The Sevens Stadium: Putting community sport on the big stage

Dubai: For many, The Sevens Stadium is best known for hosting the Middle East’s biggest sports and entertainment festival, the Dubai Emirates 7s. But while the festival attracts thousands of people each year, The Sevens Stadium is much more than a three-day sporting spectacle.

Located on the E66 Dubai Al Ain Road, the cutting-edge multi-sport complex is built to serve athletes of all levels, from first-timers to professionals.

As part of Gulf News’ ‘Dubai’s Local Game’ series, The Sevens Stadium Operations Manager Matthew Burn discusses the venue’s role in supporting community sport.

“When The Sevens Stadium was opened back in 2008, the whole focus of the venue was the community and grassroots sport,” said Burn.

“Away from the main festival weekend, the other 362 days, we have up to 8,000 people coming through our doors on a weekly basis, and that ranges from all kinds of sports, cricket, football, rugby, netball and padel.”

The Sevens Stadium has become an important part of Dubai’s sporting landscape, offering a space where elite competition, grassroots activity and community events can all come together.

That year-round use is a big part of what makes the stadium such a valuable sporting destination in Dubai.

“The size of the facility and the number of sports we can offer here, it gives kids the opportunity to thrive,” explained Burn.

“It’s not all about the sports facilities though, we have an amazing restaurant here for the parents and they are also free to use the space for fitness so it really creates that community vibe and a great family atmosphere.”

What sets The Sevens Stadium apart from many other venues is the calibre of teams it attracts from around the world.

Its facilities have become a regular base for elite teams and athletes, giving them a place to train, prepare and compete while enjoying the Dubai sunshine. That mix of international-level sport and accessible community facilities gives The Sevens Stadium a unique position within the city’s sporting scene.

Burn continued: “For sure this is where we are very unique, while community is the main part of the venue, we also have the international standard facilities to host some big teams across the world.

“In football we’ve welcomed Nottingham Forest and West Ham United here in the past as well as a range of professional cricket and rugby teams.

The Emirates Dubai 7s is one of the UAE’s biggest sporting events, bringing together international teams, elite athletes and thousands of fans at The Sevens Stadium each year.

But the venue’s role in developing the next generation begins well before the main festival, with the Youth Sports Festival taking place around a month earlier. It gives young athletes from across the UAE the chance to experience the atmosphere of a major sporting venue and, importantly, compete on the same big stage as some of the world’s best.

“The Youth Sports Festival was created to give kids the opportunity to take part in the Emirates Dubai 7s, historically the festival is for Under-19s and above, so we created this youth tournament to cover all the sports we deliver on the main stage.

“This gives kids as young as the age of 13 the opportunity to come back after they compete in the youth festival a month before to play in the finals and get that real experience that all the athletes get to have during the Dubai 7s.

Tickets are now on sale for the Emirates Dubai 7s, which returns to The Sevens Stadium from Friday, November 27 to Sunday, November 29.

While the festival remains one of the biggest dates on the UAE sporting calendar, The Sevens Stadiums’ impact goes far beyond one weekend, with its facilities continuing to provide opportunities for the next crop of talented athletes in the region.