Dubai Plan Bid to Host Olympic Games

Dubai plans to expand its existing sports facilities across the Emirate with a bid for an Olympic Games, government officials said Wednesday.

 Ali Omar, director of Dubai Sports Council (DSC) sports development department said that submitting a candidature as a host city to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was still on the agenda.

 ‘‘Hosting the Olympics is a dream,’’ he said.

 ‘‘We hope to submit such a bid within the next eight years, god willing.’’

 Omar wants to benefit from the worldwide attention the region will generate from Qatar’s winning bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

‘‘Qatar’s move put professional sports in the whole Gulf Arab region in the focus of the world’s attention,’’ he said.

Dr. Ahmed Al Sharif, the DSC secretary general, briefed the media on Dubai’s achievements of hosting professional sports events.

He said that Dubai has built a number of high-tech stadiums, and more stadiums and facilities would be needed across the emirate for a bid for a major global competition in sports.