MENA

North American basketball league the NBA will open its first-ever retail stores in the Middle East after entering into a partnership with the Qatar-based Al Mana Fashion Group.

United World Wrestling, the sport’s global governing body, has announced that the Iranian capital of Tehran has secured the hosting rights for the 2017 Greco-Roman and freestyle World Cups.

Golf’s Ladies European Tour (LET) has moved its showpiece European Masters tournament from London to Düsseldorf and has unveiled plans for a new event in Qatar.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is reportedly considering adding extra editions of its World Twenty20 national team tournament in 2018 and 2022 as a means to tap into the rapidly developing format of the sport.

Plans have been unveiled for a new AED3bn (€709.7m/$817m) stadium in Dubai, with the innovative facility set to be in contention for a prominent role in the United Arab Emirates’ staging of the 2019 Asian Cup national team football tournament.

The national football associations of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations have decided that Kuwait will host the Gulf Cup national team tournament later this year if sporting sanctions are overturned on the Arab state, while plans have progressed to form a Gulf Football Federation (GFF).

World football’s governing body Fifa has today (Friday) announced the creation of an oversight body with independent members to monitor the systems in place to ensure “decent working conditions” at World Cup stadiums.

Fifa should remove World Cup hosting rights from countries that fail to eradicate human rights abuses, according to a report commissioned by world football’s governing body in response to concerns over the mistreatment of workers in Qatar.

Active lifestyle company Tough Mudder has teamed up with the IMG agency and market entry specialist Seroja Partners to expand the mass participation obstacle course series into Asia and the Middle East.

The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has stripped hosting rights to its 2016 World Endurance Championship from the United Arab Emirates amid ongoing horse welfare concerns, and has opened a new bidding process for the event.

Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, which is responsible for delivering the stadia and infrastructure for football’s 2022 Fifa World Cup, has appointed an external monitor to bolster auditing and inspections surrounding worker standards during preparations for the tournament.

Dubai has a solid heritage as a short-break training destination for football clubs, but continued investment in facilities and infrastructure is enhancing its reputation as a training base in other sports.

ARTICLE PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH FALCON AND ASSOCIATES.

Qatar 2022 has hit back at the latest claims from Amnesty International that migrant workers building the Fifa World Cup’s Khalifa International Stadium in Doha have suffered systematic abuses, in some cases forced labour, stating the allegations “paint a misleading picture”.

Abu Dhabi will play host to its first-ever Ladies European Tour (LET) golf event later this year after an agreement was reached between the body and local organisers.

LaLiga, the organising body of the top two divisions of Spanish football, has entered into a first-of-its-kind partnership with United Arab Emirates-based club Al-Ahli.

Organisers of the Qatar 2022 Fifa World Cup have moved to alleviate fears over accommodation provision at the national team football tournament by unveiling a proposal to use Bedouin-style tents in desert areas close to stadiums.