United Arab Emirates

Special Olympics United Arab Emirate’s Unified 3x3 Basketball team earned a place in the finals of The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) 3X3 Basketball tournament organized by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council on Hudayriyat MarVista on 22 October 2021.

Omar Al Shami proudly represented his country, the United Arab Emirates, at the Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019, and achieved a gold medal in the swimming competition.

Special Olympics UAE, Special Olympics Kuwait Sign MoU in preparation for World Winter Games Kazan 2023.

Ben McBride is a volunteer football (soccer) coach from Special Olympics UAE. Prior to joining Special Olympics UAE as a Coach, Ben organized various sports programs for athletes of determination* for over 15 years.

A Transformative Gift from His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Will Promote Positive Social Change and Foster More Inclusive Societies

On Thursday, 5 March 2020, Members of Congress, the UAE Embassy, and Special Olympics USA athletes from Southern California, Virginia, D.C., Maryland, Ohio, and Connecticut gathered for a screening of The Road to Abu Dhabi, a documentary about the Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019.

Special Olympics United Arab Emirates athlete Chaica Al Qassimi speaks on a panel at the UN titled, “1 Billion Voices: Making the Invisible Visible: The Power of Sports and Expressive Arts,” about her story of the power of inclusion in sport.

On Monday, June 10th, Special Olympics International, in partnership with the United Nations Division for Inclusive Social Development of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the Permanent Mission of Ecuador to the United Nations will host a panel discussion at the United Nations in conjunction with the 12th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Over 100 law enforcement officers and Special Olympics athletes, the Guardians of the Flame, carried the Flame of Hope, throughout all seven of the United Arab Emirates before safely delivering it to the Opening Ceremony in Abu Dhabi.

In honor of International Dance Day, we look back on the Dance Sport Challenge that took place during the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi.