His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the National Olympic Committee and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, attended the “Club Accelerators” event organized by the Council, with participation from heads and representatives of sports clubs in Dubai, officials and specialists in various aspects of sports work, and a selection of global sports stars.

His Highness affirmed that the sports sector in Dubai enjoys great care and attention from the wise leadership, praising the efforts of participating clubs and the good results they achieve in terms of technical and competitive performance in championships, as well as in administrative work development and the system of discovering, attracting, and developing sports talents.

Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: “Clubs are key partners in the journey of building the future of sports in Dubai, and we want our clubs to be a model of sports excellence and economic and social returns. We will continue to develop clubs and invest in national talents to enhance the competitiveness of Dubai’s sports sector.” He added: “The Dubai Sports Council will continue its efforts to develop an integrated sports system that combines creativity, excellence, and leadership, making Dubai a hub for sports innovation, investment in national talents, and development of competencies.”

Global Participation

The list of participants in the “Club Accelerators” workshop sessions included Spanish star Michel Salgado, former Real Madrid player; French player Bacary Sagna, former Arsenal and Manchester City player; English star Rio Ferdinand, former Manchester United player; Bosnian player Miralem Pjanic, former Barcelona, Juventus, and Sharjah player; French Eric Abidal, CEO of Al Wasl Football Club and former Barcelona star; Guido Vienga, former CEO of Saudi Al Nassr and Italian Roma clubs; in addition to Deputy Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, Khalfan Belhoul, and Secretary-General of Dubai Sports Council, Saeed Harib.

Important Discussions

Participants discussed ways to enhance cooperation between government and private clubs, benefiting from successful international experiences in training, professional management, ownership of sports academies, and the importance of establishing a comprehensive professional environment starting from youth categories up to first teams.

Supporting Clubs

They also reviewed possible steps to support the development of the club system in Dubai and transform them into sustainable sports and community centers contributing to achieving Dubai’s future vision in the sports and social fields and enhancing the quality of life of community members.

Attracting Talents

Khalfan Belhoul, Deputy Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, highlighted the importance of attracting talented athletes from around the world and enhancing Dubai’s position as an attractive destination for global sports stars who reside in the city, invest in it, and believe in a sports future based on providing a supportive environment for talents, investments, and sporting successes.

Challenges and Solutions

The workshop discussions addressed key topics, notably enhancing cooperation to fill organizational and administrative gaps, developing a cohesive system to ensure clubs’ sustainability and growth, studying clubs’ challenges to develop sustainable practical solutions, setting clubs’ priorities, supporting the implementation of their strategies and future visions, and exploring strengths and opportunities to improve their administrative and technical performance.

The workshop also touched on initiatives underway to support government clubs in their institutional and professional transformation journey, enhancing their ability to compete, attract investments, and develop national talents.

The outcomes of the “Club Accelerators” workshop represent an important addition to the Council’s efforts, programs, and initiatives to develop government and private clubs in Dubai, supporting the launch of pilot projects to apply best practices in various fields, with successful results to be generalized later to all clubs in the emirate, within a comprehensive vision to build a sustainable professional sports system.

Mansour bin Mohammed:
We want our clubs to be a model of sports excellence and economic and social returns.
We will continue to develop clubs and invest in national talents to enhance the competitiveness of the sports sector.
* The Dubai Sports Council will continue its efforts to develop a sports system that combines creativity, excellence, and leadership.