The UAE’s sports sector is witnessing rapid growth in the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies, which have moved beyond experimentation and innovation into practical applications supporting planning, physical preparation and training. These technologies provide accurate performance indicators that help technical and administrative teams measure and improve performance, while strengthening efforts to identify talent and develop elite athletes.
Digital technologies have become a key component of modern sports preparation. Assessments of athletes are no longer based solely on direct observation and competition results, but increasingly draw on data related to movement and speed, exertion and recovery rates, sleep quality and physiological indicators. This enables a more comprehensive assessment of an athlete’s readiness and ability to cope with training loads.
Data analytics and AI technologies offer advanced capabilities for processing large volumes of information and integrating data from multiple sources, including physical test results, tracking devices and video recordings. These capabilities transform data into actionable indicators that technical teams can use to monitor performance development, identify strengths and pinpoint areas requiring further improvement.
Alex Bronori, Vice President of Brand at G42, said the company is working to build an integrated network of data centres and computing infrastructure to harness AI across various sectors, including sports. He noted that the technologies being developed by the company are designed to support national sectors and enhance their efficiency.
He added that the ecosystem being developed by the company provides individuals and institutions with greater access to AI capabilities, encouraging further innovation and creativity and expanding the technology’s applications across different fields.
The impact of emerging technologies also extends to injury prevention and rehabilitation. Accumulated data on an athlete’s history, training loads, fatigue levels and responses to exercise can provide additional indicators to support medical and technical teams when making decisions related to rest, rehabilitation and a safe return to competition.
Talent identification is another key area benefiting from digital transformation. By developing databases that track athletes’ physical and technical indicators and competitive results from an early age, sports federations and clubs can gain more accurate tools for monitoring player development and assessing their long-term potential.
UAE sports are also witnessing a growing number of partnerships between sports institutions and technology companies, reflecting increasing interest in AI applications for enhancing athletic performance, driving innovation and strengthening engagement with audiences.
Among these initiatives is the use of AI technologies in the design of sports equipment and products, highlighting the expanding role of technology beyond performance analysis during competition to the development of innovative solutions that enhance the experience of athletes and fans.
In this context, Mauro Gianetti, Chief Executive Officer of UAE Team Emirates-XRG, said the team continues to invest in the latest AI-powered technologies to promote innovation and enhance performance. He noted that the team will use a new helmet designed using AI technologies during the upcoming 2027 UAE Tour.
He added that AI has evolved into an integrated system supporting various aspects of cyclists’ lives, helping them develop their capabilities, enhance performance and simplify many of the daily tasks associated with preparation and competition.
Partnerships between technology companies and sports teams provide an important platform for testing new applications that connect digital capabilities with the sports sector. They also open broader opportunities to develop interactive experiences and engage audiences in different aspects of sporting activities.
These initiatives reflect a growing trend towards integrating AI across the sports ecosystem, with its role extending beyond data analysis to encompass innovation, design and audience engagement. This provides sports institutions with new opportunities to develop more advanced and interactive services, products and experiences.
Hind Al Hosani, Secretary-General of the UAE Archery Federation, said the federation is moving towards adopting smart systems to analyse athletes’ data and support talent identification and development efforts. This includes the use of smart protective equipment and modern monitoring systems to collect accurate data on physical and technical performance during training and competitions.
She added that these data help technical teams identify promising athletes and develop preparation programmes tailored to each athlete’s needs. She stressed that AI serves as a supporting tool for accelerating the identification of elite talent across different sports by analysing large volumes of data and linking technical and physical indicators with competition results, providing a more comprehensive view of athletes’ development trajectories.
She noted that the federation is working in coordination with the UAE Committee for the Care of Sports Talents and Support of National Sports, under the supervision of the Ministry of Sports, to leverage these technologies in preparing national teams and enhancing their readiness and competitiveness for upcoming continental and international competitions.
At the same time, digital platforms provide advanced capabilities for monitoring athletes remotely and sharing reports between technical and medical teams, as well as displaying data through unified dashboards. This helps accelerate performance analysis, support decision-making and enhance the efficiency of the UAE’s sports ecosystem, in line with the country’s drive to build a more innovative, sustainable and competitive sports sector.
