Lausanne, Switzerland, September 29, 2008 - The Persian Gulf will be the site for the next two SWATCH FIVB World Tour events as the United Arab Emirates hosts an international Beach Volleyball stop for the first-time with a double gender event next week in Dubai.

The US$350,000 Dubai Open will be held October 6-11 at Jumeirah Beach Park under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance. MCO Sports will promote and organize the event as the company has staged SWATCH FIVB World Tour stops in Paris and Marseille, France.

"The SWATCH FIVB World Tour will offer the public a great opportunity to see this hugely popular sport for the very first time here in the UAE," said Mohammad Abdul Karim Julfar, President of the UAE Volleyball Association. "Dubai enjoys wonderful weather and has glorious beaches. I think that both fans and players will really enjoy coming to this event."

While the men will be participating on the Arabian Peninsula for the second-straight season, the women will be competing in the region for the first-time as a 3,500-seat stadium with seven outside courts at Jumeirah Beach Park are currently being constructed. The event will be open and free to the public during the entire week.

A total of 71 men's and 43 women's teams have enterd the Dubai Open (as of September 27, 2008) from 32 countries, including Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Great Britain, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Poland, Russia, Slovak Republic, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela and the United States.

The Dubai Open competition for both men and women starts October 6 with possible Country Quota playoff matches. The Qualification Tournaments are scheduled October 7 and the Main Draws begin October 8. The semi-finals will be October 10 and the medal matches October 11. The winning teams will share the $28,000 first-place prizes.