January 12
Sport fans got to see more action on land, sea and air with new events and competitions across the Emirates.
The sporting year began with the Volvo Ocean Race stop-over in Abu Dhabi. The emirate's entry, Azzam, won the third stage of the race to the capital.
Overall, the vessel, which had broken its mast and suffered a hole in its hull in different legs, finished fifth out of six entries after eight months of round-the-world racing.
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy drew the crowds to the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, while the regular annual events such as the Dubai Marathon and the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon attracted top international athletes and thousands of spectators.
The local stable, Godolphin, retained The Dubai World Cup when Monterosso was first past the post at Meydan.
Formula One fans watched Kimi Raikkonen win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Local competitions such as the Abu Dhabi Falconry competitions and the Parachute world championship Mondial were held for either the first time or the first time in the region.
