Dubai honours global sports icons including Novak Djokovic and Manny Pacquiao

Dubai: Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, honoured a host of international sports figures during the 2025 Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Sports Award, held on the sidelines of the World Sports Summit.

Sheikh Hamdan honoured Nasser Al Khelaifi, President of Paris Saint-Germain, with the Global Sports Leadership Award, and FIFA with the Global Sports Organisation Award.

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic received the Global Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising his outstanding contributions to the world of tennis.

Celebrating sports legends

Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai, honoured football and boxing icons with the Global Sports Career Award.

Recipients included Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, Italian football great Roberto Baggio, Brazilian football star Ronaldo, and Spanish football legend Andrés Iniesta.

Regional recognition

Sheikh Ahmed also presented the Emirati Sports Personality Award to the Crown Prince of Fujairah and the Arab Sports Personality Award to the Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports in Bahrain, celebrating their contribution to regional sports development.

Promoting international cooperation in sport

On the sidelines of the Summit, Sheikh Hamdan met with FIFA President Gianni Infantino to discuss international collaboration in football and the broader role of sport in fostering coexistence, mutual understanding, and global partnerships.

The Crown Prince highlighted the World Sports Summit as a platform for nurturing talent, advancing training and fitness approaches, and strengthening the role of clubs, academies, federations, and sports institutions worldwide.

“Dubai’s hosting of the World Sports Summit reflects our commitment to shaping the future of global sport,” Sheikh Hamdan said. “By bringing together expertise and ideas from across the world, we aim to unlock new opportunities to support talent, encourage creativity, and stimulate investment in technology and knowledge.”

UAE recognised for promoting global sport

Gianni Infantino commended the UAE’s leadership in advancing the sports sector and praised Dubai’s initiatives in supporting global sport.

He described hosting a summit of this scale, which brought together senior decision makers and leading sports figures, as a testament to Dubai’s forward-looking vision and long-term commitment.

Senior officials in attendance

The meeting and award ceremony were attended by senior leaders including: Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah; Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee; Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports in Bahrain; Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee; alongside ministers and senior officials from across the region.