National Basketball Association (NBA) and Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi Announce Long-Term Renewal to Bring More NBA Games and Activities to the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
The National Basketball Association (NBA) (www.NBA.com) and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) announced an extension of their existing collaboration that will feature preseason NBA Global Games, expanded marketing activities, and the launch of an NBA Global Academy in the UAE capital. The long-term extension will also bring additional youth development and fan programming to Abu Dhabi and surrounding communities for years to come.
NBA Global Academy, which will be based in Abu Dhabi and serve as the global hub for the league’s NBA Academy program, will be a year-round elite basketball development and academic program for top high-school-age student-athletes from the UAE, the Middle East and around the world. The academy will include elite development programming for up to 20 local boys, basketball development activities for local girls and residential programming for up to 24 male prospects from the rest of the world.
“Extending our partnership with the NBA further strengthens Abu Dhabi’s position as the new home of basketball in the Middle East and reinforces our commitment to our youth, inspiring our community, diversifying the economy, and elevating the emirate’s standing as a global destination,” said HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi. “The establishment of the NBA Global Academy in Abu Dhabi will open pathways for Emirati and UAE-based athletes, coaches and sports professionals to learn from the world’s best, while our long-term hosting of the NBA Global Games will inspire the next generation. Beyond bringing world-class sporting events to our capital, the NBA’s youth programs and grassroots initiatives encourage healthy, active lifestyles and connect our residents to the universal values of sport. This multiyear commitment reflects Abu Dhabi’s ambition to be a hub for culture, entertainment and excellence, for both our residents and visitors alike.”
“Our collaboration with DCT Abu Dhabi has been instrumental in growing basketball participation and fandom in the UAE and across the Middle East,” said NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum. “We look forward to building on those efforts in the years to come, including through the launch of an NBA Global Academy that will help develop elite-level players from the region and around the world.”
Additional details about future NBA preseason games in Abu Dhabi, including the schedule and participating teams, will be announced at a later date.
The collaboration will see DCT Abu Dhabi, through its destination brand Experience Abu Dhabi, once again serve as the Official Tourism Destination Partner of the NBA in the Middle East, China and Europe while expanding the territories in the destination partnership to also include Africa, Asia Canada and Latin America.
The extended collaboration between DCT Abu Dhabi and the NBA will also feature the expansion of youth development programming that has reached more than 20,000 boys and girls since 2022, including plans to expand from the four existing Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA leagues in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain Region to six leagues this fall and 12 leagues by 2028.
Abu Dhabi will also host two annual basketball tournaments featuring top youth and elite players from around the world, starting with the 2025 NBA Academy Showcase in Abu Dhabi, which was held at the NYU Abu Dhabi campus from Sept. 25-27 and featured top high-school-age players from four elite basketball programs: NBA Academy Africa (Senegal), IMG Academy (U.S.), INSEP (France) and the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence.
The NBA Academy program provides a holistic approach to player development and a predictable pathway to maximize their potential. The program emphasizes health and wellness, character development, and life skills and gives athletes the opportunity to learn the game from coaches with professional, collegiate and international experience. More than 150 NBA Academy student-athletes have represented their national teams at various levels, more than 100 have committed to or gone on to attend NCAA Division I schools in the U.S., and more than 40 have played, are playing, or have signed to play professionally, including 15 who have advanced to the NBA.
The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2025 presented by ADQ featured two sold-out preseason games between the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 2 and Oct. 4 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island. The games were part of a multiyear collaboration between the NBA and DCT Abu Dhabi that features preseason NBA Global Games, the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Abu Dhabi League, a variety of interactive fan events featuring appearances by current and former NBA players, an NBA 2K League exhibition event and a series of Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA and NBA Cares clinics promoting health and wellness while teaching the fundamentals of the sport and instilling core values including teamwork, respect and sportsmanship.
NBA games have aired in the UAE since the 1987-88 season. Eight NBA teams have played preseason games in Abu Dhabi since 2022. Since the inaugural NBA Abu Dhabi Games, basketball participation has increased by 60% in the UAE and basketball’s fanbase in the country has grown by more than 25%, according to YouGov research.
Fans can follow the NBA on Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/3NzNau0) and X (https://apo-opa.co/49OROvs) (@ NBAArabic) for the latest updates, news and content in Arabic. NBA fans in the UAE and across the Middle East can shop online at https://NBAStoreME.com and at the NBA Store at Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi for the widest selection of official NBA merchandise in the region.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).
Contact:
Catherine Hart
NBA EME Communications
+44 7834 900390
chart@nba.com
About the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi:
The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) drives the sustainable growth of Abu Dhabi’s culture and tourism sectors, fuels economic progress and helps achieve Abu Dhabi’s wider global ambitions. By working in partnership with the organisations that define the emirate’s position as a leading international destination, DCT Abu Dhabi strives to unite the ecosystem around a shared vision of the emirate’s potential, coordinate effort and investment, deliver innovative solutions, and use the best tools, policies and systems to support the culture and tourism industries.
DCT Abu Dhabi’s vision is defined by the emirate’s people, heritage and landscape. We work to enhance Abu Dhabi’s status as a place of authenticity, innovation, and unparalleled experiences, represented by its living traditions of hospitality, pioneering initiatives and creative thought.
For more information about DCT Abu Dhabi and the destination, please visit https://DCT.Gov.ae and https://VisitAbuDhabi.ae. For Abu Dhabi Calendar, please visit https://apo-opa.co/4jSi8t8.
About the NBA:
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball. Built around five professional sports leagues: the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 214 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents. NBA rosters at the start of the 2025-26 season featured a record 135 international players from a record-tying 43 countries. The NBA’s digital assets include NBA TV, www.NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass. The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with more than 2.5 billion likes and followers globally across all leagues, team and player platforms. NBA Cares, the NBA’s global social impact platform celebrating its 20th year, drives change on issues facing fans and communities in the areas of health and wellness, civic engagement, social justice and inclusion, and sustainability.
