The General Authority of Sports organises workshop to promote sustainable community sports sector in the UAE

The General Authority of Sports (GAS) organised a workshop titled ‘Community Sports: Between Reality and Sustainability’, as part of its efforts to promote and nurture community sports in the UAE, encourage community members to participate in various sporting events, as well as develop initiatives and strategies that will contribute to a sustainable community sports sector.

The workshop, which was held on 20 June, was attended by H.E. Saeed Abdul Ghaffar Hussain, Secretary General of the General Authority of Sports, along with key representatives from Ministries, federal bodies, sports federations, and other institutions that support the Authority’s community sports events.

H.E. Saeed Abdul Ghaffar Hussain, Secretary General of the General Authority of Sports, said: “The development of community sports is a key component of the National Sports Strategy 2031, which was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Given the sector’s potential to have a positive impact on society, the strategy aims to increase the percentage of the UAE’s population participating in sports to 71 per cent, allowing us to achieve social cohesion and promote an active lifestyle among individuals.”

“The General Authority of Sports, in partnership with various sports bodies, is working to implement several new strategies to advance the country's sports sector. The latest workshop organised by the authority was a step towards bringing together key stakeholders from the sports sector, ensuring the sustainability of the community sports sector, and encouraging all segments of society to incorporate sport into their daily lives. This demonstrates the Authority's emphasis on developing community sports, in line with the vision of our wise leadership that places a high value on the same due to its crucial role in fostering community health. As a result, we will continue to adopt a number of initiatives under the motto ‘Sports For Life’ in hopes of developing a distinctive sports society for the present and future generations,” he added.

In his opening remarks, Ahmed Al-Abdouli, Director of the Community Sports Management at the General Authority of Sports, reiterated the authority's commitment to offering all forms of assistance to promote community sports and advance Sustainable Development Goals to improve community health and wellbeing. In an effort to transform sports into a way of life, the authority works in several ways to familiarise various segments of society with sports, while also creating a culture of competition, morality, and sportsmanship.

In addition, the workshop included a lecture by Dr. Osama Al Lalla, Sports Awareness Specialist at the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, during which he explored three key topics – the reality of community sports in the UAE and the government's efforts to promote it, the role of sports in elevating the quality of life, and strategies for ensuring the sustainability of community sports.

In order to strengthen the culture of community sports and advance the sports industry, the General Authority of Sports will continue to host a number of events throughout the year in partnership with its strategic partners. These events include the ‘Sports Day for People with Down Syndrome’ initiative, the Community Sports Fair, the ‘National Sports Day’ with a focus on sustainability, and the ‘Practice Sports and Enjoy Life’ initiative.