Australian rules football in the Middle East describes the minority sport of Australian rules football as it is watched and played in the Middle East region.
The sport is played at various levels, mainly by expatriate Australians. The main cup competition played in the area is the Dubai 9s, although a regional league under the name AFL Middle East which commenced in October 2008, with the inaugural 2008/09 premiers being the Dubai Heat. The AFLME initially featured six clubs, three in Dubai and one each from Abu Dhabi, Muscat and Doha.
Australian football is not known as a spectator sport in the Middle East. The first Australian Football League exhibition match was played in the United Emirates in 2008. The only matches broadcast are AFL matches (particularly the AFL Grand Final) on satellite television in some countries through the Australia Network and on cable television in Israel.
Read more about Australian Rules Football In The Middle East: Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Israel and Palestine, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Middle Eastern Performance At International Cup
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