Dubai [UAE], November 7: The global showpiece of half-court basketball arrives in the Emirates tomorrow (Friday, 6 November 2026) as the inaugural FIBA 3x3 World Tour Dubai 2026 tips off at Festival Bay, Dubai Festival City.
Organised by the Dubai Sports Council (DSC) under the supervision of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and in collaboration with the UAE Basketball Association, the two-day spectacle will bring the world's premier streetball talent to the waterfront venue for the very first time, culminating in Saturday night's grand finale on 7 November.
Details of the tournament were formally unveiled at an official press conference held on-site Thursday, addressed by Eisa Sharif Al Marzouqi, Director of the Sports Events Department at the Dubai Sports Council; Salem Al Mutawa, Secretary-General of the UAE Basketball Association; Ignacio Soriano, Head of Events and Partnerships at FIBA 3x3; and Paris 2024 Olympic gold medallist Worthy de Jong of Team Amsterdam Rabobank.
The tournament marks the curtain-raiser of a landmark three-year strategic partnership running until 2028 between the Dubai Sports Council and FIBA, in cooperation with the UAE Basketball Association. The agreement establishes a sustainable platform for staging elite international 3x3 competitions while further cementing Dubai's stature as a premier global hub for major international sporting events.
Speaking at the announcement, Eisa Sharif Al Marzouqi emphasised that the three-year pact with FIBA aligns seamlessly with the objectives of the Dubai Sports Sector Strategic Plan 2033. The blueprint designates basketball among 17 priority sports of global resonance and is anchored by four foundational pillars-Community, Events, Clubs, and Talent-supported by 19 programmes and 75 initiatives designed to elevate the sporting sector and reinforce Dubai's global standing.
"With 14 world-class teams competing this weekend, our priority at the Dubai Sports Council was to ensure this global spectacle leaves a lasting community legacy that begins in our schools," said Al Marzouqi. "Our build-up programme featured visits by the champions of Team Amsterdam to schools across Dubai, giving students the rare opportunity to engage directly with the finest players on the planet. Furthermore, the tournament's centre court has already hosted the 3x3 finals of the Dubai Schools Games, directly bridging grassroots scholastic competition with the elite international stage."
He added: "A core objective of bringing the World Tour to Dubai is to cultivate a deep talent pool in 3x3 basketball and broaden community participation. This tournament sits at the apex of a comprehensive developmental ecosystem that includes the Dubai Open Basketball Academies Tournament-which drew more than 2,000 players-and the Dubai Schools Games, featuring 1,500 male and female students. That footprint extends across women's athletics through the Sheikha Hind Women's Sports Tournament, as well as inclusive participation for People of Determination at the Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament, which seamlessly integrates 3x3 action with wheelchair basketball."
Ignacio Soriano hailed the emirate's readiness to join the international circuit: "Dubai possesses the facilities, the passionate fanbase, and the ambition required to stage the absolute pinnacle of 3x3 basketball. We are immensely proud to bring the World Tour to Dubai for the first time and look forward to building upon this partnership with our local counterparts through 2028. With 14 international contenders and the sport's marquee names on the roster, spectators are in for an unforgettable two days that transcend pure sport-blending elite athleticism with the live music, entertainment, and festival culture that define 3x3 basketball."
Echoing the sentiment, Salem Al Mutawa, Secretary-General of the UAE Basketball Association, noted the watershed moment for the domestic game: "Hosting the FIBA 3x3 World Tour represents a vital milestone in the ongoing evolution of basketball across the United Arab Emirates.
This event grants our domestic players, coaches, and aspiring young athletes front-row access to observe the world's best at close quarters, providing a major catalyst for the sport's national growth. We look forward to working closely alongside the Dubai Sports Council and FIBA throughout this partnership until 2028.''
Source: Emirates News Agency
