Government of Dubai Media Office – 24 December 2018: Dubai World Cup, DP World Tour Championship and the Dubai Tour – three of Dubai’s biggest sporting events – have retained their 5-star rating in the fourth edition of Dubai Sports Council’s Sports Events Ranking System, while the Gov Games received the top rating on its first attempt.

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, has given his seal of approval to the rankings for 2017-18. Dubai World Cup finished at the top of the leaderboard with a score of 95.3 while the DP World Tour Championship, the climax of the European Tour Race to Dubai, came in second with 94 points. The Dubai Tour was just 0.1 points behind with 93.9 points while the inaugural Gov Games received a score of 91.3.

The 2018 Julius Baer Gold Cup, one of the region’s top polo events, topped the charts among 4-star events with a score of 89.8. They were followed by four other events that scored 89 points and above - Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens (89.7), Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (89.5), TTD Super Cup (89.3), and the 2017 Dubai Badminton World Superseries Finals (89).

HH Sheikh Hamdan said: “We are very pleased with the success of this system, which is a purely home-grown initiative that is aligned with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and supports the objective of enhancing innovation.

“The Dubai Sports Council designed and implemented a unique indigenous system that fits the needs of Dubai, a diverse city with a character of its own, home to more than 200 different nationalities, all living in harmony and working for a better future.

“The past years have witnessed increasing growth in the sports sector and a rise in its contribution to the national economy through the creation of jobs and construction of sporting infrastructure. Sports events not only contribute to the development of this sector but also encourage members of the community to embrace sports and a physically active lifestyle. The atmosphere that these events create and the stars and heroes they bring play a big role in inspiring the community to adopt a sporting and fitness culture.”

Congratulating the events that topped the ratings, Sheikh Hamdan urged them and the others to continue their pursuit of excellence, grow their following among fans and attract even greater participation from the community.

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, thanked Sheikh Hamdan for his many sports and community initiatives that have inspired the residents of Dubai to embrace a sporting lifestyle and put the Emirate on a path to becoming the most physically active place in the world.

Al Tayer also thanked Sheikh Hamdan for the generous patronage and support he has extended to the sports sector, as well as his guidance, which are the foundations of Dubai Sports Council’s operations and have led to the emergence of Dubai as one of the leading brands and destinations in the world of sports.

“His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has laid the foundation for the Council’s work and set its objectives with insight into reality and precise reading of the future,” Al Tayer said.

“We are working in an innovative and integrated government system, and an important and vital sector: the sports sector, which must witness progress that matches the progress and development we see in all other aspects of life in Dubai.

“Today, Dubai enjoys a prestigious position among the leading cities of the world, organising various local, regional and international sporting events. We host more than 400 events every year, but our focus at Dubai Sports Council is not on quantity alone; we are striving to raise quality as well, and we want to encourage organisers to innovate and achieve excellence.

“This innovative, home-grown Ranking System, the first of its kind in the world, was launched with these goals in mind. We wanted to create a platform through which we could honour excellence at the organisational level and, at the same time, encourage others to aim for the same.”

Launched by the Dubai Sports Council (DSC) in 2014, the Ranking System is a pioneering initiative that seeks to incentivise and recognise the organisation of sports competitions and events in the emirate, with each event being ranked on the quality of organisation and its impact in six categories: environmental, organisational, promotional, social, sporting and economic.