The UAE delegation led by Sheikh Suhail bin Butti Al Maktoum, Assistant Undersecretary at the Ministry of Sports, discussed opportunities to exchange expertise in sports technology, innovation, athlete development and traditional sports at the BRICS meeting in Visakhapatnam, India. Participants agreed in principle to establish a BRICS Sports Technology Working Group to support knowledge sharing, research and joint initiatives. The UAE emphasised its major events including the World Sports Summit in Dubai and the Games of the Future in Abu Dhabi, the Emirates News Agency reported on August 26, 2026.
A WAM report from March 2026 detailed the launch of the Talent Committee Platform overseen by the UAE Committee for Talent and National Sports Support to transform talent identification across the country. The platform has recorded 1,169 athletes creating personal profiles with 307 submitting official applications and 126 invited to the first assessment camp that drew 101 participants from 22 sports. This national database enables scientific evaluation under international scouts while connecting schools, academies, clubs and federations.
The NBA extended its partnership with DCT Abu Dhabi in March 2026 to include the launch of an NBA Global Academy in the capital as the league’s global hub for elite basketball development, Arab News reported. The academy will provide year-round programming for up to 20 local boys along with basketball activities for local girls and residential options for up to 24 male prospects from other regions. Abu Dhabi will also host two annual youth tournaments under the expanded deal that builds on previous pre-season NBA Global Games in the emirate.
On June 17, 2026 the UAE Committee for Talent and Sports Support signed five agreements in collaboration with the UAE Sailing and Rowing Federation to integrate a new group of young athletes into modern sailing development programmes, according to the Emirates News Agency. The athletes enrolled are Khalifa Ahmed Al Rumaithi, Hamad Fahad Meshal Al Muhairi, Zayed Omar Rajab Al Hosani, Cornelia Bayonk and Gian Herve who will receive systematic training, world-class facilities and competition opportunities. These pacts form part of the Pathway for Sports Champion program that seeks to expand the national talent pool and diversify areas of sporting excellence.
The Ministry of Sports signed strategic partnerships with Precision Football and PlayerMaker in April 2025 to strengthen talent identification through the UAE School Games and University Games, a WAM announcement that laid groundwork for ongoing expansion across academies. Precision Football leads scouting for football while PlayerMaker oversees seven other sports using experienced scouts, video analysis and professional wearables for data collection. The providers also conducted educational workshops to enhance scouting expertise nationwide.
In December 2025 the Ministry of Sports signed a memorandum with ASPIRE and Phygital International to develop and promote phygital sports in the UAE, Zawya reported from the Phygital Sports Summit in Abu Dhabi. The collaboration aims to organise recurring international editions of the Games of the Future, host specialised summits on governance and innovation, and establish a network of phygital training centres with youth programmes and community competitions. These steps align with the National Sports Strategy 2031 to foster innovation and sustainable talent development.
Sheikh Suhail bin Butti Al Maktoum has stated that the committee adopts a comprehensive institutional approach to talent development under the supervision of the Ministry of Sports in cooperation with the UAE National Olympic Committee and Elite Sport UAE. This includes providing athletes with the technical, administrative and developmental support required to compete at the highest international levels. The initiatives form part of broader efforts to increase the number of athletes qualified for upcoming Olympic Games through structured pathways and global partnerships.
