The UAE Basketball Association will host the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship in Dubai this August under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of Dubai Sports Council.

This will be the first time that the UAE, and the Middle East region, has hosted a FIBA World Championship, and the event has received strong support from the local business community.

Emirates airline has signed up as Presenting Sponsor and the Official Airline of the event, which marks its first ever involvement in an international basketball tournament.

Ismail Al Gargawi, President of the UAE Basketball Association said: “This is a great success for the UAE Basketball Association and for basketball in general. One of our most iconic local companies has pledged its support for basketball. This will help us organise an unforgettable event for participants, visitors and locals alike.”

Sixteen of the world’s top basketball nations will come to Dubai with their star talents to compete in the Championship, which will be played from 8-16 August 2014.

Seven teams will be making their FIBA U17 World Championship debut, including the UAE, which ensures that it will be a momentous occasion for the UAE and the development of basketball in the region.

Leading basketball nations including the USA, Spain, Japan, Argentina, France, China and the Philippines will join the UAE in Dubai.

The Championship will take place in three arenas in Dubai, with the final taking place at the world class Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Sports Complex on the 16 August.

Emirates Airlines, with a fleet of 220 aircraft, currently flies to 143 destinations in 81 countries around the world, and the network is expanding constantly.

More than 1,500 Emirates’ flights depart Dubai each week for destinations on six continents.

Emirates has been committed to sports sponsorships from football to tennis, rugby and golf in both the UAE and around the world for over twenty years.

As Presenting Sponsor and the Official Airline of the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship, Emirates has added basketball to the list of sports for which it shows strong support both locally and internationally.