The partnership will also include a variety of interactive fan events featuring appearances by current and former NBA players.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Department
of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) today announced a
groundbreaking multiyear partnership to host the first NBA games in the United
Arab Emirates (UAE).
The two NBA preseason games in Abu Dhabi in October 2022
will mark the league’s first games in the Arabian Gulf. The participating teams and host venue will
be announced at a later date. Fans can
register their interest in receiving more information by visiting
NBA.com/abudhabi.
The partnership will see DCT Abu Dhabi, under “Visit Abu
Dhabi,” the tourism promotion initiative of the UAE’s capital city, serve as
the Official Tourism Destination Partner of the NBA in the Middle East, North
Africa, Europe and China.
The partnership will also include a variety of interactive
fan events featuring appearances by current and former NBA players, the launch
of Jr. NBA Leagues for boys and girls at schools across the UAE fostering
teamwork and inclusion, a series of NBA FIT Clinics promoting health and
wellness, and an NBA 2K League exhibition event.
“Today’s announcement further demonstrates the emirate’s
position as a top-tier home for global sports and for attracting the very best
talent,” said DCT Abu Dhabi Chairman HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak. “As Abu Dhabi is committed to further
developing as a dynamic global destination, adding the NBA to our impressive
year-round portfolio of sports and entertainment events only reinforces the UAE
capital’s standing as a centre of sporting excellence. We look forward to the NBA playing an
integral role in developing young talent and healthy lifestyles at the
grassroots level - the heart of the UAE’s strategy - which places great
emphasis on empowering youth and building a sustainable future for the nation
and future generations.”
“As we celebrate the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Season,
partnering with DCT Abu Dhabi to bring the first NBA and NBA 2K League games
and events to the UAE marks an important milestone in basketball’s continued
global growth,” said NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark
Tatum. “Abu Dhabi is a vibrant
multicultural hub with a demonstrated track record of hosting world-class
sporting events, and this partnership will not only bring the live NBA and NBA
2K League experience to fans in the Middle East, but it will also create
opportunities for boys and girls to learn the fundamentals and core values of
the game through a variety of grassroots programming and fan events.”
NBA games and programming reach fans in the Middle East on
beIN SPORTS, The Sports Channel and NBA League Pass, the league’s premium live
game subscription service. More than 220
male and female prospects from the region – including five players from the UAE
– have participated in Basketball Without Borders (BWB) or NBA Academy, the
league’s elite basketball development programs for top prospects from outside
the U.S.
Since 2019, more than 500 boys and girls have participated
in the NBA Basketball School Dubai (UAE), a year-round, tuition-based basketball
development program for boys and girls ages 6-18.
Abu Dhabi has consistently demonstrated its capabilities in
hosting world-class sporting events.
Pioneering initiatives such as DCT Abu Dhabi’s “Go Safe Certification”
highlight the city’s unwavering commitment to the community and visitors’
health and safety, while enabling it to continue to hold the best of live
sporting events. For more information
about Abu Dhabi, please visit: https://bit.ly/3Fl8tG1.
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