UAE School Games 2026 Launches Third Official Edition Under Ministerial Patronage

The third official edition of the School Games 2026 is now underway, bringing 7,096 students from 518 public and private schools across the UAE into a single national competition. Held under the patronage of Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports, the championship places school sport at the centre of youth development and talent identification.

The School Games 2026 is organised by the United Arab Emirates Schools and University Sports Federation in cooperation with several national bodies. Key partners include the Ministry of Sports, the Ministry of Education, the National Olympic Committee, Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Dubai Sports Council, Sharjah Sports Council and additional strategic stakeholders that support a unified sports system.

The 2026 championship is spread across the full academic year and divided into two main phases. The first phase runs from January 12 to February 10, 2026, while the second phase is scheduled from April 1 to April 30, 2026. Competitions bring together students representing different regions of every emirate, building towards a national final.

Across School Games 2026 events, students compete in 13 individual and team sports designed to match varied interests. The opening phase features football, athletics, archery, badminton, laser run and table tennis. It also introduces obstacle course racing for the first time, widening programme diversity and supporting broader participation in line with national sporting targets.

The second phase of School Games 2026 focuses on additional disciplines that require tactical and technical skills. Chess, fencing, judo, jiu-jitsu, taekwondo and swimming will be contested during April 2026. Students progressing from both phases qualify for national-level finals, where the top three in each event receive gold, silver and bronze medals.

The competition calendar for School Games 2026 concludes on May 23, 2026 with finals and an awards ceremony. By this point, leading athletes from across the emirates will have advanced through local and regional stages. The closing event recognises winning students while also highlighting the broader role of school sport within the UAE’s development agenda.

School Games 2026 strategy and UAE school sports development goals

Sheikh Suhail bin Butti Al Maktoum, Assistant Undersecretary for Sports Development and Competitiveness at the Ministry of Sports and President of UAESUSF, stated that the 2026 edition marks an important step for school sports. The championship provides a national framework that embeds physical activity in education and strengthens values such as fair play, discipline and teamwork among students.

According to Sheikh Suhail, School Games 2026 also sits as a core element within Ministry of Sports and UAESUSF plans to discover and support emerging athletes. The initiative aims to build an integrated educational and sporting environment that allows students to refine skills while aligning with the National Sports Strategy 2031 objectives.

He highlighted that the national strategy seeks to increase the number of UAE athletes qualifying for the Olympic Games to more than 30 by the 2032 Olympics. In this context, School Games 2026 acts as an early-stage platform to spot talent, guide long-term development pathways and connect promising students with higher performance structures across the country.

Sheikh Suhail further noted that the strong results of earlier editions of the School Games underline commitment from the Ministry of Sports, UAESUSF, the Ministry of Education and partner entities. Their shared efforts aim to make sport a regular part of the school experience and everyday life for male and female students, while contributing to the broader progress of Emirati sports.

With inputs from WAM