Gulf News says: Dubai Sports City scores a first

The future never looked brighter for sport in Dubai and in the Middle East. Having already won acclaim as the sporting capital of the Middle East, Dubai has raised the bar by unveiling the world's first integrated purpose-designed sports city, which will be part of the Dubailand venture.

The Dubai Sports City is a mind-boggling 50 million square foot enterprise, costing roughly around $2 billion. Scheduled to be completed in four years, it could actually be finished sooner. But the money, time and logistics apart, what holds out hope for sportsmen and women in the future is the fact that the project has received the support of blue chip sporting brand names as its associate partners.

They range from Manchester United, Butch Harmon, David Lloyd and in the future, the International Cricket Council. Their support is not so much part of the venture, as it is a stamp on Dubai's credibility.