ABU DHABI: The UAE Cabinet approved a federal law on 25 April allowing all UAE residents to represent the national teams in official sports tournaments held in the country, regardless of their nationalities.
The unprecedented law is based on the directives of the UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and reflects the UAE government’s keenness to engage all residents in community activities in keeping to the values of tolerance and cultural diversity embraced by the country.
Players born to Emirati women with expatriate husbands, those holding UAE passports, those born in the UAE and also players residing in the UAE can now take part in local sport by the issuance of last November’s decree by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Major-General Mohammad Khalfan Al Rumaithi, president of the UAE General Authority for Youth and Sports Welfare, announced the guidelines, which is expected to come in to force in September.
The new law applies to children of Emirati mothers, UAE passport holders, and all those born in the UAE along with residents of all nationalities.
President of the UAE Football Association (UAE FA) Marwan Bin Galita tweeted: “Adoption and implementation of these regulations will draw up a new policy in the UAE sports system and will change many rules that have been rigid without development for many years,”
“The containment and utilisation of sporting talent that exists among us will further exacerbate the competition. As I see it, clubs have to seriously think about investing in them and making use of them in local and foreign engagements.”
Rugby, cricket and ice hockey have long been expatriate driven in the UAE, but it is sports like football, basketball, volleyball and handball, where this historic rule is most likely to have an impact.
