After the successful hosting of IPL and other international bilateral series, the UAE cricket culture has started rising. However, even after hosting many international-level cricket matches, many people still don’t know how many cricket stadiums in UAE.
There are three cricket stadiums of international standards in UAE, Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Dubai International Stadium, and Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium.
Apart from these three, there are other stadiums like the Ajman Oval Cricket Stadium in Ajman and the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai. UAE, as a country, doesn’t have a great record in playing cricket, but they are getting incredible success in hosting international-level tournaments.
Top Five Cricket Stadiums in UAE
UAE has emerged as the new home for cricket after the shifting of ICC headquarters. Many perfectly engineered cricket stadiums are featured with modern-day technology. Here’s a description of the five best stadiums in UAE, along with their capacity:
1. Dubai International Cricket Stadium
Ranked among the top infrastructure stadiums worldwide, Dubai International Cricket Stadium is the first-tier cricket stadium in UAE, located in Abu Dhabi. This is one of the three test-venue stadiums in UAE.
The stadium was opened on 22nd April 2009 by hosting a match between Pakistan and Australia. Now, this stadium has hosted hundreds of IPL and international matches and tournaments held by ICC.
- Capacity: 25,000 to 30,000 seats
- Stadium standards: International standard
- Owner: Dubai Properties
- Location: Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Rd, Dubai Sports City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2. Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium
Also known as Abu Dhabi International Cricket Stadium, this is another popular stadium in UAE that hosts international cricket matches. This stadium was established in 2004 and has become the home ground for the Pakistan National Cricket team. Sheikh Zayed stadium is also a test venue and has hosted several matches.
- Capacity: 20,000 seats
- Stadium standards: International standard
- Operator: Pakistan Cricket Board
- Location: Near Khalifa City A, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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3. Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium
This is one of the oldest cricket stadiums of international standards located in Sharjah, UAE. This stadium was constructed in 1982 and is still hosting international, and IPL matches without any problem.
The first played at Sharjah Cricket ground was between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 1986. Sharjah has hosted many IPL matches in 2014, 2020, and 2021 editions.
- Capacity: 15,000 to 16,000 seats
- Stadium standards: International standard
- Operator: Sharjah Cricket Council
- Location: Industrial Area 5, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
4. ICC Academy Ground Dubai
This ground was built in 2009 to host international tournaments held by ICC. The ground has hosted several ICC Under-19 World Cup 2014 edition matches and warm-up matches for the ICC Men’s T-20 World Cup of 2021.
This stadium has great infrastructure and indoor and outdoor pitches with proper floodlights for conducting day-night matches.
- Stadium standards: International standard
- Owner: N/A
- Location: Dubai Sports City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
5. Ajman Oval Cricket Stadium
This is one of the oval-shaped stadiums located in Ajman, UAE. The stadium was established in 2014 and is currently the home ground of the UAE National Cricket team. The first match on this ground came in November 2015 between UAE and Oman. This is not a test venue and is privately owned by Ajman Cricket Council.
- Capacity: 5,000 to 5,500 seats
- Stadium standards: For hosting local tournaments
- Owner: Privately Owned
- Location: Emirates City, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
Other stadiums in Dubai are only reserved for hosting local tournaments. However, with the increasing cricket trend in the Emirates region, a new stadium of international standards is expected to arrive soon.
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How Many International Stadiums Are In Dubai?
There is only one international stadium in Dubai which is Dubai international stadium. However, other stadiums in Dubai are used for hosting local-level tournaments. The UAE is a country that has shown incredible progress in cricket, and the future seems to be even brighter.
The best thing about this nation is its many international cricket stadiums in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, and Umm Al Quwain. The three major stadiums in UAE include Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Dubai, and Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium.
Which Stadium Is Best In UAE?
Despite several stadiums in UAE, Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium is rated as the best of all. This is because Sharjah features world-class infrastructure and technology, which is the reason behind its top position in this list.
Apart from the fact that this is the oldest stadium (built-in 1982), Sharjah has still maintained world-class facilities and infrastructure. As a result, it has not only hosted international matches but has also hosted multiple IPL matches in recent years.
Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium is also considered among the top options. However, Sheikh Zayed cricket stadium is still inferior to Sharjah stadium in infrastructure and technology. Nevertheless, the infrastructure highly maintained pitches, and location makes it a prime option for hosting any high-level cricket matches.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Which is the best cricket stadium in UAE?
According to experts, Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium is the best cricket stadium in UAE. The stadium is a test venue and also hosts T20Is and ODIs.
2. Does Dubai Have Cricket Stadium?
Yes, Dubai International Cricket Stadium is one of the three major stadiums in UAE. The stadium has a seating capacity of 25,000 to 30,000, the highest of all stadiums in UAE.
3. Which is the biggest cricket stadium in UAE?
Dubai International Cricket Stadium is the biggest Cricket stadium in UAE, with around 30,000. The stadium is also the biggest because of its mass-scale infrastructure and big boundaries.
4. Is cricket big in UAE?
As a cricketing nation, UAE is still finding its way into the big stage tournaments. However, cricket is getting daily here with the hosting of ICC tournaments, international matches, and IPL.
5. Which stadium is small in UAE?
Sharjah is the smallest cricket stadium in UAE in terms of boundaries. The boundaries may be small here, but Sharjah is considered the best stadium in UAE.
6. Does UAE play cricket?
Yes, UAE is also registered with ICC and plays cricket and international matches. However, UAE is still considered one of the associate nations by the ICC.
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