The lives of the ancestors in the UAE were closely linked to the sea, a source of abundant goodness and livelihood. The traditional local sailing boat races organised by DIMC serve as a beautiful message to revive those vivid images in the nation's memory.
DIMC organises traditional sailing boat events in different categories, including races for 22ft, 43ft, and 60ft boats.
The traditional 30ft tradition rowing boat races were introduced in the 1996-1997 season when the late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, proposed the idea and directed its implementation. The first race took place on March 7th, 1997, with 15 boats participating, and the crew of the boat "Fatah Al Mu'in 2," led by Captain Khalifa Ali Al Nasar, won the first place.
DIMC has been committed to promoting this category widely, encouraging local enthusiasts to participate by adding more rules and developing specifications to facilitate participation, achieving the desired response, reflecting the love of UAE nationals for reviving the ancestors' past. These races have even extended beyond the state's borders to include other Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
Continuously focusing on this category, DIMC introduced several new ideas to keep up with changes, including the open category introduced in the 2021-2022 season, which brings together boats from GCC countries, government departments, and national institutions. DIMC also modified the boat's shape to accommodate physical distancing during the 2019-2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a unique experience that achieved the desired success.
