UAE Special Olympics: A Model for Empowering People of Determination

Through its empowering leadership the UAE Special Olympics continues to develop People of Determination alongside strengthening their important social position.

A Legacy of Inclusion and Success
The initiative started operation during the early 1990s through the UAE Disabled Sports Federation which organized different competitions while training hundreds of disabled athletes. The UAE Special Olympics received formal public benefit organization approval through the directions of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2017.

The UAE delegation created historical results by taking part in the 7,000 athlete-strong event of the 2019 Special Olympics World Games hosted in Abu Dhabi which led to substantial growth in the movement. The athletes representing the UAE have demonstrated exceptional performance levels at international competitions since their first major participation.

A String of Remarkable Achievements
2022 Malta Games – 16 medals (6 gold, 8 silver, 2 bronze)

2023 Berlin World Games – 73 medals (18 gold, 22 silver, 33 bronze), the best performance by an Arab nation

2023 Asian Classic Powerlifting Championships (Malaysia) – 20 medals (15 gold, 5 silver)

2024 Malta National Games – 15 medals across five sports

2024 Middle East and North Africa Athletics Championship (Amman) – 22 medals (12 gold, 10 silver)

2024 UAE Special Olympics Games – Hosted over 1,000 athletes across two events

At the 2024 Torino Games (Italy) the nation took home 16 medals which positioned it as the leading Arab and Middle Eastern country.

Commitment to Empowerment and Growth
National Director Talal Al Hashemi from UAE Special Olympics expressed gratitude by saying that
We experienced a transformative age of empowerment as well as excellence during and after the 2019 Abu Dhabi Games. Our leadership-aligned strategy maintains its support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities which brings remarkable advancement to our athletes.