Hamdan bin Mohammed Meets FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the World Sports Summit in Dubai: A New Era for Football and Sports Diplomacy

On the opening day of the inaugural World Sports Summit in Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the United Arab Emirates, sat down with FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The high‑profile meeting highlighted a shared vision to use sport—especially football—as a catalyst for cross‑border cooperation, social cohesion and economic diversification across the Gulf and beyond.

World Sports Summit 2025: A Global Forum for Sports Leaders

The World Sports Summit, launched in Dubai in 2025, attracted roughly 1,500 senior leaders from the global sports ecosystem. Delegates represented more than 50 nations and included federation heads, club executives, policymakers, and technology innovators. Organisers described the summit as a “launchpad for international initiatives,” featuring sessions on talent development pathways, cutting‑edge training methodologies, and the integration of digital tools into athlete performance and fan engagement.

Why Dubai Became the Host City

Dubai’s reputation for delivering marquee events—such as the World Expo 2020, Formula E races, and the Dubai World Cup—positioned it as a natural venue for a summit that aims to shape the future of sport. The city’s state‑of‑the‑art facilities, robust sports‑tourism infrastructure, and proactive public‑private partnerships underscore its ambition to be a permanent hub for sports diplomacy and innovation.

The Dubai‑FIFA Dialogue: Key Themes and Substance

During a concise yet substantive discussion, Sheikh Hamdan emphasized sport’s power to build bridges between cultures. He cited football’s unrivaled global reach as a natural conduit for dialogue, noting that “sport remains one of the most potent instruments for mutual understanding among peoples.” The Crown Prince praised FIFA’s ongoing projects aimed at modernising governance, expanding grassroots participation, and championing inclusivity across gender, ability and geography.

Infantino, in turn, lauded the United Arab Emirates for its proactive stance on sport development. He highlighted Dubai’s ability to convene a summit of this magnitude as evidence of a forward‑looking vision that aligns with FIFA’s strategic priorities. The FIFA chief reaffirmed his commitment to collaborating with UAE authorities on programmes that could accelerate football growth in emerging markets, particularly through technology‑driven coaching platforms and youth academies.

Potential Projects Emerging from the Meeting

• Launch of a digital coaching curriculum powered by AI‑driven match analysis, slated for rollout in Middle‑East and North‑Africa academies by 2027.
• Creation of a “football innovation hub” within Dubai Sports City, offering start‑ups a sandbox for fan‑engagement platforms, blockchain ticketing and sustainable stadium technologies.
• Joint research initiatives on sports‑tech integration, data analytics and wearable technology to enhance athlete performance.

Dubai’s Broader Sports Strategy: From Vision to Reality

Over the past decade, Dubai has positioned itself as a regional hub for international competition. The Crown Prince, who also chairs Dubai’s Executive Council, has overseen landmark initiatives such as the development of Dubai Sports City, the expansion of the Dubai Sports Council’s mandate, and the establishment of high‑performance centres under the UAE National Olympic Committee.

Sheikh Hamdan’s remarks at the summit framed the event as more than a conference; he described it as a “global platform for unlocking opportunities that nurture talent, spark creativity and attract investment in sport‑related technology and knowledge.” By gathering experts from diverse disciplines, Dubai aims to create a virtuous cycle where innovations in data analytics, wearable tech, and virtual‑reality training feed back into grassroots programmes, raising the overall standard of athletic performance across the region.

Sports Tourism and Economic Diversification

The UAE’s knowledge‑economy objectives are closely tied to its sports‑tourism strategy. Hosting international events generates direct revenue, but the longer‑term goal is to attract investment in sports‑tech startups, develop talent pipelines, and position the Gulf as a destination for high‑performance training. The World Sports Summit serves as a showcase for these ambitions, demonstrating how sport can be a lever for economic diversification beyond oil and gas.

Regional Cooperation: The Gulf Delegation’s Role

The meeting was attended not only by UAE and FIFA officials but also by a senior Gulf delegation. Representatives included His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah; Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai; and Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee. From Bahrain, Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the King’s representative for humanitarian work and youth affairs, and Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, head of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, were present.

The presence of Gulf leaders signals a collective intent to align sports policy with national development goals. Analysts suggest that the convergence of UAE and Bahrain leadership could pave the way for joint training camps, shared talent‑identification networks, and coordinated bids for future international events—efforts that would amplify the region’s voice within global sport‑governance structures.

Joint Initiatives on the Horizon

• Co‑hosting of regional youth football tournaments that rotate between UAE and Bahrain.
• Development of a shared talent‑identification database leveraging AI to scout promising athletes across the Gulf.
• Co‑funded infrastructure projects, such as multi‑purpose stadiums designed to meet FIFA’s sustainability standards.

Implications for the Global Football Landscape

The Crown Prince’s endorsement of FIFA’s “comprehensive vision for an innovative and inclusive future” could translate into concrete projects that reshape football development in the Middle East. The proposed AI‑driven coaching curriculum, for example, promises to democratise access to high‑quality training, allowing academies in the region to benefit from the same analytical tools used by elite European clubs.

Furthermore, the planned football innovation hub in Dubai Sports City could become a magnet for international sport‑tech firms seeking a gateway to emerging markets in Asia, Africa and the Arab world. By providing a regulatory sandbox for blockchain ticketing, sustainable stadium design and immersive fan experiences, Dubai positions itself as a bridge between Western technology providers and the talent‑rich but infrastructure‑constrained regions where football continues to grow.

How the Partnership Aligns with FIFA’s Strategic Priorities

FIFA’s current strategic plan emphasizes three pillars: innovation, inclusivity and global expansion. The Dubai‑UAE collaboration directly supports each pillar. Innovation is evident in the AI coaching and sport‑tech hub initiatives; inclusivity is reinforced through grassroots programmes that target gender and ability diversity; and global expansion is pursued by extending football’s footprint into markets that have historically lagged in infrastructure and expertise.

Looking Ahead: The Legacy of the World Sports Summit

Organisers intend for the World Sports Summit to become an annual fixture, with future editions focusing on health and well‑being, women’s sport, and climate‑responsible event management. Sheikh Hamdan’s declaration that Dubai’s hosting “reflects our commitment to being an active partner in shaping the future of global sport” sets a tone for subsequent gatherings—a blend of diplomatic outreach, commercial opportunity and societal benefit.

As the summit draws to a close, attendees expressed confidence that the dialogue initiated between Dubai’s leadership and FIFA will evolve into a multi‑year framework for collaboration. Whether through joint research, co‑funded youth leagues or shared best‑practice exchanges, the partnership promises to extend the influence of sport far beyond the pitch, echoing the Crown Prince’s belief that athletics can serve as a bridge between nations and a driver of sustainable development.

Conclusion: A Pivotal Moment in Sports Diplomacy

The convergence of Dubai’s strategic vision, the UAE’s expanding sports infrastructure, and FIFA’s global mandate marks a turning point in the geopolitics of sport. By convening a diverse assembly of decision‑makers and aligning objectives around innovation, inclusivity and talent cultivation, the World Sports Summit—and the high‑level meeting that opened it—has set the stage for a new era of cooperation.

If the outlined projects materialise, the ripple effects could be felt across the footballing world and beyond, reinforcing sport’s capacity to unite societies, stimulate economies and inspire the next generation of athletes. The Hamdan bin Mohammed‑Infantino dialogue thus stands as a landmark moment, signaling that the future of football will be shaped not only on the field but also in boardrooms, technology labs and diplomatic corridors across the Gulf and the globe.