NBA, Abu Dhabi Seal Nine-Year Extension, Plan Year-Round Global Academy
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The NBA and Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) on Thursday announced a nine-year extension of their partnership, committing to continue staging preseason games in the United Arab Emirates and to open a full-time NBA Global Academy in the capital.
Financial details were not released. Industry estimates suggest the agreement could exceed $300 million, a figure derived from DCT’s reported €25 million ($29.2 million) payment to host last season’s EuroLeague Final Four.
Preseason schedule to continue
Abu Dhabi has welcomed NBA preseason games for four consecutive years—Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks in 2022, Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves in 2023, Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets in 2024, and New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers in 2025. The renewed deal keeps the city on the league’s preseason calendar through 2034.
USA Basketball also used the emirate as a warm-up site ahead of the 2023 FIBA World Cup in the Philippines and the 2024 Paris Olympics, and is widely expected to return in 2027 before the World Cup in neighboring Qatar.
New academy to serve global talent
The forthcoming NBA Global Academy in Abu Dhabi will operate year-round as the central hub for the league’s worldwide academy program, offering elite training and academic support to top high-school-age boys from the UAE, the Middle East and beyond. The facility will also host development activities for local girls.
“Extending our partnership with the NBA further strengthens Abu Dhabi’s position as the new home of basketball in the Middle East,” said Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi.
NBA deputy commissioner and chief operating officer Mark Tatum credited the collaboration for a 60 percent jump in basketball participation and a 25 percent rise in the UAE fan base since preseason games began in 2022, citing data from research firm YouGov.
Broader basketball ambitions
The extension comes as the NBA and FIBA explore launching a new Europe-based league as early as 2027. DCT maintains close ties to Premier League club Manchester City—whose chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, is Mohamed Al Mubarak’s brother—and holds a stake in Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester, where the NBA is scheduled to stage a regular-season game in 2027.
Source: ESPN.com
