The Olympiad is known in ancient Greece as a periodical unit of four years which starts by the commencement of the Olympic Games. The first Olympiad was held in 776 B.C.

The first session of the Olympic Games held under the flag of the International Olympic Committee was in Athens in 1897. 13 countries participated with 295 players. The Olympic Games continued in session every four years, in Paris, Saint Lewis, London, Stockholm, Antwerp, Paris, Amsterdam, Los Angeles, Berlin, London, Helsinki, Melbourne, Rome, Tokyo, Mexico, Munich, Montreal, Moscow, Los Angeles, Seoul and now Barcelona.

The United Arab Emirates Olympic movement was showed in the establishment of the National Olympic Committee on 19th December 1979 and was accepted as a member of the International Olympic Committee on 11th June 1980.

The United Arab Emirates participated in the Olympic Games, for the first time in Los Angeles in 1984, then in Seoul in 1988 and will participate in Barcelona Olympic Games 1992 with three games -Athletics, Cycling and Swimming.