Dubai: The Dubai Sports Council will officially launch the competitions of the eighth edition of the ‘annual Dubai Labour Sports Tournament’, on Sunday.

Held under the slogan ‘Making them happy is our goal’, the eighth edition of the annual event meant for workers from across the emirate will continue till May 15, 2027, and will include 42 different championships, sports and community events within 15 sports designated for men and women.

The Dubai Sports Council has embarked on this ambitious programme with the aim of enhancing the quality of life in their work environment, and raise the levels of their physical fitness and mental health. This event is also a means of appreciation for their contribution to the success and development of Dubai.

The DSC has increased the number of competitions in the eighth edition of the event by including football, basketball, volleyball, swimming, badminton, kabaddi, throw ball, arm wrestling, cricket, tug-of-war, running, yoga, cycle race, pickleball and walking marches, in an attempt to keep pace with the sporting tastes and interests of various nationalities and providing various competitive options to suit everyone.

An institutional and societal priority

Fawzia Faridoon, Director of the Community Sports Department at Dubai Sports Council, confirmed that the continuity of the workers’ sports event and its continuous development reflect the Council’s commitment to expanding the base for practicing physical activity among all segments of society, especially the working category who receive great attention and appreciation in a place like Dubai.

“The eighth edition of the Dubai Labour Sports Tournament embodies the vision of the Dubai Sports Council, which aims to make sport a way of life and an effective tool for enhancing the physical and psychological health of workers in various sectors, in addition to its pivotal role in building bridges of communication and rapprochement between the multiple cultures and nationalities that live and work in Dubai within a positive environment dominated by the spirit of sportsmanship and fair competition,” Fawzia Faridoon observed.

“In designing the 2026-2027 season programme, we were keen to develop the participants’ experience technically and organisationally, and to increase the number of tournaments and events to 42 different competitions, with a focus on diversifying individual and group contests and enhancing the accompanying community events. Based on the great successes achieved by the seventh edition, we aim in this season to achieve growth exceeding 15 per cent in the number of companies, players, teams and fans, by strengthening partnerships with private sector institutions and consolidating their role in social responsibility by investing in health, and also in the happiness of its human cadres,” she added.

Comprehensive programme of events

The new season of the tournament is based on an integrated plan to develop and enhance the experience of participants and expand the scope of participation of companies and institutions over a period of nearly seven months.

In addition to the competitive tournaments of the eighth session, the sports and community programme will include a series of major events and accompanying qualitative initiatives, including activities tied along with the International Labour Day (May 1), International Yoga Day (June 21), and the Delivery Driver Appreciation Day (August 18), which enriches the humanitarian and societal dimension of the event.

Gains and targets

The launch of the eighth edition comes with an ambition for development and growth that was built on the record results recorded by the seventh edition that was held during the 2025-2026 season. This event witnessed the organisation of 39 sporting events, with the participation from 72 companies, represented by 4,926 male and female players competing within 320 teams, in addition to recording 1,959 individual participations from 12 different nationalities and a spectator attendance of nearly 7,000 people.

This mega, multi-disciplined event translates the strategic objectives of the ‘Dubai Sports Sector Strategic Plan 2033’, that includes the vital paradigm of the community among the four main pillars, and the Dubai Labour Sports Tournament contributes directly to achieving the plan’s goal to increase the number of people practicing sports in Dubai to 2.6 million. The same event also helps expand the base of community participation in physical activities, in addition to enhancing institutional integration and supporting community initiatives directed at workers.

This success reflects Dubai’s vision of making sport a way of life, which reflects positively on the quality of life, and consolidates the emirate’s position as a leading global destination concerned with the health and happiness of all members of its society from all walks of life.