Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Championship Prepares to Welcome 12,000 Athletes

Preparations are accelerating for the 18th Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, with organisers expecting almost 12,000 athletes from around the world to participate in the event.

The championship will be held at Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi from November 9 to 21. Organisers are also preparing to accommodate international media and are developing plans for the event’s opening ceremony.

The preparations were reviewed at a meeting chaired by Mohamed Salem Al-Dhaheri, vice chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Federation and chairman of the championship’s organising committee.

Al-Dhaheri said the committee was focused on accommodating the growing number of athletes and academies expected to attend, while working with partners to increase the event’s international reach.

“The Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship has grown year after year and become one of the biggest events for leading athletes and academies,” he said.

He added that organisers aimed to maintain high standards for the championship while reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s position as an international destination for jiu-jitsu.

The meeting was attended by Mohamed Hussain Al-Marzooqi, a federation board member and vice chairman of the organising committee, and Fahad Ali Al-Shamsi, secretary-general of the federation.

Fouad Fahmi Darwish, chief executive officer of Palms Sports, Tareq Al-Bahri, general manager of Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro, and Abdullah Salem Al Zaabi, director of marketing and corporate communications at the federation and championship director, also attended.

The committee reviewed measures to increase participation by UAE athletes across the championship’s various categories. Organisers are also seeking to strengthen the tournament’s international media presence through closer coordination with partners, international combat sports media organisations and selected influencers.

Al-Marzooqi said registration numbers would be monitored closely to identify categories where additional athletes could be accommodated. The committee will also focus on regions expected to provide higher levels of participation.

“The meeting set clear priorities for the next stage of preparations,” Al-Marzooqi said. “We will closely monitor registration numbers and identify categories that can include more athletes, while focusing on key regions from which we expect greater participation.”

Plans are also being developed to provide wider access for international media and reach a larger global jiu-jitsu audience.

Organisers are preparing changes to the opening ceremony, including the use of new technology in different parts of the programme. Al-Marzooqi said the committee would track the implementation of the plans and assess their results.

Registration for the 18th edition continues, with about 12,000 athletes expected to compete. The scale of participation reflects the championship’s growing international profile and its role in bringing athletes and academies from different countries to Abu Dhabi.