The NBA and the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism announced Thursday that they will continue their partnership. The league agreed to continue bringing preseason games to the Middle Eastern nation, while the sides completed talks to launch a new global academy in the United Arab Emirates capital for top men’s players.
Financial terms were not disclosed, although it is reasonable to expect the nine-year extension to be worth well over $300 million, compared to the €25 million ($29.2 million) DCT paid the EuroLeague to host that league’s Final Four last year.
The extension also comes at a time when the NBA and FIBA are working to launch a new league in Europe, possibly as early as next year. DCT has deep ties with Manchester City, which is believed to be one of the franchises that has met with the NBA about bidding for a spot in the basketball startup. Manchester City also has a stake in the Co-Op Live Arena, where the NBA will host a regular-season game in 2027.
“Extending our partnership with the NBA further strengthens Abu Dhabi’s position as the new home of basketball in the Middle East and reinforces our commitment to our youth, inspiring our community, diversifying the economy and elevating the emirate’s position as a global destination,” said Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, President of DCT Abu Dhabi.
Khalifa Al Mubarak is the brother of Khaldoon Al Mubarak, who chairs Manchester City and is a senior executive at Mubadala, one of Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth funds.
The NBA has played in Abu Dhabi in each of the last four preseasons: Milwaukee and Atlanta were in 2022, Dallas and Minnesota in 2023, Boston and Denver were in 2024 and New York and Philadelphia in the 2025 preseason.
The US basketball team also visited Abu Dhabi in preparation for the 2023 Basketball World Cup in the Philippines and the 2024 Paris Olympics. It is believed that the US basketball team could return there in 2027 ahead of the next World Cup, which will be played in Qatar.
NBA games have been broadcast in the UAE for almost 40 years, and the league, citing research provided by YouGov, says that “basketball participation has increased by 60% in the UAE and the basketball fan base in the country has grown by more than 25%” since annual preseason trips began in 2022.
“Our collaboration with DCT Abu Dhabi has been instrumental in increasing participation and fandom for basketball in the UAE and throughout the Middle East,” explained Mark Tatum, NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer.
The planned NBA Global Academy in Abu Dhabi will be considered the global hub for the league’s NBA Academy program. According to the league, it will operate year-round and serve as an “elite and academic basketball development program for top high school student-athletes from the UAE, the Middle East and around the world.” The academy will also have some basketball development activities for local girls, the league said.
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