Following a successful bid from Abu Dhabi Sport Council, Abu Dhabi will host the UCI Road World Championships in 2028 and UCI Track World Championships in 2029, reaffirming the emirate’s status as a global capital of sports.

The events, organised by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), will attract the world’s best road cyclists in 2028 and track cyclists in 2029.

His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, praised Abu Dhabi for its success in securing the hosting rights.

His Highness said that the sport has always received the support and interest of the wise leadership, as part of the boundless efforts of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, to make the capital city a destination for sports lovers in general and cycling in particular. Abu Dhabi's sports infrastructure has also made it a leading example of top-level international sports event organisation.

His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, attended the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, taking place in Scotland from 3-13 August. His Excellency Al Awani received two Abu Dhabi-branded jerseys to recognise the emirate’s successful bid for the future UCI world championships.

The announcement of the two UCI World Championships comes as Abu Dhabi is rapidly becoming a hub for cycling, both in terms of infrastructure and in the number of events hosted. Last year, Abu Dhabi held the 2022 UCI Urban Cycling World Championships as part of Bike Abu Dhabi Week.

Abu Dhabi, which is the only Asian city to hold the UCI Bike City label, also hosts the UAE Tour, the only global tour in the Middle East.

David Lappartient, UCI President, said: “Abu Dhabi possesses extensive experience hosting major sports events and is constantly extending and upgrading its cycling infrastructure. After the highly successful UCI Urban Cycling World Championships in 2022, I am convinced that this UCI Bike City will also be an excellent host of the world’s best road cyclists in 2028 and track cyclists in 2029.”

The UCI Track World Championships dates back to 1893, while the first UCI Road World Championships took place in 1921.