Today's Edition
BATOOL GHAITH (ABU DHABI)
Rather than seeing summer as an off-season for fitness, Abu Dhabi residents are making the most of the top-tier facilities that have turned the emirate into a year-round sports destination.
The Abu Dhabi Summer Sports (ADSS) — the largest indoor sporting event in the Middle East and North Africa — has been a driving force behind that movement. In its latest edition, running until August 23, the yearly event has become a wider community experience centred on health, wellbeing, and active living.
“This edition has taken a significant shift, transforming from a purely sporting event into a complete family and community experience, offering activities for all ages and fitness levels,” Humaid Al Dhaheri, Group CEO of ADNEC Group, told Aletihad.
With more than 365 events and activities running through the summer, this year’s programming is drawing in new audiences, Al Dhaheri said. “We are seeing strong interest from the community of Abu Dhabi. Our returning sports remain extremely popular, including action cricket, football, basketball, and padel.”
Adaptation, Not Interruption
The emirate’s growing running community counts among those who look forward to the ADSS each year as it allows them to keep training through the heat.
Youssef Rochdi, founder of the Abu Dhabi Running Team, said the season has become one of adaptation rather than interruption. Outdoor sessions shift to early mornings and late evenings, while much of the community trains indoors through weekly sessions at the ADSS running track and other venues, he told Aletihad.
“Abu Dhabi has become a world-class hub for supporting active lifestyles,” he said. “When runners know they have a safe, air-conditioned environment and a supportive team waiting for them, showing up becomes the easiest part of their day.”
For Rochdi, summer has become part of Abu Dhabi’s sporting identity rather than a challenge to work around. Facilities like those built for the ADSS, alongside support from organisations including the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, have made it easier to sustain a running community year-round, he added.
Emirati runner Abdalla Ahmed Al Ali agreed that such initiatives — from the air-conditioned track at ADNEC to indoor community races at shopping malls — have gone a long way in keeping motivation alive through the season.
But Al Ali hasn’t given up outdoor running altogether. For him, those who insist running outdoors is impossible in Abu Dhabi’s summer simply don’t know the emirate well enough.
“One of the best things in Abu Dhabi is the number of great places we have for running. Whether it is the Corniche, Eastern Mangrove, Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street, or Al Hudayriat Island, there is a route for every type of runner,” he said. “You just have to be smart about it — run during the cooler hours of the day, stay hydrated, adjust your pace, and listen to your body.”
A Family Affair
Beyond athlete training, Abu Dhabi’s sports facilities are also changing how many families experience summer.
Natasha Kisten, founder of the women’s wellness community FitLikeMummy, said discovering the ADSS eased her worry that summer would derail the running progress she’d made. Its 1.5-kilometre indoor track let her keep chasing personal goals and racing throughout the season.
More than that, she said, the ADSS has become a place where her whole family stays active together.
“As parents, we want our children to be healthy, confident and to find somewhere they feel like they belong. Thanks to ADSS, my children found an incredible volleyball community and play for hours,” Kisten told Aletihad.
Her children, she added, have built genuine friendships and found something to look forward to every week.
The ADSS also let her try a range of sports under one roof — volleyball, football, padel, chess, foosball. “Every visit seems to end with one of us trying something we never considered before,” she said.
Built for Everyone
The ADSS’ popularity and appeal are no accident as the event has made inclusivity and accessibility among key priorities.
Al Dhaheri said it engages children aged 1 to 12 through initiatives like the Kids Summer Camp and the Thamrh Programme. There are also women’s padel courts, women’s running clubs, walking and mobility sessions for senior citizens, and initiatives for people of determination. Guided walking and dedicated health and mobility sessions are also held.
The goal, he added, is to “promote physical vitality, social engagement, preventive health awareness, and a strong sense of community”.
