Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a pivotal element across various life sectors, streamlining daily routines and offering innovative solutions. In sports, AI has opened vast avenues for investment and advancements that promise to benefit practitioners and audiences alike.
The United Arab Emirates has established itself as a regional leader in AI innovation, embodying the visionary leadership’s goal of transforming the nation into a global hub for developing and adopting AI solutions across diverse fields, including sports.
Dubai International Summit
Recognising the transformative potential of AI in sports, the UAE hosted the Dubai International Summit in June. This event showcased the latest AI applications in sports, leading to several outcomes aimed at enhancing performance analysis, training, interactive fan experiences, sports system management, officiating, and tactical analysis.
The summit provided a platform for leading global tech and AI companies to present their innovations across various sports. A standout example was the Spanish La Liga’s “MediaCoach” platform, capable of capturing over 25 frames per second and tracking thousands of data points per player. This technology is available to all La Liga clubs and their broadcasting partners, enabling them to gain new insights and contribute to the league’s global growth.
Dubai AI Sports Conference and Exhibition
In 2019, the UAE organised the inaugural Dubai AI Sports Conference and Exhibition (DAIS), under the theme “Together We Shape the Future of Sports.”
The event attracted over 50 experts and specialists from 30 countries, featuring more than 25 workshops and sessions where participants shared their global experiences in AI and sports.
Nasser Aman Al Rahma, Assistant Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council, highlighted AI’s potential to revolutionise sports and the challenges it faces.
He affirmed that the UAE is at the forefront of adopting and optimising AI applications, leveraging a robust framework of experts and specialists.
Al Rahma emphasised the importance of raising awareness through such events, focusing on the uses of AI in data collection and analysis, performance enhancement, and maximising broadcasting, sponsorship, marketing, and audience engagement.
AI Applications in Sports
Moreover, he affirmed that Dubai’s sports sector is committed to integrating AI solutions to enhance sports facilities and administrative operations.
The Dubai Sports Council is actively attracting AI investments, supported by favourable government regulations.
Furthermore, Al Rahma noted the alignment between the Dubai Sports Council and Microsoft to bolster AI usage and applications in sports, aiming to create a roadmap for utilising sports data in AI.
Mohammad Ali Abbaspour, CEO of ” SponixTech,” a company specialising in AI in sports and a participant in the Dubai International Summit, remarked on the expansive opportunities AI brings to sports-related media and advertising. AI technologies enable sports entities to add substantial value to their operations, fostering investment and profitability.
According to Mordor Intelligence, the sports AI market is expected to grow from $1.3 billion in 2020 to $8 billion by 2026, with an annual growth rate of 34%. Allied Market Research projects the market could reach $29.7 billion by 2032.
The statistics indicate that AI’s penetration in sports will continue to expand, offering broader solutions in personal training, skill development, officiating technologies, result prediction, and more.
