UAE Law and Practice Contributed by: Alain Zahlan de Cayetti and Anna Sedova, De Cayetti Law
women’s sport if it were more widely broadcast, sug - gesting rising viewership potential. While attendances remain modest (for example, the 2025 IIHF Women’s Asia Cup hosted in Al-Ain recorded 909 spectators), the growth of new competitions, international par - ticipation and corporate sponsorship reflect a clear trend towards greater commercialisation and visibility of women’s sport in the UAE. 8.2 Organisations and Initiatives to Promote Women’s Sport The Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy is a leading institution, established to develop women’s sport across the UAE by organising competitions, training programmes and talent-development initia - tives. The academy hosts international women’s tour - naments and supports national teams and grassroots participation, including programmes encouraging school and university athletes to pursue elite sport. Another important body is the Dubai Women’s Sports Committee, which has operated under the Dubai Sports Council since 20 December 2006, engaging women in sports and fitness in Dubai. The Sharjah Women’s Sports Organisation was officially estab - lished in 2016. In addition, initiatives supported by the Dubai Sports Council and Abu Dhabi Sports Council regularly include programmes designed to increase female participation in community and professional sport. Together, these organisations and initiatives contrib - ute to the UAE’s broader policy of expanding opportu - nities for women in sport, supporting athlete develop - ment, increasing participation at grassroots level and promoting the country as a regional hub for interna - tional women’s sporting events. 9. Esports 9.1 Development and Growth of Esports The esports and virtual sport landscape in the UAE has expanded rapidly in recent years, supported by government initiatives, private investment and the country’s strategy to position itself as a regional digital-entertainment hub. Key stakeholders include organisations such as the Dubai Esports and Games Festival, which hosts large esports tournaments,
gaming expos and community competitions aimed at developing the sector. Abu Dhabi Gaming promotes esports development through investment incentives, training programmes and partnerships with global gaming companies. Competitive events are increasingly hosted in the UAE, including international tournaments organised by entities such as ESL Gaming, which has staged major competitions in the region. Growth has been driven by high internet penetration, a young popu - lation and strong government support for the digital economy. As a result, esports has become a fast- growing segment of the UAE sports and entertainment sector, with increasing prize pools, sponsorship deals and media partnerships, as well as the emergence of professional teams, gaming academies and university esports programmes. 9.2 Key Trends and Notable Deals in Esports The UAE gaming and esports sector has become one of the fastest-growing digital entertainment mar - kets in the Middle East. According to Juego Studios website, estimates suggest the UAE gaming market exceeded USD1.16 billion in 2024, up from around USD484 million in 2023, with about 75% of residents actively gaming. Industry forecasts suggest the esports segment alone could grow from about USD17 million in 2025 to over USD26 million by 2034, reflecting continued invest - ment in competitions, infrastructure and media rights (the Report Cube on UAE Esports Market Report and Forecast 2026–2034). A key trend has been the creation of large-scale esports competitions and festivals, including, in particular, the Dubai Esports and Games Festival, with tournaments at the 2025 festival offering over AED700,000 in prize money, while the GameExpo competition alone fea - tured prize pools exceeding AED600,000; and hosting international esports competitions such as the BLAST Premier World Final in Abu Dhabi, with a USD1 million prize pool. In 2025, Abu Dhabi entered a USD40 million partner - ship with the esports organisation NIP Group – Abu Dhabi’s “AD Gaming” government-supported initiative
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