Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
The UAE is entering a "perfect time" for sports education and workforce development, industry leaders said, pointing to the country's growing investment in international events, esports and sports tourism, which in turn is creating new career opportunities.
The comments came during the launch of the Master of Science in Sports Management and Events programme at Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy – Les Roches on Thursday.
During a panel discussion, athletes, academics and industry leaders delved into how the rapid expansion of the UAE's sporting ecosystem is reshaping demand for talent, leadership and specialised education.
"It's about responding to an urgent need," said Professor Nicholas Thomas, Assistant Dean of Academic Programmes at the academy. "Sport has become integrated into the entire ecosystem. Anytime you do something that large, you need to have the manpower to do it."
Dr Nasser Al Tamimi, representing the UAE Olympic Committee and serving as Treasurer of the International Judo Foundation, said the scale of growth across the sector had transformed the industry compared to when he began his career in the 1990s.
"We are talking about more than 150 events per year," he said, referring to sporting competitions and international events hosted across the UAE. "It's the right time to have a good academy for our athletes to join and to combine their sport knowledge with education."
Australian paralympian Jessica Smith said the UAE is increasingly creating pathways beyond competition itself, particularly for young people looking to enter the wider sports ecosystem.
"The sport industry isn't just about the athlete anymore," she said. "The ecosystem is looking at the transition from competition into the next phase of life and creating professional opportunities around that."
Smith, who serves as an ambassador for the Dubai Sports Council, said the UAE has made significant progress in building community participation and sporting culture over the past decade.
"We're seeing more and more opportunities from a younger age," she said. "The pathways are there, and programmes like this are helping make them visible."
Dr Sarra Lajnef-Taylor, a Tunisian olympian and multi-sport athlete who has lived in the UAE for more than a decade, said the emergence of specialised programmes in the UAE would help students build careers that are more closely aligned with the realities of the regional sports industry.
The discussion also highlighted the rapid growth of esports across the region. Dr Melita Moore, a sports and esports medicine physician who has worked with elite American basketball and gaming teams, said esports is the UAE's fastest-growing sports sector.
"Here across the MENA region, certainly here in the UAE, esports has exploded," she noted. "This is a $200 billion-plus industry."
Professor Scott Richardson, Academic Dean at Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy – Les Roches, said the newly launched programme has been designed in collaboration with industry leaders to ensure graduates are equipped for the realities of the market. "The events and sports industry here is growing at a rapid pace," he said. "We want to help build the future workforce that the UAE needs."
The programme will offer both full-time and part-time study options, combining sports management, hospitality and event leadership with industry placements and international field experience between Abu Dhabi and Switzerland.
