Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Hassan Al Mazrouei and other dignitaries pose for a picture after signing of the MoU.

The organising committee for the World Padel Championship on Sunday confirmed DP World as the official title sponsor of the upcoming IPF World Padel Championship in Dubai.

The federation’s flagship biennial tournament is set to take place October 31 to November 5 at a refitted Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium.

Now officially titled ‘DP World Padel Championship 2022’, the event will be held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, and hosted by the UAE Padel Association (UAEPA) in association with Dubai Sports Council and Dubai Department of Economy & Tourism (DET).

This will be the first time in the championship’s history that the prize pool has reached €500,000.

“I am delighted to announce DP World as the official title sponsor for the upcoming edition of the championship here in Dubai,” said Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, President of the UAEPA.

“With their unrivalled experience in supporting some of the largest local and international sporting events, this milestone sponsorship for the World Padel Championship will only help foster the UAE’s position as a global capital of padel, and increase exposure to what is already one of the world’s fastest-growing sports.”   

The DP World Dubai World Padel Championship will feature separate men’s and women’s categories, with 16 national teams set to compete in each competition.

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman and CEO of DP World and Chairman of the Organising Committee, said: “At DP World, we are committed to supporting platforms that have true values within the sporting world. In a relatively short period, padel has seen an exponential rise in popularity, and the UAE has made incredible steps toward becoming a global hub for the sport. Our title sponsorship of the World Padel Championship is confirmation of our investment in growing the sport to even greater heights.”

The UAE men’s national team will make its debut on home turf at the DP World Dubai World Padel Championship 2022.

An eight-man squad will represent the Arabian Gulf against an impressive roster of the game’s leading countries, including Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Great Britain, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Portugal, Spain, and Uruguay.

National teams that have qualified for the women’s competition include Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Uruguay, and the US.