South Korea And UAE Set New Benchmark In Sports Cooperation, Paving Way For A Sports Tourism Boom

Published on December 10, 2025

This week represented an important milestone in the field of sports and cultural diplomacy as the Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Sports of the United Arab Emirates, Ghanim Mubarak Al Hajeri, accompanied a UAE delegation to South Korea with the intention of furthering bilateral relations in sports.

In a candid opening to the meetings, Al Hajeri emphasised the human-centred vision behind the visit: the UAE wants to leverage global expertise and best practice to advance the national sports development journey. Reportedly, he spoke of more than just elite competition but also a drive to foster community-level sport, youth talent, and public-health benefits for everyday citizens.

Key Highlights of the visit

International anti-doping standards & clean sport

The UAE delegation, accompanied by senior officials of the UAE National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), participated in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)’s 2025 World Conference on Doping in Sport held in Busan from 1–5 December.

During the conference, delegates formally adopted the forthcoming 2027 World Anti-Doping Code and updated International Standards, a clear sign of the UAE’s commitment to align with global best practices in sports integrity.

Al Hajeri held an official meeting with Witold Bańka, President of WADA, discussing ways to enhance cooperation in testing, education, digital result-management systems and capacity-building initiatives under the NADA framework.

Broader cooperation: from youth programmes to sports cities

Al Hajeri’s schedule also included a high-level discussion with Chae Hwi-young, Minister of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea (MCST). Together, they explored collaboration in school-level sports, talent identification, integration of advanced training technologies and digital transformation in sport, signalling a commitment to share the advanced South Korean model with UAE’s evolving sports ecosystem.

Moreover, there was a concrete proposal to form a UAE–South Korea sports cooperation task force, launch joint youth sports exchanges, and develop AI- and sports-science-driven innovation projects, with the aim of formalising the collaboration through a long-term memorandum of understanding (MoU).

In Busan, the delegation also met with Park Heong-joon, Mayor of Busan, discussing possibilities of leveraging Busan’s smart infrastructure for community sports and even hosting international events with the UAE, potentially bridging urban development, sports cities and tourism.

Sports tourism and cultural exchange: a new travel axis

The new sports cooperation between South Korea and the UAE carries significant implications not only for elite sport but for travel and cultural tourism. As South Korea, through MCST, has already begun promoting itself to Middle-Eastern travellers as a tourist destination rich in culture, beauty and tradition, the strengthened sports link creates a fresh reason for travellers from the Gulf and beyond to visit.

For the UAE, engaging in sports cooperation with South Korea, a country globally associated with high-tech infrastructure, K-culture, and developed tourism, could attract South Korean tourists to visit the Emirates for sporting events, training camps, youth exchange programmes or even family holiday-cum-sports itineraries.

The planned youth exchanges, community sports events, and possibly joint international competitions or cultural-sport festivals may further blur the lines between traditional tourism and sports tourism, offering travellers immersive experiences combining athletic participation, cultural exposure, and cross-cultural exchange.

Also, the broader bilateral cooperation between the two nations already deepened via a recent state-level agreement which covers culture, education, technology and people-to-people exchange provides a fertile backdrop for sports-driven tourism and cultural interaction.

Long-term impact: building a global-class sports ecosystem and tourism bridge

The UAE’s ambition, under the leadership of Al Hajeri, is to build a robust sports ecosystem that extends beyond elite competition to include grassroots sports, public health, talent development and smart infrastructure, with the help of global partners.

By aligning with South Korea’s established strengths technological integration, youth development, community sports culture the UAE stands to benefit not only in sporting excellence but also in positioning itself as an attractive destination for sports tourism, international events, and cultural-sports exchange.

For South Korea and host city Busan in particular this collaboration enhances its status as a global sports hub and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) destination, attracting visitors from the Gulf and beyond, and strengthening its own tourism diversity and soft-power appeal.

In essence, what began as high-level meetings and anti-doping cooperation may soon result in youth tournaments, international training camps, community-sports festivals, and a lively sports-tourism corridor between South Korea and the UAE, bringing closer not just athletes, but families, culture-seekers, travellers, and sports enthusiasts across continents.

What’s next and why travellers should watch

With a proposed MoU, a task force to coordinate collaboration, youth-exchange programmes, and possibly joint AI-driven sports science ventures, the groundwork is being laid for a long-term partnership that transcends sport alone.

For travelers, this implies that in the near future they will witness more UAE-Korea cultural festivals, might get a chance to see the UAE or Korea as hosts for new international sports events, be a part of youth camps and exchange programs that provide immersive travel-and-sport experiences, and travel between the two regions will be easier and more frequent due to increased tourism and cultural-exchange activity.

At its heart, this cooperation reflects a broader vision: sport as a bridge between nations not just in competition, but in tourism, culture, technology and human connection.