More than 1,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities from all over the UAE are vying for glory in a major sporting competition that is poised to set the stage for the country's participation in the next Special Olympics World Games in 2027.
The UAE Games – taking place in Dubai and Abu Dhabi over the next week – will give competitors an opportunity to show their skills in a variety of sports.
The competitive action began on Wednesday, with the artistic and rhythmic gymnastics competitions at Wellfit Gymnastics Academy in Dubai.
The UAE Games, held every two years, will then officially take place from June 6 to 10, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and Zayed Sports City.
The sporting spectacle will have an international flavour this year as athletes from Morocco and Malta will take part in football, bowling and bocce.
The packed itinerary across two emirates will feature basketball, football, badminton, powerlifting, bowling and bocce, alongside events for athletes with higher support needs.
On the road to Santiago
For Sarah Mercer, a former British Olympian who now coaches the UAE gymnastics team, the event is about far more than medals.
“It's a huge honour. This is what we call the road to Santiago,” she said, referring to the 2027 Special Olympics World Games in Chile.
“The Special Olympics World Games will take place in Santiago, Chile, in 2027, and this is the first step in that qualification journey.”
The former Barcelona 1992 Olympian has worked with some of her athletes for more than eight years and watched them progress from children into young adults.
“The girls started with me when they were very young. They were only 12 when Abu Dhabi 2019 took place, so it's been more than eight years together,” she said.
“I've seen them grow not only as gymnasts, but as people. Through sport they've developed confidence, discipline and teamwork.”
Seven athletes from Wellfit Gymnastics Academy will compete in Dubai, including four who represented the UAE at the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi in 2019 and Berlin in 2023.
Mercer, who won the World School Games title in 1990 and later competed in European and World Championships, said inclusion remained at the heart of the academy's approach.
“One of our biggest values at Wellfit Gymnastics is inclusion through sport. We believe gymnastics should be for everybody,” she said.
Amr Badawi, head of sports and training at the UAE Special Olympics, spoke of how collaboration with WellFit brought rewards and broke new ground in the UAE Games.
“Our partnership with WellFit began six years ago and has culminated in this exceptional milestone,” he said.
“Together, we have successfully introduced artistic and rhythmic gymnastics to the UAE Games for the first time, creating new opportunities for athletes to show their talents and reach their full potential.
“The increased participation we are seeing, along with the genuine engagement and enthusiasm from athletes, coaches, and families, demonstrates the positive impact of this collaboration and the exciting future of gymnastics within the Special Olympics movement in the UAE.”
Ensuring sport is for all
The road to Santiago will continue later this year, with athletes progressing to regional competitions in Egypt before the final UAE team is selected for the 2027 World Games.
Talal Al Hashemi, national director of Special Olympics UAE, said the growth of the Games reflected years of investment in sport for people with disabilities.
“The success of the UAE Games since its launch reflects the strength of national collaboration across both the public and private sectors,” he said.
“We look forward to building on this momentum to further strengthen the presence of Special Olympics UAE athletes as active partners in the nation's development journey.”
Special Olympics UAE was established as an independent organisation in 2017 and works to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through sport and community programmes.
The last UAE Games, held in 2024, brought together more than 600 athletes.
