The United Arab Emirates is one of the most developed nations in the world, and it has become a global hub for major sporting events. Globalization has brought many international sports to the country, while camel and horse racing remain proud traditions. Here are the 10 most popular sports in the UAE, based on participation and viewership. Football remains the clear number one.
1) Football
Football is the most popular sport in the UAE. The UAE Football Association was founded in 1971 and has worked to grow the game ever since.
The national team’s only FIFA World Cup appearance came in 1990. In FIFA’s world rankings, the UAE sat 68th after the July 2026 update, among the top ten sides in Asia. The team came close to a second World Cup in 2026. A 2-1 defeat to Qatar in October 2025 cost them direct qualification and sent them into a two-legged playoff. The first leg against Iraq in Abu Dhabi ended 1-1, but Iraq won the return leg in Basra with a late penalty, ending the UAE’s hopes.
The UAE’s passion for football also reaches well beyond its borders: Abu Dhabi United Group has owned Manchester City since 2008, and the club has become one of the most successful in Europe. Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi is the country’s largest sports complex.
2) Cricket
Cricket is the UAE’s second most popular sport, driven by its large South Asian expatriate population. Major venues include the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi and the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Dubai is also home to the International Cricket Council (ICC), the sport’s global governing body, and Sharjah holds the record for hosting the most one-day internationals.
The UAE has become cricket’s go-to neutral venue. It co-hosted the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with Oman, staged the entire 2020 IPL season, hosted India’s matches at the 2025 Champions Trophy, and hosted the 2025 Asia Cup from 9 to 28 September. The final in Dubai was the first-ever Asia Cup final between India and Pakistan, and India won it by five wickets. The UAE also has its own franchise competition, the ILT20.
On the field, the national team played at the 1996 and 2015 ODI World Cups. The 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka was its third appearance at that event, after 2014 and 2022, and the team recorded its first T20 World Cup win by beating Canada in a dramatic chase in New Delhi.
3) Squash
Squash has a strong following in the UAE, helped by the sport’s popularity across the Middle East, especially Egypt, which produces many of the world’s top players. Clubs and schools across Dubai and Abu Dhabi run active squash programmes.
The sport has finally reached the Olympics. The IOC confirmed squash for the Los Angeles 2028 Games, where it will make its first-ever Olympic appearance, with men’s and women’s singles events held over 10 days starting July 15, 2028.
4) Camel Racing
Camel racing is one of the UAE’s oldest traditions, and formalizing it has helped keep it central to Emirati life. The country has more than 15 race tracks across the seven emirates. The biggest, including Al Marmoom in Dubai, Al Wathba near Abu Dhabi and the Al Ain track, are large, well-equipped venues with high-tech facilities, while smaller tracks are found in Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and across the desert.
Robot jockeys have been used for years, after strict regulations banned underage jockeys. In 2021, the UAE also formed its first-ever all-female camel racing team.
5) Horse Racing
Horse racing is hugely popular with Emiratis, and the country’s equestrian heritage runs deep. The season peaks with the Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse, the richest race meeting in the world. The 2026 edition, the 30th, offered $30.5 million in total prize money across nine races, with $12 million for the main race. It was won by the American colt Magnitude, trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Jose Ortiz. The meeting is also a major social event, with past entertainment from stars like Kylie Minogue, Janet Jackson and Sia.
6) Tennis
Tennis continues to grow in the UAE, with many private clubs and hotels offering courts. The highlight is the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, held every February. The event runs back-to-back, with a WTA 1000 women’s tournament followed by an ATP 500 men’s tournament. In 2026, American Jessica Pegula won the women’s title, while Daniil Medvedev took his second Dubai crown after Tallon Griekspoor withdrew from the final injured.
7) Motor Sports
The UAE’s first motorsport race was the 1981 Dubai Grand Prix, held at a purpose-built circuit on the Deira Corniche to mark the country’s 10th anniversary. It featured sports car, touring car and celebrity races, plus Formula One demonstrations.
Abu Dhabi has hosted Formula One since 2009 at the Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island, famous for its day-to-night “twilight” race and as the traditional season finale. A 10-year extension signed in 2021 keeps the race in Abu Dhabi until 2030, and the track was reworked that year to improve overtaking, including removing a chicane and adding a banked corner.
8) Golf
Golf is booming in the UAE, with world-class courses and academies in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and growing crowds of families coming to watch. Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club was home to the Middle East’s first golf academy.
The headline event is the Hero Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club, now held in January. The 2026 edition was a Rolex Series event with a $9 million purse, and Patrick Reed won by four shots to collect the $1.53 million first prize. The UAE also hosts the Abu Dhabi Championship and the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, the season finale, worth $10 million.
9) Basketball
Basketball has grown fast in recent years. The UAE has qualified for more major international basketball tournaments than any other nation on the Arabian Peninsula except Kuwait, and in 2014 it became the first Asian country to host the FIBA Under-17 World Championship.
The biggest recent development is Dubai Basketball. The club joined the EuroLeague for the 2025-26 season, facing giants like Real Madrid, Barcelona and Fenerbahce, on an initial five-year contract. The club also won the 2025/26 ABA League title against Partizan Belgrade. Home games are played at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.
10) Rugby
Rugby is popular, especially among expatriates, with club matches played across the country through the season. The highlight of the calendar is the Emirates Dubai 7s, held at The Sevens Stadium in late November or early December. The 2025 edition ran from 28 to 30 November and opened the new HSBC SVNS Series season, and Dubai has been on the global sevens circuit since 1999. Alongside elite rugby, the festival includes cricket, netball, padel and fitness competitions, plus concerts and family zones.
Other Sports
The UAE also offers excellent facilities for padel, shooting, archery, rock climbing, powerboat racing, polo, bowling, sailing, cycling and canoeing.
