latest research exclusively shared with Khaleej Times reveals that 9 in 10 residents keen to host the Games.
Published: Wed 31 Aug 2016, 7:19 PM
Last updated: Thu 1 Sep 2016, 1:48 PM
Could a UAE Olympic bid become a reality in the UAE? YouGov's latest research which has been exclusively shared with Khaleej Times reveals that nine in 10 UAE residents are keen to host the Games here in the future.
Following the end of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, a staggering 82 per cent of the 1,000 people surveyed in the country said they would be interested in jointly hosting the Games with other GCC nations.
The positive results could mean a UAE Olympic bid might well become a reality one day.
Why residents pitch for Games' stage
Residents in the UAE are so keen to host one of the greatest sporting events on earth. But why?
According to the YouGov research, the main driving force is to improve the country's presence on the global stage.
Of the people who participated in the poll, 63 per cent claimed this is why they want the Olympic Games here.
In addition, 59 per cent residents believe a UAE Games would boost tourism and the economy.
kelly@khaleejtimes.com
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Meanwhile, a healthy 54 per cent also claimed it would increase sports participation and 51 per cent said it would generate community spirit and pride in the UAE.
However, not all were so keen - about 10 per cent. Many among this group (42 per cent) agreed that the summer climate here just wasn't suitable for such an event.
Additionally, two in five said participation at grass roots level for sports would need to be further improved first.
This year, 78 per cent of UAE residents followed the recently-concluded Rio Olympic Games, with 42 per cent following it closely.
Male respondents followed the Games more closely than females (47 per cent v. 32 per cent), and nationality-wise, Emirati's were the largest viewer group at 49 per cent.
Watching live TV coverage from home was more favoured by the older generations aged 40+ (34 per cent), as opposed to just two in 10 respondents aged 18-29 years.
Residents also favoured social media to keep track of the Olympic coverage, with 23 per cent watching video clips on YouTube and a fifth following coverage on Facebook.
When considering the impact of the Rio Olympics, three-quarters of UAE residents agreed the Games were a success, with females showing more patriotic pride than males (62 per cent v. 57 per cent).
Two-thirds of UAE residents claimed the Rio Olympics inspired them to become more physically active overall, with males more inspired than females (68 per cent v. 59 per cent respectively).
Commenting on the findings, YouGov's MENA Managing Director, Kailash Nagdev said they clearly demonstrate residents' positive affinity with a UAE Games.
"Following a feasibility study conducted for the 2020 Olympics concluding that over 70 per cent of the infrastructure required for the Games is ready or planned in the country, irrespective of an Olympic bid, the UAE is well on track to have fantastic infrastructure to host an Olympics."
With Dubai also hosting the World Expo in 2020, the country's ability to host large scale events will be second to none.
kelly@khaleejtimes.com
Olympic winners from GCC: Kuwait's independent entry shooter Fehaid Aldeehani (left), UAE's Sergiu Toma (judoka) and Egyptian weightlifter Sara Ahmed (right)
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