Yes. The UAE established the UAE Sports Arbitration Centre (Markaz Al-Emarat lil-Tahkeem Al-Riyadhi) pursuant to Federal Law No. 16 of 2016 Concerning the Establishment of the UAE Sports Arbitration Centre. The Centre is a standalone legal entity with full financial and administrative independence, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, with the power to open branches elsewhere in the country.

The Centre has exclusive jurisdiction over all sports disputes (al-munaza’at al-riyadhiyya), and in particular the following categories:

• Final decisions issued by sports entities (al-jihat al-‘amilah) and the National Olympic Committee in accordance with their statutes;
• Disciplinary decisions issued under the regulations of sports entities; and
• Appealable decisions issued by the National Anti-Doping Committee.

In addition, the Centre has jurisdiction over sports disputes where the relevant contracts contain a sports arbitration clause (shart al-tahkeem al-riyadhi) or a submission agreement (mushartah al-tahkeem al-riyadhi) referring disputes to the Centre.

Regarding alternative dispute resolution, the Centre also provides a conciliation mechanism (al-tawfiq), defined as the amicable resolution of sports disputes. The Centre’s internal structure includes both a Sports Conciliation Body (hay’at al-tawfiq al-riyadhi) and Sports Arbitration Chambers, comprising a first-instance chamber and an appellate chamber. The appellate chamber hears disputes arising from decisions already rendered by sports entities or their competent committees, after all internal appeals have been exhausted under those entities’ own statutes and bylaws.

Federal Law No. 4 of 2023 Concerning Sports reinforces this framework by requiring each registered sports entity to include in its statute the formation of disciplinary, appeals, and dispute settlement committees within the sports federation, “without prejudice to the competence of the UAE Centre for Sports Arbitration.”

Separately, the UAE’s general arbitration regime is governed by Federal Law No. 6 of 2018 Concerning Arbitration, which provides the overarching procedural framework for arbitration in the country. The Sports Arbitration Centre operates as a lex specialis within this broader framework.

Regarding labor disputes, UAE law does not expressly exempt sports-related employment disputes from the jurisdiction of the Sports Arbitration Centre. However, under general UAE labor law principles, disputes arising out of employment relationships governed by Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 Concerning Regulating Labour Relations remain subject to the jurisdiction of the labor courts and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s conciliation mechanisms. To the extent that a contractual dispute between an athlete and a sports entity is characterized as a sports dispute and the relevant contract contains a valid arbitration clause referring to the Centre, it would fall within the Centre’s jurisdiction. Where the dispute is purely a statutory labor claim (e.g., end-of-service benefits or wrongful termination under the Labor Law), jurisdiction would ordinarily rest with the labor courts. This boundary is not explicitly delineated in the 2016 Sports Arbitration Centre Law or the 2023 Sports Law and may give rise to jurisdictional questions in practice.

Sports law in the UAE is principally codified in Federal Law No. 4 of 2023 Concerning Sports, which is the comprehensive, sector-wide statute governing the organization, regulation, and governance of all sports activities in the country. This law replaced and consolidated the earlier regulatory framework, including Federal Decree-Law No. 7 of 2008 Concerning the General Authority for Youth and Sports Welfare. The 2023 law applies to “sports organizations and entities as well as all fields of sports activity in the State, including the free zones.”

In addition, the following federal enactments form part of the broader sports legislative architecture:

• Federal Law No. 16 of 2016 Concerning the Establishment of the UAE Sports Arbitration Centre (sports dispute resolution);
• Federal Law No. 8 of 2014 Concerning Sports Facilities and Events Security (security and fan behavior at sporting events);
• Federal Law No. 7 of 2015 Regarding the Control of Prohibited Substances in the Field of Horse Racing and Equestrian; and
• Cabinet Resolution No. 46 of 2024 Concerning the Executive Regulation of Federal Law No. 4 of 2023 Concerning Sports.

The principal national sports authority is the General Authority of Sports (GAS), chaired by its Chairman, which exercises supervisory, regulatory, and registration functions over all sports entities in the State. (Note: While the 2023 Sports Law continues to reference “the Authority” and “the Chairman” as its operative statutory terminology, subsequent subordinate legislation — notably Cabinet Resolution No. 103 of 2025 Regarding the Fees for Services Provided by the Ministry of Sports — indicates that the General Authority of Sports has since been elevated to a Ministry of Sports. Accordingly, throughout this document, all references to “the Authority” should be read as referring to the Ministry of Sports, and all references to “the Chairman” should be read as referring to the Minister of Sports, unless the context indicates that the statutory term is being quoted directly from the 2023 Sports Law.) The Ministry of Sports is responsible for registering sports federations, associations, and clubs, and for issuing the directive statutes governing these entities.

In addition to the Ministry of Sports, the law recognizes several independent national sports organizations, each with its own legal personality and autonomous governance:

• The National Olympic Committee, responsible for the Olympic movement and representation of the State in Olympic and international sports competitions;
• The National Paralympic Committee, responsible for Paralympic sports development;
• The UAE Special Olympics, responsible for sports for persons with intellectual disabilities;
• The UAE Committee for People with Hearing Disabilities; and
• The National Anti-Doping Agency, responsible for monitoring and preventing doping in sports.

Competent Authorities at the emirate level (local authorities concerned with licensing, regulating, supervising, and controlling sports entities and activities eg the Dubai Sports Council, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council etc… ) also play a role, particularly regarding the licensing of sports institutions (for-profit entities such as private clubs, academies, and sports centers).

The UAE imposes strict limitations on advertising and marketing in the context of sport, driven by overarching federal legislation on tobacco, alcohol, and public morality, as well as the country’s prohibition on gambling.

Tobacco: Federal Law No. 15 of 2009 on Combating Tobacco expressly defines “advertising and promotion” as the use of any print, audiovisual, or other media to directly or indirectly encourage the trade in or use of tobacco products. The law prohibits the advertising and promotion of tobacco products. This extends to sponsorship of sports events and branding on sports infrastructure or clothing.

Alcohol: While there is no single consolidated “alcohol advertising” statute, the UAE’s media regulatory framework and public morality laws effectively prohibit the advertising of alcoholic beverages in most contexts. The broader media regulatory framework — including the applicable federal decree-law regulating the media and its executive regulation, as enforced through subsequent cabinet resolutions prescribing administrative violations and penalties — imposes fines on media content that undermines prevailing societal values or public interest standards. Given that Islamic principles inform the public policy of the UAE, alcohol advertising in and around sports venues, on official clothing, and through media platforms is not permissible in the general market (the position may differ within specific free zones, such as certain areas within Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where limited licensing applies, but these exceptions do not extend to broad sports advertising).

Gambling and Betting: Gambling is a criminal offense in the UAE under Article 461 of Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 Promulgating the Crimes and Penalties Law, which punishes gambling with incarceration of up to two years or a fine of up to AED 50,000, with enhanced penalties for running gambling premises. Article 462 imposes temporary imprisonment of up to ten years and a minimum fine of AED 100,000 on anyone who opens or runs gambling premises. Furthermore, Article 38 of Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 on Countering Rumors and Cybercrimes criminalizes the creation, management, or use of a website or information network to broadcast, promote, or disseminate gambling activities. Accordingly, betting advertising on or around sports infrastructure, on official clothing, or through any media in the UAE is categorically prohibited.

Match-fixing is expressly criminalized under Article 54 of Federal Law No. 4 of 2023 Concerning Sports, which provides:

“Any player, coach, administrator, or referee who requests, accepts, or takes for himself or for another person a gift or advantage of any kind, or a promise of something in order to match-fix, even if he intended not to do so, or the request, acceptance or taking was after match-fixing, shall be punished by imprisonment and a fine of not less than AED 100,000 and not exceeding AED 1,000,000, or either of these two penalties.”

The same penalty applies to the briber and the mediator. In all cases, the offender is sentenced to an additional fine equal to the amount he requested, accepted, or took, and any gift taken is confiscated. Importantly, the briber and the mediator are exempt from penalty if they take the initiative to inform the judicial or competent authorities about the offense after its occurrence and before its discovery.

At the governance level, sports entities are required to set rules regulating sports integrity and the disciplinary penalties associated with integrity violations in their statutes and internal regulations. Registered sports entities must also establish a system for receiving reports regarding violations of integrity rules in competitions and sports events, after coordination with the Ministry of Sports and the competent authority.

In addition, general criminal provisions under Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 Promulgating the Crimes and Penalties Law regarding fraud and bribery may also be invoked in match-fixing cases.

Macolin Convention: The UAE has not ratified the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions (the Macolin Convention). The Convention is primarily a Council of Europe instrument, and the UAE, as a non-member state, is not a signatory.

Sports Betting: There is no legal sports betting industry in the UAE. Gambling in all forms is prohibited under both the criminal law and Islamic law principles that inform the UAE’s public policy. As noted above, Article 461 of Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 Promulgating the Crimes and Penalties Law criminalizes gambling, and Article 38 of Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 on Countering Rumors and Cybercrimes criminalizes the online promotion of gambling activities. Consequently, there is no regulatory framework for a sports betting industry, and no licensed operators exist in the country.

Yes. The UAE has established a National Anti-Doping Agency, which is recognized under Federal Law No. 4 of 2023 as a “national, non-governmental sports organization concerned with setting policies and procedures necessary to monitor the use of steroids in sports activities and prevent doping in sports competitions,” operating in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code and its own statute.

Appealable decisions issued by the National Anti-Doping Agency fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the UAE Sports Arbitration Centre.

Additionally, Federal Law No. 7 of 2015 regarding the Control of Prohibited Substances in the Field of Horse Racing and Equestrian establishes sector-specific anti-doping controls for equestrian sports.

With respect to ethics and integrity more broadly, Federal Law No. 4 of 2023 requires all registered sports entities to include in their statutes rules regulating integrity and sports penalties that relate to integrity, subject to the statutes of the National Olympic Committee and the National Paralympic Committee, as well as the regulations of international sports federations. Each sports entity must also maintain a system for receiving all reports regarding violations of integrity rules in competitions and sports events.

Concerning abuse cases, while there is no single sports-specific institution dedicated exclusively to safeguarding against abuse in sport, Federal Law No. 4 of 2023 guarantees the right of persons with disabilities to practice sports and establishes protections for minors through coordination with educational institutions. General child protection legislation, including Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 Concerning the Child’s Rights (“Wadeema’s Law”), provides a broader protective framework that applies across all sectors, including sport.

Corruption in sport in the UAE is addressed through both sport-specific provisions and the general criminal law.

Sport-Specific: As discussed under Question 4, Article 54 of Federal Law No. 4 of 2023 directly criminalizes the solicitation, acceptance, or receipt of a gift or advantage to fix a match, applying to players, coaches, administrators, and referees, as well as the briber and the mediator. This constitutes a sports-specific corruption offense with penalties of imprisonment and fines of up to AED 1,000,000.

General Criminal Law: Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 Promulgating the Crimes and Penalties Law contains extensive provisions on bribery and corruption offenses. The Crimes and Penalties Law criminalizes bribery involving public servants (as broadly defined under Article 5 to include persons working in public entities, government-owned companies, and public benefit associations). Private-sector bribery is addressed under separate provisions of the Crimes and Penalties Law and related commercial legislation. Corruption between private individuals — including in the sports context — can give rise to criminal liability under the general fraud and breach-of-trust provisions, and civil liability under general tortious and contractual principles of the UAE Civil Transactions Law.

Administrative Penalties: The 2023 Sports Law also empowers the Cabinet to issue decisions specifying administrative violations of the law and the administrative penalties associated therewith, including procedures for imposing penalties and grievances.

At the disciplinary level, sports entities are mandated to set rules regulating sports integrity and the disciplinary penalties associated therewith in their statutes and internal regulations.

Fan behavior at sporting events in the UAE is comprehensively regulated under Federal Law No. 8 of 2014 Concerning Sports Facilities and Events Security. This law applies to all sports facilities and events conducted in the UAE, whether national or international.

Article 17 of the law sets out binding obligations for the sports audience, including prohibitions on:

• Entering the playground or the restricted area of a sports event without permission;
• Carrying prohibited or dangerous substances, particularly fireworks, into a sports facility or event;
• Breaching the conditions governing carrying or acquiring weapons at a sports facility or event;
• Committing, participating in, instigating, or attempting acts of violence;
• Throwing any substances or liquids toward other spectators, the area surrounding the field, or the field itself;
• Uttering or writing insulting language, making insulting gestures, or making racially motivated statements during sports events;
• Failing to sit in the allocated spaces; and
• Using the playground for political purposes.

Criminal Penalties:

• Violations of the provisions regarding unauthorized entry, carrying prohibited substances or weapons, and failing to sit in allocated spaces are punishable by imprisonment of one to three months and/or a fine of AED 5,000 to AED 30,000.
• Violations regarding acts of violence, throwing objects, racist or insulting statements, and political exploitation are punishable by imprisonment and/or a fine of AED 10,000 to AED 30,000.

Aggravating Circumstances: The utilization of sports events for committing any offense stipulated in the Crimes and Penalties Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 Promulgating the Crimes and Penalties Law) or any other law constitutes an aggravating circumstance under Article 22 of the 2014 law.

Banning Orders: The Minister of Interior is empowered to issue decisions defining rules of behavior and discipline for the sports audience during sports events. The Council of Ministers may issue regulations on administrative violations and associated fines (up to AED 5,000 per violation). While the law does not use the specific term “banning order,” the regulatory framework provides the competent authorities with power to control access to sports facilities, including through security searches and admission controls, and the general criminal penalties provide the basis for courts to impose conditions as part of sentencing.

The governance and ownership of sports clubs in the UAE is regulated primarily by Federal Law No. 4 of 2023 Concerning Sports.

The 2023 law defines a Sports Club as “a sports entity registered by the Authority, and is dedicated to practising one or more sports, and is affiliated with a Sports Federation recognized by the Authority.” Sports Companies are defined as “commercial companies established by sports clubs or federations or the private sector subject to the legislation in force in the State, and licensed by the competent authorities.” Sports Institutions are for-profit entities licensed by competent authorities to practice activities and provide sports services, such as private clubs, centers, and academies.

Registration and Licensing: Registered sports entities (federations, associations, and clubs) must be registered by a decision of the Ministry of Sports under Article 36 of the law. Each registered entity must have a statute that includes rules on board formation, election, competences, disciplinary committees, and integrity provisions, based on a directive statute issued by the Minister of Sports. Board membership tenure may not exceed four years.

Corporate Structures: Sports companies are subject to Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021 Concerning Commercial Companies, which is referenced in the 2023 Sports Law. This law governs the general corporate framework, including the formation of limited liability companies, joint stock companies, and other corporate vehicles. The 2020 amendments and subsequent iterations of the Commercial Companies Law have permitted up to 100% foreign ownership in onshore UAE companies (subject to certain licensing and sector-specific restrictions).

Foreign Ownership: The 2023 Sports Law does not contain an express blanket prohibition on foreign ownership of sports clubs. However, sports clubs must be registered by the Ministry of Sports and comply with its directives. In practice, foreign investment in UAE sports entities has been facilitated through sports company structures and strategic partnerships, particularly in the context of major football clubs and sporting ventures in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The permissibility of specific ownership structures depends on the interplay between the Sports Law, the Commercial Companies Law, and the regulations of the relevant competent authority at the emirate level.

Fan Ownership Models: UAE law does not currently provide for a specific fan ownership model (such as the Verein model in Germany or socios structures in Spain). Sports clubs are governed by elected boards of directors drawn from their general assemblies, which may include members and stakeholders, but this is not structured as a fan-ownership regime in the European sense.

The UAE has witnessed a significant trend toward multi-sport ownership and diversified sports investment, particularly driven by state-related investment vehicles and prominent private investors, especially in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The most notable example is the City Football Group (CFG), majority-owned by Abu Dhabi United Group, which is the investment vehicle of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. CFG owns or holds stakes in football clubs across multiple jurisdictions, including Manchester City FC (England), New York City FC (United States), Mumbai City FC (India), Melbourne City FC (Australia), and several others. This represents a highly visible example of multi-club ownership emanating from the UAE.

More broadly, UAE-based entities and investors have invested across a wide range of sports disciplines, including football, motorsport (e.g., the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix), horse racing (the Dubai World Cup and Meydan Group), cricket (T20 league franchises), tennis (Mubadala World Tennis Championship), and golf (Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, DP World Tour Championship), among others.

From a regulatory perspective, Federal Law No. 4 of 2023 does not contain specific provisions addressing multi-club or multi-sport ownership. The governance and integrity rules within the law are directed at individual sports entities and their internal structures. Where multi-club ownership raises integrity concerns (e.g., common ownership of competing clubs within the same sports federation), these would typically fall under the rules of the relevant international sports governing body (e.g., FIFA, the AFC) rather than domestic UAE legislation.

Federal Law No. 4 of 2023 Concerning Sports addresses professional sports careers, defined as “practising sports activities subject to a contract and related management work, to achieve a material return, considering them an essential and professional work for the person performing the same.” The law further defines Sports Associations as entities that deal with sports activities or the affairs of a sports profession, including associations of players, referees, coaches, and sports clubs.

However, the 2023 law does not contain detailed, codified provisions specifically regulating sports agents or athlete representation at the granular level seen in some other jurisdictions (e.g., caps on agent commissions, explicit dual-representation prohibitions, or licensing requirements for agents as a distinct statutory category). The regulation of athlete representation in the UAE is thus primarily governed by:

1. The regulations of international sports governing bodies, particularly FIFA’s Football Agent Regulations (for football) and equivalent regulations in other sports;
2. The statutes and bylaws of the relevant UAE sports federations, which are required under the 2023 law to address matters related to their sport’s professional affairs; and
3. General UAE contract law and commercial agency law, which govern the contractual relationships between athletes and their representatives.

Regarding the protection of minors, the 2023 Sports Law, read together with Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 Concerning the Child’s Rights (“Wadeema’s Law”) and the broader framework of child protection legislation, imposes general protections applicable to minors engaged in sports activities. The 2023 law specifically mandates the discovery and incubation of sports talents through sports clubs and the school sector, and educational institutions are required to educate students on the principles of sportsmanship. However, there are no sport-specific provisions in UAE law regarding the representation of minors by agents that go beyond the general protections under child welfare legislation.

There is no specific national statutory framework in the UAE addressing the participation of transgender athletes in competitive sport. Federal Law No. 4 of 2023 Concerning Sports does not contain provisions specifically regulating gender eligibility criteria for sports participation.

The broader legal context must be noted: the UAE’s legal system is informed by Islamic Sharia principles, which influence the country’s approach to gender identity issues. The UAE Penal Code and associated laws do not recognize or provide legal processes for gender transition, and the socio-legal environment does not facilitate public debate on transgender sports participation in the manner seen in certain Western jurisdictions.

There is no standalone federal statute in the UAE dedicated exclusively to e-sports. However, the UAE has emerged as a significant regional hub for e-sports and competitive gaming, and regulatory attention to the sector has increased.

Federal Law No. 4 of 2023 Concerning Sports applies broadly to “all fields of sports activity in the State, including the free zones.” The law does not expressly define or exclude e-sports, and the breadth of the law’s scope arguably permits its application to organized e-sports activity insofar as such activity is recognized and regulated by a registered sports federation or competent authority.

At the emirate level, Dubai has taken notable steps: the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and the Dubai Sports Council have supported e-sports events, and the broader digital economy regulatory framework in Dubai provides a licensing and regulatory environment for e-sports businesses. The Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), while primarily focused on virtual assets, reflects the UAE’s broader regulatory willingness to address digital and technology-driven activities.

Abu Dhabi, through Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), has likewise supported the growth of the digital entertainment and gaming ecosystem, although not through sport-specific legislation.

In practice, e-sports events in the UAE are organized through licensed event management companies and are subject to general commercial licensing, media regulation, and consumer protection laws. To the extent that e-sports involve prize pools, these must be structured to comply with the prohibition on gambling under Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 Promulgating the Crimes and Penalties Law.

As of the date of this opinion, there are no publicly announced motions to introduce a standalone e-sports statute, though the regulatory environment remains dynamic and the sector’s rapid growth may prompt future legislative or regulatory action.

The UAE does not have a tradition of publishing and publicly reporting sports law cases in the manner common to common-law jurisdictions. Proceedings before the UAE Sports Arbitration Centre are generally conducted on a confidential basis, and published case law in the sports domain is limited.

Notable regulatory and legislative developments in recent years include:

• The promulgation of Federal Law No. 4 of 2023 Concerning Sports, which represented a comprehensive overhaul of the sports regulatory framework in the UAE;
• The issuance of Cabinet Resolution No. 46 of 2024 Concerning the Executive Regulation of the 2023 Sports Law.

While specific high-profile litigation matters are not publicly reported in a comparable manner, the ongoing implementation and enforcement of the 2023 Sports Law and its executive regulations represent the most significant developments in the UAE sports law landscape in the recent period.

Several sports law topics are particularly current and relevant in the UAE:

Professionalization and Commercialization of Sports Clubs: The 2023 Sports Law’s introduction of “Sports Companies” as a distinct category — commercial companies established by sports clubs, federations, or the private sector — represents a deliberate legislative effort to enable the commercialization and professionalization of the sports sector. The interaction between the Sports Law and the Commercial Companies Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021 Concerning Commercial Companies) in structuring these entities is a developing area of practice.

Mega-Sporting Events and Hosting: The UAE continues to position itself as a global destination for major sporting events, including Formula 1 (Abu Dhabi Grand Prix), the Dubai World Cup (horse racing), international cricket tournaments, and golf championships. The legal frameworks for event security (Federal Law No. 8 of 2014), broadcasting rights, and sponsorship arrangements are areas of active commercial and legal practice.

E-Sports and Digital Sports Economy: As noted under Question 12, the growing e-sports industry in the UAE raises questions regarding the applicability of the existing sports regulatory framework, intellectual property, prize structures, and player contracts in the digital sports space.

Sports Governance and Institutional Reform: The 2023 Sports Law and its 2024 Executive Regulation represent a comprehensive governance reform, including requirements for sustainability, leadership standards, and institutional sporting excellence for registered sports entities. Implementation and compliance with these new governance standards is an ongoing process.

Athlete Welfare and Employment: The interplay between the Sports Law’s “Professional Sports Career” framework and the UAE Labour Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 Concerning the Regulation of Labour Relations) continues to develop, particularly regarding the classification of athletes as employees, the enforceability of restrictive covenants, and the application of labor protections to professional sports persons.