Abu Dhabi, UAE – The Emirates Village Running Races series, organized by the Emirates Council for Balanced Development, received international honor from the World Tourism Organization in the category “Community Impact in Sports Tourism”.
The races were held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dhiyab bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chief of the Presidential Office for Development Affairs and Martyrs’ Families, and Chairman of the Emirates Council for Balanced Development.
innovative models
The Emirates Council for Balanced Development received the shield of honor during a ceremony held in the Spanish capital, Madrid. In the presence of His Excellency Sheikha Nasser Al Nuwais, Secretary-General of the United Nations Tourism Organization. Along with a group of senior international officials and experts, in recognition of his role in developing and implementing qualitative initiatives that enhance the link between sports, community development, and balanced tourism.
This international honor reflects the UAE’s growing role in developing innovative models that combine sports, tourism and community development. It establishes its leading position in adopting sustainable initiatives that have a positive impact on society.
This honor represents a prominent milestone in the journey of the “Emirates Running Villages” series of races. Especially since it was achieved during its first year of launch. This places the initiative among the internationally recognized programs in the field of sports tourism and community impact.
promote community participation
The Emirates Village Running Races series highlights the Council’s efforts to enhance community participation and consolidate healthy lifestyles. In addition to supporting the development of tourism in villages across the country by organizing a national series of running races linking UAE villages across the UAE.
The UAE Villages Running Series was held from October to December 2025. It included organizing 7 races in 7 villages across 7 emirates. More than 5,000 participants from families, youth, women, senior citizens and people with disabilities participated.
Citizens accounted for 62% of the total participants, along with more than 50 nationalities. Which reflects the diversity of age and societal groups. The race distances varied between 1.5 km, 5 km and 10 km, to meet the different levels of participants.
A distinguished initiative
The racing series is the first national initiative of its kind linking villages in the UAE through a unified sports platform. It contributed to enhancing community participation and employing sports as an effective tool to support community cohesion and improve the quality of life.
Each station in the series provided a unique experience in various destinations, including mountainous areas, beaches, and heritage sites. This contributed to highlighting the UAE’s villages as tourist destinations, in addition to integrating the sports experience with elements of local culture and agricultural and community experiences.
The UAE Village Running Race Series embodies a pioneering national model that combines sports, tourism and community development. With scalability at regional and global levels.
