Dubai Calendar has announced a remarkable start to 2014 with a diverse range of international and local gastronomic, music and sporting events set to wow the emirates' residents and visitors in January and February.

The emirate’s one-stop resource for information onsporting, arts, culture and heritage, culinary, entertainment and community events, Dubai Calendar also confirmed that January and February will set the tone for the remainder of 2014 with a vibrant line-up of events confirmed throughout the year.

“2013 was an outstanding year, not only for events in Dubai, but for the emirates as a whole,” said Hamad bin Mejren, the executive director of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, the department that oversees Dubai Calendar.

“2014 is set to be even better. As illustrated in Dubai Calendar, wehave established adynamic and diverse calendar of year-round events that rival those of the greatest cities in the world. Events, such as those taking place in January and February,are a major contributingfactor in attracting visitors to Dubai and a key pillar in our strategy to deliver the Vision for Tourism 2020,” he remarked.

Kicking off 2014, and in keeping with the athletic spirit of the New Year, January will see a series of high-profile and community sporting events return to Dubai.

On January 24, local and international runners will put their endurance to the test as they take to Dubai’s roads for the 'Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon.'

For sport-loving spectators, the 25th anniversary of the annual 'Omega Dubai Desert Classic 2014' brings together golf legends such as Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in January and February at the Emirates Golf Course.

Sporting fever continues into February as Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, Petra Kvitova and Agnieszka Radwanska, go head to head at the 'Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2014.'

With a strong sporting start to the year, foodies and music lovers will find that Dubai Calendar’s February events are music to their ears, with the return of the much-anticipated 'Emirates Airline Dubai Jazz Festival' to be held from February 13 to 20, and the launch of the inaugural 'Dubai Food Festival' on February 21.

Now in its 12th year, the eight-day Jazz Festival will welcome a host of high-profile international and local artists. This year will include American Jazz icons Al Foster, Larry Carton, and Steve Grossman, UK singer-song writer Olly Murs and Grammy-award winning music legend Carlos Santana.

Switching focus from the melodic to the mouthwatering, the new Dubai Food Festival is set to tempt the palates of the region’s gastronomes over 23 days in February and March as it brings together some of the Emirate’s highest profile food events for business and consumers including Gulfood and Taste of Dubai, as well as the inaugural editions of the Dubai Food Carnival and The Big Grill.

“Dubai Calendar’s January and February events will set the tone for the remainder of 2014,” added Hamad bin Mejren.

“It’s going to be an outstanding year for Dubai residents and visitors with aremarkable line up of Dubai Calendar events that are as vibrant, diverse and colorful as the Emirate itself. With this in mind, 2014 will not disappoint,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service