In brief
For the first time, the world’s leading 3‑x‑3 basketball competition opened its doors in Dubai on 6 November 2026, bringing 14 elite teams to the waterfront. The event is the genesis of a three‑year partnership that aims to establish Dubai as a hub for elite international sports and boost local basketball participation. Key organisers emphasised community outreach, school visits and talent development as central pillars of the programme.
The 2026 edition of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour opened Friday at Festival Bay in Dubai Festival City, marking the first time the global 3‑x‑3 competition has staged a tournament in the United Arab Emirates. Organised by the Dubai Sports Council and supervised by FIBA, the two‑day event will host 14 world‑class teams and conclude with a grand finale on Saturday night.
At an on‑site press conference Thursday, officials including 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 Olympic gold medallist Worthy de Jong of Team Amsterdam Rabobank, announced a three‑year strategic partnership between the Dubai Sports Council and FIBA that will run through 2028.
This agreement establishes a sustainable platform for staging elite international 3x3 competitions, further cementing Dubai’s status as a premier global hub for major sporting events. Al Marzouqi said the partnership aligns with the Dubai Sports Sector Strategic Plan 2033, which prioritises basketball among 17 global‑resonance sports.
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.
Al Marzouqi added that the event’s build‑up programme featured visits by the Team Amsterdam champions to schools across Dubai, giving students a rare opportunity to engage directly with top‑tier players.
In addition to the high‑profile competition, the programme includes community outreach and local talent development initiatives. The centre court has previously hosted 3x3 finals of the Dubai Schools Games, underscoring the city’s commitment to fostering grassroots basketball.
