For an active lifeIf you have ever been lucky enough to watch the racing at the Dubai World Cup, you will have witnessed more than just extraordinary horsemanship. As the cameras pan back from the winner’s enclosure at the end of this, the world’s richest horse race, an ocean of colour and movement reveals tens of thousands of spectators participating in the year’s most spectacular sporting and social event.

You can pick out people wearing panamas and peacock-feathered caps, blazers and gowns – multi-coloured saris compete with robes of every design and from every continent. Surveying the scene, you see Dubai at its best: a liberal and cosmopolitan society at ease with itself. Dubai might be a business hub, but as a sporting destination it’s got bells on.

Sports play a central role in Dubai life. Horse racing is just one focal point for the many sports professionals and fans who have upped sticks and come to the city. Formula 1 Power Boating is another example where the best in their field have made Dubai their home, with Formula 1 Motor Racing set to take place in neighbouring Abu Dhabi starting in 2009.

Then there is the Dubai Tennis Championship, held every February, where more than 100 of the world’s best tennis players play almost 100 matches during two weeks of non-stop action at the Dubai Tennis Stadium. The Championship includes the WTA Tour Dubai Duty Free Women’s Open and the ATP Dubai Duty Free Men’s Open.

Emirates Golf Club, Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, the Nad Al Sheba Golf Course and the latest addition to the circuit, the Montgomery Golf Club, are recognised as some of the best golfing facilities in the world. Little wonder the Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Course attracts top-flight golfers like Tiger Woods to compete each year. Dubai also hosts the International Rugby Board Sevens Tournament, with 30,000 fans flocking to the city each year to watch rugby teams from around the world compete.

This is the tip of the iceberg. While spectator sports are being supported with the construction of huge sports stadiums across the city, residents are picking up polo sticks at new clubs, riding motorbikes across purpose-built courses or the desert and running, cycling, swimming, fishing and sailing in competitions year-round.