The UAE | Sporta Tours

The UAE

Sporta Tours take more schools and teams to the UAE for sports travel than any other operator. This is where it all started for us. Consequently we enjoy a great reputation and extensive contacts at the highest level across the region.

When it comes to the quality of the sports facilities and the range and standard of accommodation you will find the UAE impressive. With outstanding weather and direct flights it is easy to access and represents great value.

Fantastic sporting weather from Autumn to Spring
A very safe location
World class sporting facilities
High quality hotels and airlines
Wide range of non-sporting downtime activities
Top rate international schools as opposition
Direct flights and no jet lag for flights from within Europe
The possibility to combine tours with major sporting events

Sport is massive in Dubai and the UAE. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is based there and it plays host to numerous international events. Venues such as Dubai Sports City with some 50,000,000 square feet of sporting venues, academies and leisure attractions and the Zayed Cricket Stadium are renowned.

Perhaps lesser known is the opportunity for cultural exploration this destination presents. Time spent learning about its history, culture and religion can be enlightening. It isn’t short of adventure and sightseeing too. From desert safaris to shopping malls and time at the beach, an itinerary here can be diverse, fun and educative.

Sample itinerary

All Sporta tours are tailored to the requirements of each school and club we work with and also vary according to the sport. The following example itinerary for a cricket tour however, provides an idea of what a tour to Dubai and the UAE can feature:

Day 1 – Arrive into Dubai or Abu Dhabi from an overnight flight. At the airport, a member of the Sporta Tours team will be waiting to meet you. Transfer to a local school or academy for a morning of training. Check into your hotel for rest, relaxation and a chance to explore the surrounding area, plus an early night!

Day 2 – In the morning, acclimatise with a training run along the beach with the iconic Burj Al Arab as your backdrop. Then depart the hotel after breakfast for a practice session at 7he Sevens Ground. In the afternoon, visit one of the UAE’s water parks, which are among the world’s best.

Day 3 – Depart the hotel for your first match against a local Dubai school. In the evening, visit Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping centre and enjoy dinner beneath the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, whilst enjoying the fountain show.

Day 4 – Depart the hotel for your second match. In the afternoon and evening explore the picturesque Dubai Creek and the souks – Dubai’s world-famous traditional market.

Day 5 – A day spent in Abu Dhabi. Depart the hotel for the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque for a tour. After lunch, play your third fixture at Abu Cricket Cricket Stadium or Zayed Sports City. En-route back to the hotel, stop off at the Yas Marina F1 GP Circuit for a walk, cycle or run around the track. Or, pay a visit to Ferrari World, the world’s largest indoor theme park!

Day 6 – Enjoy a mid-tour morning of relaxation in bed or on the Jumeirah Beach. Return to the hotel mid-afternoon ready for a desert safari  trip followed by an evening of cultural experiences and dinner with the desert safari team.

Day 7 – Visit the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding for a delicious cultural lunch in a wind house. These traditional buildings were designed to stay cool within long before air conditioning. Here you will also be encouraged by the good-humoured and friendly Islamic hosts to ask questions about their faith. Play your fourth match in the afternoon.

Day 8 – Check-out of the hotel in the morning, with opportunity to return to the souks or the mall for last minute gifts for friends and family at home. In the afternoon, complete your tour with a fifth match.

Day 9 – Depart for Dubai Airport which is a short 10-minute drive from the city and check-in for your flight home around midnight.