The value of economic gains from Abu Dhabi’s hosting of major international sporting events reached $545.5 million in 2017, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council said, citing an analytical study by SMG, a leading international research company.

The statistics are based on economic returns, the number of international visitors, the rate of hotel occupancy per night, and what was spent by the audience and spectators of the events, as well, was what was spent by organisers and the media value of Abu Dhabi’s identity, reported Emirates news agency Wam.

The audience figures for 15 international sporting events reached 358,646 while the number of international visitors reached 145,133.

The Fifa Club World Cup, which was held in December last year, headed the list of sporting events with the highest number of attendance from abroad, reaching 87,323.

According to the study, 2017 saw an increase of 35.9 per cent in the number of visitors at all events in all locations compared to 2016 while the number of visitors and spectators that came to the capital, Abu Dhabi, from abroad increased by 51.9 per cent.

The media return in 2017 totalled $173.2 million, an increase of 76.1 per cent compared to 2016, and the number of hours spent presenting the media identity of Abu Dhabi to international television networks reached 4,232 hours, an increase of 130.2 per cent compared to 2016 while the number of hours spent highlighting Abu Dhabi’s name on the internet reached 25,110 hours, an increase of 85.8 per cent compared to 2016.