The NBA Abu Dhabi Games are set to dazzle UAE’s basketball fans on Oct 6 and 8

Why did you choose to bring the National Basketball Association (NBA) to Abu Dhabi and what value do you think this sport will bring to the residents of the capital?
Bringing the NBA to Abu Dhabi is the next exciting step in our ambitious sports tourism strategy for the emirate, as we work to offer a thrilling year-round calendar of unmissable sporting events. Basketball is an exhilarating, high-octane sport with a massive global appeal, which is why the NBA attracts millions of fans around the world and continually breaks its viewership number records year on year. So, bringing the NBA to Abu Dhabi is a fantastic opportunity to further raise our destination’s global profile.

The multi-year strategic partnership between the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT – Abu Dhabi) and the NBA is also another example of our successful tie-ups with high-profile global intellectual properties (IPs) and our destination’s proud record for creating dynamic, inspiring and exciting experiences.

The two NBA Abu Dhabi Games on October 6 and 8 will offer Abu Dhabi’s residents the opportunity to see the world’s top basketball superstars facing off live for the first time in the region. This, combined with the interactive, immersive fan events throughout the city, will really allow fans to engage with their basketball heroes.

All of these factors mean we can engage with new audiences to promote the growth of basketball and competitive sports in general, which in turn encourages an active, healthy lifestyle among residents – particularly the youth. NBA and Abu Dhabi also share similar values, including supporting diversity, inspiration, opportunity and acceptance. And through the NBA, we want to further empower our youth and inspire our communities to lead healthier lives through sports and fitness.

What does the partnership between DCT Abu Dhabi, and NBA mean for this region? Can you elaborate on the aspect of this multi-layer partnership?
The partnership between the NBA and DCT Abu Dhabi is already contributing directly to the growth of basketball in the region. For example, the Junior NBA Abu Dhabi League saw more than 450 boys and girls from 30 schools across the emirate participating in its inaugural edition.

At a regional level, this partnership will bring several unique activations to the GCC for the first time, including an NBA 2K League Exhibition event at the annual Middle East Film & Comic Con, a series of NBA FIT clinics promoting health and wellness, and the interactive fan events featuring former and current NBA players. All of these are spurring the popularity of basketball throughout the region, and so we look forward to seeing how this continues to develop in the years ahead.

At the same time, the NBA partnership will produce economic and social opportunities such as increased tourism spending, enhanced hotel performance and job creation. Basketball is a hugely popular sport – with hundreds of millions of fans worldwide – and our partnership with NBA will help us reach wider audiences and introduce many to Abu Dhabi, a diverse tourism destination that caters to all kinds of travellers.

How will the partnership between both entities aid the growth of the sport in the UAE?
Basketball is a global sport, and the UAE is home to more than 200 different nationalities, so you regularly see games taking place on courts all throughout Abu Dhabi with players from different countries. Our goal is to increase basketball participation in the area, and we are already noticing positive developments.

More than 220 male and female prospects from the Middle East – 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 US. Likewise, since 2019, the NBA School of Basketball in Dubai has welcomed more than 500 male and female athletes between the ages of six and 18, so the foundations are being laid for something special in the future.

Abu Dhabi is hosting multiple sporting events. How do you see these initiatives impacting tourism in Abu Dhabi?
Every major event we host has a positive impact on the tourism sector and the general economy in Abu Dhabi. The take-up for the NBA Games Abu Dhabi has been huge, with almost all tickets selling out for both nights of the event. This increase in visitors will clearly have a positive impact on airlines, hotels, restaurants, and shopping malls and other attractions, which in turn furthers our economic growth.

Also, we always encourage our visiting sports fans to venture out and explore the innovative and world-leading leisure, entertainment, heritage and cultural experiences our destination is blessed with. For example, visitors can meet their film, comic book and cartoon heroes at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, unwind and lounge on our sandy white beaches, or take in some cultural masterpieces at Louvre Abu Dhabi. No matter what you are after, Abu Dhabi has something to suit everyone with its inspiring, exciting, and restorative experiences that visitors can enjoy at their own pace.

Why is DCT Abu Dhabi focusing on bringing global sporting events? Is it because the industry is growing in the region from NBA, UFC, F1, FINA and of course, football?
Tourism and sports are interlinked and complementary to each other. Popular sporting events, especially those with a global appeal, are catalysts of tourism development and make a positive contribution towards destination marketing as well as creating economic and social benefits, including an increase in tourism revenue and job creation. As a thriving tourism destination with a wide breadth of offer, we aim to welcome 23 million annual visitors to Abu Dhabi by 2030; we strongly believe that global IPs such as the NBA will contribute to this goal.

The sports industry has long been one of the most high-interest sectors among the region’s population, and DCT Abu Dhabi’s portfolio is more diverse than ever, helping make the UAE capital a world-leading sporting destination. This is only the beginning as it will only develop further.