Dubai wants to host the Olympics in 2020

Source: ArabianBusiness.com 2 November 09
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The first meeting of Dubai 2020 team, which aims to bring the Olympic Games to the emirate, is set to take place on Monday.  The talks will be chaired by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince, news agency WAM reported.
The meeting aims to start the preparation for the Dubai 2020 initiative, which also aims to bring the World Expo to Dubai in 2020.
The 2020 team will also work to bring other big international events to Dubai.
The committee includes Dubai's most senior officials such the Mohammed Al Shaibani, head of the ruler's court and Dhahi Khalfan Al Tamim, Dubai's chief of police and Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Emirates.
Japan's Hiroshima and Nagasaki are also launching a joint bid for the 2020 Olympics. Delhi, Istanbul and Budapest have already expressed interest in bidding.
If successful Dubai would become the first city in the Middle East to host the Olympics.

Olympic opening commentary in Dubai

Like half the world, I watched the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics last night. I don't know if the Olympics are being shown on free-to-air tv here in Dubai but we are getting it loud and clear through the South African satellite network MNET. Incredible ceremony with fantastic fireworks. I have to ask though: What was with Sarah Brightman's hair? It looked liked a cheap rental wig from a mermaid costume.

It was a total surprise when I heard the opening ceremony commentators: Keith Quinn and John McBeth. I last heard KQ commentating sailing or something like that on TVNZ and John McBeth has commentated rugby in NZ since the Dark Ages (and done it well too.) The commentators for the weightlifting this morning were Kiwis too. Yaaaah -flat vowels rule!