Dubai, 25th April 2010 (WAM) -- The selection of Dubai to host the first SportAccord convention in the Middle East is another important step in emergence of Dubai as a center for global sport and hosting sport leaders from around the world will help create new partnerships, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has affirmed.

''Our guests learn about this region. We will learn more about their specialized business. It will help our region play a bigger role in the world of sport. Sport always breaks down barriers between people. This convention is part of that process,'' Sheikh Mohammed in an interview on the eve of the global sports event.

Leaders from the world of sport will gather in Dubai on Sunday for SportAccord, the worlds largest sport convention. The meeting, being held for the first time in the Middle East, will bring together members of the International Olympic Committees powerful executive board, the leaders of international sports federations and top executives from the sports industry. Ahead of the meeting, HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, took time out to discuss the role of sport in Dubai, the Emirates long term sporting aspirations and the significance of SportAccord for Dubai.

1. Your Highness, what is your assessment of the role of sport in the UAE and Dubai?Sports is an integral part of the growth strategy for Dubai for multiple reasons. The economic benefits are obvious. Every time we host a major international sporting event, it generates income for Dubai and raises our international profile. Our world-class venues and other quality infrastructure have helped make Dubai a top destination on the global sports calendar.

More importantly, our focus on sports protects our health and our heritage. Life was much harder in the pre-modern era, but it was also much more active. It was an outdoor lifestyle. Modernization and prosperity have brought many benefits to Dubai and the UAE, but people are more sedentary. You can see the results in rising rates of obesity and diabetes. About 40 percent of our children have diabetes. That is unacceptable. Sports is one way to address those problems.

Equestrian sports and sailing sports have a direct link to our past. I want to maintain those traditions as we adopt other sports from other cultures. Schools throughout the UAE have taken steps in recent years to encourage participation in sports and physical activity. High profile sporting competition helps that process by inspiring people to become participants as well as spectators.

2. Why is it important to host SportAccord?The selection of Dubai to host the first SportAccord convention in the Middle East is another important step in our emergence as a center for global sport. Hosting sport leaders from around the world will help create new partnerships. Our guests learn about this region. We will learn more about their specialized business. It will help our region play a bigger role in the world of sport. Sport always breaks down barriers between people. This convention is part of that process.

3. If I may ask a somewhat personal question, you are known as a world leader in horse sport, both as a competitor and as a breeder. How did that interest develop?It is in my blood. It is part of my heritage. I love riding. I love being around horses. They are noble animals, and the more you get to know them, the more they give back. The magnificent Arabian horse is from this land, and it sired the thoroughbreds that are prized around the world today. So when the best riders and the best horses come here to race, they are, in a sense, coming home. That link is very important to me. It was the motivation behind Meydan, Dubais new racecourse complex. It is another example of how our growth strategy for sports ties back to our heritage.

4. On another topic, where do things stand with Dubais bid for 2020 Olympics?It is important to understand that, as of this moment, there is no bid. All we are doing now is evaluating whether we should pursue that goal. We are conducting feasibility studies to evaluate the costs and benefits of a bid, and our ability to meet the criteria to host the Olympic Games. No matter what we decide in terms of a possible bid, this process will be good for Dubai. It will help us identify the strengths and weaknesses of our transportation systems, our tourism facilities, our sports venues and other vital infrastructure. This learning process will benefit Dubai even if we never bid for the Olympic Games.

5. From what you know now, do you think Dubai would have a chance for the Olympic Games?We have a lot to offer. Dubai already has a well-developed infrastructure and a good track record of staging international sporting events, although admittedly not on the scale of the Olympic Games. In keeping with Olympic values, Dubai is home to people from many different nationalities and cultures who live in friendship and peace across the Emirate. There is a strong can do culture here.

But we also have to be realistic. The summer heat can be a serious problem for athletes. We will have to take an honest look at our weaknesses as well as our strengths. I can assure you of this, though: If we decide to make a bid for the Olympics, we will be in it to win. We would not take such a step unless we were quite serious about it.

Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2010.