Sailboats in the United
Arab Emirates
Name: Saeed Mohammed Ali
Alshehhi
Institution: HCT
Section: CEC
Introduction
The
Emiratis love water and have been sailing since prehistoric times. The practice
of sailing has been an important part of UAE history since it was the main
income generating activity before the discovery of oil in the mid 20th
century (UAEInteract 2013). In fact, the process of boating and sailing in
general has sustained life in the UAE for more than a millennium. Thus, the
development of sailing as a sport not only reflects on the importance of
sailing to the Emiratis but also a historical practice that had been the main
source of livelihood for many centuries (UAEInteract 2013). The success of
sailing as a sport is boosted by the calm and warm waters in the Gulf region
and the numerous number of clubs and water sports that ensure the sport has
facilities and varieties respectively. The numerous hotels around the beach
also offer sailing facilities for visitors making the sport one of the most
famous in the UAE.
Personal
reflection on Sailboating as a Sport
This
is one of my favourite sporting activities. I have always dreamt of owning a
boat due to the love I have for the sport. I love the sport due to the huge fun
it gives me and the historical context of the sport in our country and my
family specifically. I come from a family with a long history of sailing
practices dating back over a century. As much as modernization has eaten away
the practice, it is still very famous in our family, and it is practiced as a
form of leisure and respect to my family’s history. Therefore, my love for
sailing as a sport has been cultivated in me since I was young as part of my
family heritage.
History
of Sailboating as a Sport
Sailing
has been part of UAE evolution for many years. It was mainly practiced at a
commercial level. However, sailing as a sport is said to have originated in the
17th century in Holland (Pearson Education, 2005). The sport then
spread to England in around 1660, eventually spreading to most of England’s
colonies in the Americas. This gave birth to yacht clubs, where sailors came
together to form a recreational and social group. Yacht clubs existed as early
as 1720 in Ireland (Pearson Education, 2005). In the 20th century,
sailing sport as a competition became recognised globally with teams from all
over the world competing for the top spot.
In the UAE, sailing as a sport was
introduced in mid 20th century as one of the country’s initiatives
to preserve its cultural heritage of the country (Dokoupil, 2012). One of the
earliest sporting actions of sailing is the traditional boat racing that takes
place annually in the UAE.
Sailboat
sporting facilities in Abu Dhabi
The
success of this activity as a sport is due to intense investments the country
has made in the form of facilities and training as it is considered one of the
main tourist attraction activities in the country. The main providers of these
facilities are water sport clubs, beach clubs, and hotels which are found in
all major Emirates. To begin with Abu Dhabi has the highest number of clubs and
hotels that offer facilities for water sports including sailboat sport. The Abu
Dhabi Sailing Club (ADSC) is globally known for its numerous facilities that
support water sporting activities (Abu Dhabi Government, 2013). It is part of
the Madinat Zayed club that is focused on sporting activities in the UAE. The Abu
Dhabi Sailing Club (ADSC) offers both temporary and long term membership making
it a major tourist water sporting centre. Furthermore, there is the Abu Dhabi
International Marine Sports Club which is well known for its powerboat racing
activities in Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE (Abu Dhabi Government, 2013).
It supports numerous marine sports including waterskiing, wakeboarding,
kayaking, sailing, jet skis, and powerboats. Its access to a large beach makes
it one of the favourite sporting joints in the UAE. The success of this club is
founded in its sport hosting activities that are local, regional and international.
Other
common areas that support sailboat as a sport in Abu Dhabi are Emirates Sailing
School, the Emirate Heritage Club, and the Wakeboarding beginner’s park (Abu
Dhabi Government, 2013). All these facilities have world class equipment and
machinery that support all major marine sports in the UAE.
Health
and diet and sporting
Sporting
activities have been practiced for many years as a major form of physical
exercise in the process of promoting healthy living. The UAE has invested
heavily in sporting facilities as a way of promoting active living among the
Emiratis. The most important aspect of healthy living is eating a well-balanced
diet (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2013). This is essential to ensure the
body has enough food for the provision of physical energy. A common health diet
should include vitamins and minerals, drinks, salt, sugar, fats, beans and
pulses, eggs, meat, milk, starchy foods, fruits and vegetables. Eating a well-balanced
diet promotes health, which is an essential ingredient to sporting activities.
The
performance of an individual in any sporting event that requires the use of
physical energy is enhanced by nutrition. The most important aspect of sporting
is a promotion of an active lifestyle. Eating well promotes an active lifestyle
as it ensures the body has enough energy needed to participate in the activity (U.S.
National Library of Medicine, 2013). For instance, sailing requires rowing of
the boat which is dependent on the amount of energy an individual’s body can produce
and for how long. Thus healthy living is not limited to physical exercise;
eating a balanced healthy diet is a major ingredient.
