Abu Dhabi will host an NBA Global Academy for high-school-age players, as part of an expanded partnership with the US professional basketball league. More top-tier preseason games are also promised for the Emirate, which has hosted fixtures since 2022.
The deal highlights how Gulf countries use international sports stars and leagues to both appeal to tourists and encourage their citizens off the couch and onto the field of play: Basketball participation has grown 60% in the UAE in the past four years.
It also echoes the way sovereign wealth is used to attract foreign capital and expertise. In some cases, the connection is even more explicit: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is seeking investors for its LIV golf venture, with Citigroup hired to run the process, Bloomberg reported. LIV launched in 2022 and has signed up star players like Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm, but has struggled to win over fans amid hostility from the PGA Tour establishment.