emirates7 - Winter sports in the UAE have seen remarkable growth in recent years, achieving significant milestones in both accomplishments and development initiatives. With a special emphasis on ice hockey, the UAE has focused on nurturing its national teams, identifying talent, organizing championships, and participating in both regional and international competitions.
The UAE is recognized as a leader in ice hockey both regionally and globally, contributing to the sport’s development across Asia and beyond. The country joined the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) in 2001 and became the first Arab nation to achieve full membership by 2013. This also made it the first Arab nation to secure two votes in the IIHF after meeting all necessary requirements, such as establishing a local ice hockey league—the Emirates Ice Hockey League, launched in 2009—building Olympic-standard ice rinks, and training international referees.
The UAE National Ice Hockey Team competes annually in the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship and every four years in the Asian Winter Games. Since 2013, the UAE Women’s National Ice Hockey Team has participated in the IIHF Asia and Oceania Championship (formerly known as the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia), alongside the UAE’s U20 National Team, which competes in the same event.
Domestically, the UAE Ice Hockey Federation manages the Emirates Ice Hockey League, featuring six teams competing each season. The federation also actively engages in meetings with the International and Asian Ice Hockey Federations and frequently hosts international events and meetings.
The UAE's advanced infrastructure, including state-of-the-art facilities that meet global standards, has been key in supporting the sport’s ecosystem. This modern infrastructure allows the country to host major ice hockey and other sports events, attracting participants of all ages and contributing to the sport’s growing popularity.
The rising interest in ice hockey and the UAE national team’s rapid development led to the country hosting the IIHF Asia and Oceania Championship in Abu Dhabi in 2009. This marked a major milestone, as the UAE National Team won the title, leading to the formation of the Abu Dhabi Ice Hockey Club under the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, which eventually became the Abu Dhabi Ice Sports Club.
The UAE National Ice Hockey Team’s success dates back to winning first place in its debut tournament in Hong Kong in 1999, followed by a second-place finish in 2000. Recently, the team claimed the gold medal at the 2022 Gulf Ice Hockey Championship in Kuwait with a flawless performance.
The team’s international accomplishments continued with its victory in the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division II in Türkiye, following its triumph in the 2022 Division III Championship in Luxembourg.
Hamel Ahmed Al Qubaisi, Vice President of the UAE Winter Sports Federation, reaffirmed the federation’s commitment to advancing winter sports on a global scale and fostering a healthy, united society in alignment with the UAE Centennial 2071 vision. He emphasized the federation's focus on talent discovery programs and enhancing the sport's global competitiveness, while supporting national teams with the potential to represent the UAE in international competitions.
The UAE is recognized as a leader in ice hockey both regionally and globally, contributing to the sport’s development across Asia and beyond. The country joined the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) in 2001 and became the first Arab nation to achieve full membership by 2013. This also made it the first Arab nation to secure two votes in the IIHF after meeting all necessary requirements, such as establishing a local ice hockey league—the Emirates Ice Hockey League, launched in 2009—building Olympic-standard ice rinks, and training international referees.
The UAE National Ice Hockey Team competes annually in the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship and every four years in the Asian Winter Games. Since 2013, the UAE Women’s National Ice Hockey Team has participated in the IIHF Asia and Oceania Championship (formerly known as the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia), alongside the UAE’s U20 National Team, which competes in the same event.
Domestically, the UAE Ice Hockey Federation manages the Emirates Ice Hockey League, featuring six teams competing each season. The federation also actively engages in meetings with the International and Asian Ice Hockey Federations and frequently hosts international events and meetings.
The UAE's advanced infrastructure, including state-of-the-art facilities that meet global standards, has been key in supporting the sport’s ecosystem. This modern infrastructure allows the country to host major ice hockey and other sports events, attracting participants of all ages and contributing to the sport’s growing popularity.
The rising interest in ice hockey and the UAE national team’s rapid development led to the country hosting the IIHF Asia and Oceania Championship in Abu Dhabi in 2009. This marked a major milestone, as the UAE National Team won the title, leading to the formation of the Abu Dhabi Ice Hockey Club under the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, which eventually became the Abu Dhabi Ice Sports Club.
The UAE National Ice Hockey Team’s success dates back to winning first place in its debut tournament in Hong Kong in 1999, followed by a second-place finish in 2000. Recently, the team claimed the gold medal at the 2022 Gulf Ice Hockey Championship in Kuwait with a flawless performance.
The team’s international accomplishments continued with its victory in the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division II in Türkiye, following its triumph in the 2022 Division III Championship in Luxembourg.
Hamel Ahmed Al Qubaisi, Vice President of the UAE Winter Sports Federation, reaffirmed the federation’s commitment to advancing winter sports on a global scale and fostering a healthy, united society in alignment with the UAE Centennial 2071 vision. He emphasized the federation's focus on talent discovery programs and enhancing the sport's global competitiveness, while supporting national teams with the potential to represent the UAE in international competitions.