Dubai joins elite global padel circuit as Premier Padel confirms first-ever UAE tournament

Dubai has been officially confirmed as the host for an official round of the 2024 Premier Padel season. This follows a multi-year hosting agreement signed by the UAE Padel Association (UAEPA), the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and Dubai Sports Council (DSC), with Premier Padel, the world’s leading professional padel circuit.

The all-new Dubai Premier Padel P1 event, which is scheduled for November 2024, is part of the newly-unified 25-tournament season that will take place in 18 countries across five continents. The Dubai event, which will be organised by Gallop Global, will feature 320 players in separate formats for male and female pairs, The accumulated prize pool for both categories is 470,000 euros (AED 1.89 million).

Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, President of UAEPA, said: “Securing Dubai’s place in the Premier Padel circuit in 2024 represents a major win for the UAE, as the competition among cities to be part of the new-look Premier Padel calendar was strong. Padel’s popularity across the UAE continues to surge and the country now boasts more than 250 padel facilities and over 900 courts. Padel has a passionate and loyal following in the country and is now a major sport in the UAE.”

Saeed Mohammed Hareb, Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council, said: “The addition of the Dubai Premier Padel P1 to the city's extensive portfolio of world-class sporting events will not only enrich Dubai's event ecosystem but also boost its status on the global sporting stage. Dubai continues to grow as a leading destination for top-tier global sports competitions, bringing together leading sports professionals in diverse disciplines from around the world and creating a unique hub for sporting excellence.”

Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), said: “The Dubai Premier Padel P1 aligns with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33’s vision to establish the city as a global hub for premier sporting events, and the world’s leading city to live, work and visit. The sport - both professionally and at an amateur level - has witnessed a meteoric rise in popularity across Dubai over the last decade, and we look forward to welcoming the world’s leading players to the emirate next year.”

Ivan Modia, CEO Gallop Global, added: “Dubai is home to numerous world-class sporting events, and we are extremely excited to add Dubai Premier Padel P1 to the extensive roster of global tournaments and competitions which descend on the city every year. There are very ambitious plans for the Dubai Premier Padel P1, and we look forward to announcing our detailed plans for what promises to be an international fiesta of padel when Premier Padel debuts in the emirate next year.” More details on the Dubai tournament will be released in the new year.

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