Basketball giants to shoot hoops in Abu Dhabi

Article posted by Coliseum, February 12^th, 2025

Image: Coliseum GSVA

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is no stranger to hosting massive sporting events and now it’s about to welcome one of the biggest basketball showdowns on the planet.

‘timeoutdubai.com’ stated that for the first time ever the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four is heading to the UAE capital Abu Dhabi setting the stage for a high-stakes battle between Europe’s top teams.

The EuroLeague Final Four is the Final Four format championship of the European-wide top-tier level EuroLeague professional club basketball competition.

‘timeoutdubai.com’ further stated that the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), Euroleague Basketball and the Etihad Arena have teamed up to bring the event to the region which is a major expansion of the league beyond its traditional European base.

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi is an agency of the Government of Abu Dhabi established in February 2012 by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, to replace Abu Dhabi’s two main tourism and culture agencies – the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage.

Barcelona (Spain)-based the EuroLeague, officially the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, is a European men’s professional basketball club competition. The league is widely recognized as the top-tier men’s league in Europe.

The Etihad Arena is an indoor arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), located on the Yas Bay Waterfront District of Yas Island. Designed by HOK, the capacity of the venue is 18,000 and it is operated by Etihad.

New York (US)-based the HOK is a global design, architecture, engineering, and planning firm. The design firm is a collective of future-forward thinkers and designers who are driven to face the critical challenges of the present time. They are dedicated to improving people’s lives, serving their clients and healing the planet. Together, HOK cultivate a culture of design excellence at the confluence of Art and Science blending the power of creative expression with a clear sense of purpose.

The Etihad Airways is the national airline of the United Arab Emirates. Its head office is in Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi (UAE) near the Zayed International Airport. The airline commenced operations in November 2003 and is the second-largest airline in the UAE after Emirates Airline.

The UAE has been making serious moves in the basketball world. Over the past few years, Abu Dhabi has hosted the National Basketball Association (NBA) pre-season games, USA Basketball showcase the events and a slew of international tournaments.

New York (US)-based the National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams. The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered the premier professional basketball league in the world.

Colorado Springs (US)-based USA Basketball (USAB) is a nonprofit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the men’s and women’s national basketball teams in the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

Mies (Switzerland)-based the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide.

And Dubai has a team shooting hoops in the Adriatic League (the top-tier regional men’s professional basketball league that originally featured clubs from former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia) against top clubs from Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina).

Now, with the EuroLeague Final Four set to take over Etihad Arena on Yas Island the City is proving once again that it’s got the chops to deliver world-class sporting spectacles.

As for what to expect there will be a next-level fan experience with four of Europe’s best teams battling it out in front of a 12,000-strong crowd in one of the world’s most cutting-edge arenas.

The semi-finals tipoff on May 23^rd with the third-place match and the Championship Final following on May 25^th.

For the EuroLeague this marks a bold new era. Expanding beyond its traditional European venues the league is bringing its ‘Every Game Matters’ mantra to a fresh audience in Abu Dhabi. With the success of past events like the Adidas NextGen Tournament in Dubai (a platform for the young basketball athletes to spark their international careers showcasing skills and passion on the court) this Middle Eastern expansion is set to unlock a whole new wave of basketball fandom.

Tickets for this historic showdown go on sale from February 26^th with multiple price categories available for the fans looking to catch all the four games. Whether one is a hardcore EuroLeague follower or just love a high-energy sports spectacle this is one event fans won’t want to miss.

Continue to follow Coliseum for latest updates on venues business news. Coliseum is dedicated towards building the best global community of sports and entertainment venue executives and professionals creating better and more profitable venues.

Become a member of the only Global Sports Venue Alliance and connect with stadiums, arenas and experts from around the world. Apply for membership at coliseum-online.com/alliance and make use of the 365Coliseum Business.

Watch 420 member-exclusive videos with valuable tips for your venue