Abu Dhabi is gearing up to host the inaugural Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix on 13th-14th January, 2024, featuring the sport’s best athletes representing national teams from around the globe at Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s historic port. The event is presented in partnership with SailGP’s Global Series Partner Mubadala Investment Group and Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC).
The highly anticipated global event was announced at a press conference held at the Saadiyat Beach Club in Abu Dhabi, in the presence of Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, President of the Emirates Modern Sailing and Rowing Federation; Aref Hamad Al Awani, ADSC Secretary-General; Mansour Al Ketbi, Executive Director of Digital and Corporate Services at Mubadala Investment Company and representative for Mubadala Foundation; and Russell Coutts, CEO of SailGP, along with a number of leading sports professionals.
With an exhilarating Season 4 schedule already underway, SailGP is ready to make history by bringing the global racing championship – and one of the world’s fastest growing sports leagues – to the UAE capital. Fans will get to witness ten teams going head-to-head on the waterfront of Abu Dhabi’s bustling port.
The city of Abu Dhabi will be the latest addition to the growing, purpose-driven series, becoming the latest stop on the global league’s calendar for Season 4 – which also includes iconic venues such as New York, Los Angeles, Sydney, Saint-Tropez, and San Francisco.
The event showcases world-class athletes as they compete in identical hydrofoiling F50 catamarans, capable of reaching speeds of nearly 100 km/h. National teams from Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States will engage in a fierce two-day competition, racing close to the shore, all vying for the ultimate victory.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamdan emphasised that the hosting of the major event enhances Abu Dhabi’s role as a premier sporting destination in the region and the Middle East. He praised Abu Dhabi’s hosting of the upcoming event, which brings together the elite and stars of the sport of sailing in a challenge that brings together the best sailing techniques and modern scientific methods represented in flow and harmony with the work in a team of sailors.
“I am honoured to announce that a new championship has joined the calendar of international events organised and hosted by Abu Dhabi,” the ADSC Secretary-General said. “This is a testament to the capital’s infrastructure and huge potential. As SailGP is one of the latest sports that is growing rapidly, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council is keen to support the championship. We also have strategic and permanent partnership with Mubadala in hosting and organising tournaments.”
